she thinks that, perhaps, the follow-up will be better in the simulated universe. that it might take the edge off. that it might give them some means of distraction. all in all, she doesn't want him to feel that her anger at alexei have anything to do with him. 

she's still frustrated at what this has come to. she's still frustrated at how divided they all are. and she knows they have every right to be. there are people, worse than those in rocket, that they praise and adore. 

he'll slip up, she tells herself. he'll slip up and they'll catch him and justice will finally be had. 

she turns over the pokegear in her hands and describes the logo to hideo, then places it down. 

"i wanted to talk about what happened at the gym leader summit."

Hideo Kino

☉

"somewhat," she says, giving a nonchalant side-eye to the pokemon of topic floating beside them. she doesn't know enough about the lake guardians or sinnohan lore to begin at why or what or how with her questions. 

the human counterpart, though, she can handle. 

"do you know what happens if we destroy it?" she asks. 

"and i want to know a few things, if you're willing to discuss it. i won't make you, but keep in mind that's as much an answer as anything." she pauses briefly. "where did the league fail you?"

Hideo Kino

☉

so the story unravels. she wants to pick at it, to uncover just how many people knew before this all came out, but that would only lead to more frustrations. and a pockmarked past that could not change the present or their futures. so she lets it rest. 

the grander scheme of it all can't be ignored. distrust with the league, she can understand. she'd been there herself. were it her two years ago, she may have kept it to herself. were she in his position, traveling alone, a child, she would have without a doubt. 

she grabs beakers and trinkets, goes about setting the place ablaze because he already knows what's happened should they fix it. 

"i can forgive that. thank you for telling me." words without bite. "at the end of the day, aqua is a decision. skyler and angelo were free agents for a very long time before they signed on." and now they're gone. like so many others. 

"we don't ask anyone to do anything against their will. we're meant to be the antithesis to rocket." unspoken lay the truth - that they are not always. 

Hideo Kino

Destroy it and the workshop.

☉