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“Regular soil?! Don't be stupid!” Bailey would shout, immediately rising to his volume; yet, her voice would be absent of aggression. “That shit is volcanic! A Lavaridge specialty! Pokemon eggs love that shit! Don't diss it!”[break][break]

People that could overhear their raised voices would quickly shuffle away.[break][break]

A moment of silence would pass—her chest puffed—before her eyes would dart to her egg. She would crouch before it, just as he had done. “You can't just stare at it!” This time, she would hiss, trying to be mindful of her volume. “We gotta... be patient, or some shit. Staring at them might make 'em nervous. We can't rush 'em.”[break][break]

And her hand would scratch her cheek, trying to remember how long it had taken for her Togekiss to hatch from her egg, back when she had been a Togepi.[break][break]

“This is way better than carrying them around everywhere.”

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[break]

Perish Song, huh?[break][break]

“Alright Kapow, you know what that means,” the Sergeant would regard the first and true Kommo-o with a shrug.[break][break]

It meant they would have to wrap this up. His body would emit a purple, dragon-like hue as he released himself from his perch—Dragon's Dance activating as his talons touched back onto the wet ground as he rolled his shoulders to let the joints pop. This was not the Regirock Raid, where he would have the chance to spam that shit three times in a row.

But, he would just have to make due.[break][break]



As the Rain Dance took effect, the heart-scaled dragon would raise his two fists as he took on a boxer's stance. He would not hold his ground for long, as another attack began to manifest itself. Bailey recognized its sheen as the air seemed to disturb itself around the Dragon's fist.[break][break]


And then, with almost a vaccum-like pull, the Dragon pokemon would suddenly be propelled towards the Politoed.[break][break]

If worse came to worse, she would just have to withdraw Kapow and let Tink hold the front until they could be swapped.

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“Some people just want to get out of Hoenn as fast as possible,” and the situation did not surprise her. The faster people could cut ties and hop on a boat, the faster they could decompress in a region without these problems. Why fear the next Rocket Invasion when someone could lounge on a beach in Alola?[break][break]

She started to sip her water while waiting on her next drink. “As long as the paper's there, I won't turn down a good deal. What am I, a cop?”[break][break]

Bailey would never get sick of that joke.[break][break]

“But, anyway, I guess if this did all blow over, it'd feel too good to be true—even if it was, not like I'd stop training pokemon or any of that shit. I've been doing this my whole life,” and for a moment, she'd seem to puff her chest with pride at her subtle brag.[break][break]

They called her the Train Menace for a reason.

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Did she believe the river would be enough to dissuade a full-grown fire pokemon?[break][break]

Bailey Cooper would have scoffed, if not for the seriousness that seemed to be attributed to the Gym Leader's command. What was her plan? To have her Granbull attempt to grasp her Darmanitan and force him under the water? To dodge out of the way and let him roll through it?[break][break]

The Sergeant placed her hands akimbo, flabbergasted by the logic. It wasn't an awful idea, but it was so abundantly clear that only a wild pokemon could have been tricked.[break][break]

Would it have been effective? Probably not. This was not a Charmander on a rainy day. This was a Darmanitan. It would take a water attack to cause harm—because such moves were delivered with a potency that all fire pokemon were vulnerable to. That, or if it was possible to fully submerge him. Would the water be an unpleasant experience? Of course, but the possible harm it could have dealt would have been difficult to measure.[break][break]

Discomfort would not cause harm. A water gun would make more sense.[break][break]

“Fuckin' A,” and Bailey Cooper had to pinch her brow.[break][break]

People gave her shit in gym battles for being unrelenting; but, she was just trying to expedite the process because shit like this kept happening.[break][break]

Gym Battles were supposed to teach young trainers--she knew that, but goddamn, was it so bad to want something more? The victory star hungered, like how she hungered for victory when she fought in Mossdeep.[break][break]

“Flare Blitz!” It had been wrong to assume that he had lost his range of mobility—they had a plan for moments like this. Issuing that command while mid-attack sent a clear message to her Darmanitan, even if it was lost on everyone else.[break][break]

Go up, and his hands would be glowing a violent, explosive red as they rolled across the ground—an explosion of fire and propulsion that shot him up from the ground, interrupting his spin and the traction he had built. It would launch the fire pokemon above the Granbull.[break][break]



