"Sarge! Long time no see."

Sweat gathers in the hollow of her throat and slides down the line of her spine as she strolls to meet with the Elite Four under the searing heat of Drought-originated sunlight. A plume of dry, parched earth rises at her passage.

Cultists were rising in the void of power left in the wake of the Tree of Life's destruction. Looking around at the destroyed crops, Skyler wondered what the hell they thought they stood to gain from doing shit like this. 

Of course, she could ask the same of MATIAS SILPH  - but the answer's pretty obvious.

Her teeth flash in a smile as she draws nearer. It proves to be a prelude to the uppercut she abruptly aims at his jaw. Whether or not it hits, Skyler presses closer. The curl of her lips less a smile and more a baring of teeth, inviting violence.

"Heard you been getting into the habit of killing fishes."

MATIAS SILPH

☉

the uppercut connects, drawing blood as a cut etches across his bottom lip. his tongue swipes across murky red as he grins, turning back to meet her approach. the metallic taste in his mouth serves as a wake-up call as he stares her down.[break][break]

"just the one. don't worry, cap, yours will be fine."[break][break]

a MAGICAL LEAF floats between them, cutting through the tension.[break][break]

he should've seen this coming. Melody Miro cannot be trusted to do as she's told, which only proves how right he'd been.[break][break]

"i assume melly's told you everything."

[attr="class","ooc"]skyler dross[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-virizion"]

The Magical Leaf flutters down to the parched ground to be met with the heel of Skyler's boot, crushing it. Satisfaction brews under storm-tossed silver as blood blooms on Matias' lip, but it is not enough. Not nearly. 

Especially when his next words cause a spike of rage to manifest, coursing hot through her veins and exploding violently across her chest. Her hands ball into fists at her side. Honestly, fuck this guy's arrogance.

"Better keep sticking to the little, harmless fishes, Sarge. Y'know," Skyler grins, something ugly and fierce chasing at the heels of her ragged voice, "those that can't hurt you back." 

Coward.

She tastes salt on her lips as she steps forward, boldly pressing into his personal space, uncaring for the scorching heat that bears down on them. "She's told me enough to make me wonder if you wouldn't be more suited for Rocket. Bet you'd fit right in."

MATIAS SILPH

☉

though she may goad, and though it would've been so easy to give in, to escalate the situation into a much bigger one, he refrains, understanding that this is not the time nor the place.[break][break]

that will come later.[break][break]

"you're letting your friendship with her cloud your judgment."[break][break]

he licks his lips, tasting metal as he presses into her space as well.[break][break]

"if a fish stood in your way to kyogre, would you not have done the same?"

[attr="class","ooc"]skyler dross[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-virizion"]

While he calls for order, Skyler spits in the face of it. Conflict brews and the captain drinks it in, teeth flashing savagely in direct opposition of his attitude. High on the adrenaline of setting herself up against those who think they know best.

"That so? Tell me more." She makes a mockery of the words.

There's ugliness in him, but there's some in her too and she's bold in showcasing it. A silent dare to anyone nearby, and Matias in particular, to fuck around and find out.

Power comes to those undeserving. But who's to judge who's deserving or not? Here is a fact: she has it. Here is another: she doesn't recoil from its use, not when she stands to gain from it. And while primal strength runs through her veins, that's hardly the reason for it.

"But I didn't, did I? You did." They were all capable of terrible things. That would hardly stop her from calling Matias out on his bullshit.

Whatever semblance of power is hers had been fought and bled over, long before Kyogre. And will be fought and bled over if anyone foolish enough attempts to take it from her.

MATIAS SILPH

☉

"i did." that much is true. "and i don't regret it."[break][break]

beads of sweat drag down the side of his face, dripping down to the red shard just peaking over his collarbone. in the DROUGHT, it almost seems to glow.[break][break]

a voiceless presence pushes on the back of his mind, tempting him to incite a greater conflict.[break][break]

"i'd back down if i were you, cap."[break][break]

he sneers, spitting.[break][break]

"we may not have your level of power just yet but you're a little far from your domain."

