there's nothing inherently wrong with the world; the sun still rises in the morning and sets in the evening; people still go about their daily lives, fulfilling whatever commitments they have and yet, something feels off.
you can't put your finger on it. maybe it's that strange look that passerby gave you yesterday. maybe it's the way the moon hangs in the night sky, or maybe it's the way people seem to be on edge, as if they all have something to hide. people walk around with suspicious eyes, always wary of their surroundings and their actions. you attribute it to them simply being cautious. you choose to ignore the signs.
but it's only a matter of time.
the imperious invaders event continues as rocket takes advantage of the distraction.
with the league's reinforcements in mossdeep, rocket has advanced into fallarbor and verdanturf. will you try to defend against the rocket menace, or let the towns fall?
furthermore, the safari zone has been updated with an easter themed selection! go get them eggs!
lastly, the april fools banner/header has finally been taken down. if you would like to view the banner again, you can click on this link!
hoenn is inspired by, but not associated with nintendo's pokemon franchise. the current skin was created by pharaoh leap using font icons primarily from ion icons and fonts from google fonts. banner art by モトジマ of pixiv. characters, with the exception of canons from the manga, belong to the members who write them, and all posts and templates on site are credited to their respective authors and artists. we claim nothing that is not ours.
their descent further into the gully of a seemingly endless cavern, is gifted the presence of light. the outlandish hue resonates an encroaching omen and although jayde had feigned ease, his mind was tormented by the unlikely eruption of fira.
her flash of daunting fangs flickered more clearly in the wavering expression than his previous zeal for discovery. it was the first it had ever been done and as such, seemed reasonable of concern. however, his weight against the grimy floor pulled forth the same feeling. overlapping what notion would've taken him elsewhere.
the light catches the heed firstly. jayde doesn't recognize it immediately but finds himself vigilant given their current surroundings. when he searches for some form of meaning in the opening, aza releases a heavy growl. the thrumming within his throat unusually soft as those questioning pools follow the focus of the dragon.
sure enough, the shadow of the beast lays before them. close by the body of water, the frills upon its back resemble undeniable familiarity. the broad wings and the sharp crown of its massive head.
"lugia—" his body moves with instinct. surprisingly it is his often brash friend that stops him. the daunting talon of its large arm blocking jayde from moving forth. when he nearly lets a boisterous curse slip from his lips, he hears the gurgle of the breath.
something is wrong.
"what is it? can you tell?" not ignorant enough to know the dangers of the world beneath the ocean, the distant noises grow louder. aza is already looking above with a more hostile rumble resounding from parted canines. when he follows the gaze he sees the lingering creatures that drift towards them idly.
their chiming noises eerily pierce him like loud whispers. tearing into his senses as an unbearable expression of hostility. he seems momentarily fazed by the unfamiliarity but, is quickly diverted by the idea that they were at fault for the guardian's state.
anger overlaps all fragments of fear.
"did you do this?" jayde doesn't expect an answer. he'd already drawn some sort of scenario within his clutter of a mind. one hand slips towards the formation of dangling capsules. their ghostly approach severing the distance of all that was pleasant.
"aza, kill them," the object at side lets out a momentary flare of light. one also large companion taking form, "gal! don't let them latch on! when we push through, we go for lugia!" the pair nod their heads in sync.
the feral nature of the garchomp charges forward. it seems hysteric for battle as its appendages begin to glow a faded shade of blue. eventually the brilliance has covered the majority of its large frame. dragonrush heads directly for one of the hovering nihilego.
swampert may not be able to soar freely, but it offers support. the sickly resemblance of gurgling from its broad mouth spews out a powerful burst of muddy water. attempting to leave their enemies frazzled as aza mercilessly released his wrath upon their dainty forms.
he watched her as always. the same lackluster expression— slightly wavering— seemed unfazed by the action. the oddity in her little performance ending in a slow and owlish blink.
"what was that meant to be?" jayde questioned, knowing, but displaying a fake ignorance. his hand reached towards the girl, ruffling the sideways mane back into its rightful place.
if not a bit disorderly.
"you're so stupid." the rarity of laughter fell behind those words, broken by the larger smile. it faded slowly, the grin absent of visible canines, lessening into a softer and more likely quirk of the lips. eventually it was just a whisper.
the touch drifted from the bed of unruly strands, enfolded against the chest within its rightful place. compared to the previous intensity held behind their words, it had completely shifted opposite.
"take care of yourself, cait, really." he says, as if strangely worried for the other. with the coming storm however, it didn't seem quite unreasonable.
golden eyes narrow. the peculiar humor encouraging him to raise the lowered hand. keeping the object out of reach from the much smaller figure.
the engraved marking is visible upon the exposed forearm, caught momentarily in the distant light. he had already made his decision but his wonder for her own actions left a momentary stretch of curiosity.
a serious one at that.
"i don't understand you," he says, but his voice is soft and scarce of hostility, "you're willing to risk your position just to spend some time with the enemy." however— if it had ever come to that point, he would've done everything to ensure otherwise.
"you're either stupid or incredibly brave." he tucks the pokeball away, tanned arms crossed against a broad chest. his expression represented its usual lack of emotion but, for a moment, twisted into a smile.
the orb is familiar to the touch. its cool material settles within his larger hand, the golden eyes peering into the undeniable red. something he had not anticipated as a gift in the present deal.
jayde stares at the object for awhile, not immediate in expressing some form of gratitude. the creature dwelling within the capsule would've preferred a life of reticence by the side of the gym leader.
surely, he thinks. the hound of fire had already made a mockery of its freedom. the revenge it had enacted upon human life was just a sliver of the hatred that he held within himself. most of all. the pair were certainly not comrades. they were just equals.