And then, the Darmanitan would fully ignite with the full brilliance of the attack. He would turn in the air to face the back of his foe, bringing the palms of his giant hands to face behind him.[break][break]

Another explosion—this time, it was intended to bring the fire pokemon down upon the fairy-type like a meteor.[break][break]

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Bailey Cooper emerged; phantasmal and resplendent. With each breath, she can see the rising, licking tongues of flame—her sight unfocused and then focused, as her eyes finally beheld her foe. The fire waned, but she could still feel its intensity, as it reached a feverish brink.[break][break]

Victory is mine, and her stare betrayed the violence of her violet gaze. I will take it, as her body continued to burn.[break][break]

She heard the sands—heard them as they ripped at the torn landscape with a scorn that matched her own. As though she were a mother, the queen of earth recognized the familiar touch, the familiar presence, of her departed Palossand. They share their anger, their frustrations, as the sandstorm reached an intensity that she had never seen. Surely, it would have stripped skin from bone, had she not been at the center of the storm.[break][break]

Their last embrace.[break][break]

Rumble's capsule shattered in her grasp—their minds becoming intertwined as she shared a connection with her pokemon that she had never felt before. Their thoughts were meshed, contorted, in a cacophony of sound and emotion that could not be separated. There was no cohesion. They do not share the same wavelength—but, in the chaos, it almost seemed perfect.[break][break]

It suited them. It was real. “You've been by my side all along.”[break][break]

The sands concentrated, just as her Steelix was touched by this unspeakable energy. It was stronger than any evolution—stronger than any move ever performed. She felt the shape in her mind, the transformation, and guided it with her own hand as the shell encased him. “Show them how you have been my guiding light,” and her eyes closed, just as the Palossand condensed.[break][break]

“Fight for me,” and the roar of her Steelix made the ground rumble, followed by the ear-splitting crack as the shell was shattered. A primal transformation as the snake shielded her from the world.[break][break]

The glass was beautiful, she thought, as the world beheld the rainbow sheen of her two pokemon—forever intertwined.[break][break]

The victory star would walk into the middle of the destroyed intersection, her Steelix floating behind her, as the others began to utilize the same energy that continued to consume her—their moment of triumph—as she found herself in the same place where she had began.[break][break]

Facing down the creature, standing in its path, as she would raise her hand. This time, it would not be Moonblast. This time, it would hurt.[break][break]

The sands continued to follow them, refusing to depart until the battle was finished.[break][break]

Their bodies glowed with the same red fury, sharing in the strength of the move, as if she were a battery that had more than enough to spare. Rumble's body would twist in mid-air, flipping as he would spiral forward and then slamming his tail to the ground to unleash what they had in store.[break][break]



The ground fissured—splitting apart beneath the massive creature to try and engulf it—and then slamming shut to pin it in place and apply the same pressure that she had felt throughout this entire battle.[break][break]

And then would come the revenge. The glass formations that her Steelix suspended would begin to spin—faster and faster—as they would stretch in length, until long, blade-like shards were created. The blades would fray out, pointing forward, as the Steel-type snake lunged to confront a foe that no longer out-sized him.[break][break]



One of the blades would swing, bringing its sharpness down upon one of the arm-like appendages in an attempt to sever it. The rest of his body would slam the full force of his weight against the beast, colliding against what had once seemed like an unmovable force.[break][break]



It was time for the beast to tangle with something its own size.

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Not wanting to be outdone, the Sergeant would polish her drink and signal for another.[break][break]

“Ain't caught up to me yet,” and she would keep running, waiting for the day where she would go up in flames, like an engine that had burst.[break][break]

Bailey would retract her phone, locking the screen before returning it back to the confines of her pocket. “Even if Rocket's gone, there'll always be something else. So... I dunno. It's just supposed to be a weekend getaway.” A place where she could let her pokemon roam free, sit out on a beach, and unwind.[break][break]

“Some old dude was selling the property. White hair. Glasses. Probably somebody that wanted to retire out here before Rocket swept in. He only wants cash, so I can't say no to that.”

