Hideo did, in fact, jump up a little at the sudden swirl of pink - but he was quick to regain his composure, waving as Eris made her arrival.

"Nah," he answered, a complete lack of urgency or surprise in his voice, "you're good. The pizza we ordered should be getting here soon. Elga, mind getting a seat for her?"

The Beheeyem glanced at Hideo, before psychically pulling a chair up for her to use - and pushing it in if necessary.

Hideo, by comparison to Eris, looked completely fine; no bandages around his body, and he looked to be in perfect health. He seemed just as energetic as he always was, as if he hadn't just been in a traumatic battle just weeks ago.

"Just wanted to catch up after Petalburg," he said. "I had to rest up for a while, but I'm getting back in the swing of things. How're you holding up?"

Eris Halla

Hideo nodded along - good to hear she was doing good.

His initial mistake truly had been due to surprise - though he knew Eris was supposed to arrive here, he didn't know how or when. There wasn't much way for either him or his Beheeyem to expect it.

But when she took her seat, and began to lean forward, even that sudden movement could be noticed by the Beheeyem - who was quickly to Telepathically notify him of what was about to happen.

So for this surprise, he didn't react - not until the palm was right up in his face.

"...did you just try to hit me?" he asked. "'Cause Elga says you just did."

He could play that off well enough.

What he couldn't hide was that with that proximity, it would be clearer that his voice was slightly off from where it should be - and there was the slightest amount of crackle to his voice - almost as if it were coming out of a speaker instead of a human mouth.

"You feeling alright? They have you on some meds or something?"

Eris Halla

Being able to shoot chains was a step above what most people could do in Hoenn, but it still paled in comparison to the feats others could perform.

But there were plenty of ways to close that gap, even overtake it. It didn't take a Professor to know how to use a Pokemon's abilities to their fullest, and the right application could be indistinguishable from a patron's gifts.

"A lotta stuff seems off nowadays," he answered, letting out a sigh.

"To be fair, I thought you'd just walk in. Didn't expect you to pop in outta nowhere. Elga usually makes sure I don't get surprised like that."

He didn't quite catch on to the intricacies of her wording - but the Beheeyem did. A few blinking lights on its hand let out a signal, before another blink informed the boy to move on to the next step.

"Aaaaanyways, I think our pizza's about to get here."

A knock on the door proved him right.



The figure that opened the door was carrying a pizza box, though the figure itself was covered head-to-toe in a coat, without even a single bit of skin showing. It was questionable how they'd be able to see through that outfit.

And a Ralts waddled in beneath the figure, waving to Eris's "Ralts" before eyeing the pizza box once more.

"This is a friend of mine, actually! Met'em when a certain someone ordered a certain pizza…buuuuut I'm pretty sure you've met'em before too!"

The Beheeyem placed a hand over its face; he was laying it on too thick there.

Eris Halla

Hideo was already aware that the jig was up; Elga notified him of that before he'd walked in; it was why he'd entered at that moment.

But the Hideo in the chair hadn't yet. "What'cha mean doppelganger? And you don't gotta worry about me seeing one, 'cause-"

"I think she's got it." His voice was in no way muffled by the hood covering his entire head; it was very clearly Hideo's voice. "But still a pretty good try! I'm glad it even lasted that long."

The Hideo sitting in the chair playfully stuck his tongue out, before his body shimmered, disappearing and revealing the Zoroark beneath - as well as the possessed Rotomphone he carried.

"As long as we got their attention, it'll work," the Rotomphone said - still mimicking Hideo's voice. "We'll let you two talk. Leave some pizza for the rest of us!"

With that, the Zoroark departed. Hideo was quick to claim the seat, depositing the pizza on the table before he sat down. Notably, he did it all with his right hand; the left arm of his jacket dangled emptily.

Once he was down, he took down his hood, revealing his face. "Sorry, just wanted to see how well it'd work. I'm gonna field test it soon, and I'm hoping it goes as well as it did on that island."

It was only a matter of time until Rocket started making their way toward Oldale. And if they got that far, Littleroot had to be their next target.

Though the seriousness of that conversation was undercut by the "Ralts" climbing up Hideo's jacket, making its way on the table.

Three guesses as to what it was aiming for.

Eris Halla

Uxie was aghast to see Mesprit was already eating its pizza. Memories flooded back of Mesprit inhaling an entire pie, one that Uxie had tried to feed Azelf.

Uxie had vowed to never let that happen again.

A quick application of Mystical Power severed several pieces from the greater pie, protecting them from being inhaled by Mesprit.

And, more importantly, letting Uxie gorge upon them.

Hideo didn't have to see that either. He could hear it, but he'd long-since grown accustomed to the sound of a pixie eating several times its body weight in cheese, tomato, bread, and grease.

"Well…better they go for a Pokemon that can take them, then." Hideo knew he was no fighter himself. "If Kanto Rockets can only think with their fists, then they'll be easier to draw away."

He knew he'd be considered an easier target - and a valuable one. "Better to keep them chasing a shadow than the real thing - or after someone else."

Every Rocket that was drawn away by his Zoroarks was one less that was attacking civilians or burning down buildings.

"And I already try to be that careful with Rockets here. It'll just be business as usual for me at this point." They'd already tried to assassinate him once in his own city; he fully expected them to try again at some point.

Eris Halla

It is a battle of perspectives, and a battle of trauma - for this was not the first pizza Mesprit had devoured before Uxie; it had been denied the cheesy goodness too many times, and they had to take a stand, lest any more be lost to its gluttonous sibling.

Uxie would very quickly (and very messily) devour what pieces it had claimed.

Between the two of the kids, Eris was, of course, the one with the most experience with Kanto Rockets. She technically was one herself.

"Any time that I can buy is time they aren't spending on destroying the region." The attempt in the forest didn't go well, but that was something he'd thrown together on the fly - he could be a lot more intricate and convincing with prep time.

And he knew he'd be a higher-value target once Rocket pushed east.

"They'll be gunning for me anyway. Might as well make them think they got what they want."

"And while they do that…Mr Masked Man's running around with Uxie and chaining up Rockets when they're trying to get Hideo." He pointed up towards the air - the same motion when he'd accidentally chained his Joltik.

Though this time, no chain was fired - now that he knew he could still do it.

"And if they start Mega Evolving or Dynamaxing or whatever, we got those tools too. And we've had them for longer."

Being told of their brutality only emboldened his drive to fend them off.

Eris Halla