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Fantasia gave Victor a pleased little whinny at the compliment, lifting her head proudly beneath his hand. There was no real answer to his question. She had simply been born beautiful.

Stella glanced back toward Hazel when the girl finally laughed. It had been awkward, but Stella counted it as progress. She gave Hazel a small smile before Frieda returned with Professor Camphor.

Stella looked over the professor’s disheveled appearance. The lab coat hanging from one shoulder. The sweatpants. The hair. This was the person that had been judging her? How unprofessional. But she kept her thoughts to herself. At least for now.

She listened to the rules without interruption, one hand resting against Fantasia’s neck. The warning not to touch anything seemed obvious. The warning about irritable Pokémon was less comforting.

As the group moved deeper into the laboratory, Stella kept Fantasia close beside her and made certain neither her handbag nor her clothes brushed against any questionable surfaces. The building was much bigger inside than the outside suggested, though the hallways themselves still left much to be desired aesthetically.

The habitat, however, was far more interesting. The artificial island stretched out beneath them, complete with forest, beach, river, and pools of water. At least someone involved in the laboratory understood presentation.

Stella stepped from the elevator with Fantasia beside her, watching as Frieda distributed Poké Balls to the others. She did not need one, of course. When Professor Camphor asked to see the Pokémon belonging to those who had already arrived with partners, Stella stepped forward. [color=pink]“Fantasia and I came together.”[/color]

Fantasia raised her head, pastel mane shimmering as she looked toward the professor.

Stella rested her hand against the Ponyta’s shoulder. [color=pink]“She was a gift from my parents several years ago. We have been partners ever since.”[/color]

Her attention briefly shifted toward Hazel as Frieda announced that she would be taken to an Impidimp. An Impidimp? For her? That poor girl was going to need more help than Stella had thought.