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[break]

The sands of Lavaridge burned against the curve of her hand.[break][break]

Bailey Cooper dug a shallow divot, leaving just enough space for the strange, blue object that was tucked underneath her arm—a pokemon egg—to sit snugly. The heat of the grains that seeped between her fingers failed to draw a reaction as she continued her dig, making space for an adjacent egg.[break][break]

She had felt a heat that was far stronger than this—a mark that burned its V of victory across her chest, even if its color had waned since the events of Mossdeep.[break][break]

“Go ahead and plop 'em right in there,” and from her knees, the Sergeant would wipe her brow as she'd turn to glance back at Mateo Martinez. She had heard of him, though she had never known he had been the man she had encountered at the beach several months ago. [break][break]

They both had eggs to hatch. This was the fastest course. “It'll hatch in no time.”

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[break]

Two consecutive punches—it was a good start.[break][break]

The flames were extinguished from the Darmanitan's fists, letting the residual heat dissipate to the air. His stance would pivot—tiny feet shuffling to keep him aligned with the Granbull—as his opponent reeled from the attack. Bailey's gaze would follow these movements, unable to stop the proud smile that crossed her features.[break][break]

Bumbo would quickly glance over his shoulder, just in time to catch her nod of approval.[break][break]

“Stay focused!” No attack was issued as the Granbull lowered himself into a new stance.[break][break]

Another Crunch. Another straight-forward attack... or so it seemed. The Sergeant felt something itch at the back of her mind, just as Bumbo seemed ready to retaliate. “Rollout!” Her voice would shock through her pokemon, making the fire-type shift fluidly from his original course of action.[break][break]

Bumbo jumped—both fists slamming against the ground to propel him upward. These long limbs would withdraw, wrapping around his body and pinned his knees. Then, in air, he would start his rapid spin as rollout was initiated. No longer was the fire-type's features distinguishable--just a red, spinning ball of fury as he would fall back to the ground, either landing atop the charging Granbull or the ground if the fairy-type were to evade.[break][break]

[break]

It did not matter what surface was struck, because the Darmanitan would spin-dash across the arena, gathering momentum and speed—a game of pinball that was going to unfold unless he was stopped.

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[break]

This was going to take awhile.[break][break]

Bailey Cooper stared at the Lilligant, unable to shake the feeling that a battle of status ailments would be a battle of the Metapods—two pokemon repeating harden because it was all that they had to offer.[break][break]

“Alright, Tip. You're up,” and she would finally reach to her waist to release the large, iceburge-like pokemon from the confines of his capsule; the Avalugg's tired gaze observing his surroundings before he began to lazily shuffle forward. The ice-type had always been low energy. For a match like this, he would be a perfect fit—her other pokemon would protest at the thought of being forced into a battle with rules such as this.[break][break]

She would smile, watching as he took his time to prepare for the battle. “Just take it at your own pace, big guy,” and her gaze would raise to the gym leader and her reassurances.[break][break]

“Time to chill,” and something in her gaze would change, as if she were looking past the woman at the other end of the gym.[break][break]



Lost in her own thoughts, Bailey Cooper knew her gaze would be obscured as Avalugg opened his maw—the air that billowed from his breath condensed like smoke—before the air would thicken, condensing until small, sharp fragments of ice would overtake the area that they were designated to battle.[break][break]

Harmless to its surroundings, the hail would lazily spin in the artificial storm, only causing harm to those that could not tolerate the cold.

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[break]

She gave an approving smile, letting her arms rest akimbo. “We've got a cool match—a perfect duo for king kaiju to test his mettle, because we'll be going against the Samurai Senporkaru and Kinochi Sakursaur.”[break][break]

In the background, an Emboar and Venusaur enter the ring. They were dressed to showcase their respected roles. The Sergeant wondered how it was possible for anyone to squeeze the Venusaur into tight, skin-showing ninja attire... but, hey, they managed to do it. Fishnets on a grass-type was a sight she never thought she'd behold.[break][break]

“Also, remember, this shit is like Shakespear—the story is the top priority. The story!” Cloberella, the Tsareena, practiced a few rapid kicks before she deemed herself ready to enter the stage. The reaction was instant. Some boo'ed the pokemon, while others cheered—some people could dig a bad bitch, and their reaction only grew louder as she flipped off the crowd.[break][break]

It was time to start. “Let's fucking get some!” Her voice would reverberate with the hype, matching the intensity of the crowd. [break][break]

There was a loud crack as she split into another beer, taking a swig of the beverage before it could boil over.

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