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i used to dream in the dark of palisades park

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Alexei Ivanov
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POSTED ON Apr 20, 2021 11:51:37 GMT
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Of course, he kept up with the times. Thankfully the other man didn’t scoff at him for his choice of names.

At the other man’s last question he was sorely tempted to let out a guffaw of laughter. However he knew that it wasn’t something he could easily do and defend himself afterward.

“She’s approachable by the normal population. That, and she’s a regular presence around Lavaridge,” he answered. Truth be told he remembered the time she came around to challenge his gym with her Charizard; they really gave him a run for his money that time.

He was tempted to add something about charisma into this but decided not to. He wondered what the other man would say next about it.


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silph
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POSTED ON Apr 20, 2021 16:53:07 GMT
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[attr="class","spiral"]“Ivanov.

Fernando winces as his head tilts in the opposite direction. Perhaps his own viewpoint is skewered, riddled in his own biasness, but Fernando does not believe himself to be wrong. This time, it’s not even his ego talking.

I understand that people who judge a book by their cover, I can be intimidating. A tall large man who no one can tell is smiling because his father had a bad set of dimples—I get it.” However, “But I won my seat on the Council through popular vote. There isn’t a restaurant or bar in Lilycove that doesn’t have waitstaff that know me on a first name basis.

He clicks his tongue. “The whole reason was a Gym Leader was because we got along. I randomly approached her for a battle and immediately recognized her skill. After that, we worked together vigorously until my recommendation was considered.

His back straightens. “For someone that’s supposed to stay cooped up in an office filing out paperwork forty hours a week, I give the people of Lilycove a lot of my time. Much like like how I’ve met with you despite us rarely talking.

Is that not approachable?



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Alex / Lexy
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Alexei Ivanov
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POSTED ON Apr 20, 2021 17:33:55 GMT
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You mean you have a perpetual case of resting bitch face, he thought in the back of his mind. Kind of like a friend of his, too, only the RBF wasn’t as bad as this.

Or maybe you paid your way to everyone’s favor? You have that aura… he continued, but keeping quiet on that matter as well. There was no way he was going to dig himself into a hole and get buried if he said the wrong thing.

So, it was wise to keep quiet.

“I’ll take your word for it, then.”

Ah, that anecdote with Miss Cait reminded him of how he had to struggle with the people of Fortree. Same potato, to be honest.

He decided to observe what would happen next.


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silph
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POSTED ON Apr 20, 2021 18:23:31 GMT
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[attr="class","spiral"]“

Short. Curt. To the point. How much actually reaches the Fortree Gym Leader? He’s unsure, so he doesn’t leave it at that. Doing so would be a travesty. After all, his distrust for the League has already taken root. Time to pull the weeds out of the garden.

Then you don’t believe me? Or…?

A twinge of a frown breaks from his features. His disappointment is measurable as the angle steepens.

Ivanov, I don’t want you to just believe me.

He pulls a page from ’s playbook.

It’s important that as functioning, capable adults, we keep an open mind. Whatever opinions you have about me, no matter how much I disagree with them, or how little sense that make to me, personally, they are valid because that’s what you actually believe.

It’s excruciating that they have to have this conversation but Fernando’s grace and fortitude mimic the Commissioner herself.

And when our opinions conflict we have two options: we both remain obstinate and discount what the other says, breeding contempt and creating a wedge between us. Or, we open up, listen with an open mind, and try to understand the other’s perspective. Even if it ends with us still being in disagreement I can at least say I have an inkling of your perspective and respectfully understand why you think that way.

He sounds like a responsible father. Disgusting.

Because, if your lack of willingness to work with the League comes from some behavior or misconception you have about me, that is something I want to fix. And, if you’re not the only one who thinks like this, I don’t want to be the factor that prevents the League from coming together to ensure this region remains safe.



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Alex / Lexy
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POSTED ON Apr 23, 2021 20:12:09 GMT
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He had never been so guarded his entire life.

But could anyone blame him—with a dysfunctional set of parents his own perception of the world had been pretty much skewed and fucked up until he’d made up his mind to venture out into the world on his own.

Shit, why was he so slow to trust?

Thing is, if you trust too quickly you can get manipulated… he thought to himself, keeping his face as impassive as possible.

“Of course you know about how trust is given and taken,” he said after breaking the silence. “It comes with so many other things altogether. The thing is,” he dropped off, in order to allow himself time to think, “…with some people it takes a while to earn—which I’m fine with. As long as it’s a two-way street then I’m fine with it.”

Did he have to explain himself? Maybe a bit.

“Parents… skewed my perception of most people when I was younger. Apologies about that.”

The door of cooperation wasn’t fully closed—it was ajar, although it would take a while before it would fully open.


