yage

Playing Doctor with FERNANDO SILPH.

He's been kept busy, the past few days.

While he was occupied in one of the by now routine skirmishes with Sea Hoenn Forces, the world had been ending in Sootopolis. The so called 'Darkest Day' had finally descended, and the catastrophic results were such that something akin to an unspoken ceasefire had settled between the League and the occupied city.

Despite his... opinions regarding the city and its population, the youth had made the rounds around Sootopolis' hospitals under the cover of disguise, trying to ease the pressure that had suddenly befallen upon the city's ill-prepared infrastructure.

Eventually however, one must treat their own. However many innocents were injured, the simple facts were that several League officials that had been on site had also suffered during the conflict.

One such person was...

"... Doesn't look like the others." He noted to himself as he stood over FERNANDO SILPH's presumably unconscious form, slowly tugging his gloves off as his eyes roved the man.

Having seen as many victims of the incident as he had by now, it was obvious to him that despite the timing, whatever had put the councilman to bed and whatever had rampaged at the foot of the former Tree of Life were not the same.

But that hardly mattered.

His hand began to shine a neon magenta.

"Beginning treatment."

YAGE

DAY 1 // THE LAST TAPU

FERNANDO REMAIN SILENT. there’s nothing to say. nothing worth the pain that comes with doing more than just existing. self reflecting thought will have to suffice as doug showers him in his essence.

the pain that comes from the body stitching itself back together well beyond its capacity does take him out of it. doug can notice that fernando noticeably slumps when he blacks out. it comes and goes but he remains too inebriated to properly respond.

tapu lele’s powers work beyond what’s capable of explanation. magic gifts that have the body centralize fernando’s will to survive embroider the most essential organs first. sculpting the shape of a sand castle is easy with the right labor. etching the finer details require more precision and time.

something neither of them have.

almost torn tendons and ligaments is the apex of doug’s efforts. fernando wakes up well past an hour into doug’s efforts.

his body is still broken but far from destroyed.

[attr="class","spiralpee"]
John Sullivan

yage

Playing Doctor with FERNANDO SILPH.

Shame and embarrassment, though not a morally upright reason to seek to better one's self, was nonetheless a powerful motivator, and after his little chat with MATIAS SILPH while chasing the tapus some months back, the youth had become more willing to test and flex his powers. Still, he had not encountered a great many chances to heal truly grievous injuries, even in the aftermath of the Sootopolis Incident.

Perhaps fittingly, Silph's Sole heir and patriarch and his horrific injuries proved a much more enriching experience than any previous patient.

In the captain's limited experience, the process was usually quick and painless- but it seemed that when the body was destroyed to a certain extreme...

"Uh... Whoops." He said, suckling in a sharp breath despite his seeming under-reaction as the councilman passed out. "That ain't supposed to happen... Shit."

Hopefully the man wouldn't hold it against him when he woke up.

A few moments of treatment later...

"... It'll take a couple of sessions. That's new." Concluded the Captain with a frown as he finished the treatment. He stared at his hands, producing the neon pink dandruff. "It's still working on my end, though..."

Perhaps he should try and have his powers properly examined at the AQUA HQ... He had no real clue of how it worked. It just came when he vaguely willed it or was feeling emotional.

"Guess I'll have to stick 'round until he wakes up." He sighed as he looked over the man's body, dropping onto a seat someone else had left by the bedside.

No other way to know how effective the treatment had been.

---

When the councilman woke up, Doug was still seated by his bed, his phone in hand as he read through yet another news outlet' hot take on 'The Darkest Day' that had occurred in Sootopolis.

"How're ya feelin'?" The youth asked as he stuffed his mobile into his jacket's inner breast-pocket, turning his gaze to the broken man. "Your body, specifically. I ain't no shrink."

YAGE

DAY 1 // THE LAST TAPU

“LIKE SHIT,” is the first answer to come to mind. a strained grunt shuffles underneath ruffled sheets as shifts within the confines of his hospital bed. for all of doug’s efforts, the pain has become more of a dull ache than anything else. it blends in with the way his back sores after lying in the same position for too long.

“but better now. i can move.”

he blinks twice as teeth grit against each other.

“thank you, sullivan.”

[attr="class","spiralpee"]
John Sullivan

yage

Playing Doctor with FERNANDO SILPH.

