By the time the sun finally breached the horizon, the final preparations for the parade were already well underway. As spectacular as the parade was sure to be, it paled in comparison to the frenzy of activity to ensure that everything went without complication: fixes for last minute mechanical failures, costume adjustments, instrument tunings, dance routine reviews, and the wrangling of wayward Pokemon into place. All of it had to be done before the final commitment, along with fervent prayers that nothing [u]else[/u] would go wrong.

However, they were not the only ones that had risen early this day. 

Up on a hilltop outside the city, Rebeca sat cross-legged with her eyes closed, her chest rising and falling with slow, steady breaths. She didn’t know the precise amount of time she had been awake; the sky had turned a pale pink when she roused herself from fitful sleep. Arrayed on either side of her were Mihkail and Maya, though while Rebeca’s focus was turned inward, they simply watched as the sky burned with increasing passion. The air around the trio was significantly warmer than what it should have been at such an early hour, fueled by the heat waves that billowed from Rebeca’s mouth with each fall of her chest. 

[b] As Rebeca and her Pokemon walked alone down a quiet alley, snippets of conversation floated through the air. Many booths had just closed down for the night, but some remained open. Groudon's avatar happened to pass one with a rather loud salesperson.

"...sample lasts for two days," the perky woman explained to a potential customer, "but the full strength product lasts one month. Just one simple injection of Typgard, and Pokemon moves of your chosen type will have their damage reduced by seventy percent if they hit you. Perfect for trainers with young or mischievous Pokemon!" 

Mihkail paused when he noticed Rebeca stop. [i][color=e25822]Hmm? What is it?[/color][/i]

Rebeca frowned, glancing in the direction of the open booth. [i][color=crimson]What the hell is she talking about?[/color][/i] Moving closer, she held her arms behind her back, concealing the markings on her arms as she listened.

"Cool!" the customer enthused. The young trainer grabbed the Pokeball on his belt and released a Treecko. "Do you have fire type? It would be great if Forrest could beat my sister's Torchic for once."

"I'm afraid it doesn't work that way," the saleswoman clarified. "Typgard is meant for humans, to prevent injury from Pokemon moves. It can be harmful to Pokemon."

"Oh..." the boy sighed, disappointed. Forrest the Treecko seemed a little uneasy as it looked at the booth.[/b]

When the sun broke over the horizon, casting its rays across the landscape and bathing the hilltop in warm light, Mihkail nudged Rebeca’s arm and she opened her eyes. She smiled and ran her hand over the Spike Pokemon’s horn, then rose and dug into her backpack, pulling out a pair of gloves. Unlike the ones she had worn the day before, this pair appeared to have been crudely sewn together, made from thick Ursaring hide and had bulging pouches over the upper third of the fingers and across the backs of the knuckles. 

Donning the gloves, Rebeca turned and flexed her fingers, then held out her hand. For moment, all was quiet, then a low rumbling sound broke the silence. The ground in front of her trembled and churned, until a thick granite pillar pierced the surface, nearly two feet thick and rising to head height. 

[b][i][color=crimson]Something that can protect people from Pokemon attacks?[/color][/i] Rebeca's frown deepened, and she took a step forward, careful to keep her arms hidden. "[color=crimson]How's it work? I would think it's impossible.[/color]"

The saleswoman turned and directed her retail smile toward Rebeca.

"Typgard is a small, unobtrusive implant that detects when a Pokemon move is about to hit," she explained cheerfully. "Then, it projects a thin field, developed by analyzing the move Protect, around the person's skin."

Laying her head against the wall of the booth, she groaned quietly. This was going to give her a headache, she just knew it. "[color=crimson]How can it do that? And wouldn't it break? Most times I've seen Protect fail after one or two hits.[/color]"

The woman's perky smile faded to a puzzled look, then to a light frown.

"I'm afraid I'm not qualified to answer all the technical questions," she responded. "If you want to know more, you can try contacting the developers."