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silph
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POSTED ON Apr 23, 2021 20:25:23 GMT
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[attr="class","spiral"]“Agreed. Trust works both ways. You cannot group a bunch of strangers and expect them to truth each other completely. But it has to start with a least a piece.

He pauses, a small smile breaking out amidst the chatter.

But in the same vein that trust works both ways, so does mistrust. You don’t trust me, granted, but why should I trust you?

Fernando doesn’t blink twice.

You have just as little public knowledge as I do.

Which puts them at an impasse. Being the bigger man, Fernando puts the first foot forward.

Shall we take turns?



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Alex / Lexy
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POSTED ON Apr 24, 2021 21:04:35 GMT
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It was a good thing he’d led with that statement, and the other man shared a similar viewpoint regarding trust in general.

To be fair, he preferred to keep his regional achievements private; to see if people outside of Fortree would catch on to him being a Gym Leader for the region. Of course, within the City in the Trees he was just as influential as the Councilman is in Lilycove.

Achievements aren’t everything, honestly. I prefer to keep things simple, he thought as he continued to observe the situation.

Truth is, they were at a roadblock; admittedly it was going to be a give and take scenario like he said.

“Of course,” he agreed quietly, unknowingly reverting back to his original Unovan accent in the process. “So what do you want to know?”

A loaded question, but he wondered what the other would ask.


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POSTED ON Apr 25, 2021 1:49:47 GMT
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[attr="class","spiral"]“Sure. We’ll start with an easy one.

Fernando cares little for Alexei. His curiosity is sparsely more than just pettiness to prove a point but his statement requires him to come full circle. The Socrates method, while effective, requires effort.

As a senior Gym Leader who outdates those around them, aside from setting in Fortree, what accomplishments have your achieved that make you feel worthy that the League should trust you when you cannot return the favor?



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Alex / Lexy
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Alexei Ivanov
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POSTED ON Apr 25, 2021 17:31:20 GMT
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Something simple, he appreciated that.

Only thing is, there was something about the statement that didn’t sit too well with him. Was it the way the other man had phrased it?

Or was it because—

Holy fucking shit.

Alexei blinked for a few moments as he came to an abrupt realization how the other man was projecting—

What the fuck!

No wonder I’m getting so set off when I’m around you! He thought as he realized what the prickly feeling was all along. Your general aura reminds me of my shithead father!

Even if it had been close to a decade since he’d left Mistralton, fuck, some scars really did run deep. But anyway. Back to the statement at hand.

“Small things. Even if they may seem inconsequential to you since you have a higher position than me, doing small things for people on a frequent basis is how I handle things around Fortree. Going all out for one big act isn’t always the best. It’s the little things that matter. That’s the impression I get with Stormy, whenever I visit Lavaridge. The local people always have nothing but good things to share about her, even now that she’s part of the Elite Four.”

After a few moments of silence, he then returned the question.

“What about you?”


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silph
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POSTED ON Apr 25, 2021 18:18:48 GMT
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[attr="class","spiral"]“Fair.

Not really, but he’ll get back to that. A cohesive, well-built narrative relies on a web of shorter conversations. The longer their discussions the more strings get spat out between the details. Fernando weaves his net dutifully, with a craftman’s attention to detail.

Big things,” he repeats but doctored. “They may go over your head since you won’t understand it, but I do big things for people on a frequent basis.” He even cracks a smile from how witty he thinks he sounds, a moment of smugness before washing it away with his real answer.

Do you know why I picked Slateport, Ivanov? Because that city seems to be the epicenter for tragedy. Every time it gets built up, something happens that tears it right back down. I chose Slateport to put myself on the front lines, to make sure I could be as close as possible when the time comes.

And when it comes under attack, my work goes well beyond fighting off the threat. People like you, Stormy, Kyle, Cait. What do you do after the fighting is done? Help rebuild, and then what? You go home and you wait until the League asks you for further assistance. I don’t have that privilege.

Someone has to make sure we get enough people to pitch in. That we have enough materials to rebuild. That people have running water and working electricity. How many people do we need to help rebuild? How many people can we fit or work at once? How do they get there?

What about those who lose their homes? Where will they live? How will they return to work? They need money, but how much, for how long? How do we get them working again?

He pauses to give time for the words to sink in.

Surgeons don’t do basic check ups because any other doctor can. They put all of their time into surgery because it’s something only they can do. If they don’t, who will?

Likewise, how many people know the logistics of the region? Catching Pokemon and fighting battles is easy. Anyone can do that. But how many people know how to calculate how much food you can take from other cities without affecting their own supplies while triangulating transportation to get it there, reliably, within the time frame of the food still being good, and having the means to distribute it out before it expires?

He leans back into his chair, back straight against its spine.

