THE BIG BOY BOSS

TEMP RARARIE X DECLAN WALSH

THE DOOR OPENS WITHOUT PAUSE. Though, declan remains behind his desk, having moved nary an inch. He shuffles through correspondence and tucks it away into a drawer.

"i've got time." Walsh says. "do you require funds for your gym? an officiant for a wedding between you and merlino?"

The windows of his office open up to the dark din of the Cave of Origin. Not the greatest change from being submerged in Hoenn's depths— but it is a little less claustrophobic. A little more homey.

Tempest Quinn

For Walsh the Cave might be more homey, but Temp it just fills with dread. He'd much rather be tucked away under the crushing force the the sea than trapped in the suffocating pressure of a cavern. Being on the sub helps, though. Temp nods and steps into the office, going to sit down at some seat Yams assumes is provided.

"Thank you for seeing me." At least he knew enough to be polite. "The Gym's fine! I'm sucking Martín del Mar dry of anything he'll give me." A pause and Temp squints at Walsh lightly. "Did Gav tell you about...? Hm. Well, I might get back to you on that! We've not talked over plans for the actual ceremony yet, so it's kind of- ah! Wait, I'm not here for that!"

Get your game face on, Rararie! Gosh!

A pokeball is taken from Temp's pocket, an infant, shiny Shinx released into his lap. She's got her eyes open now but is still smaller than normal, paws and ears too large for her soft and fluffy body. The Shinx watches Walsh with curious, sleepy eyes.

"I came here to... take my lumps, I guess. Did you see the report I submitted about the mission at the warehouse a few weeks ago? Well, this was the cargo and... I took her. And kept her. I wanted to come clean about what I did." Idly, Temp ran his fingers through the Shinx's fur. She started to purr softly, a broken and rumbling noise, but Temp just frowned at a corner of the desk, pensive.

NPC

THE BIG BOY BOSS

TEMP RARARIE X DECLAN WALSH

WHEN TEMP LETS IT SLIP that a ceremony is inevitable, Declan too, lets his surprise slip through his expression. He raises a brow— but it is the lightest arch. Far from stern skepticism or criticism. One that is soft and altogether happy for the other.

"I did." Declan says about the report. He kneads his gloved fingers together- but they do not wrinkle. "I must ask, so why did you keep her?"

A glance scrapes across the Shinx's gold fur before cycling back to Temp.

Tempest Quinn

It takes a moment to answer. Temp has to get his words into the right order, put more thought into it. He can't just come in here, call Walsh 'bro', and then leave like he did with other people.

So, Temp thinks back on that night.

"At first I did it to get the weird Luxray away from that kid." It seemed like it was after the cargo, so that seemed the best way to do it. Better for him to get hurt than @kris. Shame that hadn't mattered in the end with where he was now.

"Then I kept thinking it over when Gav was patching me up. I just didn't want to bring her back."

The Shinx closed her eyes, purring louder under Temp's touch.

"I felt bad for her."

NPC

THE BIG BOY BOSS

TEMP RARARIE X DECLAN WALSH

THE ROCKET BOSS DOES NOT STIR. His tailored figure is placid. Calm. The sharp angles of his collar, his eyes, and poise communicate his solemnities for them.

Still, nothing indicates bother or contempt. He expresses as much: "That is fine." The boss leaves his seat after much thought, turning the corner to examine the Shinx more closely.

"But you can't keep feeling bad for it. After all, this Shinx is now conscripted to Rocket's services." He snaps a glance to Temp, examining incoming reaction and answer.

Tempest Quinn

Temp is expressive. He isn't like the war veterans with carefully guarded features; has never been shown true violence for doing anything less than exactly what was wanted at the moment. So when Walsh looks, he will see a quick grimace. The flash of stress on his face and the way his fingers will carefully curl, almost protective, over his Pokemon.

"I could make it conscripted to... my services." Is offered, lame; he says 'conscripted' like it's a word he's never even heard before, or at least not enough to know what it really means.

Temp can't meet Walsh's eyes, drops his gaze back to the Shinx. He rubs his thumbs over her fluffy cheeks.

Then gives a sigh and deflates.

"I'm real weak, man." He couldn't keep up the whole serious thing, either. "You, and Gav, and, like, so many other people... you guys are all, like, stone cold. When I joined Rocket, it was under the promise I could beat the shit out of people, you know? It, like, feels different."

NPC

THE BIG BOY BOSS

TEMP RARARIE X DECLAN WALSH

AND WHILE TEMP'S CANVAS IS MALLEABLE AND MOVING, Walsh's is precise and stiff. Each line purposeful. Each stroke singular and measured.

"if the shift in language is what it takes for you to handle this emotional matter, then i would adhere to it." his eyes hover high above the gym leader's moving thumbs. the shinx, most likely blinking from this close affection, is not looked upon by the boss.

"it is different. it is also survival." walsh says, seeing the sigh diffuse into the shadows. "when a man aims to strike you down, they will do so without sympathy, without hesitance. his pokemon will understand that too."

