The newly familiar voice that reaches Fern in the stillness of the environment catches him by surprise. However, in the wake of his failure to recognize jayden cross as an admin some weeks ago, he has been doing his homework.[break][break]

“Oh, underboss Beckett, hello.” They aren’t as startled as most would be with the way THEO BECKETT practically fades into the space beside them seemingly out of nowhere. Though their shoulders do still hitch up toward their ears, tensing. “What a surprise.”[break][break]

Fern relaxes easily enough, though— attribute it to the peacefulness they find here in the shadow of the mount. “Well enough, I hope I’ve met you in good spirits as well?”[break][break]

Ha— pun intended.

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] THEO BECKETT | notesies [break]


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

"you have."[break][break]

whether theo finds the pun amusing is unclear as he gives no indication of it. not even a small smile or a lazy chuckle.[break][break]

a misdreavus SHADOW SNEAKS up behind theo but his reflexes are fast. he turns to tap a pokeball against it, likely catching it off guard.[break][break]

"are you here to pay your respects?"[break][break]

he turns back to look at fern and their ghost of a grass-type.

[attr="class","ooc"]ghost/psychic[break]
catching misdreavus![break]
fern delaney[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-salamence color-shiny"]

“Very good.” He’s certainly still as stoic as ever though, isn’t he?[break][break]

“Hm, in a way, I suppose I am,” they reply contemplatively, head tipped to the side as their chin droops down into the rest of a raised hand. Blue-green eyes dart to the underboss again and Fern smiles thinly. “I find it a bit meditative here.”[break][break]

Maybe a bit melancholically so, but all the same.[break][break]

Attention turning to the trevenant, their chin tips in the direction of a haunter flickering in and out of the corner of his vision, drifting along behind them and ducking behind tombs. Poplar stretches out its large, branchy limbs and swipes it with a umbral SHADOW CLAW, then snags it before it can so much as retaliate or dissipate. Fern aims a ball at it, relieving the haunter of Poplar’s twiggy clutches.[break][break]

“Are you?”

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] THEO BECKETT | catching haunter! [break]


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

"i admit i'm not particularly superstitious, but i am here to pay my respects, yes."[break][break]

speaking of a spirit, rotom fades into the scene right next to theo, and though it might've been creepy enough to spook some, the underboss simply looks over.[break][break]

his salamence urges forward but a pokeball hits the rotom before the dragon does.[break][break]

"better to appease existing spirits before enraging new ones."

[attr="class","ooc"]ghost/psychic[break]
catching rotom![break]
fern delaney[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-salamence color-shiny"]

“So you have Pokémon here?”[break][break]

Fern himself does not. It’s purely a nostalgic thing for him. The spectral presences reminding him of glimwood tangle, and his childhood. He watches Theo stay his salamence with silent interest.[break][break]

His head tilts, curious. “Didn't you just say you weren’t superstitious?” A bronzor hovers nearby, clearly fascinated by their presence. Fern pays it little mind, though, and sure enough it floats away once it loses interest.[break][break]

“Very sage, though.” No matter who he’s speaking to, he can’t help the cheeky twist at the corner of his mouth.


[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] THEO BECKETT | skipping bronzor! [break]


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

the cheeky twist to fern's mouth is registered as nothing more than a polite smile. so, theo responds in kind.[break][break]

"thank you."[break][break]

his salemence leaps up into the air briefly, hovering the same way an ultra beast would before expelling a plume of FLAMETHROWER right down at the exeggutor.[break][break]

when the flames subside, all that remains is a pokeball.[break][break]

"i don't have pokemon here, no, but i imagine i might in the coming few months."[break][break]

sage as usual, theo continues.[break][break]

"tough times are coming."

[attr="class","ooc"]ghost/psychic[break]
catching exeggutor![break]
fern delaney[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-salamence color-shiny"]

The quip is taken at face value. It’s amusing to Fern, though they don’t have the gall to laugh about it. “Ah, ‘course.”[break][break]

The decidueye comes to stand beside them as if it means to participate in the conversation, wings folded behind its back like a serious, little general. “Hello there,” Fern greets the pokemon casually, like he would any other regular person. But that’s just how he is around ghost-types, typically.[break][break]

“That’s a fair point.” At least the owl’s somberness is fitting for the conversation. After a moment, Fern turns to it, pokeball in hand. “Shall we do this the easy way, then? Or the whole rigmarole of battle.” The decidueye allows him to tap it with the ball.[break][break]

No flamethrowers for the cursed bird, it seems.[break][break]

“Despite the cost, I’m curious to see what unfolds.”



[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] THEO BECKETT | catching decidueye! [break]


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

"the costs will be great."[break][break]

dire, even, but nothing he hasn't already accepted. such is required of him, naturally, underboss or otherwise.[break][break]

theo watches fern interact with the grass-type with relative indifference. his attention soon shifts away to the gastly that for a second had theo convinced it was a grass-type.[break][break]

must be the MEAN LOOK it gives. too bad it's no match for a pokeball.[break][break]

"but it will be worth it in the end."

[attr="class","ooc"]ghost/psychic[break]
catching gastly![break]
fern delaney[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-salamence color-shiny"]

Fern replies with a non-committal hum. Quiet thoughtfulness over the words. Will they? Probably so. Theo is the underboss, though, and not him, so he considers the blond’s words with a bit more bearing.[break][break]

A dreepy darts into view and his trevenant is quick to swat it down with another SHADOW CLAW. Fern snares it with a pokeball before it can hit the ground.[break][break]

He has a soft spot for dreepy–and his dragapult will be thrilled with the smaller dragon to have for company.[break][break]

His attention drifts back to Theo as he rebuffs the gastly’s attempt at a fright. “What makes you certain?” Fern pauses again, then adds, “Out of curiosity’s sake, of course. Not doubt.”

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] THEO BECKETT | catching dreepy! [break]


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