[attr="class","spiral"]She tells him not to move but he can’t help but tense. The whole situations pivots on itself all too quickly and the whiplash is surreal. He can barely finish chewing his last bite, finding it difficult to swallow as he tries to dissuade his own perception of the awkwardness with a reluctant acceptance.

You don’t want to continue because you’re losing.

The thought crosses his mind and that’s enough for him to become self-aware. His own irritation spurs a spitefulness inside of him that’s reserved only for the dumbest that Hoenn has to offer. However, the fact that it surfaces at all, proves problematic, especially when it’s in front of one of the people he actually likes. Thankfully, he keeps his mouth shut.

“Normal? What do you mean normal?”

[attr="class","spiral"]“I have come to learn that normal is relative.”

He can feel his nose wrinkle at the mention of his parents. By now, the resentment has settled and is as long forgotten as their home region of Kanto. He no longer despises them but feels a detached apathy toward them; their legacy has been replaced by people more useful to him, a mirror image of their own reception to his disappearance.

The only difference is he made sure they were dead before discarding their memory.

“I visit a memorial for them every anniversary but the world moves on Evelyn.”

He clicks his tongue at her assessment. She’s not too far off the mark. Regret is not an emotion Silphs are allowed to fester. As the heir of the world’s premiere conglomerate, they are to tackle each and every obstacle in their way with impunity. Remorse are for those without conviction.

And what Hoenn needs is someone with both conviction and a working brain.

“Things were simpler then. It’s easier when the world is just you and those close to you.”

He scoffs, waiting for her.

“Unfortunately, I don’t have that luxury anymore.”

[attr="class","spiral"]“Globalization is a thing and the impact it has on us isn’t something we can ignore.”

It’s a realization Fernando’s come to recognize over the years. Before Hoennn, there was always the illusion that he could pack up and start anew. In the wise words of @nash, there isn’t a reason that he couldn’t put his inheritance to use and relax on the beach, indulging in utter debauchery. However, without his influence or actions, the world would be left worse for wear.

Slateport Invasion has been the first instance of his inactivity.

Imagine if the Megalopolan’s had managed to conquer Meteor Falls without opposition? Considering their casualties and the impact he has on Stormy, Illeana, Lillian, Lars, and Ophelia, his involvement was crucial to their overall success. It’s hard to gauge what would happen without him but that’s not a risk he’s willing to take. Should Hoenn fall, who’s to say the world won’t follow suit?

“If you’re going to stay then make sure you stay safe. This isn’t the Hoenn you left.”

[attr="class","spiral"]“You sound like mom,” he mutters. Only when she lets go does he resume eating. This time he doesn’t spare any expense with talking while chewing. “Do you remember what happened the last time I took a ‘break’? People died. A lot of people. The same people you’re telling me to sympathize with.”

He pays no mind to whatever it is she’s doing; there’s no doubt he’ll found out soon enough.

“If I can’t sympathize for them then the least I can do is protect them. Even if it’s from themselves.”

[attr="class","spiral"]“Yes.”

His answer doesn’t miss a beat. Call it narcissisms or egotism to the max, time has proven him right to a degree. “In life, there are people who excel at things. However, they are not the same.”

Their thoughts jump through the same hoops and it becomes abundantly clear that the lessons of their childhood pay dividends. Critical thinking goes back to the next line of defense Hoenn has against the next region-changing event. And, to a point, she’s right.

“You have the champion, Bailey Cooper, and the Gym Master, kyle lopez. They’re strong, stronger than I could ever hope to be. But that’s where their skills ends, disregarding any obvious weaknesses. People like that, we classify as Pokemon Masters.”

No one has really ever bothered to inquire about this. Evelyn doesn’t either, but it’s his chance to brandish his own line of thinking and articulate it aloud. Seldom a man of many words, Fernando only really breaks out in the presence of people he trusts. Despite his sister’s slick thighs for Stone, he still believes in her.

“Then you have the Poster Boy, kim cole-essam. He’s a bit stupid on the surface but there is no one else in the region who can rally unlikely people into working together under a common goal. Someone with this type of leadership is considered a Great Uniter.”

Fernando finishes his food and clears his throat. Just in time to talk about their recent subject of interest.

“ALEXANDER STONE too, fell in this category, but he had something Kim didn’t. Business prowess. He’s no DAPHNE STONE. Being able to accumulate, predict, and distribute resources as needed makes him a combination— a Master Tactician.”