Tempest Quinn

Temp listens. He absorbs what Walsh has to say. This is something he will need time to mull over. It stills feels different- fighting a man, even the pokemon defending him, it was still a whole other concept. This felt more like walking up to a box of helpless kittens and crushing one in his fist. They couldn't do anything to stop him. Couldn't even begin to try.

He takes the pokeball back out and taps the Shinx, recalls her back into a pokeball. The silence would hang between them more like a fruit; ripe and ready to splatter on the ground at any moment.

"If you don't mind me asking, dude... why'd you join Rocket?" Temp is naive in his own way. This question reflects that. He sits up again and straightens his shoulders. Still, pensive but slightly more sure of himself. He offers a sheepish if tight smile to the Boss. "I was just, like... real angry. At everything. I used to fight a lot in Slateport, and a guy came up to me, and I said I would join! Then that next week I was crammed in a room with a bunch of other Grunts. That's where I met Gav, actually." In that yawning between that was Silas falling and Cadis taking over; Cadis was the man Temp had joined under. Not Silas. Not Walsh himself.

NPC

THE BIG BOY BOSS

TEMP RARARIE X DECLAN WALSH

AN INTERESTING QUESTION. one that is seldom asked of him, for the stability of his superior station does not require prodding.

"i've seen much hurt, " in the boss' eyes, the colour of shinx's recall seems to flicker still, "dealt to the people in my life. the lack of care for the disenfranchised, disaffected youth as the league patted themselves on the back after every new city, every new monument, and every new tournament."

he shakes his head.

"rocket can change that. the league can not be reformed. it must be dismantled from the inside out."

Tempest Quinn

"I think they're good at inspiring hope." Praise for the League with someone who doesn't like it, clearly, is not great. Temp thinks about when he was a kid. Before he understood what poor was, before he realized people looked down on how he lived, before he saw the fish mongers in Slateport sneer at his father while trying to grind his prices down for his catch. It was just him and a few other kids crowded around an old radio. Rapt attention was given as they parsed out an announcer through the static. A clash of all the Gym Leaders, the E4, the Champion at the time, and even a few rising stars in the battling scene. It had seemed magical back then. He and his friends had felt like they could take over the world just from the imagined battlefield of their young minds.

A decision in made in Temp's mind.

He stands up and then offers his hand to the other. His boss, sure, but now a wide stretch of a smile on his face. Genuine.

"Okay, I think I see why Gav likes you so much. Want to come with me to the dining hall? I'll buy you a juice!" As if that was a real treat. Some of the 'excited puppy' energy was slowly coming back to him. "Or- hey! I bet a lot of people are scared to battle you! We could loosen up our pokemon with a friendly match?"

Simple things. At the end of the day, Temp wasn't political minded. He wasn't a man after great power, at least not for himself, and didn't have the drive to burn a path of conquest all his own. Temp was just some guy. He was just a dude who happened to live in a strange region during a stranger time.

So he offered what he could in his own way. An outstretched hand for something like friendship. Maybe even something like deeper loyalty.

NPC

THE BIG BOY BOSS

TEMP RARARIE X DECLAN WALSH

THE ROCKET BOSS DOES NOT EXTEND HIS HAND. With a sigh, the man slowly returns to his seat behind the desk.

"i'm afraid you have missed the point, rararie." he says, back straight against the chair. "this world will never operate in the way that you desire. befriending every man and pokemon you meet, holding hands and singing kumbaya."

the boss shakes his head.

"you are a walking contradiction. as gym leader of pacifidlog and member of team rocket, understand this. every step you take is an act of betrayal and deception. inevitably, you will break hearts and make enemies. the tragedy of your spirit was predetermined the moment you joined our ranks."

he recalls sootopolis' takeover. the cold drip of the cave of origin. the damned shard between his fingertips.

"skyler dross once told me that they are not against rocket or against the league." the boss says. "if your conviction is as weak as hers, in a world where legendary powers use mortal vessels to cast their chips over the fate of the league and of team rocket, you best know what you are getting yourself into."

he ushers temp away with a flap of his gloved hand.

Tempest Quinn

Temp listens. He absorbs what Walsh has to say.

Temp joined Rocket because he was angry.

Temp is just a guy.

But while many might be cowed by Declan Walsh, his boss, someone who could kill here where he stands and even Cillian Quinn couldn't do anything about it...

Temp keeps his back straight.

"I think you misunderstand, sir." He's not impolite, still positive, but his voice carries a little more weight than before. When Temp came in here, he was dragging his tail between his legs. A total 180 in the short few minutes of their chat.

A decision in made in Temp's mind.

(It's the dismissive flap of Walsh's hand that does it.)

"If I close myself off to kindness, both giving and receiving, anything I ever do will have a faulty foundation. The League has a bad foundation. Don't make Rocket's just as rickety trying to rip theirs up." A nod to him, a little salute. "I hope you have a good day, sir."

Then he turns on his heels to leave, as requested.

NPC