it's no surprise that even those who have known him for years would not be acquainted with his love and passion for fishies. it's not something he advocates but it isn't something he tries to hide either. it's just that no one has ever asked.[break][break]

recently, that's changed.[break][break]

"it's calming. reminds me of my childhood."[break][break]

he explains.[break][break]

"my dad was a fisherman."

[attr="class","ooc"]jayden cross[break]
ghost/water[break]

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

[attr="class","jaytop"]

[attr="class","littlejay"]

"was he?"

[break][break] admittingly, there was a lot that jayden did not know about THEO BECKETT. aside from his rocket accomplishments, he was a quiet man.

[break][break] his eyes shift towards the seas, watching as a WILD SEISMITOAD appears from the water's edge. it's bulbous knobs rise from the water's surface, shimmering cyan-blue, and jayden releases his own pokemon to attack it in turn. a PSYCHO SLASH cuts through the water from his malamar, catching the wild-pokemon off guard and priming it for capture.

[break][break] "and your mother?"

[attr="class","ooc"] THEO BECKETT [break]
ghost/water
[break] catching seismitoad

☉

"she was an artist. sold paintings for a living."[break][break]

but she grew sick eventually, developing some condition that rendered her unable to continue. it was why his dad had to work extra, meaning he was home less often. and it was why theo had to pick up the odd job here and there as well, doing whatever he could to contribute.[break][break]

that road led him down to where he is today.[break][break]

the SNIPING kingdra is ignored for now. he'd prefer not to engage in a battle that would rock their boat.[break][break]

"what was your mother like?"

[attr="class","ooc"]jayden cross[break]
ghost/water[break]
skipping![break]

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

[attr="class","jaytop"]

[attr="class","littlejay"]

"mine?"

[break][break] he blinks.

[break][break] as kanto enforcer, cäcilia cross had made a name from herself. she'd clawed to the top of the ranks, dragged up there only by dmitri himself. he'd heard that she was cruel but efficient in her punishments, preferring for quick execution over dragging them out by means of torture like her husband.

[break][break] but as a mother...

[break][break] "my mother was an enforcer who married into rocket," he said. "but it was her father - my grandfather - who owned wyndon at first."

[break][break] his lips press together.

[break][break] "she was a good cook."

[break]

[attr="class","ooc"] THEO BECKETT [break]
ghost/water
[break] skipping

☉

as he's familiar with cäcilia cross as an enforcer within rocket, he was more so asking about her outside of work. as a mother.[break][break]

"i see."[break][break]

the information revealed does not surprise him as he'd known prior when looking into the cross family. he had held resentment towards them for a while, after all. but that's in the past.[break][break]

he does not see the finneon.[break][break]

"is there a meal of hers you most liked?"

[attr="class","ooc"]jayden cross[break]
ghost/water[break]
skipping![break]

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

[attr="class","jaytop"]

[attr="class","littlejay"]

"pirozhki," the answer comes quick and fast, dropping off his tongue like a habit. "the curry ones are my favorite."

[break][break] it reminded him both of home and of kanto. while there had been no shortage of bloodlust in his family and his past, there was something warm and comforting about the thought of his mother's cooking that softened him.

[break][break] "she never wrote any recipes down, though. they're lost."

[break][break] he watches as a POLTEAGEIST floats past, and his rotom zips past him. an OVERHEAT cascades into the wild pokemon, and a shard of ceramic flashes by, cutting jayden in the cheek. with his other hand, he throws a pokeball.

[attr="class","ooc"] THEO BECKETT [break]
ghost/water
[break] catching polteageist

☉

"i see."[break][break]

he has not heard of the food nor does he know how to spell it. the information is tucked away for some other time, however, as he turns to greet a wild whiscash that floats over to them.[break][break]

lowering to a knee, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small berry, one sweet enough that the whiscash gobbles it up instantly. he smiles in response, perhaps one of the rare few times he's ever done when with jayden.[break][break]

he stands back up after, watching it move along.

[attr="class","ooc"]jayden cross[break]
ghost/water[break]
skipping![break]

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

[attr="class","jaytop"]

[attr="class","littlejay"]

a flicker of a haunter is present in the sky, and his dragapult materializes to combat it. a fire blast crashes into the ghost-type, just in time for jayden to claim it with a pokeball.

[break][break] a blanket of quiet settles over them both as they look out at the sea. once upon a time, jayden had not been a fan of being so close to the water, but having spent so much time in sootopolis and nearly being drowned in their invasion had settled that fear within him. it still brought back memories sometimes, but it wasn't often accompanied with the stir of fear.

[break][break] "i never asked you this," he says after a moment.

[break][break] "but why did you try to kill me back then?"

[attr="class","ooc"] THEO BECKETT [break]
ghost/water
[break] catching haunter

☉

it had been pettiness and fear that drove his actions in the past. he doesn't mind thinking about it now. the feelings have long been suppressed.[break][break]

"i despised your father and wanted to hurt him."[break][break]

a wild dewott's AQUA TAIL slams into a boulder. it looks as though it's training on its own. for what exactly, he's not too sure. his bruxish's PSYWAVE holds it down long enough for a pokeball to capture it.[break][break]

"killing you seemed to be the easiest way to do it. at least at the time."

[attr="class","ooc"]jayden cross[break]
ghost/water[break]
catching dewott![break]

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