There were quite a few things that Sera had written down to make a good impression whenever she started a new job. At the top of her list were to be well rested, make sure you seem alert and interested by asking a lot of questions, and practice your greetings to make sure you make a good first impression.
She had not written that list with intentions of traveling halfway across the world to start their job. But that was the reality, Sera thought, as she rifled through her suitcase for a suitable outfit. She eventually settled on the suit she had worn to that awful interview in Striaton City, pressing out whatever wrinkles she could, because she hadn't brought an ironing box in her carry-on luggage.
Nor did she have time to go to the dry cleaners, because there hadn't been time to do much of anything, except shower and fall asleep on the bed as soon as they had arrived, easily an hour past midnight. Sera had given Luna the window seat on the plane, and the aisle one wasn't very comfortable when the flight attendants were constantly bumping into you with their food carts. Why they insisted on waking you up to offer a beverage, instead of letting you rest, Sera would never know.
The airport in Sunyshore was much too loud for her to take a quick nap in, and as a result, she was essentially running on fumes, and the fact that the sun was only starting to set in Unova. In a couple of hours, nighttime would hit there, and she would really feel the full weight of her exhaustion.
She sighed, realizing that she had no coffee either. Gardenia had sounded incredibly nice on the phone when she spoke to her, but her new boss insisted on meeting her in person as soon as possible.
That meant getting ready with as little light as possible, and trying to make her way through her new, unfamiliar home without bumping into anything. Their boxes of belongings were going to arrive throughout the week, so Sera felt confident feeling her way to the front door with her arms outstretched.
Of course, that meant that she wasn't ready for when her foot smacked against something that certainly shouldn't have been there. Her shoulder smacked heavily against a nearby wall with a loud thump as Sera almost fell down. She counted to three mentally, but a light switched on upstairs. Sera sighed, and turned on the light to see what she had tripped over, and rolled her eyes once she saw what it was.
"Why'd you leave your suitcase on the floor?" she asked her daughter when Luna had finally made her way down.
"You know, I was wondering where that was last night," her daughter remarked, shuffling over and grabbing it. "I think I put my toothbrush in there by accident."
Sera bit back the follow-up question of what Luna was doing in the plane and airport bathrooms when she had told her daughter to brush her teeth. It wasn't like Luna made a habit of making life difficult for her.
It was the opposite, in fact. Luna never seemed to do anything reckless or stupid like jumping off a tree, or picking on a wild Pokémon, or staying at a friend's house without letting her mother know where she was.
Well, the last one was because Luna didn't have any friends, but still. She'd only gotten into trouble once at school, right when she had started attending.
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"I'm sorry, but your daughter is in my office because she made her teacher cry," The school principal told Sera with a tired face.
"She made the teacher cry?" Sera repeated. "How is that possible? Shouldn't it be the other way around?"
"Perhaps she will open up to you more," the elderly gentleman muttered, ushering her to where Luna was sitting in timeout. Her daughter's adorable outfit, complete with bow in hair, contrasted with the sullen, bored look on her face.
"What happened?" Sera prompted.
"I didn't like how the teacher was talking to me," Luna said flippantly. "So, I told her that she should still be in school rather than teaching kids, since her degree is fraudulent, because clearly she didn't learn anything at all from whatever no name university she went to, that she probably had to cheat to get in and pass all her tests."
That was… quite the list of insults. "And what did your teacher say to you to make you so mad?"
"It wasn't what she said, it was how she said it. She was talking to me like I'm a little kid!"
"You are a little kid," Sera said amusedly.
Luna's childish voice had no business being this serious. "Only on the outside."
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That was one of many indications to Sera that her child wasn't exactly normal. But having an abnormally mature child meant she could do things like hunt for better paying jobs, instead of taking whatever she could find. It had been a bit of a revolving door of jobs for her since her trainer career had ended, like security for the Castelia City Crustles, the second pro baseball team in town, since they were way less popular than the Castelia City Cobalions.
They did have a real Pokémon mascot, rather than a man in armor waving around a sword, at least.
She also had stints as a Pinwheel Forest firefighter, protection for merchant ships out of Virbank Harbor, and even a stint as a C-list actress for some budding movie studio that wanted a villainous female and decided that she would fit perfectly, even after barely meeting her.
