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A Lapras?[break][break]

"Nah, I don't think I got room for another water-type," Bailey hummed as she stared at the beautiful sea creature as it cruised past them, riding in the shallow waters that ran with vein-like intricacy through the cave system. Bumbo seemed to agree—he nodded with every word that left her lips, not actually understanding what she had to say.[break][break]

She patted his round face. "Come on." There was more to see. "We'll find something less... fancy?"

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They kept dancing.[break][break]

While all of the nonsense unraveled upstairs, Bailey kept her fingers laced with Daniel's as they slowly swayed. She had managed to find a rhythm, keeping each step in line with his. The stage of awkward fumbling had passed. Now, they could follow the smooth flow of the crowd–back and forth–in tune with the music.[break][break]

And it was boring as hell.[break][break]

She let her head rest on his shoulder, enjoying the proximity of their bodies more than the actual act of dancing. “Okay. Bad suggestion,” her voice would murmur against his ear. “Kinda overrated.” It was said in jest, but she sensed that he would agree. “I'm choking on the smell of everyone's perfume.”[break][break]

Bailey thought of the hotel room. They could enjoy the rest of the venue–see the gardens and find more ways to waste their time–but her mind kept returning to his earlier suggestion. The Ball was a chance for people to... schmooze with one another. It was a venue for conversations that the Officer could never picture herself humoring; maybe she had hoped for something different, something exciting.[break][break]

But it was okay. They could make their own fun. “Come on,” and she would take Daniel's hand and end their sway, leading him to the staircase and up to the second floor.[break][break]

tldr: dancing w/ DANIEL WALKER and then realized "huh this is kinda boring," and heads upstairs. [break][break]

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Bailey accepted the fizzling glass, letting her fingers wrap around the narrow stem as her eyes absorbed the sight of the growing crowd. Some women would have felt enamoured by the sight of the ballroom and the people that danced–it was a chance for some to live out whatever fairytale fantasies they might have had tucked in their minds.[break][break]

In her fantasies, she had been slaying dragons, not dancing. She took a long sip of the champagne, feeling it tickle in the back of her throat. If there was a bar, maybe she would have made an effort to find it–nah, probably not. This wasn't the time nor the place to cut loose. "Thanks," and she squeezed the one hand that she held; the cold metal seemed to retain her warmth. "It'll take a few of these to do the job." Bailey knew her limit.[break][break]

His suggestions coaxed a smirk to her face; an expression that had probably graced his own. Well, that was tempting. "Soon." It had taken time for her to preen herself for this event. It'd be a shame if it only lasted for a few minutes. "Let everyone get bored, first."[break][break]

She swirled the contents of her glass, feeling her amusement sizzle as Daniel made another proposition–dancing. "Uh," and Bailey seemed to avert her gaze. "About that? I never learned?" Maybe she should have thought about that before she bought the tickets.[break][break]

Oh well. Too late now.[break][break]

tldr; standing around, having a drink with DANIEL WALKER on the first floor, near the ballroom [break][break]

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It was not her forte. [break][break]

The dry conversation came to its end. Good, because the last thing she needed to do was make up another allergy. Lies always flowed so quickly to her lips, but they were rarely recalled. "Sure. Have a good night," were the last words she said as FERNANDO SILPH left to tend to his duties and she no longer had a need to have all fifteen pokemon on her person. The officer was alone, once again--[break][break]

But not for long. "Daniel," were the words that greet her lips as she heard his voice. Her partner. Her date. Her gaze softened when she glanced in his direction. The other girls could look on in envy as she closed the distance between them. "You're a sight for sore eyes," and her hands fit snuggly into his own.[break][break]

She smiled at his question. "No, not at all." A few minutes was not enough to sour her mood. Not when he arrived looking so good; not when his stare justified all of the work she had gone through just to get this outfit together. "You better. Come on, I'm freezing."[break][break]

Taking him by the hand, she would lead him up the steps, towards the foyer where the lights and the event waited to greet them. It was time for them to enjoy themselves.[break][break]

tldr; finally, FINALLY joins the ball with DANIEL WALKER[break][break]

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He had to do this? "Bullshit," was all Bailey replied as her Darmanitan lunged through the corrosive spray. He pushed through the stream, ignoring the burn that tried to melt through his very skin as fire engulfed his hands–anything to keep Bailey from harm. The wounds would scar, but that is the last thing on their minds as she is released from her pokemon's grip.[break][break]

Superpower. Once, then twice. The two attacks are delivered without the weight of Bailey to impede them. Stuntanks were sturdy pokemon–hence the name. Bumbo would keep attacking–would keep sheilding–until the battle was met with his victory. If that was an unwise strategy, it was because it came from an unwise pokemon. The Darmanitan was younger than his size would suggest.[break][break]

But Bailey does not have the time to reign him in. Her eyes are focused on Joey and his cowardice. Her eyes narrowed into slits. He had the nerve to try and kill her, and this was how he responded when it failed?[break][break]

Another crackle; another burst of white light. Kapow was summoned from the depths of his capsule; mirroring the actions of his trainer as they both raise and crack their knuckles. "Gonna need a better fucking excuse than that," and she aimed to grab him by the collar. If he were wise, he'd let it happen.[break][break]

