[attr="class","light"]as water dowsed mateo's body from the shower head held over him. he would come to be in a small daze, reflecting not on the pokemon before them but the pokemon katherine possessed. it wasn't exactly the pokemon in question, just the memory that came with it. that pokemon, the wormhole, his time in ultraspace, and—"...noelle."

quickly he'd snap out of it upon turning toward councilman FERNANDO SILPH. "stomach's fine," he replied. "i'm more worried about that chick, what was her name? the new gym leader of mauville." that was an interesting experience with what happened in that last instance. "that wasn't a normal reaction to seeing something like that, what was that all about?"

[attr="class","spiral"]“The short answer: she’s a crazy bitch.”

That much is certain. Any suspicions he had before have been fully realized by the end of their little excursion. How that relates to his earlier premise, that’s still up for debate. But Katherine Fairburne is not one to let out of his sights. Her among others.

“The longer answer is a bit more complicated. I’ll keep an eye on her in the mean time though,” Fernando trails off as he lets the warm water supplement the bruises and aches of war time. What’s one more person to look after?

“But I’m glad I’m not the only one perturbed by it.”

[attr="class","light"]once he had fully washed himself, he would head over to the tub full of steaming hot water. placing himself in, he'd casually grab towel to wet and place over his forehead. leaning back, mateo would allow for the purities of the steaming bath take all of his stress away.

"the league's got a lot of interesting characters. i heard persephone amavi was let go or somethin'?" he heard through the grapevine of her unexpected departure. he wasn't sure if this was misinformation or what, but he liked her. she and bailey were pretty funny when together. "i'm guessin' she's takin' a break like me...sort of." he didn't exactly see himself returning anytime soon.

"maybe the stress of the job's gettin' to her."

[attr="class","spiral"]“I told her to quit.” There’s a sharp tone that comes to her defense. As abrupt as it is, it could easily be misconstrued as bad blood between the two, something Fernando is fine with allowing others to think. They don’t need to know what she means to him nor the length he’ll go to stave her off this path of destruction. Wherein her Mother would always overshadow her, Fernando looks to fulfill that cycle, locking her up in a cage, unfit to see the glory of the world, so to speak.

"This job isn’t for everyone. It isn’t for someone of her caliber.”

The steam clouds his expression. It hides the forlorn look he gives the open sky, thinking back on his decision, about every wrong he’s slighted her with. “How’s it feel to be free?” He regrets nothing because that would be admitting he made the wrong choice. Hindsight is 20/20 but Fernando knows he always acts in his best interest, regardless of the result.

[attr="class","light"]mwteo was too dazed to notice the defensive tone he'd taken. either way, it was none of his business. in fact, he thought persephone had the capability to do her job. maybe there was more happening beneath the service than he realized.

"let's be honest, hoenn's a cesspool for danger. there's somethin' new going on everyday here." it was like this region was some sort of dnd roleplay created by some lunatic who enjoyed watching the players suffer, or something like that anyways. maybe he's been playing too much of kyle's videogames.

"it would be nice if the world wasn't potentially ending every time we took so much as a small break." he wondered how BERNICE ALBERS was doing. he hadn't seen her in awhile. "but i'm getting back into swing of things. though, i think we should have that battle one more time." it's been awhile since he had so much fun facing someone so strong, especially a pokemon of legend.

"we should have another gym battle, i want to fight that legendary of yours again." sceptile was itching for a rematch, "i didn't even get activate my mega evolution." and then mateo thought about the war event just as he mentioned the mega evolution ordeal. "i just remembered something..."

[attr="class","spiral"]“Indeed.”

Soaking in the hot springs proves to be a bigger respite than first imagined. Just idle conversation, lacking substance, allows him to melt away. Even being at the whims of some crazy kimchi eater no longer becomes a worry, if only for a moment.

“That’s good, Martinez.”

The call to battle cause Fernando to shrug off leaning against the stone edge and delve closer to the center. It’s a struggle to keep from floating away but he holds his weight in his stomach. “Let me know when and I’ll leave an opening for you.”

Fernando waits for Mateo to complete his thought but the lingering pause forces him to follow up.

“What?”

[attr="class","light"]"during that whole situation underground, that rock sceptile touched..." he remembered the weird power that emerged from it. "i want to feel like that again." that's what he needed to do. he needed a battle, one with someone strong. "we definitely need to have our battle again, fernando." he was eager to do it even more.

"how about tomorrow?" had he agreed or not to mateo's scheduled request. once he was to receive his answer, he'd ask another question, "by the way, how's the culprit doing?" he spoke of the megalopolan the league apprehended.

[attr="class","spiral"]Memories devoid of nostalgia break down with every recollection. What Fernando remembers from their siege of Meteor Falls lacks the same recognition. While potent, prying further into the meteoroid will only spell disaster. Yet, he too must look further, because science demands observation and repetition. He must know it because he must prepare for it, whether it be for or against him.

“I see.” Fernando rises from his spot, water swept off his shoulders like the burdens of their excursion. “But be mindful of chasing after waterfalls.”

Beholden of his own nakedness, Fernando nods at the man, unabashed by the numerous scars that revolve around his waist like scotched earth. They tell a tale of humbleness that Fernando often disregards for the sake of his own ego, a tell tale of a near death experience that dull his sense of adventure.

“The prisoner has been sectioned off in Mauville. It’s been hard to get jurisdiction over her, despite our efforts, but it’s something I’m working toward.”

Despite his open pores, cleansed with a well deserved soak, his features continue to remain blemished with pessimism.

“Before someone inevitably breaks her out.”

[attr="class","light"]"oh come on, it's not like someone's gonna snatch her up and whisk her off on some flying-type."

she could sit there and rot forever for all he cared. "why exactly was she given over to mauville again?" pretty sure she should be rotting in fallabor's cell. "you're council, can't you just demand her? the woman is a terrorist." the hell was mauville going to do with her? were they even apart of the meteor fall raid?

[attr="class","spiral"]“…”

Mateo’s words trigger an ill swept memory; he tastes the bile dry out his own tongue. Tempting fate is not a fallacy he allows to steer his actions but in line with recent events, Fernando weighs heavily on caution even among the intangible.

“You’d be surprise. There’s a lot I can’t do and for good reason.”

The last of his wetness seeps into the stone floor when he exits the bath. Only then does he grace himself with a towel, loosely tucking in one end inside another to hold it against the rim of his waist. “I’ll make sure to invite you next time we have a regional war meeting. You’ll see.”

He exits soon after.