Sera would never show Luna that movie. Thankfully, she was masked the whole time. Her luck had held up so far, and no one had recognized her as the Witch of the Black Mist.
It was a necessity if they wanted to have any fun, since she was a single mother. Even if Luna was moving around constantly as they went from city to city with her jobs, with Virbank being the one they spent the most time in, her daughter's grades never seemed to slip.
Not for the first time, Sera wondered if things would be different if Luna's father was still around. Would they be a more normal family? Somehow, she doubted it. She had tried to give the man second and third and fourth chances, but he seemingly had no ability to change his worst habits. Eventually, Sera had to make the difficult choice for herself and her baby to leave.
If he ever managed to chase away his demons, then Sera perhaps would consider welcoming him back, though she would let Luna make the choice if she wanted her father in her life. She had accepted only having one parent like it was nothing, after all. Until then, she had to live with the hand that she was dealt.
Which meant focus on the present. Her two main goals for this job were to have some much needed long term stability, and to finally get Luna out of the house, and starting her own journey. She thought moving to a whole new region would give Luna the spark of motivation to set off on her own.
"Mom, there's no food here. What am I supposed to eat if you're gone all day?" Lighting that spark into a fire was still going to be a challenge, it seemed.
Loving her mother's food was the second most childish thing about Luna. Even if Luna was perfectly capable of living by herself, Sera would admit to liking that her daughter was dependent on her for something. "You could come with me," she offered. "I'm sure they'll have snacks and such at the gym. Roxie always had some at hers, after all."
"They always get hungry after band practice," Luna replied, with a minor hint of frustration. They both knew it was because Luna had tried to join the gym leader's band and was not so gently turned down. "Besides, your first day of work is always boring, isn't it? They're going to show you around, and introduce you to everyone, and then let you follow someone else so you can get accustomed to your job."
She wasn't wrong. Her first days had often been like that. Sera had another idea, that would hopefully work in both of their favors. "I did get a very nice signing bonus in advance, so why don't you," she pulled out several bills and held them out for Luna to take. "Spend the whole day exploring the town, eat out for breakfast and lunch, and we can get groceries after I get back. I'm sure Glaceon would like to explore too." That was going to take some time getting used to, that Eevee had evolved out of the blue.
As she knew it would, a large smile appeared on Luna's face. Because the sheer wonder and happiness her daughter had around Pokémon was when she was most like a child. "I like that idea," Luna said, taking the cash in one hand and her suitcase in the other. She called back down once she was at the top of the stairs. "Have fun at work!"
That settled, Sera set out. She knew the place was close to here when she made her arrangements with the Sinnoh Pokémon league, but she didn't anticipate not having to ask for directions when the gym was visible from her new home.
As soon as she arrived inside, Sera realized she was overdressed. Her new coworker, Jane, who was wearing very casual jeans and a faded T-shirt with a tree, didn't comment on it. Sera thought she knew what she was getting into before she applied to the job, but having everything told to you was different from reading it.
Apparently, registering trainers, maintaining the gym, and serving as a referee for battles was only the tip of the iceberg in terms of her responsibilities. She was also expected to help out with organizing and leading community events, defend the city against criminals and rogue wild Pokémon if need be, and be a part-time caretaker for Gardenia's enormous collection of Grass-types from all over the world. She interrupted Jane before she could get even more intimidated without having even started to work.
"Do you have specialties, or does everyone collaborate on all those tasks?"
"We definitely all have things we're good at, and those become our primary responsibilities," was the reply. "It's always good to know a little bit of everything, in case you need to step in, though."
That sounded more reasonable. "Is this where I tell you what I'm good at?"
Jane giggled. "No, Gardenia has a much more hands on approach for finding that out."
The meaning behind her coworker's mysterious words quickly became apparent as she was led into a room where someone had transplanted a forest. "Is this the habitat for the Pokémon?"
"Not quite," came a voice that sounded vaguely familiar to Sera, because she had heard it once over the phone. "Hey! It's so nice to meet you in person! Was your flight okay? How about your room?" Gardenia shook her hand vigorously as she said all of this, and Sera got the sense that her first impressions of her new boss over the phone were correct; Gardenia was young, full of energy, and highly motivated.