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Why did she come back?[break][break]

Bailey Cooper slipped through familiar passages of the Lower District, knowing that anyone could come for her head; the tight space of the alley amplified this feeling of crushing oppression. Slateport was not what it used to be. Now, it is a twisted and burning husk. Under the cover of the night, the officer is able to navigate through the light-less city. Rocket was still working to restore electricity after the incident at the power plant–this left the borders to the city vulnerable when the sunset.[break][break]

To combat this weakness, grunts patrolled the streets on a regular basis. She can see the streams of light that emit from their flashlights, pointed like torches into the stretching, urban dark.[break][break]

Bailey arrived in Slateport the same way she had left--through the subway tunnels. It had been the safest path to follow—even if the passages were still overflowing with noxious fumes. Pinpin was able to negate the poison with SAFEGUARD, allowing her to travel without fear of succumbing to the toxins. In that dark, empty space, she had a chance to retrace the steps she had taken on the day of the invasion.[break][break]

It made her move quickly.[break][break]

And when Bailey emerged from the station, she emerged to a disaster. Nothing had been left untouched. The invasion had ripped through the heart of the city with a wanton destruction that left broken glass still scattered in the streets. It was why Bailey had to tread softly. It was why she stuck to the alleys.[break][break]

"One street down," she murmured to herself, feeling Pinpin's distress as the sea cucumber was held against her chest. "Yeah, I know. I just had to see for myself."[break][break]

There had been good memories here.[break][break]

Quickly, quietly, Bailey Cooper moved with a skill that was rarely displayed. The girl was more cunning than she seemed, wise to the ways of movement that could let her creep quietly through the night...[break][break]

"Fuck," and she found what she had been looking for; the burnt, empty husk of the bar that she used to frequent. Someone had burned it to the ground. She should have guessed.

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It rarely snowed.[break][break]

Bailey Cooper was quick to adjust to the arrival of winter. In Hoenn, where the climate always seemed to be agreeable, it was a simple change. The young officer swapped her shorts for jeans. That was it. That was the only measure that had to be taken to fight the chill in the air as the region transitioned into the colder months. [break][break]

However, in the depths of the Shoal Cave, this change was not enough. Away from the warmth of the sun, the air was allowed to carry a chill that cut to the bone with a single breeze. Bumbo, her Darmanitan, hovered close to her side and used his body warmth to keep her from freezing. “Keep an eye out for trouble,” Bailey said as she scratched beneath the pokemon’s chin. The fire-type was always overprotective of her –she had raised him for his entire life, after all. Rearing a pokemon from an egg always produced these results.

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Bailey remembered how shaken the professor had been. While it was no longer her responsibility to look out for the dweeb, she felt some degree of concern for him; he seemed so gentle. If Rocket continued to target him, she imagined it would weigh heavily on his mind.[break][break]

"Oh well," she said with a sigh. It was out of her hands, now. "I thought I'd ask," and her eyes strayed to the steady flow of people as they entered the ball. In her mind, she damned herself for getting here so quickly–getting into the dress had been so time-consuming that she had chosen to do it as soon as she could.[break][break]

Fernando's admission garnered her attention, drawing it away from the couples and their glowing faces. Maybe it surprised her to hear that shred of concern from someone that looked so...reserved? Intense? Her mind was unable to muster a word to describe his presence... and she refrained from saying good for you, and tried to think of something less crass; something that would sound genuine. "That's considerate of you. Thanks." Better than saying thanks, dude. As an officer, she had to display some level of professionalism.[break][break]

Even if it went against every fiber of her being.[break][break]

"So, does that mean you'll be stuck out here all night, or...?" Her voice trailed, waiting for his reply. Why had she asked? She wasn't sure. Maybe it was just to humor the conversation and not fall into an awkward silence. [break][break]

Why did he decide to start talking to her, anyway? Was he bored? It was a question that she does not ask.[break][break]

tldr: chit chatting with FERNANDO SILPH [break][break]

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He remembered her name? [break][break]

“Shit,” Bailey cursed with the faintest of breaths, just to keep her voice from traveling. The officer had hoped that she could go unnoticed. These events were never to her thing. The only reason she had decided to come was for the sake of charity, not to rub shoulders with the upper echelons of the league. Her mind was reeling, struggling to pull together details from that night at the bar all those weeks ago–or the meeting with Silph after the expedition into the Regirock cave. Something to make it seem like she paid attention to all those briefings and meetings.[break][break]

She cleared her throat and turned to regard the Silph heir; his name returning to her mind. “Hey, Fernando.” Casual as always. The “wildcard” was unaware of her title as she unfolded her arms. The holster beneath her dress, laced to the outside of her thigh, would hold all the pokemon she could need for the night–a thought that she is reminded of when she viewed the two magnetons at the top of the stairs.[break][break]

“Thanks. Has Professor Creighton shown up? I haven't seen him since he was escorted to Mauville,” and she noted his suit and how he wore it so casually. Events like this must be common for him. The memories of Slateport do not sour her expression. She had been one of the lucky ones. She had escaped unharmed and the troublesome memories had already been put behind her. “What are you doing out here?” He could have hired someone to keep watch.[break][break]

tldr: chit chatting with FERNANDO SILPH haha not dying today[break][break]

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