Several nautical klicks out, where Mauville city is but a small smudge approaching the horizon, a ship is currently clipping through the waves, making good time for its next stop: Vermilion City. On the deck a young woman is currently laying on a chaise longue, one conspicuous for being the only one on deck while the rest of the passengers, few as they were, were making use of deckchairs. The woman, wearing a pink shirt, black stockings, a short skirt and a biker jacket was currently watching the tournament on a large monitor with her Milotic by here side. 

Claudia Jund was only half heatedly watching, her associate Drystan Graye had been supposed to be taking part, however he had apparently withdrawn and whatever he had been up to instead would probably not bode well for anyone, for the brute was guaranteed to be doing something foolhardy. She was starting to regret her hungover decision to rush of back home at the first sign of trouble. She had a tendency to want to micromanage everything but, as her Darling Milotic and Palkia often told her, she really should trust her subordinates to get on with things. 

Palkia was of the opinion that dealing with every problem when they had minions to handle the minor ones was frankly beneath them both, the goddess of space itself should not be worrying about every minor upset of one small city, she had bigger fish to fry.

Darling thought that all this busy work and activity was not good for her health, that she should take it easy every now and then, take some me time, go to a spa, go out drinking, kick some punks ass, anything to blow of steam. By this she meant she wanted to do these things but she needed Claudia to do the organizing, she couldn't exactly slither into a shop and buy her own ribbons. Darling got bored easily and all the decision making and frankly bureaucratic tasks running a major gang with no opposition left her with little to do than act as a framing piece to Claudia as she traveled around town solving issues. She had been rather excited to go on this trip and was currently sulking, watching the tournament they should have won while Claudia texted Erika, Celadon City's gym leader, who was dealing with the plague outbreak. 

Erika Was rather miffed at Claudia, both  with here command of the city in general and with her poking her nose back in so soon after leaving. She was one of the few who had to be brought round to her rule with violence, Darling certainly enjoyed that bit of the takeover. Naturally all above board, she was simply challenging the local gym leader, it was certainly not a veiled threat or show of force, the massive crowds that gathered for the glamorous spectacle could definitely see that. She was of course humble in her victory and it was simply a coincidence that everyone saw who was the strongest, that she was not just a pretty face who was good with words. The first time she had to use her 2 lieutenants Pokemon along with Darling but now that Palkia and her became one, the last thing she did before leaving for the festival was reaffirm who was in charge, 2 vs 3. Darling enjoyed that one even more.  

[quote]
Erika to Claudia, May 6: [color=347235] Like I said Claudia, it’s not a big outbreak, your minions must have overreacted when some of their Pokemon got sick, if they think you need to return. I have everything under control, thank you very much. The quarantine is working properly and most of the infected are too low level to be seriously affected. [/color]

Claudia to Erika, May 6: [color=#CA226B] My subordinates simply reported the situation as they saw it and I decided that I should head back in-case the the plague got worse. You must understand I was concerned for my friends in the city and it simply would not do for me to have stayed at the festival if the situation went badly. I have been kept up to date with your ongoing efforts and they must be commended. However unless something comes back I will be coming back to oversee things personally.[/color]
[/quote]
It was going to be really embarrassing when she showed up and everything was fine, but turning back now would look bad without an adequate reason.

[color=#FC6C85] “Claudia, you simply have to see what is happening at the tournament“[/color]
[color=#CA226B] “I am darling” [/color]
[color=#FF00FF] “you really should pay attention, you're not really looking or hearing, but are lost in thought. Focus on the now, the past and future can be left to Dialga [/color] Palkia chimed in, like she was handing out some great pearl of wisdom.

The image of the man standing over the dead medic declaring:
[quote]
[h2][b]"AVATARS! LEAVE THE CITY [i]NOW!![/i]"[/b][/h2]
[/quote]
Was all she caught before the cameras where damaged, leaving everything that followed unclear.

“[color=#FF00FF]They dare command us! We must go back at once and show this one that no-one orders a goddess to do anything![/color]“ Palkia’s smug demeanor from having noticed something her host had not while they shared the same eyes was overturned in an instant, replaced with a righteous fury.

[color=#FC6C85] “It would be good for your beloved caring self to be seen responding to this, we should go back at once and forget about the boring plague”[/color] Darling sounded way to pleased with the fact that someone had been killed. Still it [i]was[/i] a good excuse. 

[quote]
Claudia to Erika, May 6: [color=#CA226B] Something has come up. Won’t be coming back [/color]
[/quote]
Claudia stands and puts away her phone, the chaise longue shrinking to a size that would fit in a doll house.
[color=#CA226B] “Let’s see if we have to bail out our violent idiot out of his latest endeavor while we are at it shall we?” [/color]
She pockets the chair and pulls out an equally tiny motorbike, which she expands to full size and then mounts, the passages scattering as she revs the engine. Darling coils herself around Claudia, half riding the bike, half being pulled along behind it as she floats. They ride straight towards the distant Mauville City on the horizon, pulling a wheelie and jumping up over the railing and into the open air. A large pink portal suddenly opens and they pass through it, landing on the solid road at the docks that the boat had so recently departed from, before riding into the city proper. She would need to call Drystan and see if she could meet up with him.