I put Silph Co.’s building in Slateport knowing that Slateport is the most dangerous city in the region because I believe in it. I’ve brought my employees there and with them local commerce. I put my fortune on the line to make sure that city lives. The people there may not know what I do but they appreciate me all the same. You can ask them yourself.

Which means it’s his turn again. Time to flip the question and show that Fernando’s been listening to Alexei’s statements.

You said you’re wary of . I’m not sure why, not to say you’re wrong, but I remain unaware of what makes her untrustworthy to you. In that same vein, you said you and Stormy are trustworthy because of the work you’ve done in your respective cities. Your people love and trust you.

He’s no longer smiling.

Despite my own opinions about Abiatti, the people of Sootopolis also love and trust her. The sway and influence she has on the city is a big part of how she got into the Council in the first place. Knowing this, and your similarities, how are you two any different?

They’ve reached half circle.

You’re truth worthy because Fortree believe in you. Why is she not when Sootopolis believes in her?





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Alex / Lexy
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Alexei Ivanov
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POSTED ON Apr 26, 2021 20:45:57 GMT
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All throughout the exchange, or at least the elaboration, he listens.

It doesn’t take too long for the question to circle back in his direction again, and this time he’s prepared for it.

Even if he knew that what he was going to disclose was something that was borderline… unbelievable(?) to the other man, Alexei couldn’t deny the fact that he’d heard all of this straight from the councilwoman herself.

“You—you do know about her family’s connection to the lore surrounding Sootopolis, I believe?” he prefaced, before allowing the other to answer.

“I actually went to her to ask about something. Something related to the Pokémon I showed you earlier, which you said you knew nothing of. There was a… a look in her eye when she saw it, and it unnerved me.”

Several alarm bells had gone off in his head as he tried to remember the exact words she had said in the Phione’s presence.

“Forgive me, I’m trying to remember what exactly she said at the time. It came off as some sort of a hymn, or something. I don’t know, but the way she treated it with respect borderlining on reverence to a deity is—well, lacking a better term, really off-putting.”

Surely, since he knew the man in front of him had a lot of connections stretching to who knew where maybe he would have heard of it at least?

Reaching for a pen and paper, he then scribbled down what he could remember about it before showing it to the other.

‘I sing of Phione,
The pure maiden—
Who delights in safeguarding the righteous.

—child of the sea,
Of you I sing and with you I begin,
—end this song.’


“That’s as much as I remember of her chant. She had this—greedy look in her eye, though, and I was concerned about that. Like she wanted to take the Phione away to do something. After that, she asked me what an ‘avatar’ was. And then she mentioned something about solidifying a decision she’d been waffling on for quite some time.”

Maybe the last statement would catch his attention?

He had no idea.


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silph
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POSTED ON Apr 27, 2021 1:49:52 GMT
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[attr="class","spiral"]“Ivanov, I didn’t say I knew nothing,” he corrects immediately. “I said I didn’t know it’s scientific name.

The rest of the story goes about and Fernando listens with vex interest. It’s alluring, sure, but he knows enough that none of this is surprising. Rather than it let derail the point he’s trying to make, he steers course for the complete revolution.

So, was it after this that you distrusted her? So you trusted her before all this?





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Alex / Lexy
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POSTED ON Apr 27, 2021 14:51:59 GMT
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Ah, now it was time for him to ‘drop the bomb’ so to speak.

Well, for Alexei it was a bomb of information at least.

“She brought up something called… AQUA? Do you know anything about that? And she also told me to be careful of avatars afterward. When I asked her about it, she refused to answer further. Left it like some kind of a warning?”

The thing is, though, Alexei had witnessed several fantastic events surrounding these legendaries—the earlier Slateport Night Market incident being one.

“I don’t understand why she would warn against avatars. I mean, I’m aware of what you’ve done during the Night Market incident.”


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POSTED ON Apr 27, 2021 17:27:58 GMT
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[attr="class","spiral"]He avoids the question. Typical. Fernando stands his ground, ready to repeat it when Alexei drops the mention of Aqua. It takes a lot of nerve not to react, not to let his eyes narrow, but he withstands, no different than before.

Olivia Abiatti being a pain in his ass is nothing new. That’s why his expression remains flaccid, unrevealing.

I would regard anything Abiatti says with a grain of salt.

As per the course.

So, it that what made you distrust her? Only after she said this to you?





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Alex / Lexy
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thirty
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POSTED ON Apr 30, 2021 18:46:45 GMT
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To put it simply?

“Yes.”

Did he have to explain himself even more?

Honestly, it was weary dealing with so many opposing sides even within the same—faction, as it may.

“Moment I saw that greedy look in her eye. Something didn’t look right about her after that.”

He then pinched the bridge of his nose, wondering if the other man had any other questions.

He wondered if bringing up the fact that Balder knew about this was going to be a good idea, however he decided against it—for the moment.

Was there anything else the other man was going to ask, he pondered.


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