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102 forest stretches out before nick like a living, breathing entity, its trees reaching towards the heavens with outstretched branches. the air is thick with tension, heavy with the scent of damp earth and leaves. in the distance, the shouts and cries of disgruntled pokemon echo through the foliage like a war drum.[break][break]

his boots sink into the soft ground beneath him with every step, a far cry from the concrete of the cities he left behind so long ago. it feels like a lifetime. he adjusts the brim of his ranger hat, casting a quick glance towards his partner for the day—a minjun hak, someone he's only ever shared a few words within passing at the rangers' headquarters. he's still unsure of what to make of him.[break][break]

"prepare yourself," he murmurs, more to himself than to minjun. "we're likely not going to be met with open arms."[break][break]

he's no stranger to conflict, but it's something that never sits well with him, like a meal that refuses to digest. he can already see the warring parties through the trees: a clan of primeape, their muscular forms bristling with aggression, standing off against a clan of passimian, their nimble bodies poised for action. both groups seem to be fighting over a large fruit tree, its branches laden with ripe berries.[break][break]

nick takes a deep breath, steeling himself for the confrontation ahead. "let's try to resolve this as peacefully as possible," he says, turning to minjun with a weary smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes. "i'd rather not resort to violence unless absolutely necessary."[break][break]

the weight of his past failures hangs heavy on his shoulders, an ever-present reminder of the lives he's impacted, the mistakes he's made. he can only hope that today will be different, that he can find a way to bring peace to this small corner of the world.[break][break]

but hope, he knows, is a fickle thing.

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uncomfortable memories swirl to the surface of nick's mind, prompted by yuina's skepticism of ranger reports. his mistake with another ranger—one that he had misinformed, through his negligence—still lies fresh in his thoughts. as does the cold disapproval of the other rangers. maybe yuina's right to take things into her own hands, then. the way ideas like these spread reminds him of memetics—the viral nature of beliefs, passed from one mind to another, evolving with each retelling.[break][break]

"blessed pokémon, huh?" nick repeats, his tone one of mild surprise. he's never heard of such a thing before, but it makes a certain kind of sense, given the strange and ancient aura that these creatures exude. he turns the idea over in his mind, considering it from every angle.[break][break]

"i can't say i've ever read about anything like that, but... it sounds about right." he rubs his chin thoughtfully, his fingers brushing against the coarse black stubble that dots his skin. "what made you look into it? like... what makes you believe that?"[break][break]

he hesitates, realizing a beat too late how his words might come across. "no offense, of course," he says quickly. "i'm just curious. i've never met anyone like... you before."[break][break]

like you. what does that mean? and why does it matter? nick's not sure, but something about yuina—her intensity, her drive, her utter dedication to this strange and nebulous cause—both intrigues and unsettles him.[break][break]

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and thus the rules of engagement are set. nick releases a soft sigh, eyes briefly fluttering shut beneath the weight of what is to come. it is not a fight he wanted, but it is a fight he will see through, one way or another. "very well."[break][break]

he watches the firagiraf move with surprising agility, its long legs carrying it around solomon in a dizzying blur. it's a good strategy, one meant to disorient and confuse, to leave an opponent reeling.[break][break]

but nick is no stranger to battle, and neither is his braviary. "solomon, stay focused!" he calls out, his voice ringing through the clearing.[break][break]

the braviary lets out a sharp cry, wings spread wide, talons digging deeper into the earth. he turns with the firagiraf's movements, head cocked, eyes trained on the swirling form.[break][break]

nick takes a deep breath, counts the seconds. "now! air slash!"[break][break]

solomon pushes off from the ground in a burst of wind and motion, wings beating furiously as he rises into the air. his wings glows a brilliant white as he angles himself towards the darting firagiraf, a gleaming scythe aimed at its center.[break][break]

the wind whistles around them, a testament to the power of solomon's attack. nick's heart pounds in his chest, a drumbeat to accompany the dance of battle.[break][break]

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the sudden movement catches the corner of nick's eye, and he turns, surprised to see a young woman emerging from the tall grass, her arms waving in his direction. for a moment, he's torn between the mysterious minior and the unexpected presence of another person in this remote area. but something in her expression—a flicker of concern, perhaps even fear—tugs at him, and he takes a step back from the minior, lowering his camera.[break][break]

"be careful," he calls out, his voice carrying a note of warning. "it's not safe." even as he speaks, he's acutely aware of the minior's pulsing glow, the way it seems to be watching them both with an intensity that sends a shiver down his spine. he's encountered three of these pokemon before, and they're dangerous, fiercely protective of their territory. and yet, there's a part of him that can't help but be drawn to the creature, to the secrets it might hold.[break][break]

nick hesitates, torn between the desire to learn more and the growing sense that he's in over his head. "i'm a ranger," he says at last, hoping to reassure the woman. "i've been tracking this minior. but something's not right." he glances back at the floating pokémon, its glow seeming to intensify, the colorful particles around it swirling faster. "we should go, before—"[break][break]

he doesn't get to finish his sentence. in a sudden burst of light, the minior's glow erupts, sending a shockwave rippling through the air. nick stumbles, shielding his face with his arm as he's thrown backwards. he hits the ground hard, the air knocked from his lungs. through the spots dancing in his vision, he sees the minior ascending, its light now blinding, the very air around it shimmering with energy. it's preparing something big.[break][break]

"get back!" he shouts, struggling to his feet, his heart pounding. "we need to get to cover!"