"Figures. Didn't feel like usual." He said, tipping his hat at the man. "Yer welcome. Sorry it couldn't be more thorough; I don't really know how it works yet."

He would have to add avatar training to his already stuffed schedule, it seemed. Perhaps it was about time that he considered dropping at least one of his responsibilities. Something to think about later.

"So. I need to ask while yer still conscious, Mr. Silph." The youth said as he leaned back on his seat, tipping his head forward as he considered his words. " From yer wounds, it don't look like ya had a run-in with whatever monster made a mess at Sootopolis. And yet, yer still worse off than everyone else. What happened to you?"

YAGE

DAY 1 // THE LAST TAPU

“YOU DID MORE THAN ENOUGH,” he reiterates. for all of fernando’s shortcomings, a lack of gratitude does not make it on the list. in some ways, it’s his greatest weakness. or at least, was.

“i appreciate your help.”

another grumble sits him upright. only the slightest incline of an inch, but enough for him to stare back at his benefactor with some semblance of eye level.

“team rocket ambushed me,” is fernando getting straight to the point. “they sent their avatars,” he reveals for good measure.

[attr="class","spiralpee"]
John Sullivan

yage

Playing Doctor with FERNANDO SILPH.

As ever, it feels nice to help, and it feels nice to be thanked for said help.

Doug hadn't signed up for glory or recognition, but as his drunken rambles at Silph's dinner had perhaps shown, he was particularly sensitive to Hoenn's public's tendency to be ungrateful c*nts.

The youth's lip pulls taut as the councilman rises ever so slightly, the strain of the effort making the young man want to try again.

'More.' This level of healing wasn't enough... He had wanted the power of Lele to heal maladies far worse than a broken body, no matter how severe. So far, he was not living to his own expectations.

He needed to be better.

"Fuck." The youth growled lowly, jaw tightening and hands turning to fists. Even with the end of the world on their doorstep, those bastards still found time for this? "... We'll need to bolster y'all's security detail."

Clearly what they had at the moment wasn't enough. Between Orion Lykos and now Silph, it was no wonder that their Council members rarely lasted long.

This was Silph, too. Far as the council was concerned, he was without doubt the most able of taking care of himself. If they were willing to deploy their avatars like this, things would be complicated.

"How many?" The youth asked, gathering his hands together as his heel bounced, brow furrowed in thought. "Any ideas of which?"

He paused, before his frown deepened.

"Was Wolf Mask there?" He said, gulping.

He had recently ran into Wolf Mask. He had fail to apprehend him... Damn it all.

YAGE

DAY 1 // THE LAST TAPU

“FOUR,” is what fernando counts from his memory. the whole scene is hazy, a byproduct of a successful operation. they hit him hard and they hit him fast. what few details he’s aware of get blurred between his own focus on surviving versus making out specifics.

“a shapeshifter,” is the obvious one. “one with super strength, i think. and one can fire some kind of projectiles or blasts,” is the most he can gleam from their encounter.

in regards to the WOLF MASK, fernando can’t say one way or another. he sits there in thought before answering, “i couldn’t confirm. i could barely see anything from inside the store front they threw me into.”

[attr="class","spiralpee"]
John Sullivan

yage

Playing Doctor with FERNANDO SILPH.

"Pulled out all stops..." Mumbled the youth as he produced a notepad from underneath his jacket and began to write down the councilman's recollections, brows ocassionally furrowing as the man spoke.

This was way more severe than with Melody.

"Four..." The young man asked, brow furrowed. Only three men had been listed as having any powers. He briefly considered asking if he was certain...

But of course, Fernando wasn't; the man had just told Doug he could barely make out what the hell was going on in the chaos.

'Work with what you have no, not what you need.'

A shapeshifter, a man with super strength, and a projectile user.

The only shapeshifter he knew that belonged to Rocket was @walsh, but he doubted the big man himself had come out to do this.

Super Strength matched some of the abilities that had been reported from Wolf Mask (bryan delarosa).

Regardless, even if only three of them were avatars, one did not mobilize such important pieces unless the operation had been planned thoroughly... At least, he wouldn't. But such a thing required them to know when, where and how Silph was.

Silph was the most thorough man he knew. It seemed almost impossible for there to be an information leakage on his side of things. Something didn't add up.

He spun his pen in hand, lips curling in distaste before he clicked his tongue.

