sam resists the urge to remind zac that he's very sneaky, having snuck whole cargos of bodies from johto to kanto under rocket's nose, but he keeps that information to himself. focusing on, in fact, being 'sneaky.'

the idea of 'rocket favors' has sam smirking.

"so you know a few yourself?" his question is asked in a near whisper, hushed enough that they wouldn't be heard beyond just their own earshot.

Zac Ramsay

the memory of the giant fireworks battle had sam smirking as well. maybe that, or the way zac grinned when recalling. either way, sam didn't bother fighting his logic.

as the entered the tree sam felt a little bit like he was supposed to be wearing a hazmat suit. he pointedly did not touch anything. if he was cursed by some sort of alien disease, sam wouldn't be patient zero. he'd let that be zac.

"it's unlike anything i've ever seen in life. a few fiction novel illustrations do hold a resemblance, though."

nothing historical, though. he glanced a phantump as it floated about and bobbed around. it seemed to steer clear when a one of the many minior's came toward it. as was it's nature, more shy than scrappy.

// passing

Zac Ramsay

sam lifted his head up to watch the burly man just hoist himself up and make his way up the tree. it had him glancing down at his body, then at the pathway beside zac. it was makeshift, but as he studied it, he could see a sort of 'highlighted' path. in his own mind.

with that plan in mind, he ignored the local curious pokémon that had gathered and started up the tree.

"we could just as well teleport up using a pokémon," sam began to point out with a smirk. "but i didn't get my morning run in before you drug me out here. so this will have to suffice."

// passing

Zac Ramsay

"some people dare to call it a tree i've heard."

the mumbled sentiment is kept mostly to himself as he follows zac. the pokémon that are around seem normal enough. no new species, which he was sure had disappointed several scientist.

"i doubt this is a true to life jack and the magic beans moment, though."

that one he did say out loud. ever sassy, but every following. he could keep up with zac, even if by the end of this he was a bit winded.

Zac Ramsay

technicalities do no justice to nature.

those words would not soon be forgotten. sam quite liked the ring to them, because they were true. it did, however, mean that sam's point was defeated and he shrugged his shoulders as if to surrender to the nonsensical oddities around him.

a brain of logic in a place like this? he was fighting a losing battle. he did think, however, that knox prescott might think the place was pretty. if not whimsical. like being on a trip without being on one.

speaking of, the way things just sprouted around zac, it was curious. was that an avatar perk? speaking of...

"when you were chosen as an avatar," he's done enough research and seen enough of zac to know as much even if he'd never been personally told as much by zac. and then there was that body swap... "did your powers manifest immediately?"

his, pointedly, had not. he was still... cooking, as it were. or perhaps he just needed something spectacular to help his along? he wasn't sure. why not ask somebody he was comfortable speaking to about that sort of thing?

he trust zac not to make him an experiment.

// passing

Zac Ramsay