[attr="class","cian"]this is not the jayden cross he remembers.

"you alright, bestie?"

tilting his head, cian's eyes narrow, scrutinizing across the underwater aquarium. a hand rests on his belt, ready to call out a pokemon.

"you don't seem...yourself. that bitch hurt you again?"

[attr="class","noodles"]jayden cross

[attr="class","jayden"]bestie.

[break][break] the word, rather than strike curiosity and fondness, makes him feel immeasurable pain. it strikes against his chest, heartbeat churning like waves against rock.

[break][break] "maher," his voice rings out, hollow. "let's battle."

[break][break]

[attr="class","noodles"]CIAN MAHER

[attr="class","cian"]maher.

"ouch. must be pretty bad this time, huh?"

a pokeball cracks open, sending a swampert out into crystal clear waters.

despite the presence of both pokemon, he still refuses to start the battle.

"how about a little wager?"

[attr="class","noodles"]jayden cross

[attr="class","jayden"]"ouch. must be pretty bad this time, huh?"

[break][break] he flinches.

[break][break] despite the distance between the two, it seems that the water seems to carry the sound well. maybe it was the way the aquarium was build. maybe it was the equipment they had strapped to their mouths. maybe it was —

[break][break] there was just something about CIAN MAHER words that cut a little too deep.

[break][break] "let's battle," he repeats again. "isis — go."

[break][break] the vaporeon swims forward on expert paws, maw ajar. an ICE BEAM peals from her mouth, directed at both cian and his pokemon.

[break][break]

[attr="class","noodles"]CIAN MAHER

[attr="class","pkmns"]

[attr="class","cian"]"hm."

the battle commences, cutting their conversation short.

swampert dashes forward to take the ICE BEAM in full, stopping it from potentially drifting back to hit cian. shrugging it off, swampert grunts, then sends a torrent of MUDDY WATER vaporeon's way.

swampert follows after it, riding the wave to close the distance.

despite the battle, cian is keen on continuing their conversation.

"what did they do?"

[attr="class","noodles"]jayden cross

[attr="class","jayden"]a torrent of muddy water comes crashing down, and the vaporeon does nothing to avoid it.

[break][break] impeding disaster, and she doesn't even move.

[break][break] sort of like jayden.

[break][break] however, unlike jayden, the reason she doesn't move is because there's no need. WATER ABSORB activates as the water crashes around her, making her liquid skin sparkle in a way that makes her look even more vibrant than before.

[break][break] now with her opponent close, she bares her teeth in a grin and attempts to BITE their tail.

[break][break] the events of the battle are loud enough that it disguises cian's voice. or maybe, jayden is just using that as an convenient excuse. he lets cian's words hang in the space between them, something dark spiraling around him even still.

[break][break] maybe if they were closer, CIAN MAHER could break through the barrier that was now his heart.

[break][break]

[attr="class","noodles"]CIAN MAHER

[attr="class","pkmns"]

[attr="class","cian"]tch. how annoying.

"i know you can hear me."

the battle's loud but not that loud.

swampert spins in the water and lashes an arm out to take the BITE instead. with the vaporeon up close, there's little to stop the ROCK SMASH from being thrown.

"don't make me go over there."

he still takes a step forward anyways, slowly approaching.

[attr="class","noodles"]jayden cross

[attr="class","jayden"]he flinches.

[break][break] jayden's ignoring him and cian can tell.

[break][break] what was it about him that he could read jayden so well?

[break][break] isis' teeth sink into the fleshy skin of the amphibian and she feels, for a moment, a rush of pride. it's quickly washed away however as something hard and painful crashes into her side. her fangs are dislodged as she's thrown to the side, silt and dust gathering around her as she crumples to the floor.

[break][break] her body glows briefly with aqua ring as she scrambles for purchase against the seafloor, wincing.

[break][break] "and if i do?" he bites out. fists clenched.

[break][break]

[attr="class","noodles"]CIAN MAHER

[attr="class","pkmns"]

[attr="class","cian"]swampert gives little room for the vaporeon to recover. she closes the distance, stays on the water-type's ass, and swings another ROCK SMASH at it, looking to pummel it against the seafloor.

"why are you ignoring me? i'm not the one who hurt you."

he continues approaching.

[attr="class","noodles"]jayden cross

[attr="class","jayden"]she lets out a breath.

[break][break] her body glimmers with ACID ARMOR briefly before disappearing in a split second, vanishing just before the rock smash is about to hit. thanks to the environment, it gives her proper control of her environment — nearly invisible. she reappears just behind the swampert just in time, materializing into view and opens her maw for an AURORA BEAM.

[break][break] the look that jayden sends his way is dark, full of smoldering storms.

[break][break] "you don't know what you're talking about."

[break][break]

[attr="class","noodles"]CIAN MAHER

[attr="class","pkmns"]

[attr="class","cian"]"alright."

guess they're doing this. with a heavy sigh that's almost exaggerated, cian continues:

"you're in love with someone you can never be with."

the battle continues in the background. whatever happens happens.

"maybe there's a chance you still could. maybe they love you as well. but whatever it is, you haven't quite moved on yet."

he pauses, nearing jayden.

"because you can't, can you?"

[attr="class","noodles"]jayden cross

[attr="class","jayden"] "you're in love —"

[break][break] he flinches.

[break][break] people have been saying that to him a lot lately.

[break][break] it hurts, each time.

[break][break] " — with someone you can never be with."

[break][break] that hurts more.

[break][break] the image of Chu-e Choi and Leon Vercetti flash by his mind's eye. inclined heads, secret smiles, laughter over inside jokes. his heart clenches.

[break][break] "you're just making guesses," he bites. there is something dark and smouldering as he gazes at the other, jaw set. more than that, jayden is upset.

[break][break] ice crackles through the air and lands onto the swampert, freezing him. isis uses the opportunity to lash forward again, fangs wide.

[break][break] her trainer doesn't even notice.

[attr="class","noodles"]CIAN MAHER

[attr="class","pkmns"]

[attr="class","cian"]jayden's half-right. it's a guess that's based on an understanding that can only be gained from observation. cian might not know but he can see the troubles that weigh on jayden's shoulders, that corrupt his expression.

"then tell me i'm wrong."

[attr="class","noodles"]jayden cross