"can't have all the fun without me." elijah's voice rolls out of his throat like basalt boulders. "you excited to give back to the community?"

he wrinkles his nose. the scent of the sun-stained land is no stranger. yet, he finds himself needing time to readjust. too many sleeps under hoenn seas have cursed him with the demands of a terrestrial transition.

he pulls out a pokeball from his pocket and lets it rest in the broad flesh of his palm. a glow hides its shape as a tangrowth emerges. the white of its eyes trace giona's espurr from within its mop-like vines.

"your cat okay? it's trying to tear your finger off."

[attr="class","pkspr"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon tangrowth"]

giona ferrara
mission

elijah's eyes linger on giona's fingers far too long to be polite. though the act is far from pyromania, the apothecary wonders whether the man is butterfingered enough for frying.

"i'm sorry about that." the green-haired man offers his condolences. it's dry enough to waver between the crust of sincerity and sarcasm.

his tangrowth points at the gloom. its foul smell catches on slightest curves of wind. like a ghostly child, the gloom cries into the void.

"this gloom yours?" elijah says.

within the cave, the gloom's voice echoes and merges with another.

[attr="class","pkspr"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon tangrowth"]

giona ferrara
mission

"glooms are high maintenance." elijah says. "or they can be."

a foul smell crosses toward them like a breeze encrusted with piss-rusted razor blades. the apothecary barely budges, accustomed to the smell.

"kari, BLOCK." his tangrowth dances forth, using the LIGHT SCREEN to its advantage.

vines wrap around to hold the GLOOM in place in the air. it writhes, dancing as A PETAL DANCE strikes against the screen set by giona's espurr.

another vine extends out from the tangrowth's mop of a body. a loud crack and a POWER WHIP strikes the smelly pokemon to the earth.

"let's move in." elijah says. "you okay with the smell?"

[attr="class","pkspr"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon tangrowth"]

giona ferrara
mission

elijah closes his eyes. lids over a kettle of sighs. however, the emerging light from a vileplume's bud is bright enough to pierce his shut gaze.

"what a bother— look out!"

while the gloom rests, beaten down by vines, elijah's tangrowth mobilizes quick. vines wrap around the aubergine body. they tilt the pokemon back— and the beam fires.

it blasts into the cave mouth and like falling molars, rocks collapse and obstruct the entrance. the tangrowth slams the vileplume toward the floor with its body, the air scorched bitter from the beam.

"feels kinda bad. doesn't it?" elijah says. "they're protecting their home, maybe."

[attr="class","pkspr"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon tangrowth"]

giona ferrara
mission

"a look at the silver lining kinda guy, huh?" elijah snorts, the morbid jest rattling against his rib bones. despite his own thorny reputation, he is careful not to cross giona.

there is little he trusts from a man with moving tattoos—or was it a scar?. especially when they smile. takes more muscles to frown, after all. elijah refrains from looking too close.

his tangrowth mixes the gloom and vileplume together in a bundle of vines. another slam against the earth for good measure. then a careless whisk away of their unconscious bodies.

elijah peers in to the dingy dark, hand clasping its dusty entrance of stone.

"looks comfy enough to be a serial killer's hideout." elijah flattens his lips and stares at giona's espurr.

[attr="class","pkspr"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon tangrowth"]

giona ferrara
mission

"thanks."

the card flips in his fingers from visage to contacts. a small grunt crawls from his tight lips.

"never would have guessed that was how you spelled your name." elijah extends his arm, capsule's button pushed to recall his tangrowth back into its enclosure. "here's mine."

a card is pulled out from a worn wallet. fraying at its corners and loose at its seams as if it could fall apart at any given moment, one can tell that it is a thin wafer.

"if you ever want some plants." elijah says. "i guess."

he flicks it toward giona. surprisingly, it's cute. potted pokemon smile surrounding his name and business number. slateport's night market. every saturday.

[attr="class","pkspr"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon tangrowth"]

giona ferrara
mission