”hm, i don't remember seeing that when i challenged your gym.”
[break][break]
Like some sort of a specter, katherine managed to sneak into melody’s gym unannounced. If someone had let her in, then they most certainly forgot to mention that she was headed to the arena.
[break][break]
A smile took to her lips, gracing those ever-cold features with the slightest bit of warmth the queen of hell could muster. Not a lot, mind, but still— there was some effort involved. “I’m glad your place wasn’t destroyed,” she admits, red eyes already flitting about as she examines the place.
[break][break]
It was mostly intact, wasn’t it?
[break][break]
”i.. also suppose i owe you an apology. I, well, the league should’ve been more prepared. What happened in sootopolis could’ve been avoided.” But it taught many of her naive coworkers that rocket wasn’t the type to play fair. Perhaps it was better this way, even.
[break][break]
”we don’t have to talk about that though. especially if it's still too fresh. i was hoping we could just catch up in general. i mean, if you aren't too busy.”

[attr="class","ooc"] Melody Miro [break]

[attr="class","pkmnparty"]

“nonsense.”
[break][break]
“not even gym leaders are expected to fight alone. especially against a threat of that level.” rocket wasn’t just some untamed, wild pokemon that a single person could easily take care of. it was a criminal organization - and it had to be treated as one. the league needed to be cautious and beat their opponent to the punch. always.
[break][break]
“you... don’t remember?”
[break][break]
huh?
[break][break]
“how so?” she assumes some pokemon interference was involved, but what? how? And since when does rocket bother to leave people in such a state? “that’s not really normal, you know.”
[break][break]
always so willing to state the obvious. wasn’t she just nice?

[attr="class","ooc"] Melody Miro [break]

[attr="class","pkmnparty"]

“oh.”
[break][break]
It doesn’t make more sense but knowing that it’s happened before does earn that reaction from katherine, for whatever reason. Maybe this had nothing to do with rocket after all. “i’ve never heard about… dissociative amnesia. it sounds like a big deal.” she had a very limited experience (if at all) with conditions of that sort.
[break][break]
”i also don’t think i’ve ever seen a pokemon quite like this guy,” katherine admits, the hint of a smile touching her lips. ”however, if he’s helpful, then i suppose it’s good you found each other.”
[break][break]
Even if some of them were treated as tools rather than partners or pets.
[break][break]
“...speaking of which.”
[break][break]
“How familiar are you with ultra beasts? Have you ever heard about Nihilego?”

[attr="class","ooc"] Melody Miro [break]

[attr="class","pkmnparty"]

”I own a couple.”
[break][break]
Fair notice, she didn’t say that she trained them. She owned them. They, unlike usual pokemon, were tools that were created (or at least so she assumed) for the purpose of fighting. Not in a gym or in an ordinary arena, but in war. They belonged to man-eating aliens, after all.
[break][break]
“That one, Nihilego, is likely the most special one I encountered. It… It does things normal pokemon do not, let’s say that.” She fishes its Pokeball out, intent on sending it out then and there - as long as there was enough space for the creature. If not, then the two would likely relocate elsewhere first.
[break][break]
“It can… Erm… Sort of fuse with its trainer. Not fully, obviously, and just temporarily but… I do know that it makes one immune to poison, and to certain psychic effects.” Where was she going with this, exactly?
[break][break]
“I don’t know if it’ll help, or if it can work since it only ever did it with me, but…”
[break][break]
She extends her hand, and in turn, Nihilego mimics the action. A lone tentacle extends forward too, presenting itself before the gym leader. “...I suppose we can try and see if it helps refresh your memory. If you’d like— I get that it’s pretty… Spooky. So if you’d prefer not to, I get it.”

[attr="class","ooc"] Melody Miro [break]

[attr="class","pkmnparty"]

Katherine imagined this would pan out… Well, in any way except for this one, really. She thought Melody would be disgusted or maybe even laugh at how odd Nihilego itself felt - but pain? Screams? No, she couldn’t have anticipated either of those things. After all, it never hurt her to merge with the Ultra Beast.
[break][break]
“Nihilego!”
[break][break]
She doesn’t ask the pokemon to move back because it already knows that it has to. Despite its alien nature, it seemed to read the situation fairly well. Once the two separate, the elite four is quick to recall the Ultra Beast, her gaze shying away from it.
[break][break]
“I am so sorry—” her apology is cut short by Melody’s question, to which Katherine immediately shakes her head in response to. “No! I would have never suggested this if I knew it’d hurt you, Melody. It never hurt me. I thought it’d just, like… Help. I didn’t think this was even possible.”
[break][break]
Awkward.
[break][break]
It wasn’t often that Katherine tried to be nice and cordial, and now, despite having tried that, she failed remarkably. She has no reason to suspect that Melody might’ve been lying nor did she have a reason to obscure what this felt like. It wasn't supposed to feel this way.
[break][break]
”Are you okay..? It didn’t make things worse, did it?”

[attr="class","ooc"] Melody Miro [break]

[attr="class","pkmnparty"]

A sigh of relief escapes through Katherine’s lips at the sound of Melody’s words. Phew. She didn’t make things worse. This freaked her out a little - there was still plenty of information about the beasts that she’s yet to unravel.
[break][break]
Despite the fact she thought she had figured them all out already, it was as far away from the truth as possible. Hell, she hadn’t even seen the creature fight in its own domain-- ultra space. What then? When the stars finally align, would it affect their bond?
[break][break]
Would it cause pain to her too?
[break][break]
“Erm… actually, it’s classified,” she doesn’t stop to think for too long, however. “But i guess you’re probably authorized to know, anyways. It helped me fend off the thing that caused the blackout of slateport.”
[break][break]
In other words, it’s good. It’s not another alien pokemon that had to be tamed— it chose katherine.

[attr="class","ooc"] Melody Miro [break]

[attr="class","pkmnparty"]

“Countless, if I had to say. They are just Pokemon after all. Aliens, but like… Still just pokemon.”
[break][break]
It was hard to wrap one’s head around the concept, but it made sense now, after multiple encounters with their kind. They were what they were. ”I… I didn’t even know they captured all of that. I had no idea people knew what it looked like, but… Yeah. It’s gone. I am sure it’s gone. It won’t come back.”
[break][break]
It can’t. They were lucky the last time, but next time? Who’s to say luck alone will be enough? Those creatures, unlike the Ultra Beasts she encountered, were as far away from normal Pokémon as realistically possible. Hoenn cannot prepare for The Hunt. No one can.
[break][break]
”I am sure we don’t have to worry about the Ultraspace anymore, too. I mean… We’re better prepared now, and they don’t have the element of surprise anymore. If they were to show up again, we’d be ready.”
[break][break]
Who was she lying to? Melody or herself?

[attr="class","ooc"] Melody Miro [break]

[attr="class","pkmnparty"]