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nowadays, it feels as if Nick's center of gravity is beyond him, somewhere tangled in the mist and the early morning glow of the mountains. route 114 is quieter today, the sounds of chattering wild Pokémon and the faint rustle of the wind among the trees blending into a peaceful hum. but nick's focus is elsewhere, fixed on the reports that had bring him back here once more: a strange glowing Pokémon sighted along the rocky path toward meteor falls. a sighting that makes even the seasoned ranger curious—maybe a little too curious for his own good.[break][break]

his boots crunch against loose gravel as he moves forward, navigating around moss-covered rocks and the occasional scatter of feathers left behind by a passing swablu or taillow. there is a heaviness in the air, a kind of quiet that carries with it the weight of expectation. nick pulls out his camera, an older model that has seen better days but still captures the world through its lens beautifully. he can’t help but take a few pictures along the way—of sun-dappled trees, of distant mountains peeking through mist, of the small footprints left behind by passing pokémon. each click of the shutter feet like a reminder of why he had chosen this life, why he had turned his back on everything he once knew.[break][break]

it isn’t long before he reaches the clearing near the base of a steep incline, the terrain rugged and uneven, flanked by tall grasses and scattered boulders. he slows his pace, heart beating just a touch faster, his senses tuned to the slightest hint of movement. and then, as if the morning itself has come alive, a soft, ethereal glow catches his eye—a faint, otherworldly light flickering between the trees, shimmering with an almost dreamlike quality.[break][break]

nick freezes, his breath catching in his throat as he squints through the dim light of dawn. there it is, just ahead of him, nestled among the rocks: a minior, its core exposed, glowing with a vibrant, kaleidoscopic light that pulsates gently like a heartbeat. the outer shell is nowhere to be seen, and the minior's true form—its core—floats serenely, surrounded by faint, colorful particles that drift in the air like embers from a dying fire.[break][break]

nick’s eyes widen, and he instinctively raises his camera, barely daring to breathe. the minior’s glow illuminates the area around it, casting strange shadows and bathing the rocks in a soft, eerie light. it looks back at him, its eyes gleaming with a mix of aggression and something else—something ancient, as if it carries within it the secrets of the world nick has spent a lifetime trying to understand.[break][break]

click. the shutters go off. with a flash, the minior is captured in the lens of his camera. then, it floats forward, closer to him. its glow pulses, and nick is suddenly struck by the feeling that he is not where he is supposed to be.

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the salty sea breeze whips at nick's face as he soars over route 110, the beating of wings filling his ears. below him, the ocean stretches out like a shimmering blue carpet, dotted with the occasional whitecap. to his right, the cycling track snakes its way between the two landmasses, a thin ribbon of pavement against the wild beauty of the sea.[break][break]

it's been a few days since the incident in petalburg city, and while the memories still haunt him, nick finds a measure of peace in the simple act of flying. there's something about being up here, above the world and all its troubles, that helps clear his head.[break][break]

he glances over at josh, who's flying alongside him on his own pokemon. the man seems to be in his element up here and nick can't help but smile a little, feeling a surge of camaraderie for the fellow trainer.[break][break]

"it's beautiful up here, isn't it?" he calls over the wind, his voice tinged with wonder. "i never get tired of this view."[break][break]

his altaria, leonius, lets out a happy chirp, as if in agreement. the pokemon's cloud-tipped feathers ruffle in the breeze, and for a moment, nick feels a pang of envy for the creature's freedom, its ability to simply spread its wings and fly away from all the world's problems.

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smoke claws at his lungs, and nick feels as though he's breathing in needles. he can't see anything, but he knows enough to follow the sound of juliana's voice. 'fall back!' she yells, and her froslass disappears into the aether once more, the brilliance of its light sucked into the hungry darkness of the smoke.[break][break]

niamh, loyal as ever, returns to her ball with haste. the toucannon is many things, but nick knows that she is not one for such heat and grime. as he stumbles back to his feet, as his vision swims in front of him, he knows that whatever comes next will require him to lean on his wits alone.[break][break]

the tremors beneath his feet are a cause for concern. the caves are unstable, this whole region is unstable with each faction vying for a slice of the cake, and the sight of the lava plume calls to mind disasters from his youth—disasters that claimed entire towns and caves that were home to powerful pokemon. this, this is something different entirely. this is powerful, perhaps even more so than anything else he's seen.[break][break]

but the warmth he feels is the faintest hint of relief. after years in the cold air of the sky pillar, warmth is what he's been chasing, what he's been yearning for. nick is not a man of action, but in the name of warmth and safety, he will do what he must.[break][break]

"we have to get out of here!" he shouts, his voice strained with effort. "follow my voice—i'll lead you out!"[break][break]

if he's going to get out of here, he's not going to do it alone. he owes juliana that much for her help with the aegislash. with a shift of his shoulders, nick begins to run, seeking the cool air of the sky on his face.

