20 ♪

[celebrity_commentator]

[Video]

Happy New Year, Union.

[Rise sits in her bedroom at the theater, smiling pleasantly into her Warp Band and waiting for the tea in front of her to cool off enough to drink. In the background, her Gardevoir can be seen taking a brush to a rather put-out looking young Espeon.]

It's been almost a year since that earthquake and the time when we discovered other living humans, and I really...

[She holds a hand up to her head.]

Ooh, sorry. I didn't even celebrate much last night. Anyway, I--owwww...

[She pauses and clutches her head again. In the background, her Pokémon both shoot her a startled look, then duck and cover under the bed. There's a sudden noise and then static from the Warp Band.]

[Action, Union Divine Theater]

[There's a sudden flash of bright light and a sort of musical blast that comes from Rise's room, knocking her door off its hinges and shattering her windows. It doesn't do much damage beyond that, though any Psychic-types in the area are probably going to have a ringing headache for several minutes from the feedback.]

[Video, a few minutes later.]

[The feed turns back on after a few minutes. The bedroom in the background looks disheveled, like someone's desk and linen closet exploded, but the person smiling rather punch-drunk into the camera and the two Pokémon rubbing their heads in the background all appear to be fine. In fact, Rise suddenly looks a good deal more mature, although part of that might just be that the psychic blast destroyed her girly hairdo.]

Heeeey, Haruka, I finally caused as much property damage as you!

[She feels around on her head, generally looking for signs of her appearance changing.]

Wait, all that and all I get is more hair again?

Comments

[actsmagnificent]

Bear. [ Sky wipes her forehead, adjusts her bow, and curtseys to Inari. She's ready for anything! She's ready to -

Get dizzy and sit back on her haunches, apparently. Haruka sighs and places a hand on her bear's foot. ] Don't hurt yourself.

[ Sky has a bad habit of refusing to give up and fighting to a draw even when it isn't safe. Haruka has unconsciously been fostering that, since that kind of stubborn endurance will be needed against the gods.....but there's a time and place for everything. She shouldn't tax her bear too much here. ] We withdraw. You've got quite the lungs, kiddo.

[ And she winks. Haruka Tenoh just flirted with a Vulpix. ]

[celebrity_commentator]

[Inari bows deeply. It's impossible to tell if a Vulpix is blushing, but...]

Thanks, Haruka. So how'd I--

[Rise blinks and puts a hand to her head for a second as another, much less destructive wave of psychic energy leaves her and travels along her connections to her Pokémon. Inari perks up, refreshed, and the wounds Kaneda received mostly disappear without him even using Moonlight.]

--uh, what just happened?

[actsmagnificent]

[ What had that been? Haruka thinks for a second, takes in the evidence, and smiles. That's a pretty useful ability, there. It's encouraging to know her allies have that ability on their side. ] ...Aftercare.

[ She's more like Michiru than she knows. And she's watching Rise closely despite looking like she gives no damns about everything and all is peachy keen. Was that a refresh with no consequences, or did it drain on the girl's health? ]

[celebrity_commentator]

[Rise brushes her hair back while trying to process the feeling, but generally feels fine. Just psychically disoriented again.]

I guess I picked up some kind of Ability when I evolved, too. That should come in handy, right?

[actsmagnificent]

[ Auto-healing? Haruka should think so. If she were nosier, or more experiment-minded, she'd have a training regimen drawn up for that Ability alone. ] Just don't exhaust yourself.

[ Fortunately it doesn't look like that's what happened. She tries to put her hand on Rise's shoulder - one part to lean in, but also one part to see if she'll feel anything from contact - and switches to sultry mode. She's impressed, Rise. Quite impressed. ] And never doubt you're more than a pretty face.

[celebrity_commentator]

[Other than her heart rate involuntarily jumping a few beats per minute at the sudden...Harukaness? Maybe a little bit of disjointed telepathic static, is all.]

Oh, uh...yeah. Thanks. You already helped me with that a lot. Unless I was just dreaming about you then.

[Then she blushes entirely.]

Er, you know what I mean. How do you do that to people, anyway...?

[actsmagnificent]

[ Do what?

Satisfied with everybody's experiments, Haruka drops her hand. She smiles cryptically in response to Rise's comment which means she was totally there. ] Congratulations again.

[ In her book this is just about over, but her Pokémon have something to say about that: Sky drags her sorry body over to Inari to offer a paw. That was a most impressive fight (and you are still very pretty). She's not quite certain whether creatures on all fours can shake paws, but if you're up for it, decorum must be observed. ]

[celebrity_commentator]

[This is one of Rise's Pokémon. She learned "shake" before she learned a combat move under her tutelage. Inari lifts a paw to accept the handshake (though she has to stretch a bit, and compliments Sky on her tenacity and accessories in return.]

[actsmagnificent]

Bear. [ What lovely manners! And she's so glad you like her bow. It's a present from Trainer. Sky nearly blushes again, careful not to squeeze that paw too tightly. A lady controls herself.

Then she nods again and turns back to Trainer. She's ready to go be healed now! Haruka turns to go, waving to Rise. Their first double evolution, huh?

She's losing the race. ]