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Too long, they had taken far too long wandering in circles. Already they had nearly walked into a dead end multiple times now. By the time they finally found their way to a clearing, Kaida feared how much time had already passed. [break][break]

Listening to the explanation of the obstacle, Ormr suddenly launched himself off Kaida's shoulder, an understanding already passing through them. "Your going to try first?" The Ekans lowered his head, sensitive to vibration and scents, he didn't want to fail again and get Kaida hurt. "Ok...um, Francie, don't get hurt." She hoped they didn't lose the woman or get her hurt, that would certainly be a failure. [break][break]

Ormr started forward, Kaida right behind him. Attempting to sense any threats, they attempted to reach the other side in a hurry. [break][break]

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On Ormr's end, the walk was still uneventful. He had poked around at a wall Kaida was stopped at during an intersection, and gotten a spray of confetti in the face. Definitely, he had smelled air, but it was nothing similar to a shortcut! "Carful, Ormr, don't get so close." Kaida warned a little too late, patting her now thoroughly shaken serpent as she moved on. [break][break]

Meanwhile, Kaida seemed to have a strategy in mind. At every break and fork in the path, she would point down one path and wait for some kind of signal from Ormr. Whatever the signal was, she would proceed down the path he chose...if there was no path in mind, she'd go right. It was simply a scent she was looking for. If this gym was used alot, it stood to reason some of the thickest smells led to the end. On top of that, she heard hugging the right when uncertain would eventually lead to salvation. [break][break]

Hopefully, such ideas were fruitful. [break][break]

WR3do7_4

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"Ok. Ok. I got it." Kaida read and signed rapidly, looking down at the papers before nodding in satisfaction and listening to the objective of this particular challenge. "Ok. I'll be careful not to leave you behind...I'm ready." At the starting line, she stretched out before stepping out, and starting to walk. [break][break]

"This place is new to me, haven't seen it before." Kaida spoke as she walked, eyes flickering around as she tapped Ormr, "If you smell fresh air, tell me...even if there's a wall." Her pace was brisk, like a hound on a long walk. It was like the duo had two heads, only looking down another direction if the other was watching their back. [break][break]

This place smells musty. [break][break]

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From what Kaida understood, a gym challenge always challenged something, and there was little reason for her to not sign up for this. She didn't expect it to be a problem, she doubted the leader would be anyone who knew her, nor did she expect there to be any problems in the Gym itself. A maze was like getting through the forest and, better yet, was well traveled. As long as Ormr, who wrapped around her shoulders rigidly, focused, she doubted their combined skills couldn't succeed. [break][break]

"Hello?" She peered into the Gym, stepping in after enough time had passed of her studying the gigantic stadium. It was big, she would have to be fast, but not exhaust herself. "I am Kaida, and I am here to challenge the maze?"

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Maybe she's a fool for choosing to live near Slateport, or maybe her only foolish action was letting her Pokemon drift near the Outskirts, where they could be seen. Still, there is the possibility that it was only foolish when she chose to stick around more than a day, cleaning the field her Pokemon and a shrine dwelled in like it wasn't going to get dirty again. [break][break]

Nearby, Silk used measured Sandstorms to score at the dirt, flattening it down until it matched the rest of the ground, for better movement and lack of injury for the little ones. Muspel was...trying. Her wings, claws, and fiery tail made picking up and sweeping away leaves a frankly dangerous task, but she made it so simple to toss away. If anything, Munin seemed the most skilled. Cleaning supplies were lacking except for some rags Kaida had on hand, and she diligently wiped at the shrine with a delicate claw that suggest she knew the importance of it to Kaida. At the edges of the field, Hel, Freya, and Hema napped. Kaida let them, they needed it. Ormr clung to her neck as usual, a guard she could easily forget about. [break][break]

The rest of the strange group was elsewhere, resting in the forest, hunting, but the fact stood, they wouldn't be witnesses for what next happened. [break][break]

"I heard it's polite to keep a shrine clean, maybe it'll like this." Kaida spoke to nobody in particular, knowing her Pokemon heard her. The old thing still had no reason to it, no name she could assign whenever she bowed her head, but it was here. It felt important to keep everything clean here.