All of which was a good thing. Even in her brief time at the Sunyshore airport, Sera had noticed that the conversation was dominated by rumors about the Sunyshore Gym Leader, how he had completely lost all of his drive, and that he couldn't care less about his title as Gym Leader, to the point that badges were being given away. Rumor had it that one of the Elite Four had to vouch for him constantly in order for the man to keep his position.
Clearly, there was no lack of fire or passion here. "Everything was good! Flights were on time, and the house looks really nice. As does this place. It looks like you transplanted a section of a forest."
"Thanks! I did try to model this place after the Eterna Forest to the west. I figured that If I can't hold battles there, then I'd just have to bring the forest to my gym!"
Now that Gardenia mentioned it, they were standing in a large clearing, and when she looked at the ground, there were clearly lines painted on it. A quick three-sixty confirmed that the paint marked two rectangles with a circle in the center. "This is the gym battlefield?" Sera asked, to Gardenia's delighted nod.
"That's right! It's totally ready for a battle. Between you and me! What better way for me to get to know you than through a Pokémon battle!"
Well, a battle was certainly the most fun way to get introduced, Sera thought. "Rules?"
Gardenia put a finger to her cheek. "Three-on-three like in my gym battles sounds good. No substituting during or in between battles?"
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
This was turning out really well for Sera. All she needed to do was to show what she and her Pokémon were capable of. Right before she turned to go to her side of the field, Gardenia clasped her hands together, gave her the widest eyed look Sera had ever seen, and started begging.
"Can you please please please use some Grass-types from Unova against me? I'll admit, I watched some of your old battles when we decided to hire you, and I've been so looking forward to seeing them in person!" Gardenia's enthusiasm about Grass-types was infectious, and Sera found herself smiling at the younger woman.
Not using Tropius was going to make things a little harder. She had every intention of winning versus her new boss, but Sera still had a few cards up her sleeve. Even if she hadn't battled an opponent of this caliber in a while. "Of course."
"Yes!" Gardenia cheered, and the gym leader bolted to her side of the battlefield. She paused as soon as she arrived. "Wait. Jane, can you…"
The woman was already pressing down a button that was opening the roof of the gym. "I've already got everything covered."
Once all the preparations had been made, Gardenia sent out her Pokémon first. "Go, Leafeon!"
It seemed Gardenia wouldn't be taking her lightly. Leafeon's mellow and friendly disposition didn't mean that it couldn't put up a serious fight when called upon. Her Pokémon was much the same, especially at this time of year.
"Go, Sawsbuck!"
The two Grass-types stared each other down coolly, but Gardenia isn't ready to start the battle quite yet. "Wow!" the gym leader gushed. "I've heard Sawsbuck changes appearance during the seasons, but I've never seen one during winter. His antlers look so majestic!"
Gardenia did not share the opinions of most people, who preferred Sawsbuck's look every other season. "Thank you. Shall we get started?" Sera asked.
"Right!" Gardenia agreed. "Watch out, Leafeon. Sawsbuck is also a Normal-type, so it learns lots of moves!"
That versatility was exactly why Sera liked to lead with Sawsbuck, because he knew so many moves that typical-grass types would never be able to. It was looking as if Gardenia wouldn't be too caught off guard. "Headbutt!"
"Use Trailblaze!" Leafeon glowed green for a second before sprinting off to the right. Sawsbuck skidded on its hooves to change direction, but Leafeon darted into the underbrush of the gym, leaving them with no one to attack.
Their opponents were going to make full use of the features of this gym, then. "Find it," she told Sawsbuck calmly. Her Pokémon caught her eye and her intentions, and trotted over, looking extremely confused as it tried to suss out Leafeon's location.
It was all a big show, of course. Gardenia waited a few moments before she took advantage of Sawsbuck's apparent bewilderment. "Now's our chance! Iron Tail!"
The stag Pokémon lit up with Dark-type energy as Leafeon leapt from the brush, with a glowing white tail. It somersaulted towards Sawsbuck, but it was they who struck first. With Sawsbuck swinging his head so Leafeon was sent flying by his antlers.
"Feint Attack, huh?" Gardenia said, mostly to herself. "Hiding won't work, Leafeon! Use Trailblaze again!"
Leafeon started running circles around Sawsbuck, but Sera also had a move to boost their speed. "Agility!"
