[attr="class","spiral"] renewal comes after death and with silas' blood still fresh on his hands, metaphorically, fernando's main priority was to survey what was left of verdanturf. little did he expect for kyle lopez, the league member he credits most of his victory to, to still be within the ravished city. he can't piece together the man's identity from afar but as fernando continues to stroll through the city, it becomes increasingly clear as to who it is.

"lopez?"

fernando's read his league profile and brushed up a bit about the ranger but his knowledge isn't adequate to his own self-imposed standards. he simply doesn't have enough time. not with the clean up of mossdeep and having to orchestrate the creation of the new and improved team rocket. that's why he has Isra Nightingale and now lenora gray doing the dirty work for him. he'll have them describe lopez much better than a few minutes of scanning his profile could do.

[attr="class","spiral"] "good to see you."

fernando studies the man and for some reason he seems familiar. much more so in person than from the stock photo used for his identification. however, the encounter between them slips his time, having shared the kitchen for several minutes before carrying on with their valentine's day.

"it's not every day a league member stands toe to toe with team rocket's boss. thank you for your service, mister lopez."

there's not much for fernando to go on. his credentials seem fine on paper. not too notable but heavy with a slew of activity and that in itself merits acknowledgement. unfortunately, fernando can only attest to so much based off the claims of others. the only opinion he trusts is his own and what better way than to meet the man himself. like the gyms, fernando's here to inspect who will potentially be one of hoenn's biggest celebrities.

"silph is fine, by the way. how are you holding up?"

[attr="class","spiral"] fernando answers his question with a silent nod. they need someone to play the scapegoat and fernando sees no one better than hoenn's residential mutt. claiming to apprehend silas by himself paints him in a light that betrays his portrayal of being a mediocre trainer. keeping evelyn silph 's name anywhere on the record implicates her and leads to a messy clean up. the last thing he'll do is jeopardize the one person who gave up so much. he won't let them leave her to rot in some jail cell. not while he stands in power.

fernando doesn't answer him at first. dwelling on his mutiny won't changed what happened. confessing does even less since fernando's viewpoint matches kyle's action. this is nothing new. he was there. his grasp on the events predating his arrival fall in line with his world view. survival before all else. being able to stand toe to toe, if only for a short while, is a merit all in itself.

"what's important is that you survived. that's all i can really ask for. you did well."

fernando studies the house and wrinkles his nose at the sight. verdanturf avoided the bulk of the damage but much of the small town is still in disarray. he's thankful from the help from Thomas Benoit and has high hopes for the town's new gym leader.

"if you don't mind some assistance, we have people for that you know."

an old report from dahlia goode lines his desk and kyle's name is one among the many potential candidates for the league's succession project. his time is better spent towards that. people of his skill are adept at one thing and when talent is scarce, they require the talented to redouble their efforts into their greatest skill.

"actually, i wanted to talk to you about something. how capable of a trainer do you consider yourself?"

[attr="class","spiral"] fernando lets out a strong exhale in a visible effort to refrain from chuckling. having his own words thrown back at him shows a certain amount of gutsiness, something he can respect. half of the action is him acting as well, another feint to appear more humane and approachable.

then kyle reveals he has seven badges and fernando's caught in genuine surprise. "seven? sometimes i feel like i can hardly get any of them to accept a challenge from myself. you must be quite the trainer, lopez." praise is layered but he tries to keep it within reason. obviously, fernando has his own intentions but laying it on too thick will do more harm than good.

"so, what do you think? about the gym leaders and their challenges?"

[attr="class","spiral"] "both."

kyle's uneasiness is not something easily displayed. fernando happens upon inquiring further not because he can sense kyle's apprehension toward answering the question but because fernando prefers his answers thorough and detailed. to understand a person's thinking and point of view paints a clearer picture and knowledge is power, after all. the only difference is that there is information that is substantial and information that has no weight on the world. in a region fascinated by the latter, fernando finds the former in ample supply.

"i'd like to hear about the challenging ones and those that weren't as well."

[attr="class","spiral"]fernando mulls over kyle's analysis of his gym battle and takes the observation into consideration. "that would be wonderful," he answers with a gracious nod toward the gesture. fernando peers at the house, a brief smile on his face as he waits for kyle to lead him.

[attr="class","spiral"] abandoned. the house smells of an absent owner and fernando knows the feeling well. whereas his is from a need to bear the weight of his self imposed responsibilities, what he feels from the other is a nomadic wanderlust to go where the wind takes him. it's all conjecture but the method to the madness unravels when kyle eases up. here he feels a comfort that shows in his code switching. the adjustment to his posture does not go unnoticed. fernando's eyes narrow in on the badges, counting them one by one.

"with the way you put it, they all sound inadequate."

his smile is forced but uncomfortable, straining under a grim realization.

"or maybe you're too strong for them to entertain?"