Let Me Drown

No, Brynnhildr Erling.

He's not felt exhaustion like this in decades.

How many people has he spoken to? How many promises has he made?

In the aftermath of... whatever that was, Sootopolis has been left in disarray; he cannot worry about team rocket now, and he's sure they do not care about him either. They occasionally cross paths with one another, subjugated law enforcement and criminal, and barely spare a glance as they both rush to try and put Band-Aids on the city's gaping wounds.

He's stumbling towards yet another victim of the chaos before long. She stands out to him, despite the sea of unconscious folk around her.

He thinks her vaguely familiar; believes he might have seen a flash of her hair in the chaos at the ground zero, when for a brief moment, it had seemed as though they had triumphantly brought down the colossus that had emerged from another world.

He shakes off the unnecessarily florid line of thought with a grumble, knocking himself in the head as he approached her. So dramatic! Maybe the reason she stood out to him was the fact her eyes were open while everyone else's weren't, how about that?

He tried to stay professional.

"..." His mouth opened briefly as he came to stand over her, before closing shortly after as he reluctantly knelt instead. "Pardon me, ma'am. I am Gwyar, from the Sootopolis Police Department. I'll not be bothering you for long. Is there anyone we should contact on your behalf?"

Let Me Drown

No, Brynnhildr Erling.

A tragic figure, it seemed he had encountered.

How much had she lost? Had it all been to the calamity from earlier that night, or had it simply taken what last remained, bringing together past and present loss?

Either way, she was wallowing in her misery too much. He had seen eyes like hers in the past— and if she truly was alone in the world now, there wasn't much time left for her.

"I am, madam." He said gravely. "Now let's get you fixed up."

The large cop slowly shrugged his coat off his shoulders before pressing it to the woman's mouth.

"Bite onto this." The man ordered. Perhaps she would be able to guess his intention then, as his arm moved to cradle her head and slowly force her to sit up.

Entirely so he could pop her shoulder back into its socket.

Pop.

Agonizing, surely, but she was lucky he was trained to do so. With any luck, the physical pain distracted from her emotional misery, however briefly.

"What is your name, madam?" The man asked as he took back his coat, slipping it over his shoulders. "Surely your name, at least, remains."

Let Me Drown

No, Brynnhildr Erling.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ms. Erling." The man said as he took his coat. "No need to stand; please rest."

He took a moment to look over the woman once more. She seemed a little better, though it wasn't bound to last long. He had best make the most of it.

"Now, let's start from the top, Ms. Erling." He said as he pulled out his notepad and pen. "Is there anyone we should contact to let them know that you're here? Anyone at all?"

Somehow, he didn't expect the answer to change much, even in her current state. But he dared to hope for his guts to be proven wrong. This looked like she was barely out of college; much too young to already be all alone in the world.

"Do you need help returning to your home?"

Let Me Drown

No, Brynnhildr Erling.

His pen hung over the page briefly as she recounted her... pitiable family circumstances, his expression a careful mask for the pity he felt well up in his chest.

Her problems hadn't started with tonight's tragedy, it seemed.

Her words hanging in the air briefly until a hasty apology was given— he did his best to smile.

"There's no need to apologize, Ms. Erling." He said, watching her curl up into a little ball with a measure of sympahy in his eyes. "You've been through a lot."

He didn't bother with asking why she had come to Sootopolis; he snuffed out the mild suspicion in his chest. For once, rocket was a secondary concern.

"Unova is quite a ways off." The man said, chuckling. "Lilycove, eh? That's rather close."

He cupped his chin, brow furrowing in thought as he closed his pad and turned his gaze away, eyes sweeping over the crowd of people around them. What few Sootopolis officers remained and the local health centers nursing staff were hard at work looking over the people most affected.

It didn't seem like any of them would be able to see this young woman to her home, and he didn't want her to make the trip alone; not while in such a state.

"Right then. I'll let the chief know I'll be dropping you off at your home." The man said, grunting as he rose back to his full height. "I'll be back with you shortly."

He turned to leave.

Let Me Drown

No, Brynnhildr Erling.

The mask he hadn't realized she was wearing had slipped, leaving tears to spill while she nearly begged to come along, lying through her teeth as if he were blind.

"... Are you certain?" Even if he had wanted to, he wouldn't have been able of saying no.

Turning back towards her, he regarded her briefly for a moment, taking in her injuries and the difficulties that standing alone seemed to present, and gently held out his arm towards her, offering her a crutch to rely on.

"Come along, then. I'll help you." He said softly. "The Chief is not far. Just lean on me if you feel any pain."

Let Me Drown

No, Brynnhildr Erling.

He kept himself from making any noise as she leaned against him, letting her settle and find her balance whilst his eyes locked with several folk around them.

His imposing height and uniform were enough for the sea of victims and relief workers around them to part and open a path after meeting his gaze.

Her words dragged his attention back to her, green eyes settling onto her own before he smiled.

'Think nothing of it.' He mouthed as he led them closer to an imposing middle aged man wearing a slightly more ornate trench coat and a trilby hat.

With a still strong physique, a greying but healthy hairline and a powerful walrus mustache, the man certainly carried the air of authority one might expect from the chief of a police station. Pity he looked as though he hadn't slept a day in months.

"Deputy Wledig." The man said, nodding at Gwyar, before turning his gaze to Brynnhildr. "Evening, Ma'am. I pray the events of this night have not disturbed you terribly. How may I be of service?"

The Deputy — full name Gwyar Wledig, presumably— gently gestured with one hand towards you.

"Yes, Sir. Ms. Erling here is in dire need of an escort home. I was hoping to see to the task myself." He said, to which the Chief's brow briefly shifted.

Whether in confusion or distaste, it was hard to tell, though the man seemingly gave up whatever it was that his protest might be shortly after, releasing a sigh before reaching into his coat's pockets for a packet of cigarettes.

"Hn. Fine. You've seen more than enough action for one night anyway." The chief said simply as he plucked a cig and brought to his mouth, before beginning to pat himself for a lighter.

Before he could find one, Gwyar had one up to the ciggarette, lighting it for the man with a smile.

"Thank you, Sir. I'll have my full report on your desk tomorrow morning." He said, snapping his lighter shut, to which the chief simply huffed and smiled.

"I expect as much. Now, be on your way; the lady shouldn't be made to wait. Have good evening, ma'am. As good as it can be, at any rate." Given the circumstances and all.

Let Me Drown

No, Brynnhildr Erling.

He tilted his head when she suddenly spoke, somewhat caught off guard/

"Oh? Ms. Erling, I chose to escort you." The blonde said with a forced chuckle, shaking his head as his eyes peered around them, losing much of his fake mirth at the sorry sight. "Really... I should be thanking you."

He really couldn't handle Sootopolis right now. It was a new experience for him, feeling so raw after a (failed...?) mission. It had been a while since he had lost pokemon on the job...

He shook his head, grasping a pokeball before glancing over to Brynn.

"Shall we be on our way...?"