Sawsbuck called upon Psychic-type energy to enhance his speed, but the end result was the same. Both Grass-types matched each other like reflections in a mirror.
"A test of power and endurance, then," Gardenia announced. "Leafeon, X-Scissor!"
"Sawsbuck, Megahorn!"
Normally, when two male Sawsbuck clashed, especially in autumn, it was with Horn Leech. They would literally drain each other's energy until one was too exhausted to fight anymore. This clash was extremely similar, but would not drag out nearly as long.
Leafeon was a whirlwind of movement, feet barely touching the ground as it constantly leapt up to slash at Sawsbuck. Gardenia's Pokémon was constantly looking to use its smaller size to circle around or duck underneath and try to get hits in on Sawsbuck's legs or belly.
Sawsbuck's advantage was his great horns, and how much area his weapons covered. It made dealing with Leafeon much easier, as he could usually at least catch an X-Scissor with an outside antler.
Still, Sawsbuck's visibility when he had to lower his head to ram forward wasn't great, and Leafeon was dictating the pace of this, getting two or three hits in for every one of Sawsbuck's. That meant it was time to make a change.
"Use Wild Charge!" Upon hearing his trainer's command, Sawsbuck's fur rose up as static charged up all over his body. Sawsbuck winced as he let the electricity burst outwards in a violent explosion, to Leafeon's great surprise.
"Now go for Double-Edge!" Sera called, having created the opening. Sawsbuck charged straight into Leafeon with all of his might. The enemy Grass-type went tumbling, but though it lay still for a few seconds, Leafeon rose on shaky legs.
Sawsbuck wasn't in better condition, having sustained so much damage from using Wild Charge and Double-Edge consecutively. Both Pokémon panted heavily, sucking in air, each knowing there was one final move to decide the match.
"Your Leafeon is really strong," Sera complimented. "Not many Pokémon can take Sawsbuck's Double-Edge like that and remain standing."
"Thanks!" Gardenia replied. "It's one of the many reasons I Iove Leafeon. They look dainty, but are really built tough! You and Sawsbuck are really amazing as well. I'm sure you've gotten a lot of surprise victories together with all those moves he knows."
""We haven't used Sawsbuck's signature one yet." Gardenia's eyes lit up at that. "Shall we?"
The leaf on Leafeon's head sharpened into a curved blade as Sawsbuck lowered his head for one last charge. Both Pokémon's weapons glowed green.
"Leaf Blade!"
"Horn Leech!"
Massive bursts of green colored energy resulted as the two Pokémon clashed, desperately trying to overpower the other to claim a victory. Sera thought that Sawsbuck would drain enough of Leafeon's energy with Horn Leech to outlast the other Pokémon, but it was Leafeon in the end that managed to summon enough strength to twist through Sawsbuck's antlers and land a powerful slash on the larger Pokémon's chest.
Her Pokémon crumpled to the ground, but Sera had a small smile on her face as she recalled Sawsbuck and congratulated him for a battle well fought. They both were out of practice battling opponents of this quality, but there was no chance of her accidentally falling asleep doing something this exciting. She quickly sent out her second Pokémon to even the battle up.
"Just a little more, Whimsicott!" Her Fairy-type laughed upon seeing the weakened opponent, which caused Leafeon to back up a step, though its trainer was drawn forwards.
"Aww, what a cute face!"
Cute was not how ninety percent of people in Unova described Whimsicott. They preferred to call it an utter nuisance. Partially because it liked to prank people and Pokémon constantly, and partially because it was often too fast to catch or retaliate against.
As soon as the battle resumed, Sera made sure to use that speed to the fullest. "Tailwind!"
Before either Leafeon or Gardenia could react, a powerful wind whipped up behind Whimsicott, and the cotton-like Pokémon was flitting around on the breeze so quickly that it was hard to follow her movement. "Moonblast!"
Leafeon managed to destroy the attack with an Iron Tail, but when Sera called for Hurricane, the gym leader had to evacuate her Pokémon urgently.
She already had a Pokéball in each hand as she called out the commands. "Baton Pass! Torterra, Sandstorm!" Leafeon relaxed and glowed white as the Pokéball did the same, and Gardenia's first Pokémon was safely returned to its ball, while a large Torterra took its place, absorbing the accumulated energy that Lefeaon had left behind with its Trailblaze. It hastily constructed a sand shield to take some of the sting out of the super-effective attack.
