defending petalbug was wild, to say the least, but he's glad the primal point fired as planned and more glad that he was able to help out a fellow gym leader.[break][break]

"reports say it was kyurem."[break][break]

he pulls out his phone and swipes to a picture of the legendary drawn by league personnel. he wasn't able to find a real picture of it, so this recreation would do. there's even a banana drawn next to it for scale.[break][break]

"look at that shit. the thing is huge."

[attr="class","ooc"]DEREK HOFFMAN[break]

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

"Kyurem, eh?"

Despite the frozen terrain, the visual of a banana makes Derek begin to crave a PEANUT BUTTER AND BANANA SMOOTHIE. But he is quick to snap back to attention upon seeing the representation of the creature.

"Looks kind of silly, though."

On the other hand? He had to take a second look around at what it was capable of. It's affinity for winter was so great that it's ice remained far after it had been here. It was easy to assume that, left unchecked, it could throw all of Hoenn into a perpetual winter.

"Has anyone from the League tried to fight it yet?"

It was probably a bad idea, but they'd just finished dealing with the annihilation of their entire universe. What was one icy chicken boi?

CIAN MAHER

☉

"i think the meteor team fended it off briefly when it first appeared here."[break][break]

he explains, locking and pocketing his phone after.[break][break]

"no idea where it is now, though. probably hiding in some cave in hoenn which explains the weather."[break][break]

he gestures up and around them at the falling snow that's oddly reminiscent of how soot falls over fallarbor.[break][break]

"how were things at pyre?"

[attr="class","ooc"]DEREK HOFFMAN[break]

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

"True." As uncharacteristic as it was for Hoenn, Derek was pleased to see something resembling an AURORA BOREALIS looming overhead. It would've been nicer if it were naturally occurring, though.

"Mt. Pyre? Well...it was eventful, to say the least."

He wasn't sure how to put it all into words. There were a lot of crazy things they'd seen. Dead things coming back to their side. DRK Triad trying to take Palkia. The League and Rocket helping to break it free...

"Not sure I'll ever see something quite like it again. Why, do you wish you'd been there?"

CIAN MAHER

☉

"nah, i think i was a better fit in rustboro and petalburg. played to my strengths and all that."[break][break]

the only reason he'd wanted to have been there was to fight alongside PENELOPE LIVY. it still eats away at him that he wasn't there in the first place, nor was he in the cloud a few months prior as well.[break][break]

"i heard there's like a rift there now or something between here and the afterlife? or is that just a rumor?"

[attr="class","ooc"]DEREK HOFFMAN[break]

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

"Oh, it's more than just a rumor." It was one of the things Derek could say with certainty, and it was a TITANIC weight on his mind. He even has something to show for the bridging of this once impossible divide. "My uh...one of my pokemon sorta came back to life?" It was an absurd thing to say, but it was true.

"I suppose it's possible it's not the same exact pokemon, and just one from another universe. Another Hoffman." At least it didn't seem to be one that was trained by his self in Sea Hoenn. No way something good could come from that.

"Why, though? You're not trying to go through one, are you?" The way he asked the question was like someone that had come to the same conclusion on the matter.

CIAN MAHER

☉

"your pokemon came back to life?"[break][break]

what does that mean exactly? like, a pokemon that was killed in battle got instantly revived? or did a pokemon that died years ago get brought back? questions flood his mind because of the possibilities that may come from that particular rift.[break][break]

he's pulled away by derek's question.[break][break]

"you kidding? i think it'd be sick to go through one. who knows what we'll find on the other side?"

[attr="class","ooc"]DEREK HOFFMAN[break]

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

"Yeah. My Charizard died during the ranger incident about a year ago. Well, maybe it wasn't that long. But when the rifts started at Mt. Pyre, lots of things came out that shouldn't have..." It certainly felt like awhile, but Derek's perception of time had been skewed. Something about too many perilous tragedies overted at the final moments caused him to bounce from one to another, as opposed to recounting the days between.

"It does seem interesting, doesn't it?" The gym leader of Petalburg would be lying if he said he wasn't the least bit intrigued by the prospect of venturing through to the other side of one. "But I don't know if it's Palkia keeping them open, or what. Or if we can just walk back through the way we went in." There was just not enough known about them, which is why Dahlia and the League restricted access to them until more was discovered.

As they continue on with their conversation, Derek's Sobble seems to grow tired of not knowing what they were talking about, deciding to dart away from it's trainer and begin FIGURE SKATING atop a patch of ice.

"If you do make it through, what's the first thing you're gonna do?"

CIAN MAHER

☉

the question has him considering for a moment on how much he should share, but perhaps it's the falling snow that sets the tone, allowing for something more somber.[break][break]

"sorry to get personal on you, but i guess i'd try to find my mom."[break][break]

his cubchoo's had enough as well and stumbles in the snow before joining sobble on the ice.[break][break]

"she died a few years ago and i never really got to say goodbye. i don't know if she could come back to life or if she even wants to, but i'd like to talk to her at least one more time."

[attr="class","ooc"]DEREK HOFFMAN[break]

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

The gentle SNOWFLAKES falling from the sky are gentle, just as the reminder that Derek too has someone beyond the brink that he never got to make peace with.

"...I'm sorry to hear that."

He would've alluded to the same for himself, but Derek wasn't going to dull the moment. It was hard for some people to openly talk about and share such things. Especially with someone who might as well be a stranger. Guess that makes us friends now.

Maybe even good friends.

"Does that mean you'll be going it alone?"

It would be thoughtful to offer his help, but there was a chance Cian already had a person or group in mind. Or maybe he really was planning on doing something crazy.

CIAN MAHER

☉

that does make them friends now. maybe even good friends.[break][break]

"oh hell no. penny would probably kill me if i did that."[break][break]

he'd probably die out in the rifts first before she could get the chance to but still. the thought does make him laugh, though.[break][break]

"i'll probably be going with her and a couple of others. you want in?"

[attr="class","ooc"]DEREK HOFFMAN[break]

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

"Or maybe curse you beyond the grave."

Penny would probably be too sad for all that, but who knew what anyone would do now that they had even more confirmation that the division between these places was wearing so very thin.

A big chill crawled up Derek's spine as he contemplated tagging along. There was safety in numbers, and also less of a chance the league would reprimand them.

Well, assuming they went before the league gave the green light.

As mentioned by Cian already, this could be a chance to make peace with those who were gone. Derek couldn't pass it up so easily.

"I...think I do, yeah. I'm guessing it's a waiting game until the league let's us in, though?"

CIAN MAHER

☉

"pretty much. but it shouldn't be too long now."[break][break]

he offers up a thought and explains his reasoning next.[break][break]

"the longer these things go unexplored the worse it is for us. no clue what's in them or what may slip out..."[break][break]

walking up next to derek, he gives his friend a good pat on the shoulder.[break][break]

"but! i think it'll be fun. guess i'll see you at one of them. or...all of them?"

[attr="class","ooc"]DEREK HOFFMAN[break]

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