Xenon seems especially motivated today.

That's good, because frankly, you're getting tired just following her. As it happens, being incinerated did a real number on your stamina, and despite all the rehab, you're not back to fifty percent yet. Of course, most of your peers were considerate enough to slow down a little, match your pace, keep things nice and steady. Not Xenon Antheil.

Oh well. It's not all bad. After all, despite doing a solid 5% of the work, you're still getting 50% of the credit. Plus, from this far back, you're getting plenty of time to look at her ass, so that's nice. And, y'know, when you really think about it... Well, that's kind of the end to the positives. Even then, a few successes aren't going to get you much higher on the Rocket ladder, and you don't even have the apparatus to really appreciate the finer details of her hips anymore. Seems like its mostly bad, actually.

"Fuckin' hell, would it kill you to slow down?" You shout in the general direction of the neofuturist, following the trail of distraction rather than the woman herself. "This isn't a race, y'know! We're wrecking League bases, not running a Pokeathlon..."

---

Xenon Antheil
TacaIf4u

Ha ha, very funny. But the joke's on her, because your pingus and your dingus are currently ash, scattered far and wide upon the winds of Hoenn, and that? That means you can last forever with women. Or, more realistically, you can last a few months until you can get the surgery done to replace it, plus a few weeks for it to properly heal, plus a few days for you to actually pull, plus a few minutes besides.

But hey, that's neither here nor there, is it?

Witty quipicisms aside, she does at least stop, which gives you time to catch both up and your breath. At the same time, she asks you why you joined Team Rocket in the first place. That break from her usual neo-futuristic egotism is enough to make you raise an eyebrow. Xenon, caring about your thoughts and feelings? Yeah, no, she definitely has an ulterior motive here, doesn't she? Something's fishy about this, even if you can't put a finger on what, exactly, that is. You make a mental note not to give her the name of your first Pokemon (Toxel), the school you attended (Spikemuth Primary), or your mother's maiden name (Regina).

But she was nice enough to wait for you, and besides, it'd be incredibly awkward if you didn't answer. Plus, you're played along with all the other crazy shit she's done, haven't you? So, fuck it. Might as well oblige her. Not like having your credit card details stolen is the worst thing that's ever happened to you.

"My deal? That's easy: I hate the League, but I still need money to live. Rocket's the only gang in town that can stand up to the League and pay me worth a damn at the same time."

...That's the short version of it, anyway.

---

Xenon Antheil
06I1ZieN

"I don't just hate the League."

It's an important clarification, and it hits just the right buttons to get you to elaborate. The fuse is lit, and the bomb is ready to blow. Unfortunately, said fuse is three inches long, and said bomb is a firecracker. You find you can't muster the same firebrand charisma and exaggerated theatrics you could when you were younger. You don't explode like you used to. Maybe it's because of your injuries. Maybe it's because you've been beaten down one time too many. Maybe you're just tired.

Despite that, the fuse burns.

"It's like a tree, right? A rotting, dead tree full of parasites and sickness and rot and shit. The League is just a branch of that. They call it different names in different regions, but in the end, they're all the same."

You bury your hand into your pocket, and clench it into a fist.

"I have travelled far and wide, to so many places that I can't even remember them all, and yet, I have never, not once, found a "League" that will allow me to be free."

---

Xenon Antheil
aEP4X0P_

From words alone, it sounds like you and Xenon are in agreement. You both hate the League. You both hate what it stands for. You both want to chop it down and let it crash into the mud and decay into nothingness. It sounds like you're of one mind.

And yet, your eyes turn away from her, and towards her Paradox Pokemon. To Iron Leaves, Iron Crown, and Iron Boulder.

What exactly does she hope to replace that tree with? "The Future"? Is that what her future looks like? Cold, unthinking, unfeeling machines programmed to follow orders? Prisoners whose bodies are also their shackles, slaves with absolute obedience carved into their very being? Thought and freedom replaced with code and algorithm?

What exactly is she going to do when that rotting tree falls? Because from where you're standing, it seems like she's going to build a tree of her own. One made of metal and wires and plastic and neon. And though it may look prettier than that dying old tree, and though it may seem to shine brighter from a distance, you're not fooled. You can hear the buzzing hardware, smell the burning oil, taste the acrid air. Her tree is no better than that of the League. The only difference is that she's the little bird who roosts atop it.

The only good tree is no tree at all.

"Believe what you want." You shrug. "Struggle and camaraderie go hand-in-hand. Once all's said and done, though, I think we'll find out we're more different than we are alike."

If it comes down to that... Well, no, it won't, will it? When it comes time to close this book and write the next one, neither of you will get your hands on the pen. Hell, neither of you will even be allowed close to the first draft. But, if it did come down to her and you...

Your walkie-talkie buzzes. There's another matter that requires the Beast's attention. There truly is no rest for the wicked.

"But for now? We're alike, and that's what matters." You brush aside your discordant thoughts, sweeping them cleanly under the rug. No point burning the bridge when you've yet to even cross it. With that in mind, you gesture towards the rest of the outpost. "Can you do me a solid and finish this up yourself? Seems like I'm wanted elsewhere."

---

Xenon Antheil
kDwRyG7C

"Mhm."

You don't know what comes next? Funny, coming from her. Xenon thinks she's got it all planned out, but when all's said and done... Tch. Why even think about it? You can't bend metal without heat, and you're sure she'll face plenty of fire in the months to come.

You, though? You're content to bide your time and follow the orders you've given. Let the schemers scheme and the plotters plot, let the backstabbings and the betrayals and the bullshit happen to those who try too hard. You'll fight the real enemy, you'll scrape out the small victories, you'll make the changes that matter. And when all's said and done? You'll stand atop a pile of bodies, your hands unstained, your eyes unclouded, and the world open before you.

Until then? You'll do what you have to do.

---

Xenon Antheil
k7UmarQa