Baton Pass and moves like it didn't count as in-battle substitutions because the incoming Pokémon had to take a hit. Unfortunately, despite the major speed advantage that they still had, because Torterra was a slow, lumbering Pokémon to begin with, that was probably the best hit they were going to get this whole battle. Sera had done extensive research on the Grass-types of Sinnoh in preparation for her new position, and most serious trainers were making sure that their Torterra made sure it was well-versed in using Rock-type moves. It was too important to forgo, because Rock-type moves, both defensively and offensively, covered up so many of the Continent Pokémon's weaknesses.
Whimsicott's strength wasn't really as a pure attacker either. She could wreak havoc on a team with her utility, with speedy utility moves like Encore, Leech Seed, and Stun Spore, but most of those wouldn't be effective against another Grass-type.
There was one strategy that had opened up, with Torterra being in front of her. Of all Sera's Pokémon, Whimsicott was the least likely to complain as well.
Gardenia was eyeing her oddly at her inaction. "Stone Edge!" The gym leader said suddenly, looking to press the issue.
"Reflect."
A barrier appeared in front of Whimsicott, that about half of the stones failed to penetrate.
"Well then, we'll use Earth Power!"
"Light Screen as well."
The earth under Whimsicott erupted in a beam of energy, but a yellow colored barrier reduced the power of that attack as well. Now, for the final piece of this puzzle.
Sera smiled grimly. "Whimsicott. Use Memento." Her Pokémon's eyes went glassy, and Whimsicott fell to the ground softly, leaving only a dark shade behind. As soon as her Pokémon landed, the shade burst into action, surging forward and enveloping Torterra in a shroud of darkness. Once Whimsicott's Memento was finished, Torterra's eyes were fearful, its posture was off, and its appearance had changed from a stalwart, physically imposing Pokémon to one that was utterly unthreatening.
While she might be down three to one, Whimiscott had set the stage for their turnaround. "Serperior, let's go!" Sera's first Pokémon uncoiled himself to his full height and looked down upon Torterra dismissively. Serperior had an old-fashioned mentality, that meant he disliked fighting a weakened opponent, but he had become more accustomed to being the final Pokémon Sera used in a battle as the years had gone by.
"That is an impressive Pokémon," Gardenia complimented warily. Sera was sure she was hyper-conscious of the fact that she would not have sacrificed her second Pokémon so early in the battle to use Memento if her third could not take full advantage of Torterra's weakened state and engineer a turnaround.
"Serperior, Leaf Storm!" Serperior created a violently spinning funnel of leaves before he tilted it horizontally and launched it.
"Leaf Storm?" Gardenia repeated, which doubled as a command for Torterra to match the move with an identical one, though Torterra's was done by shaking leaves from the tree on its back and charging them with energy. "But Leaf Storm weakens every time you use it!"
It seemed as if they had finally found a hole in Gardenia's Grass-type expertise. "That's where you're wrong," Sera told her boss, though she elaborated through the battle instead of explaining it further. "Leaf Storm again!"
While Torterra's Leaf Storm was just about able to hold Serperior's at bay the first time the two attacks clashed, the second meeting of the attacks was no contest. Serperior's Leaf Storm tore through the opposing move easily, pushing the much heavier Pokémon back with its sheer power.
"Serperior has something of an inverse mentality, that manifests in his ability," Sera explained, holding back laughter at the gobsmacked Gardenia. Moves that are supposed to make him weaker is what he thrives on, as opposed to almost every other Pokémon, who look to get stronger. Which means our Leaf Storm can get very powerful."
To demonstrate, Serperior used the move once more, and this time it toppled the weakened Torterra for their first victory. It wasn't all positives though, as the clear barrier around Serperior flickered and faded away. Gardenia's sharp eyes caught Reflect wearing off too, and she sent out Leafeon once again.
"X-Scissor," the gym leader said simply. Despite its tiredness, Leafeon charged forward, though a piercing glare from Serperior froze the Grass-type in place. Sera quickly ordered a Dragon Pulse on the paralyzed Pokémon to knock Leafeon out, but Gardenia's objective had been achieved. The second barrier around Serperior faded away, and now neither Light Screen nor Reflect would bolster their defenses against Gardenia's final Pokémon.