The woman handed Rebeca a white and blue business card. It featured the Typgard logo and the phone number of a Dr. Tony Henriksen. [/b]

Muted thumps filled the air as Rebeca punched the pillar over and over, her brow furrowed in concentration. They started as nothing more than gentle taps, then grew in force, but the pillar did not move. She added kicks to her attacks, striking at the pillar’s sides. At sharp gestures with her hands, large chunks of dirt became enveloped in silver light, compressing into stone, then flew into the air to shatter against the pillar. Fragments and shards split from its angular surface with each blow, and as the force and fury increased the pillar began to tremble.

[b]A scream split the air, and the blonde-haired girl tore away from Rebeca’s embrace, slapping at her body. The grass beneath their feet was singed and scorched, and Rebeca stumbled backwards. Everything was just so warm, she felt like she should be sweating, but she wasn’t. She felt… energized. 

Shouts of startlement and concern filled the air as a swarm of people gathered around. “What did you do!” cried an older woman, her own blonde hair streaked through with grey as her brown eyes gazed fearfully towards her. 

Rebeca shook her head, trying to think clearly through the comforting warmth that filled her mind. “[color=crimson]I… I don’t… I didn’t,[/color]” she stammered. Whispers erupted through the crowd as she looked down at the flames that still licked across her naked arms, trying to fathom the molten markings that burned in her skin. 

“Let us through. Let us through!” The booming voice cut through warm haze, and Rebeca raised her head to the three people pushing through the crowd. The first was a burly-looking man with ragged brown hair and fierce blue eyes, the second a slender woman with long brown hair, and a Machoke bringing up the rear. 

When they managed to reach the inner circle, they stopped and stared, the woman clapping her hand over her mouth. “Baby… how are you doing that?”[/b]

Rebeca bared her teeth in a snarl, an audible, animalistic growl issuing from her throat. White light enveloped her fists, and she lashed out at the pillar. A sharp crack split the air, and the top third of the pillar sheared away, tumbling down the hill to shatter against a tree. 

[i][color=e25822]You know, punching a rock can’t be good for your hands. You should use one of those punching bags most humans use.[/color][/i]

For a moment, Rebeca simply stood there, panting. Then she grinned, chuckling a little as the light faded from her hands. This was a conversation they had had many times. [i][color=crimson]Yeah, probably not. But I’m not lugging one of those things around on my back all day. My backpack’s enough. [/color][/i]

Mihkail rumbled quietly, bending his head to allow Maya to scuttling onto his back. [i][color=e25822]Maybe you should try one of those Gyms that we’ve seen.[/color]

[color=crimson]Maybe.[/color][/i] Rebeca sat back down next to her brother, pulling her gloves off and reaching up to caress Maya’s shell. 

Silence followed the pair for a moment, before Mihkail spoke again. [i][color=e25822]Thinking about what that saleswoman said?[/color][/i]

Rebeca nodded. [i][color=crimson]Something along that line.[/color]

[color=e25822]And?[/color]

[color=crimson]And I think it’s a load of Tauros crap.[/color][/i]

Mihkail hummed again. [i][color=e25822]Not interested in the slightest?[/color][/i]

She glanced down at the Omega symbol branded on the back of her hand, a gloomy expression crossing her face. [i][color=crimson]I have no reason to be interested.[/color]

[color=e25822]Not you, maybe.[/color][/i] The Spike Pokemon eyed her for a moment, then turned his gaze on the city below. [i][color=e25822]You should tell the others.[/color][/i]

Rebeca smirked. [i][color=crimson]You just want me to get you more of that fancy food.[/color]

[color=e25822]Guilty as charged. And you’ll do it, too.[/color][/i]

Snorting, she turned her gaze towards the city as well. For a while, the pair were silent. [i][color=crimson]I suppose that means I should get dressed, doesn’t it.[/color]

[color=e25822]Yes, that might be a good idea for you.[/color][/i] Rebeca smacked his side, grinning as the Rhyhorn rumbled good-naturedly, then reached for her clothes. 

In less than a minute, she stood garbed in an old purple t-shirt and black sweatpants, Maya happily clinging to her breast inside. Smiling warmly at the infant Kabuto, Rebeca pulled her usual gloves on and stared down at the city. [i][color=crimson]Alright, let’s go see what trouble finds us today.[/color][/i]