Fernando cleans up after himself and places his dish in the sink. Running water slides most of the residue off but he lets it soak for good measure.

“Not everything can be handled with raw strength or the power of numbers. Sometimes you need people like that. Sometimes you need a great scientist like Lucas Lane who excels off the field but couldn't hold a candle to Cooper or Lopez. ”

The water shuts off and he comes to his conclusion.

“That’s where I come in. I know how to use people and where their talents lie. I am the CEO of Hoenn.”

They’re all silly pet names but give structure to a generally well laid out ranking system.

“Cooper and Lopez are just two people. They can fight but that ends where the conflict stops. They cannot find the greatest use for the bumbling idiot taking up the mantle of their first battle. Nor can they turn some fragile scientist into a flourishing Avatar. When the fighting stops, Hoenn faces a new problem, and I have to be the one to solve it because I’m the only one who can.”

His eyes lay on the door way and he finishes his speech.

“Although the day someone else learns how to handle the logistics of the Region I might be out of a job. Until then, someone has to make sure the people of Hoenn are fed and can resume their life after each disaster.”

He’s done rambling, pursuing a point that lies way too close to home, and he ends up without an answer to her question.

“Me? No.”

She doesn’t know the type of love he’s received. He doesn’t mention it either because it’s his little secret.

“I grew up with plenty of love.”

And that's what hurts the most.

[attr="class","light"]that was a conversation to revisit later.

"pokemon masters? such an elite name."

they sounded like a rare breed, which wasn't too far off of a description on kyle and bailey. if only she had the same passion for pokemon like them. her talent resided elsewhere.

"love is putting someone else’s needs before your own."

but that couldn't be said for fernando, could it? "i don't understand you," she boldly stated. "everything you say you say with confidence and a stern tongue, that's what i admire about you." yet she held doubt in his word, not full doubt but only a smidge. "you're aware that you can be honest with me, right?" evelyn would calmly ask.

"everything you do you do to protect this region, but what's the end goal for you? is this something you honestly want to do?" and don't give her that bullshit reason again. it's not just your job. "i'm not exactly sure on the answer that i want to hear from you, but..." it's just a hunch she's had for sometime. that there was more to fernando that he even hid from her of all people.

there was nothing wrong with that, right? everyone hid skeletons behind closed doors. and yet, for some reason, she wanted to take a peek behind his.

[attr="class","spiral"]“That’s fine. Not many people do.”

The words come out edgier than intended. They’re sharp enough that even he feels nicked by their cut, mentally cringing once he’s recognized what he’s said. “You say that like I’m hiding something from you. What are you fishing for, Eve?”

She does into detail without ever stating it explicitly. In this, she pries toward the one thing that no one else seems to understand. Underneath the surface, the answer is simple. Too simple: it is my job. But even that expands into a multifaceted truth.

“Because I can. Because it’s something only I can do.”

He gives the answer some thought and the remnants of Project Avalon burn bright behind the tinders of his ambition.

“Because it is the last thing in the world that can challenge me, to push me to my limits, to demand the utmost from me until I have nothing left but to improve and adapt.”

His heart smiles but his mouth curves inward, scowling.

“My end goal is to find my purpose in life, like many others.”

The region, despite its downfalls, is filled with hopeful trainers looking to become the best they can be. They follow the pursuit of power, training their Pokemon, acquiring more powerful ones as they look to reach the pedestal of becoming something more. Even in this age, they look to surpass their limits, to evolve behind evolution: MEGA EVOLUTION.

Fernando lacks no expense in acquiring his own but he refrains from using the borrowed power. What he seeks is his own evolution.

“My end goal is to make this region stronger, better. To be the best that it can be. As talent blossoms and the skilled rise up in bloom, the standard of ‘average’ will demand more and humanity will evolve once more.”

[attr="class","light"]she couldn't find it.

"what i'm fishing for," evelyn made her way back to where he was, "is the real reason." that and, "also your keys." he wasn't heading out anywhere for awhile under her watch. "taking a break from being councilman for a day won't cause the region to blow up." isn't that why he had multiple women as his assistant? one of them including Yui Fujin Silph.

"if you really wanted to shape the region's trainers, why not build an academy?" she'd come to lean upon the doorway, "what do you get out of it?" she'd ask, "raising the future of hoenn's trainers i mean." it wasn't as if he wanted to have children. fernando, a father? something a bit hard to believe.