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POSTED ON Dec 6, 2018 2:21:35 GMT

petalburg reeks of normalcy. it's his first time here on official business under the mantle of council member but fernando's objective is the same. whether it's a newly install gym leader, a promising candidate who finds opportunity amidst the tragedy of a lacerated league, or @scott, the previous gym leader of mauville city, his intention is the same. meet, connect, network, and conquer. these eight esteemed individuals are the crux of hoenn's municipal government. their support is essential in solidifying his hold on the region. under his iron fist, even the other council members will prove no match for his ambitions. all it takes is a deliberate encounter.

fernando enters the gym with curious eyes. the sport of challenging the gym circuit had always been an afterthought but his clash with NIKOLAI PETROV had landed him with a lofty badge. now that he's in another gym, the thirst for another becomes a real. he enters not as a businessman but as a challenger. six visible balls sit on his belt - the rest are hidden and scattered on his person. paranoia isn't a fleeting feeling, it's a mental illness. one that fernando will never overcome. the smile on his face hides it as well as his intentions.

mister silph is here for his appointment.

francie myrtle

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POSTED ON Dec 6, 2018 3:04:35 GMT

it's not as if this is the first time she'd ever been challenged by somebody older than her. she'd been challenged by the elderly before, but there was something about the idea of being challenged by a silph that had her anxious. and, mostly, excited.

once she saw him, she couldn't help how she held up her hands and let her face show a bright grin. "hello hello!"

the gym was decked out as a sort of rock maze. the giant rock formations reaching up to the ceiling, various rock pokémon going in and out of the formations. some eating rubble, others repairing parts of the walls. instead of being at the end of the maze, she was at the beginning, with her new challenger.

"good day to you mr. silph," she couldn't help how she placed her hands behind her back to fiddle with them in an attempt to keep herself from becoming too anxious. "i hope that your travels here weren't terrible and that you've had a comfortable stay thus far in petalburg. it's a small town, but we've got some of the best malasada's this side of the water."

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silph

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POSTED ON Dec 6, 2018 3:33:42 GMT

"good afternoon, miss myrtle." there's a delicate warmth in their exchange. a plain, cordial greeting becomes the first impression fernando garners from her appearance. there's nothing outstanding about her and he suspects nothing more then another trainer who shows the drive and initiative to fill in the holes that the league desperately needs to patch. little does he know what lies in store. the events have left him jaded, such a meek, innocent greeting drops his guard.

he's lax and that in itself is dangerous.

"petalburg has been a welcoming change of pace all things considered." he continues forward, bringing himself closer and closer. an articulated look of deep thought shows his impression at the sight of the maze. with a brief nod to himself, his actions show his outward approval. typical, fake, and a standard act to allow him to easier assimilate those around him. praise is the quickest bond and fernando's cordiality is a new staple that comes with his position.

"i appreciate you stepping up to the occasion, miss myrtle."

francie myrtle

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POSTED ON Dec 6, 2018 3:40:54 GMT

all things considered...

slateport.

and as for stepping up? she supposed it was something she could be thanked for. felt wrong to be thanked for doing what was right, though. because wasn't doing what was right common sense? it was to her, anyway.

"i really love it," francie admitted with a warm smile. everything about her was typical warm, sickened a lot of people. "it's been a blast. i mean, it's had it's bad days, and i understand that the gym itself isn't the only calling here."

that was her small, warm, subtle way of saying she'd definitely fight if she needed to protect the people around her. "i might not be, you know, the most seasoned gym leader but i'm definitely willing to be the last one standing, even if it means making sacrifices."

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silph

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POSTED ON Dec 6, 2018 3:52:46 GMT

fernando feels his nose wrinkle at her comment. words alone remind him of himself but hearing it from such a pleasant, sweet voice throws him off. something about it doesn't seem right. that's not the face that should be mentioning sacrifices, at least not the ones that come to mind. "we all do, miss myrtle. that's why we sweat, cry, and bleed. for the people and for the country."

he turns to the entrance of the maze and looks back back to her, repeating it as if questioning. "that's actually why i'm here today. i would love to personally bear witness to the prowess of petalburg's new gym leader."

francie myrtle

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POSTED ON Dec 6, 2018 4:07:51 GMT

he spoke like such a politician... but then he'd used a word to describe her gym she hadn't heard before. a giggle came out of seemingly nowhere at the word. prowess! she was flattered and ... well a bit flabberghasted.

"um, i think prowess is a strong word." as she spoke, she moved with him toward the entrance. her last few words were sped through, though the word he'd picked to describe the gym had been prolonged for dramatic effect.

"don't get me wrong, i'm proud to say that my gym has brought many a trainer, young and old, to their knees even in my short time being here." that wasn't a total lie. but out of the contenders during her short time of being there, at least sixty percent of them gave up the first two times going through.

"here's the trick," she decided to explain. "your pokémon are not allowed to use attack moves within the maze. support moves are allowed." even if moves like 'fly' could be used, the rock formations reached the ceiling and would prevent the cheat anyway.

