A lot of things surprised Lex: Killian Decker’s acceptance of a parasite living inside him, Rocket thinking it’s a good idea to mine a meteor as The League tries to blast it away, Rocket wanting to take Littleroot of all places. Really she’s been noting but surprised recently. But, she’s come to expect these sort of things in Hoenn. The region was a fucking mess, and she missed Johto.

Fun enough, what surprised Lex the most was hearing from Yumi Hasegawa. It’s a name, and a woman, she hadn’t thought about in . . . years probably. There was the brief inclination to say goodbye before she ran but that would have been stupid. Just like everyone else in her life, she sealed Yumi up in a corner of her mind and locked her away.

A year ago, Lex would have run, assuming that the woman was somehow here to spy on her, take her back to Johto, claim the bounty on her head. Of course, that was ridiculous. Yumi wasn’t the type to get her hands that dirty. So, Lex agreed to a meeting.

Still, she’s paranoid. She’s been stabbed in the back too many times to not be careful.

It wasn’t hard to find her in the courtyard. It was rather empty with everyone preparing for the assignments after Walsh’s directions. Even through the haze of the phantom plane, Lex could see she was still beautiful, with the same piercing violet gaze and confident aire surrounding her. She wondered if Yumi would accept the ‘new Lex’. She had changed quite a bit. There’s only one way to find out.

The Shadow Gardevoir released her hold on the phantom plane. The haze dissipated as Lex stepped through back into realty in front of Yumi. The black miasma at her heels crawled across the manicured grass. A large, clawed hand rested over her shoulder, and slowly pulled back as the Shadow Gardevoir once again returned to her plane.

“Yumi,” there is a small smile that crept into the corner of her lips, “I was surprised to hear from you.”

Yumi Hasegawa
+ Hi, friend(?)!
OUTFIT

Lex had already spent a moderate amount of time inspecting Yumi from her hidden position behind the veil of the shadow plane. She hadn’t seemed to change much, which Lex preferred. It was the old Yumi she enjoyed hanging out with anyway. People change, and Lex would have been sorely disappointed if Yumi did.

Despite the audacity of Yumi’s quite forward question, the Beast’s lips twitched into a small smile, both amused and rather proud. Anyone else, she would have lashed out at such disrespect. If Yumi didn’t have something clever to say, she would have been worried about her.

“Oh? That?” she lifted a hand to invite the Shadow Gardevoir back into view. It was no secret the abomination nearly never left Lex’s side. The air beside her grew cold. Black tendrils of ethereal energy twisted through reality and the phantom plane, pulling with them the silhouette of the Gardevoir. She was a pale, lifeless creature. Despite any lack of emotion found within them, they seemed to burn eerily into the soul, coating it with a frigid reminder of death, “That’s courtesy of Hecate, my Shadow Gardevoir,” Lex’s amber gaze shifted to the pokemon, “Beautiful, isn’t she?”

Yumi Hasegawa
+ Yumi, meet Shadow Gardevoir
OUTFIT

Lex has grown into a cautious woman. She has been stabbed in the back too many times to be completely trusting. She’ll continue to hold Yumi at arm’s length until she is certain that there are no underlying ulterior motives for her initiation into Rocket. Ones that may negatively impact Lex.

“She was a gift from Walsh on my first promotion,” her amber gaze rested on the Gardevoir, inspecting her eternal awe, “She’s an artificial Shadow Pokemon, a corrupted Gardevoir,” she begins to explain, assuming Yumi hadn’t heard of these pokemon yet. It seemed to be something exclusive to Rocket, maybe even Rocket Hoenn in particular, “She use to belong to an old Underboss,” she’s not sure what ever happened to him, but she does know that the likes of Gavin and Walsh held him in high regard, “She’s lost her fairy typing is actually part ghost,” Yumi may remember Lex had a Gastly, Smoke, back in Johto, one of her main companions that was integral for her missions. The Beast always had a fondness of the shadows and what lurked there.

Yumi Hasegawa
+ Yumi, meet Shadow Gardevoir
OUTFIT

Created. Artificial. A tool. All pokemon exist for the service of Rocket or whatever it was they hummed on about at times. Lex sat somewhere in between on the sentiment towards pokemon. She was strongly bonded to her closer companions like Smoke, Aubie, and War, but Hecate remained aloof, incapable of emotions. That made it easier to see the pokemon as a tool, but it was her tool and if Rocket tried to take it away . . . there’d be hell to pay.

The rather apathetic amber in her eyes grew dark when Yumi asked the more personal question. The muscle of her jaw tightened, emphasizing the sharpness of her features. Above the dak glare, a single eyebrow rose, “You didn’t hear?” of course Yumi probably knew. Well, she probably knew his side of the story, what Kato wanted people to know.

Several thoughts ran through her head in that moment. What did he tell people? Did he even mention her name at all? Was she painted to be a traitor? Did Yumi deserve to know? Did Lex want her to know?

After a moment of consideration, she decided that, aside from Killian, Yumi was one of figures of her past that probably deserved to know.

“My mom died,” she finally admitted, shifting her gaze towards the leaves gently swaying in the artificial breeze, “There was nothing left to keep me obedient, so I got my revenge then disappeared,” It didn’t quite work out how she wanted. He went to jail but it didn’t last long and her reward was a price on her pretty little head and a constant fear that everyone was out to get her. It was a mistake she’d likely make again in a heartbeat. Revenge tasted quite sweet in the moment. The only thing she regretted now was that she didn't kill him. The old Lex would have never been able to do it, but now she wouldn't think twice. It would come as easy as breathing.

Yumi Hasegawa

OUTFIT

The remnants of a small smile cracked at the edge of her crimson lips. Her gaze darkened, fixed on something distant rather than Yumi, “They might as well have,” No, he mother died naturally, “They withheld medical attention until I did what they wanted,” Lex was young. She didn’t have money, her mother didn’t have money either. No legitimate job meant no medical insurance, “She was going to pass regardless but . . . I couldn’t let her suffer,” So Lex was the puppet. She did the jobs, she didn’t question her work though it increasingly edged the line of ‘too far’. Lex drew the line when he had her kidnap a child. The consequences of her ‘failure’ were . . . severe.

“Thanks she responded equally as quietly. She didn’t have to relive this much. The heaviness that sat on her chest was uncomfortable, a glaring weakness that shined like a beacon for her enemies to see. Her jaw tightened, the darkness in her gaze fading into something colder, “Enough about the past,” that was her had stop to avoid diving further intofeelings. That was an area reserved only for Killian Decker, “What are you doing in Hoenn?”

Yumi Hasegawa

OUTFIT

Did she make them pay? It didn’t feel that way. Kato was still alive and out of jail and Killian was a bystander she didn’t intend to hurt but did. Forced to run and hide like a little rat . . . She swallowed the venom of her own doubts, careful not to let it sink too deep.

Lex’s brow did raise at the reason Yumi came to Hoenn. A curious amber gaze shifted back towards her, “Kicked you out?” her voice sounded a bit more surprised than she intended because that really wasn’t what she was expecting to hear. A lot of things must have changed since she left Johto.

Ah, forced marriage. That made more sense. Lex nodded in understanding as she considered it. The thought of making Yumi do anything was amusing, “Well, good for you,” Lex finally said after a moment of thought, “Fuck ‘em all, we’ll make Hoenn ours,” her lips curled into a refreshing smile, “If you need help ‘showing them’, don’t hesitate to give me a call.”

Yumi Hasegawa

OUTFIT