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"it was a golurk. twice as big, standing like a sentinel near petalburg." nick hesitates, then shrugs. "it was aggressive. scary, almost. looked like it would do anything to protect the place where it stood."[break][break]

he nods in agreement with morrighan's observation about strange times. the world had always been a dangerous place, full of mysteries and threats, but something about this new phenomenon feels different. more ominous. like it is just the beginning of something bigger and more terrifying.[break][break]

"nick steele," he introduces himself in turn, shaking morrighan's hand briefly. his grip is firm and strong. "i'm a ranger."[break][break]

he falls silent for a moment, considering morrighan's words about the death and birth of stars. it's a poetic thought, one that fits the strange and otherworldly nature of the phenomenon they had just witnessed. he's about to respond when there's a sudden rustling in the bushes nearby, followed by a series of loud, raucous cries.[break][break]

in a flash, nick has reached for his pokeball again, ready to release one of his pokemon at a moment's notice. but when the source of the noise emerges from the bushes, he relaxes. it's a flock of flock of spearow, their brown feathers ruffled and their beaks open wide as they squawk and flutter about.[break][break]

the sight of them brings an unexpected smile to nick's face. "huh. looks like life goes on, with or without us," he muses, watching the birds hop and flutter around. "there's something comforting about that."[break][break]

he looks off into the distance. "hope your story seeking goes well. i should get going."

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"an out?" nick muses bitterly, his heart pounding as the moltres's eyes flare with otherworldly power. "some out. i'm still paying for it."[break][break]

for all his years, for all his attempts to atone, the specter of his past still lingers over him like a shroud. there are days when he can almost forget, when the weight of his sins is lifted from his shoulders, but then there are moments like these, when he is forced to confront the darkness he once called home.[break][break]

"you talk of choice, but there's no real choice, is there?" he says, his voice tight with fear and anger. "you threaten me with death, but the truth is, there's no real escape from team rocket. you just trade one kind of prison for another."[break][break]

either he dies in fear of team rocket, or he lives in fear. either way, the iron manacles still constrict.[break][break]

but nick has made his choice, and he will not back down from it. he gives a quiet command to his braviary, and the bird dives, talons outstretched, a streak of light against the gathering dusk as they aim a SUPERPOWER at the legendary creature. they are outmatched, outgunned, but they will fight, because that is all they can do. it is all they have ever done.[break][break]

"if i fall, i fall on my own terms!" he shouts, his voice nearly lost in the rush of wind and the flap of wings. "i am not a puppet!"[break][break]

nick is under no illusion that he will win this fight. but he will make them remember him, make them remember the man who dared to defy them, even in the face of certain death. he thinks it is all he can do.

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the click of a pokeball, the flash of light, the sudden appearance of a firagiraf. nick's heart lurches in his chest, an old instinct clawing its way to the surface. memories of battles past, of triumphs and defeats, of the weight of a team rocket uniform on his shoulders. for however odd their challenge is, and however uninterested the other party seems in actually doing battle, the challenge is clear.[break][break]

but that was a different life, a different him. he pushes the thoughts away, focuses on the now. the firagiraf is a towering presence, a long neck swaying like a pendulum, eyes glinting with a readiness to fight.[break][break]

solomon lands beside him, talons digging into the soft earth, feathers ruffled in anticipation. "easy there, big guy," nick murmurs, resting a hand on the braviary's wing.[break][break]

his gaze shifts to the trainer before him, a figure clad in a mask, glasses fogged, hand around their pokeball.[break][break]

"i'm not your enemy," he calls out, his voice steady, even. "i don't really want to fight you." a beat, a pause. "i will, though. if that's what it comes to."[break][break]

nick steels his heart, draws his braviary closer to him. he dares the stranger to make the first move.

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eventually, nick slows to a stop, his chest heaving with exertion. his legs burn, his lungs ache, but he's alive. they're all alive.[break][break]

he turns to look back at where the solrock had been, at the brilliant explosion of light that had consumed it. the forest is eerily quiet now, the only sound the distant rustle of leaves and the soft twittering of birds. he can see the trail of smoke rising from the spot where the solrock had been, a black scar against the blue sky.[break][break]

"no," nick answers morrighan's question without thinking, but pauses and amends it. "well, it's out of the ordinary, i guess. i've been a ranger for five years now, and this is the second time i've ever seen this phenomenon. it's happening all over the place this month."[break][break]

he shakes his head, dismissing the thought. "either way, it's not something i want to run into again anytime soon. or ever, really." he looks back at morrighan, his expression serious. "you should be careful out here. there's a lot of dangerous things out here."[break][break]

with that, he recalls his pokemon, their bodies disappearing in a flash of light. he hesitates for a moment, then nods at morrighan. "thank you for your help. i don't think i could have taken that thing down on my own."

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