"the goal is to find three hiding rockruffs." with a flick of her wrist, out popped lyonel, lincoln, and louie. they nipped and played at each other but a swift snap of francie's fingers had their attention, she motioned toward the maze and they scattered through it.

"there is no time limit. find all three, then find your way to the end. i'll be accompanying you, since i know the route of the maze." francie smiled her sweet smile. "any questions, mr. silph?"

FERNANDO SILPH

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silph

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POSTED ON Dec 6, 2018 4:43:14 GMT

how peculiar. while each gym had the freedom to execute their challenge with any task that required those who undertook it to demonstrate the necessary skills, most defaulted to a simple battle. to come up with a real trial reminds him of the gyms of his childhood. saffron's interior comes to mind and fernando can't help but feel nostalgic. as to how he'll fare, he has no clue. the pokemon on him today make up the core of his usual set. he hadn't come prepared for such specifics.

a fire burns in his heart; he welcomes the challenge.

"interesting. quite interesting."

fernando enters the maze and takes his time going forward. as to how to approach the challenge, he has his thoughts but fears that revealing too much will go against the grain of his image. it is lucky, not skill, that he wants to demonstrate. on paper, his strength lies on his resources and ability to fraternize with others. in terms of battling, fernando is like any other affluent individuals, a mediocre battler who relies on purchasing strong pokemon rather than wit. as for today, he'll allow the course of the maze dictate his actions.

a pokeball is plucked from his waist as well as one from his pocket. two different pokemon, one an essential, the other situation, grace the field behind them. when the light settles down it's revealed to be none other than kadabra and gardevior. you can take a silph out of saffron but you can't take the saffron out of silph. their psychic typing becomes the obvious choice to deal with restraining pokemon without utilizing attack moves. as to how they'll fair, that's up to the rockruffs to decide.

"how have trainers met your expectation with your gym challenge?"

down the rabbit hole they go.

francie myrtle

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POSTED ON Dec 6, 2018 4:54:44 GMT

as the forms began to shape in the light, francie couldn't help how she smiled. mr. silph definitely had this one in the bag with those two. psychic type pokémon were brilliant in their sensories and would be able to tell which led to a dead end or not. they would also be able to sense if a rock was a rockruff in desguise, or if that hole was empty or not, or if the golem at the end of one tunnel was just a golem or a rockruff in hiding.

a smart man making smart choices, no surprise. but she selfishly enjoyed the company she shared while the gym challenge commenced. she was also definitely timing him, clicking the settings on her pokégear on her wrist behind her back. her strides bounced but were long enough that her short frame could keep up with his tall and slender one.

"mm, by using their brains over their brawns." as they passed some walls being repaired, she frowned. "and others failed by elimination due to a lack of patience." her disappointment in that was as clear as her usual sunshine disposition.

"but the real question is, how do you plan on getting through? i can't stop you from completing the task, can't interrupt you. so, if you tell me your plots, i'll just be following along and lending a helpful hint every once in a while, if asked nicely." with that she gave him a playful smile with her eyes closed, focusing forward.

FERNANDO SILPH

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silph

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POSTED ON Dec 6, 2018 22:31:47 GMT

the psychic typing definitely affords him an advantage that's invaluable for such a task. as to how to handle it, fernando leaves it up to his pokemon. simply man handling his way through the maze would be an utmost disrespect to the hard work and dedication shown by the gym leader here today. little does he know is that she's timing him. under that guise, maybe he would've taken the more direct route, trying to set the standard as far as metrics go. instead, he opts for some flair.

"that's an outlook i can appreciate. too many trainers these days only rely on their pokemon's strength rather than their wit, myself included." kadabra is the first to move. it can feel out something else nearby. one of the rock formations is hollowed, containing something small and alive. whether it's a rockruff or not is of no consequence. there's only so many possible things it could be. it hisses its name silently, the 'kadabra' prompting fernando to issue a command.

"unlike trainers who rely on experience and gut, my aptitude only comes from experience and theorycrafting. i had simulations and games instead of traveling out on my own." it takes a moment but fernando formulates a showy plan. he pulls another pokeball from his belt and this time its a magneton. it sits next to him, ready to react.

"trick, magnet pull, telekinesis."

short, sharp, concise. orders are given and they are to be followed. the kadabra has no trouble exchanging items with whatever lays hidden out of sight. the metal spoon it controls finds itself tucked neatly into rockruffs mouth. the sudden appearance of the item causes the pokemon to bite down in surprise. that's enough for the magneton to come alive with an erratic buzz. it's the same white noise that sounds off whenever magneton starts to pull at something metal. there's no escape now. rockruff will find itself tugged at so long as it keeps the item in its mouth.

magneton's magnets acts as a dowsing rod. that's all kadabra needs to point it in the right direction. a surge of psychic power is enough to pluck the rockruff out with TELEKINESIS. it'll be left suspended in mid-air, unable to break free unless acted upon by an outside force.

francie myrtle

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POSTED ON Dec 9, 2018 1:20:56 GMT

the fact that mr. fernando eliard silph was complimenting her really had francie taking a mental step back to tuck that away for later investigation. men like silph didn't say things like that too lightly. either they wanted something or they were actually impressed. which honestly, she would be less surprised if he wanted something and completely shocked if he'd been impressed at all by her little maze and excuse of brain over brawn.

within the first minute of being in the challenge one rockruff was found. louie. francie couldn't help how she smiled, giving an excited clap, which revealed the stopwatch in her hand. though she didn't realize it would probably seal the other two rockruff's fates.