"you saw selby. that man he killed was just one of many. certainly i won't touch those of mauville but, what do you think will happen to the rest?"
he holds up the pokeball.
"what would happen to this?"
the hand lowers back to his side.
"we fight together. we always have. i've lost many friends before because of my rashness. because of what i do. are you truly willing to give me this?"
the persistence of concern for the flame of destruction has him sighing. however— the nuance in their potential danger leaves the man silent. jayde listens with the same, expressionless look.
he would've been half—tempted to destroy the structure from the outside, but, there was to many things conflicted with his usual darkened mind. most of them settled into something far from the present.
"relax," jayde says, "i'm not about to enact self—slaughter for some shitty generator." before all else, even the terrorist of rocket thought of himself. certainly death was not apart of the plan.
he makes a gesture, enrapturing the attention of his companion. they start to follow the porygon2 to the correct location. fira grumpily awaiting her task with a slight hostile notion in those large reptile eyes.
it's the response he's expecting, but, it isn't the one he wants to hear. the inevitable duty was the same in regards to rocket. most were not even willingly apart of the force. their vile duties done in the utmost reluctance for the greater good.
jayde was different on the matter. an offer had been made given his background. it was a beneficial deal between the shadows of this cruel world.
the only place that would truly accept him.
some part of him feels indifferent to that constant ideal. the fragment of humanity lingering in his cold heart tempers a flame of denial. he lets out an irritated sigh before closing his eyes.
the toned arm extends itself outwards, one hand hovering in wait for the apparent gift. "it better not be anything weird." he states, his usual lackluster tone humming into their quiet surroundings.
the scarce trace of company was a buzz that rung about within the distance. leering through every sliver of an alleyway. for the most part it was marginally considered in their pursuit.
when they are settled to the front of the room, he reaches for one capsule. the light portrays a large charizard with a rather irritable expression.
"break it."
he says nonchalantly. the amber beast slamming into the metallic surface. it doesn't burst on the first attempt, yet, the second collapses inward. the loud descent of the locked structure resonates within the room. strangely as before, there is no sign of a guard.
Lunch break? jayde wonders, his mind picturing the gym leader as a troublesome encounter. at least there had been nothing akin to murder.
he hears her yet— some part of him doesn't believe it. the outstretch denial of his dark words is perceived as a figment of his imagination. instead jayde remains silent till the true cause gives rise.
how persistent the gym leader is of her beloved city is beyond him. when jayde turns to look at cait, he cannot find her usual insistent gaze.
"fine."
he answers, hoping she'd look back.
"but— what will you do when someone besides myself begins targeting mauville. just as they did slateport, the same thing will happen here and everywhere else. everything about hoenn will rot."
the organization had grown beyond measure. although a nuisance of spies managed to gather a great deal from rocket; rocket had done the same. it was a toss up of hopeful resolutions that ended in failure. the league was getting nowhere.
"in this world, everyone is fighting for themselves. if i were you. i'd forget about that place."
selfishness was the key to survival. it was what had gotten him so far. at the same time, it was also the destined path of absolute solitude. something he would've never expected of the girl.
understandable, he thinks in the repetitive turmoil.
only when the girl mentions lugia does he reel within his sense of defeat. he sees flashes of the past. the beautiful beast that had saved him and the time it had all gone wrong. jayde frowns, distraught.
"i've never wanted anything from lugia besides closure. how could somebody like me, be worth anything?"
his usual emotionless display traces an inward sorrow. it shows through his glaring eyes fiercely within the dark. reflecting something that has not yet been spoken.
"i'll never be anything besides a criminal. i won't live a life like you, and even if i tried to, the world would turn against me for what i've done."
the arch softens and he looks down. lashes fall with the gaze, concealing his eyes. jayde inches from the girl and faces mauville city once again.
persistence for answers has the man craning elsewhere. every inch taken forward is a doggedness nature dwindling in the every question. jayde closes his eyes before facing cait, his expression wavered.
"none of your business."
he uttered, slightly rattled by the girl's forthright demeanor of getting answers. although there wasn't any falsehood within such statements, at the same time, he wasn't bound upon such constant, aimless killing.
"you're not much of a threat really. if anything—"
jayde stopped himself, sighing in the near approach of secrecy not meant for those on the other side. then again— humans were all equally vile.
"just forget it, cait. when all is said and done, you'll forget that man ever existed in the first place."
in spite of the one whom appeared constantly undaunted by the death which surrounded him. more than anything, it was him left numb and absent.
no ounce of fear, no hesitation. despite two opposites standing together, the younger woman held nothing but temper in those bright green eyes.
his expression wavered at the frustration and confusion etched between every word. eventually, within the ending, jayde simply let out a breath of his own inward irritation— given it had been expected.
"how many people do you think i've killed?" not expecting an immediate reply, he continued, "before i met you. my reputation of being this criminal wasn't just given to me because of rocket." golden eyes equaled the ones beneath his striking gaze.
"you knew what i was. you didn't treat me any different you would with anyone else— even now." jayde looks away, crossing his arms against his chest. the city of mauville a brilliance of light within the distance.
"hate me all you want. maybe it's better that way."
surprisingly, jayde did not have his present companions at his side. neither the violent hound or the frowning beast loitered grumpily upon the sidelines.
evening had stretched far by now. and as much as he was adamant on getting things over with, he had taken his time in getting here. almost as if he'd been dreading the moment of encountering miss alfric once again.
the younger woman wasn't entirely a nuisance. in—fact, within all those meetings, he had found a soft spot for her. if only the last hasn't been so upsetting.
regardless of the darkness that surrounded him, in the distance he could make out a slight figure in the dwindling light of the city that stood behind him. only when closer to confirmation, did those lips part.
"cait." he says, anticipating something else. the feeble dragon on her shoulder catching a momentary glance.
> 
= 100 poke