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Kaida occupies herself momentarily looking at the duo Charizard's. Muspel had very large wings, but her body was less sleek than she expected next to the other. Maybe it was a result of spending her days on the ground. The difference didn't stop her from launching into the air to race. Kaida kept an eye on them from the corner of her eye, having no doubt the two could be to the peak without even noticing. [break][break]

"It's natural to help your allies, you helped with no thought like we did, right? So it's natural." Kaida spoke bluntly, like her words were a simple rule that was unknowingly applied to life. Meanwhile, if Hema could purr, she would have. Even around Kaida, sometimes it felt better to receive sympathy from somebody else. "We're not very kind, not like others." They fought to eat, sleep, and simply to fight. Still, even if their main conflict in life was against Pokemon, Kaida knew they lay more importantly in her heart. So she knew one thing, she wasn't kind, she just wasn't evil, a monster. Better to just say a beast. [break][break]

Could more have been done? "Maybe if the guards did guarding." She hissed, low and spiteful. Throughout the entire ordeal, she had seen them stop nobody who wasn't willing. The only one that actually blocked something was one that Hema had Attracted! "I feel like I got more help from a couple in there." She heard Illeana trying to comfort her, and frowned, "No doubt...they blew up the tree, but I made it easier for them." Then she had the audacity to leave herself open for attack, and wasn't even able to assign a real voice to a general look. All she had was the attack still burned when she remembered where it hit. Some leader she was! [break][break]

Speaking of leaders...[break][break]

She couldn't focus on Illeana's sadness, other than looking her in the eyes and simply...accepting, a nod on her end showing she had heard her. There was no changing how she felt, Kaida wasn't close enough to even try and comfort the other woman, she hadn't even known she was a scientist until this very conversation, after all. Instead, she let Illeana move on. To a leader that was frighteningly the best of humans, perhaps that was why her lips curled when she heard him mentioned. "There's something wrong when a leader won't help his followers...he had to know people were already being hurt, hurting the tree." She stopped before she got too personal, sucking in a deep breath as if to weigh down her own words, "I'm not too clever, but it should be common sense to travel in groups...I knew you and some people were my allies, and I don't understand why more allies weren't there...even him, he's important, I thought he'd be more worried for his task, his survival...I don't know, it should have been easier to protect that tree." Perhaps she was being a little too cynical, but something so beautiful as that tree? Why was it more important to make a contest than guarding the tree? It wasn't crazy to think that, right?

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Gotta catch 'em all was a foolish endeavour, espicially if one wanted a team that they could work with. Thus, Kaida never worked with a Pokemon she wasn't certain she could use. Glima was one of the few Fighting-type Pokemon she used, ever. [break][break]

A Poliwrath approached as Muspel started taking off, and Kaida didn't even think of catching it. She shouldn't, she had no idea what to do with it. Another Air Slash sent Poliwrath reeling, and it fled before she could follow up. [break][break]

Onwards.

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Whatever the void of memories in her head were, Kaida didn't want to give up what she had now. A loyal family she knew would protect her through thick and thin, and a new family that, while she didn't quite understand how to feel it through all the Rangers, she had to try. A big family deserved all sorts of help and protection. [break][break]

And now it was goodbye. [break][break]

Hesitating at the door, Muspel's tail thumping in excitement for the adventures they'd surely have, how was this supposed to work? Her face suddenly relaxed in a smile, a friendly goodbye it was, "You will hear from me, good or bad...but I'll be careful, goodbye." [break][break]

A good goodbye. Now she just had to make sure she didn't break anything she said. Don't get caught, see Lars again, fight whoever hurt the pack. Easy, with her death, she thought she had the upper hand in this hunt. [break][break]

She fought because she felt safer fighting than running.

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Not a skunk, "It's worse!" Kaida barked, shuffling backwards and holding her breath. Even the poisonous serpent on her neck found it hard to breathe through the stench coming from the monster. She didn't want to lead this thing on a chase...the jungle could recover, if they defeated it. Only two Pokemon, a strange partner, and a strange enemy...Kaida wondered when this became a mission, a mandatory hunt for her. She didn't mind, even an island in the middle of nowhere deserved to not be poisoned by a Pokemon like this. Driving it away was not an option, they would need to destroy it or catch it...for the island, or at least so they could survive a week here. [break][break]

As if he heard her thoughts, Ormr's eyes flashed a dull yellow in a Glare. Just a few seconds, which were enough to release Silk, who took one look at the monstrosity and Dug.. As the paralysis was broken, Kaida retreated into the jungle, aware that the poison-type could likely fire at them in the open. Just a simple Body Slam parted the trees, the Garbador seemingly locking onto the humans. [break][break]

"Rrrggh!" Kaida held her tongue at Jonathan's words, managing to snarl out, "Attack it! Silk will get it!" She didn't want the Sandaconda to be attacked once he broke through the ground.

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