It's her idea, and yet Freddie can't help but let out an exaggerated groaning as she gets up to help with the capturing of the Kakuna. Her flask goes in her pocket before she pushes herself upright. The headrush and the first effects of the alcohol she chugged nearly take her back down; but she perseveres.

She catches the pokeballs tossed to her with a lazy ease before returning Dude and turning to the hanging menaces. Menaces-to-be, she guesses. Kakuna themselves have never done wrong by her.

"Sorry guys," she practically whispers before starting to capture them off the trees. They've never done wrong by Freddie, but she knows the lab will do wrong by them.

Guilt coils in her stomach at the thought. It's with concerted effort that she shakes it off, almost physically. This is who she is now, she has to get over it. And yet when her partner pipes up again it makes her blood simmer in her veins.

"If only Rocket were so uncreative. I'm sure they'll do a perfect job illustrating how we saved the public from an imminent raid by feral pokemon, left unchecked by the League's negligence. I can practically read the press release now."

Bile burns in her throat as venom drips from her tone. She tries to be happy that at least she's on the other end this time. It doesn't work.

mission
Remi Cassel

☉

"Can't spell 'perfect' without 'r'."

It's lucky that her partner doesn't catch onto the note of treason in her tone. Freddie should be happy for it. Instead she has to choke back more acid and take a second to get herself in order before replying.

"Just . . . Can't say the League has done much for me," she grits out, walking the the delicate line between bitter sincerity and tactful deceit, "and what they managed would make kicking a Growlithe look tame."

Abandoning her and hers out in enemy territory. Giving up without a fight. Leaving them to die and twist and turn.

Freddie does her best to look casual and she pluck the now occupied pokeballs from the ground instead of stewing. Tries not to worry too much at the inside of her cheek as she turns them around in her hand. They feel so heavy. She feels so heavy.

mission
Remi Cassel

☉

"Why see a shrink when I can just bother a bartender?"

Freddie's flippant response is accompanied by a wave of the hand and, finally, movement back out of the forest by the path they came down. Again she pulls her flask from its place hidden on her person to take a few burning swallows of its contents. Yeah, she can't stand being in her own head -- why would she sign off on a lease for someone else?

The bit of her partner's story is regarded with an eye over the shoulder and a carefully sympathetic twist to her lips.

"That sucks. Losing people is always hard. Finding out you lost them a while ago, though? It's shit."

mission
Remi Cassel

☉