[attr="class","ooc"]skyler dross[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-virizion"]

Any amount of respect Skyler might've felt for the Elite Four dies a swift death the moment he speaks.

I don't regret it.

Lines are drawn. Beliefs are shattered and remade into something with sharper edges. Cemented and coated in hostility. 

"Didn't stop me from punching you, did it?" Skyler's had time to perfect her shit-eating grin, to turn it into the most casual, careless form of 'fuck you'. It could've been like one of their usual exchanges, except that any playfulness behind it has gone cold and lifeless.

Beneath the collar of her shirt, the complete Blue Orb glows ominously in direct opposition of the sunlight above. Begging her to extinguish its light. 

"Might want to take your threats somewhere else, Sarge."

Somewhere you won't be forced to act upon them - and be found wanting.

MATIAS SILPH

☉

it'd be so easy to just throw a punch, to escalate the situation into a fight neither of them would win. logic beats whatever this pressing weight is in the back of his mind, and it's with a frustrated sigh that he takes a step away.[break][break]

"i was hoping we'd be on the same side but it just was not meant to be, was it?"[break][break]

though the DROUGHT above lingers, it does fade a little, indicative of how the cultists may be moving on.[break][break]

"i'm disappointed."

[attr="class","ooc"]skyler dross[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-virizion"]

"Don't blame fate for your piss poor decisions, Matias." It is the first time his actual name graces her mouth, and the weight of it sinks heavy and oppressive between them. "Won't make 'em any less shitty." 

Now that he's taken a step back, she doesn't push any further. Contratry to what the Elite Four might believe, Skyler hadn't come here to look for a fight; she'd been looking for justification.

And been met with something else entirely. Something rotten.

"Might want to check on your groupies, they're making a mess." Coiled muscles relax just a fraction as Skyler takes the time to peer at the dried up husks of what used to be crops. The image, she can't help but think, is fucking poetic given the current situation.

After a beat of silence, silver cuts back to the man.

"Would you still want me to officially join the League?"

It's impossible to gauge whether she's being serious or not.

MATIAS SILPH

☉

groupies.

"they're cultists."[break][break]

matias isn't sure why he feels the need to correct her when he's described kyogre's cultists are groupies as well. maybe it's just the natural desire to oppose her.[break][break]

a pokeball rolls down the hill, bursting open to a RAIN DANCE from a blastoise that begins to combat the DROUGHT.[break][break]

at her question, he turns to look at her.[break][break]

"would you?"

[attr="class","ooc"]skyler dross[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-virizion"]

"Not as it stands." The implication is clear in the context of their interaction, laced in distrust and hostility. With a flick of her wrist, a Phione joins Matias' Blastoise with another RAIN DANCE.

Soon, the sky darkens with the weight of summoned clouds. Isolated droplets prelude the incoming deluge, crashing against parched earth.

Perhaps they could've achieved great things by working together. But what-ifs had never done anything but leave a bitter taste in her mouth, and the thought of strife had never seen her hesitate.

Especially now.

"Congrats on Groudon." It sounds like a curse. It sounds like 'take your throne and burn in it'.

MATIAS SILPH

☉

curse or otherwise, matias accepts it in stride and will carry the burdens that come with it.[break][break]

as rain pours down all around them, drawing their interaction to an end, matias prolongs it with a thought.[break][break]

"we'd have made a good team. we still could, skyler."[break][break]

he pauses.[break][break]

"what would it take?"

[attr="class","ooc"]skyler dross[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-virizion"]

"You're kidding, right?"

That Matias is the one to ask sheds an ironic light over the whole situation. She's caught unaware by the sheer gall of the man - given the lingering hostility between them - and a rough bark of laughter springs forth.

That, more than anything else, speaks volumes on what he regards as priorities. And what breezes past his awareness without truly rousing his interest. 

"Safe to say, nothing you can provide." If anything, he's become the main strike against her joining the League - and its Aqua Initiative. Around them, rain pours down with a vengeance. 

"We might work towards the same goal." Hoenn is still her home and she'd always fight for it. "But I doubt we'll ever be a team." 

She turns to leave, whistling Phione over so it floats by her shoulder. 

MATIAS SILPH

☉