"well done, that was very quick. very smart thinking. and here you are rattling on about games and simulations. clearly they worked well for you." francie returned the rockruff to his pokéball and kept her smile glued on. if she had to say so, she'd dare say silph might have been enjoying himself.

"you've two more left, and you're only one minute and twenty seconds in, great time."

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silph

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POSTED ON Dec 10, 2018 1:55:25 GMT

fernando registers her applause as nothing more than a courtesy. it's common place between people with their positions. still, the genuity behind the smile is disarming. fernando almost accepts it as true. almost. his attention is distracted by her call of the time. he realizes now that he's being timed, discerning her stopwatch from between her fingers.

"it only works when your opponent doesn't bite back. not everyone can program for that x factor." fernando snaps his fingers and point ahead. "and not everyone follows the same logic as the computers."

the trio of pokemon march forward, matching his stride as they continue down the corridor. they're more preoccupied with weeding out the remaining rockruff than finding the actual exit. that can always await for later. as for their current task, they find themselves pulled to a stop when the kadabra let out another hiss. "flush it out." this time, gardevoir steps up to lend magneton a HELPING HAND as it sends out several discharges of THUNDER WAVE. the harmless jolts will easily penetrate the stone linings that make up the maze while paralyzing anything it ends up traveling through. fernando expects to hear a yelp, a sure sign that a pokemon's been not only surprised but robbed of its ability to move, and capture it from there.

it doesn't take much for the second pokemon to end up snatched out of the ground and hoisted into the air, much like the last.

francie myrtle

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POSTED ON Dec 10, 2018 2:23:35 GMT

francie slowly smiled. and there he is. it wasn't like there weren't rumors surrounding mysterious mr. silph, but she barely believed them. she might have even read up on media. he just seemed ... well, he seemed a bit like he was perfect and she didn't believe anything to be perfect, not for too long, anyway.

so the fact that he was beginning to show how efficient he could be was a relief. and honestly, sort of inspiring. she liked how he was cutting to the chase.

"no, not even you." she tilted her head to the side before narrowing her eyes at him. "mr. silph, you have a lot more experience than just computer simulations and games," she glanced down at her stopwatch and continued her smile, eyes no longer narrowed but still holding curiosity. "mm, i think the record might just be five minutes." her tone was teasing, challenging, inviting, but still sweet.

"you're cutting it close, mister." okay that one was definitely a tease, but she was sure to return poor lyonel to his pokéball. she'd definitely be paying the pokécenter a visit.

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silph

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POSTED ON Dec 10, 2018 2:51:02 GMT

"ha, ha. no. i'm a garbage programmer." any mention of his programming always brings a chuckle to him, even if it's the slightest mention, even if it's a forced laugh. "but i guess i've been quite active recently. since kanto, anyway." his attention returns to the task at hand, although the small talk between them has been a welcome change. the fact that she's such a sweet heart only spurs him further. the simpler the person, the more wholesome the spirit, the easier to crush. all it takes is setting up the right scenario to break her down and mold her back up. he can already taste the work he'll have to put in but so far all of his ventures have been successful.

the undetectable FUTURE SIGHT from before - used the moment kadabra came out of its ball - finally comes to fruition. the difference is that there's no offensive intent. there's no blast, no external force that acts upon the present. it comes as nothing more than an alteration of the future, granting kadabra the privilege to hone its INNER FOCUS to pinpoint where the rockruff is. in another reality, in another time line, fernando had blasted the pokemon out of hiding. being able to discern that future and use that information in the present, kadabra can easily lead the gardevoir to TELEPORT nearby, providing a HELPING HAND by tapping exactly where the rockruff is. the only thing they need to do is scoop it up.

"that makes three. should i have them dig it out or will just knowing where it is suffice?"

francie myrtle

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POSTED ON Dec 10, 2018 3:05:13 GMT

what a beautiful display. she wasn't a stranger to a future sight and the different timelines that could be provided as an insight. she'd had an espeon once that shared many with her and helped her in avoiding a lot of natural disasters while she had been traveling. she couldn't wait until jack or jill became that for her again.

but, the game at hand was nearly at an end. "no, no. just finding was the qualification. no need to force him out." she gave a small pat to her leg and lincoln came digging out of his hole and yipped all the way over to francie before sniffing around silph and his pokémon with no other intent other than to say hello.

"all within three minutes, very impressive." she looked up at silph, her own brown eyes glued to his blue eyes for a moment. just gauging, looking, learning. this was beyond fun, she should have all the council come to try out her maze, if only for the small talk.

"but!" she extended a finger in the air like a giant exclamation point. "you've gotta find the exit--" she leaned forward toward him a bit, bending at her waist, tilting her head to lift one brow up at him curiously. "but i've a funny feeling you already know where it is."

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silph

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twenty-nine

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