[attr="class","spiral"] "battle routine—oh, it's just you."

the light reveals the last person fernando expected down here. champion stone is a far way from home and in all his unoccupied glory. despite the dim lighting, fernando can feel his eyes squint as he casts his judgment on devon's silhouette. "didn't take you for an electrical engineer, stone."

fernando has no clue why stone would be down here so he presumes its for the same reason as himself: pokemon.

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[attr="class","spiral"] "alfric asked for my assistance."

fernando turns his head to the sound of something scampering in the darkness. stone has his eyes on it first and fernando allows him the chance to handle it. imagine his surprise when he hears his commands repeated out for him. he's not sure whether it's flattery or mockery but the way the champion puts it to use shows how much he squanders it.

"ah. i didn't know you were a fan, stone."

fernando presses the capture mechanism to one of the pokeballs held in place by a small belt around his thigh. his tyrunt comes out and stomp in place, excitable and ready to confront whatever comes their way.

"i'm glad you saw my lecture at lilycove university. if you take good enough notes maybe you'll learn how to live up to the title of champion."

there are another set of footsteps. heavier ones. not heavy enough to dissuade his tyrunt from running head first but the little rascal has little to be afraid of. they've yet to encounter anything that HORN DRILL can't solve.

"that way you won't have to beg dahlia for the title like you did for stormy."

type advantage doesn't amount to much and the larion falls all the same. fernando lazily lobs his own pokeball at the fallen steel type and it is his tyrunt who returns with the pokeball, guffawing at him with the ball still within its mouth. it reminds him of a canine and fernando has half the mind to gift it to kyle lopez as a congratulations gift.

"she's been very busy these days and i don't appreciate you taking up my goode time."

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[attr="class","spiral"] "unfortunately, flattery doesn't stand up as a valid defense for copyright infringement."

fernando makes no haste in calling out demands. he lets the tyrunt run free because that's the best way to drain it of it's energy. with an unabashed fervor, it charges toward the bronzor and attacks it with another HORN DRILL. in most circumstances, a worthy opponent would be wary and look to evade. the wild pokemon? caught off guard by the sudden act of aggression and felled in a single attack.

that makes two and the pokemon returns with the ball like a canine eager to play.

the mention of the elite initiative catches him off guard but his reaction is not out of astonishment. fernando's eyes narrow and it is revulsion that demonstrates his inner thoughts. the confidential nature of the document was given to only the other two council members and the commissioner herself. while he hadn't explicitly mentioned that the plan was supposed to stay among them, the supposed trust between them was implicit.

so who was it?

the thought hardly have the chance to simmer when he hears something else rustle.

"ask the others."

tyrunt returns but is ready to scamper off in the direction of the noise. fernando places his hand on another pokeball, prepared for the first sign of escalation.

"schedule conflicts make it near impossible when you have actual work to do."

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[attr="class","spiral"] "not everyone has free time to squander on trivialities, stone."

fernando mentally balks at the implication, reading between what he perceives to be the line of banter between two unwilling parties.

the tyrunt continues to scamper around aimlessly, ready to pick a fight with whatever pokemon they come across. the pokemon's more akin to a wild canine than anything else. the endless energy is daunting and fernando makes no effort to reel it in. instead, he allows the pokemon to be productive. the CHARJABUG falls like the rest. unsurprisingly, the pokemon seems to be getting accustomed to using HORN DRILL and landing the devastating attack.

another pokeball down and fernando spares alexander an answer with a question of his own.

"which one?"