[attr="class","spiral"] What an absolute shit show.

Between the exchange of kyle lopez, Balder Schwartz, and Olivia Abbiati, cleaning up the mess in Slateport took every nerve of patience Fernando had and then some. Even with the added help of Orion Lykos, the council would find that another tragedy extended beyond treating the injured and repairing the damage. The media, naturally, went into a frenzy and the fallout from their actions were both spurred and buried under the efforts of those who tried to salvage what was left of Slateport's shambles.

It is uncharacteristic of Fernando to take a comp day, much less to attribute it to a mental wellness day, however he makes an exception when a sparse opportunity to visit his sister comes into play. Evelyn had found her path after they dismantled Team Rocket and Fernando could not intrude on her finally extending her life beyond his reach. At least not forcibly, although he did try his best to manipulate her into staying close. But, Evelyn had decided exactly what she wanted to do and was too adamant about it for Fernando to deceive her otherwise without being obvious. So, for a moment, she becomes another character in the backdrop as his life spirals into another mess.

And so he's here, lapping up at a rare opportunity in earnest.

His Salamence comes into Mauville's airspace with a boom as it starts to descend, coming down with an alarming speed that leaves Fernando's hair disheveled by the turbulence. It matches his old hair from before he fully embraced his council image, but he pats it back into place the best that he can. A quick glance at his smart watch reveals the time and he's surprisingly late, a few minutes past their agreed time, still wearing his standard formal business attire. With the blazer still hanging on his office chair back at League Headquarters, Fernando rolls up the sleeves to his oxford button up and starts to head toward their spot with a brisk pace. His Salamence is returned as he rounds the corner, fixing the Pokeball back to his belt as he tries to navigate the vague streets of Mauville.

"Eve?"

Fernando calls from afar as he continues to approach, closing in toward the entrance and smiling all the same.

[attr="class","spiral"] Fernando answers her introduction with a halfhearted laugh, a clear sign of deflection when having to address the one topic everyone's badgered him about since New Years. "I'm fine." Is a lie so simple and natural that it rolls off the tongue automatically. "I'm just glad things have been going well for you. I saw your last concert online and you were spectacular." Standard flattered from Fernando that he usually uses to switch topics while currying favor.

"Of course. You've never been through Mauville thorough, have you?" Fernando plays nice with another smile while turning past the entrance to finally enter the city limits. The click of his heels scuff against paved concrete and he points his body down Billow Avenue, recalling some of the places that cait alfric had shown him during their times in between meetings.

[attr="class","spiral"] Thankfully, Evelyn never prodded him further about the concert in question. Moments like these leave Fernando relieved but deep down he has his own doubts on whether or not Evelyn believes him. Almost like she accepts his lies while doing the same, upholding the farce to give him the face of being a decent brother.

They diverge along the path towards the ice cream stall and Fernando waits for Evelyn to take her pick. He keeps it simple with straight vanilla and opts for a smaller scoop, exchanging his card with the vendor for his own ice cream cone, juggling to fit the card back into his wallet while refusing to let go of his treat. Unlike Evelyn, Fernando waits for her to take off before sampling the treat.

"Symbolic?" Fernando sets Evelyn up to explain her meaning to him while he takes the time to lick along the trails of melted ice cream. He treats it delicately so as not to spill or cause the excess to drip onto his hands. "I see." He doesn't. Fernando has no idea where she's going with this until Evelyn goes full circle.

Him?

He has no idea who she's talking about, or even what she's talking about, for a moment. He never considered Evelyn to be one to keep up with the news but considering how widespread Slateport was and how curious the journalist had been since Olivia Abbiati had tried to silence them, it's only natural the topic became a hot buzz around the region.

"Thank you," he answers softly, smiling despite how little the situation bothers him. While Mateo was a respected member of the Elite Four, Fernando's relationship with him was strictly professional. The dragon tamer proved a worthy addition to the zany group of troublemakers but to run after him in another dimension was a risk he couldn't take nor would want to. As long as he can find a way to beat back these beasts without suffering massive losses, Fernando would be content.

But that's the thing with Silphs. They're never content.

"I'll keep that in mind next time things are rough." Fernando peers down the street and from a distance he can see a familiar rooftop. "Have you ever met Mauville's Gym Leader?"

[attr="class","spiral"] Fernando remains silent at reveal — an oversight on his part and something he forgot about entirely. The fall from Team Rocket tore up many holes and left even more wounds but he's supported his sister through it all. Most of her transgressions were his fault, if only slightly, yet he holds responsibility for it as her guiding figure. At least personally — what goes on record is often altered and audited to keep Silph secrets away from the public eye, much less League records.

"Many things come with our name and not all of them are good. The burden of being a Silph is something none of us can seem to escape." Fernando dwells on the sentiments while licking through his vanilla ice cream all the same. The question about his own Gym comes up and he licks the vanilla off his lips before answering.

"I'm unhappy about the current standards of trainers and gym challenges." He's not the only one. A drunken ramble with Bailey Cooper and some feedback from kyle lopez reinforce his mindset. "So I opened my own to help gauge trainers and put them on the right path."

[attr="class","spiral"] "Oh? You were going to challenge me first." Fernando bites into his cone and starts to finish what's left of his treat. He doesn't throw it away from his sister. That's wasteful. "Don't expect me to go easy on you just because— well, you know."

Thankfully, Evelyn's words have some truth to them. A variety of trainers have taken to the Gym circuit and their resounding success proves that the region is making headway toward his dream. That or the Gym Leaders suck but Fernando tries to be optimistic despite the truth.

"Let me know when you want to stop by and I'll free up some time for you. My Gym can be both incredibly easy and incredibly hard depending on how prepared you are. After all, a Silph should be ready for anything."