“True true, that is a fair assessment” Much as she hated to admit it. No matter how she looked at it, Rocket came out of this victoriously. It even sounded like they found those Seal stones, which was unfortunate.

“Why do I care?” She repeated.

“I care because I want Hoenn to be a better, safer, place for everyone.” Elinor stated matter of factly. “I know it sounds cliche, but Hoenn can’t improve if we keep bickering amongst each other.” That was an understatement.

“I am sure you already know that there are things out there far more dangerous than both the League and Team Rocket combined.” She paused. “I just want us to be prepared when they come to try and burn everything to the ground” For a short moment she wondered if Hitoshi would realize that the destruction of Hoenn included him and the one he was sworn to protect.

LOCATION: Rocket Prison - Sootopolis City.
TAG: Hitoshi Inoue

“Eh, not really my problem.” He shrugs. A dog’s loyalties ultimately lie to one person. Everything else is secondary. The place where the dog’s owner employs doesn’t matter. The place where the owner lives doesn’t matter. What matters is the person. The world can burn so long as the dog still has that one special person.[break]
“Not from Hoenn. Neither is she. We’re just here ‘cause this is the place where stuff happens! …also, it had the cheapest plane tickets from Johto. Wonder why.” There’s so many things that could be said about why it’s cheap to go to Hoenn. With everything going on, anyone with common sense avoids the place. His voice hints at no sarcasm, dry or otherwise. Malice just isn’t in his nature.[break]
“If things get too bad, we’ll just leave. If somethin’ like that Ozma thing you talked about show up, I’ll just kill it. Oooh, would yer League pay me if I killed some of its problems for it? I’ll kill anybody except my pal for the right price!”

A chuckle escaped Elinor at Hitoshi’s offer.

“The League does not condone assassinations…” She began.

“But I would pay you AND your friend A LOT of money, if you killed the Actual Necrozma.” Of course her facial expression and the tone in her voice would quickly reveal that she held no faith in Hitoshis’ ability to do so.


LOCATION: Rocket Prison - Sootopolis City.
TAG: Hitoshi Inoue

He seems to be in on this joke, at least. He laughs back with her, slapping his knee at the thought. It’d be a good fight. Pokémon can zap humans like bugs. Even someone like this pig iron sword in the shape of a human understands there is a gulf that can simply not be breached. Maybe, with great effort, he could kill a regular Pokémon…[break]
But a god?[break]
“Hahaha, man, Elly-chan, sweeten the pot a little. Throw in a movie deal while yer at it. I want ‘em to get someone good to play me in the movie version.” He fancies himself a good leading man from time to time, in the way a child might.

“Movie deal?” She echoed. “Sure, you can get the merchandise rights too while we are at it.” She would smirk in his general direction.

But that would be the last of their talk for now. For not long after did another group of guards appear and remove her from the cell, dragging her to an interrogation room.

When Elinor returned she did not know how long it had been. But it had been rough on her, so rough in fact that she threw herself at the bed. She’d been slammed into a table, as visible on her face. She had been tortured through a Banette and its needles.

One hand kept touching her eye, making sure that it was still whole after what the Banette had made her feel. The eye was whole, wet from the lingering irritation of pain, and itchy. But she had to stop herself from clawing at it, knowing that it would do her no good.

Instead when she finally removed her hand from her eye, she put them to work, scratching at the phantom sensation of pain that also set in at her arms and hands, clawing with such fervor that she broke the skin.

LOCATION: Rocket Prison - Sootopolis City.
TAG: Hitoshi Inoue

He doesn’t know how much time passes either. Below ground and the rolling waves, it has no meaning. The dog isn’t permitted to return to the casino where he works. Instead, he lounges in a room close by, busying himself with music and tea. When Elinor is brought back, he’s sipping on green tea.[break]
He senses the change in the air. Jokes form on his lips and die there. Hitoshi looks at her through the bars. Seeing someone in such distress…[break]
Well, his orders are clear. If she crosses the boundary, kill her. That and that alone was the order given to the guard dog. Whatever else happens, happens. A smarter man might wonder if this isn’t part of Rocket’s game plan for her. Hitoshi doesn’t even notice the cameras.[break]
The cell door is unlocked. He rushes to her. Holds her, pulls her clawing fists away from her skin. He feels like he’s seven again, watching his mother writhe, cry, and hurt herself. Hurting herself for the shame of her profession and having a mutt for a son.[break]
“Hey, hey! What’re ya doin?! None of that, idiot! They’re already hurting you! You can’t hurt yourself, too!”

So lost in dealing with the phantom sensations were she that she hadn’t noticed Hitoshi rushing to her aid.

She yelps in surprise as she feels his hands pulling her hands away from the scratching movement.

She began to struggle against his grip, she didn’t hear his words properly, she didn’t see him properly. All she saw was a man using force against her. “Let go of me!” She would meekly scream, voice strained from the session of torture.


LOCATION: Rocket Prison - Sootopolis City.
TAG: Hitoshi Inoue

Maybe he's just used to being ordered around. Maybe he's just a natural at taking the orders. Either way, he listens to her. Jumps back. Lets go of her wrists. Jumps back, like he remembers being scolded in a tone just like that.[break]
That's how it goes when a dog tries to help someone. Its tongue gets mistaken for its fangs as it tries to lick wounds. He bites back protest, tries to remember that this woman is a stranger. Not Yumi, not his mother. A near perfect stranger. Yet still, her singular anguish torments him. A creature so keyed into the emotions of the people around him cannot stand this anguish. He hated when the Hasegawa made him stand guard while someone his tortured.[break]
There's only one thing he can really do. Throwing out Munenori, his Gallade, he shouts an order.[break]
"Help her, will ya?!" The red-eyed warrior looks at her. Scans her. The heal pulse is given with utmost reluctance. It can't heal her mind. He recalls himself to the ball as soon as it's done.[break]
Hitoshi hovers near the cell entrance, aiming to block her exit. If she leaves, he has to kill her.[break]
"You can't let 'em win!" He implores her.

A Pokémon suddenly appeared. She hadn’t seen from where. Perhaps the man had summoned it? Too busy with and caught by her own mind where she that small details like that didn’t really register.

She looked at the Gallade fearfully at first. But then a soothing healing pulse watched over her and she felt a moment's relief. Enough to quell the itching for the moment. But not enough to make it go away permanently.

The quelling of the itch allowed her a moment of clarity to catch what the man implored her to do.

But only two small words left her mouth. “I won’t…”

But whether or not this would be the truth, was still to be seen.

MISSION: POST POST DORMITUM
LOCATION: Rocket Prison - Sootopolis City.
TAG: Hitoshi Inoue