"Don't hold back on me." The youth frowned. "I'm not just gonna let this go. There's nothin' I can do 'bout the meteor with m'skillset, but I can at least try and look into this. Where did it happen, when?"

YAGE

DAY 1 // THE LAST TAPU

“SLATEPORT,” is the most fernando will give him, free of charge. despite his debt, and one that weighs more heavily on his own perspective than anything else, he cannot thrust another into the line of danger. not when they’re capable of removing some of the greatest assets the league can muster.

“i don’t think you’ll find much,” he concludes. “they got what they needed.”

a long exhale streams through his nose before he looks at the young avatar.

“i think they have a way of extracting avatarship. they probably used that power to cause whatever happened in sootopolis.”

[attr="class","spiralpee"]
John Sullivan

yage

Playing Doctor with FERNANDO SILPH.

Slateport.

Like, the whole city.

That's it? You can't even tell me the damn section? How was he supposed to-

I DON'T THINK YOU'LL FIND MUCH,

The youth's jaw clenched, stubborn determination settling in at the perceived dismissiveness.

"No, I can work with that." The youth said without elaborating, features drawn into a stony mask.

Lots of AQUA folk and others were out there earning their keep and proving they deserved their place in the initiative. He could do it too. He would start by looking through all reports filed on the same day as Sootopolis' fiasco, put his ear to the ground. Fernando wasn't a low profile figure- someone had to witness the crime...

He did not ask what they needed, and mercifully, Fernando was more willing to share on that front.

His stone mask didn't last long before the pickaxe that came next, eyebrows flying up as his jaw loosened, mouth peering slightly open as he blinked at the man, unable to understand.

“E- extracting ava... They did WHAT?!” His voice rings loud. Despite himself, despite what he's lived under Rocket, he almost can't believe what Fernando is saying.

He had been making the rounds, healing people. The vast majority of which were Sootopolis folk. A couple of them might've even been rockets for all he knew!

"Why would they release such a monster in the middle of their own territory?!" He asked, looking somewhere between furious and baffled.

No, wait. His pupils shrunk.

"Don't tell me that's what all this is!" The youth asked after a moment, brow furrowing deeply as stood up again, his hand alighting with a pink glow. "This is what it looks like when they steal avatarship?!"

If this was the end result, then he had to find them even faster than he thought. No one else could be allowed to be captured. This... this was monstrous.

YAGE

DAY 1 // THE LAST TAPU

FERNANDO WINCES AT THE OUTBURST. it’s expected. such a revelation goes against everything they know and opens up dangerous avenues. but his own condition and stature makes such a sudden shift in volume hurt more than just his ears. it radiates across his body in a pained expression he seldom shows.

“ah,” he groans. “sullivan.”

a twitch of his lips calms it as the boy returns to a more acceptable, albeit still perplexed, loudness.

“i can only assume that was unintentional. that they miscalculated and the pokemon broke free from whatever control they expected to have.”

he pauses as an afterthought surfaces.

“perhaps my powers alone weren’t enough. or necrozma wasn’t what they expected to show up.”

[attr="class","spiralpee"]
John Sullivan

yage

Playing Doctor with FERNANDO SILPH.

He dialed it down a bit after Fernando's flinch. Not that he had much to say— his mind was racing.

"Just great. Just great." He muttered at Fernando's suggestions, none of which

Stealing avatar powers, trying to summon beasts from who knows where, fucking it up and releasing a beast of mass destruction in their own territory...

He could feel his headache beginning to grow as he added it all to the list of things he needed to worry about, his hand reaching up to squeeze the bridge of his nose.

"There's a chance they'll try again if that's true, no? Summon whatever they were actually tryin' to bring 'ere?" Doug said, looking over Fernando's wounds. "Who do ya think they'll try next? kyle lopez? Katherine Fairburne? ... No, they ain't stupid enough to pick those fights now."

If they were going to aim for those monsters, they would've needed the true, unspoiled element of surprise. Now that it had come to this...

"Urgh... I'm gonna need to graft more eyes to the back of my neck, won't I?" He sighed, rubbing his temples.

With his luck and the tendency for everything that breathed to underestimate him, it wouldn't surprise him at all if he were next on the list. Then again, that assumed Rocket even remembered him enough to put him on the list.

He didn't know which thought he found more annoying.