Still, Sera knew that Serperior was healthy, and his Leaf Storm had been powered up to the maximum. It was going to come down to if Gardenia's final Pokémon could match them.
It turned out to be a Roserade, which was probably the most powerful Grass-type readily available in Sinnoh, though Sera was sure some would swear by Tangrowth or even Torterra.
Gardenia wasted no time in getting her Pokémon ready to match up against Serperior. "Avoid looking Serperior in the eye, but be ready to use Aromatherapy in case you get paralyzed by Glare. Start with Sunny Day!"
"Dragon Pulse!" Sera ordered, as Roserade turned the sunlight brighter and hotter than it was previously. Her starter breathed out a stream of blue fire at Roserade that Sera watched, hoping Gardenia wouldn't have an answer.
The gym leader did, of course. "Dazzling Gleam!" The brilliantly sparking light released from Roserade's bouquets elegantly cut through Dragon Pulse like it was nothing. Sera frowned slightly.
"Leaf Storm!"
"Weather Ball!"
It wasn't unexpected that Roserade could handle Leaf Storm comfortably, with a Fire-type move that burned most of Serperior's leaves to a crisp. It probably wasn't even weather dependent, either, because a Poison-type move would have a similar effect. Sera didn't think Roserade would have more than one move to counter Dragon Pulse, though. That was a weak point they could attack.
Since he had begun battling, Serperior had remained in one place. Now though, Sera ordered her to get on the move. The serpent slithered around the battlefield at a startling speed, with both Roserade and Gardenia watching it carefully.
"Dragon Pulse," Sera said, hoping to draw another Dazzling Gleam out. Roserade did end up blocking the move again, and now was their time to strike.
"Torment!" Sera suddenly shouted, and Serperior lashed out in unison, striking Roserade with glowing black horns, interfering with its ability to use moves. "Now, go on the offensive with Dragon Pulse!"
"Dodge when you can't use Dazzling Gleam, Roserade! Make sure you never try to repeat any moves!" Gardenia commanded, as Serprior rose up and blasted her Pokémon with the first of many attacks.
So began the dance of Serperior trying to take out Roserade, and Roserade using the impressive arsenal of moves at its disposal to prevent that from happening. Torment worked best on a Pokémon that wanted to constantly use one move, but Gardenia's ace was constantly switching between attacks, Sunny Day, and the rare Aromatherapy when need be.
The few occasions they did manage to land an attack, Roserade was comfortable enough healing with Synthesis. They were making negligible progress, and while Serperior refused to show any weakness, he was wearing down from being out of practice. A Weather Ball that he would have knocked out of the air in his sleep with Aqua Tail managed to connect because his timing was too slow, and Roserade was happy to punish them with a melee Poison Jab when Gardenia let them connect with a Wrap.
Maybe they were getting too old for a position like this. The more Sera watched how animated and excited Gardenia was during the battle, how she and her Pokémon were full of youthful energy, Sera was reminded that she once was able to battle like that.
It ended up being the encouragement for her new boss that gave Sera the confidence that she could succeed here. "I'm essentially using a team that I would against any trainer challenging the gym with six or seven gym badges," Gardenia admitted. "That's how much respect I had for you coming into the battle, and you've even exceeded them. I think you'll be a wonderful addition to this gym. In fact, I've seen all I need to, and we can call this a draw, if you like."
Sera shook her head. "Serperior won't accept a draw. He'll accept a loss to a worthy opponent, but his pride won't let him forfeit without fighting to the end. We still have one more move to show you, as well. The strongest in Serperior's arsenal."
Gardenia nodded in understanding. "Don't hold anything back, Roserade! Solarbeam!"
"Serperior, Frenzy Plant!"
With Sunny Day still active, it didn't take Roserade any time to charge up a powerful beam of solar energy that cut through even the strongest roots and vines that Serperior tried to throw at it. Sera's first Pokémon wobbled from the hit and because he was having a hard time doing anything after that last attack. Serperior finally put his head to the ground and closed his eyes, conceding defeat rather than suffering the ignominy of being knocked out.
Not that either of them had anything to be ashamed of.
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"So, how was it?" Luna asked her when she had returned home.
The speed of which Sera answered surprised even herself. "You know, I think I'm going to really like it here."