[attr="class","spiral"] The power goes out and so does his productivity. "Fuck." He lets another curse slip from between his lips to exacerbate his frustrations into something tangible. Otherwise the darkness is strangling. It reminds him a void he once had nightmares about and the foreboding silence causes his arm to itch. The spot where Jirachi's WISH TAG had melded into him proves the most sensitive but he ignores the implicit warning.

Rather than rustle through his desk blindly in pursuit of his phone, he slips his hand into his pocket to fish out the only other source of light that he can reliably find. It comes in the form of a couple; a stainless steel lighter he's paid way too much for and a cheap set of smokes bought from a nearby convenience store.

Smoking had never been a reliable vice. Outside of gambling, Fernando avoids it entirely. However, the recent lack of sleep and mounting stress has painted the sin in a more promising light. He likes to convince himself that the pink glitter that comes with every exhale proves that it's less dangerous than it really is, but he's well aware of how detrimental it is to his health. He simply doesn't care. Not enough to change it and not enough to sacrifice the little extra oomph it grants him during these trying times.

For now, it'll do as both a coping mechanism and his flashlight. The smoldering embers grant very little vision but it's enough to find the Pokeball he needs. With a tap of the capture mechanism, the ball splits open on its hinges and deposits his Rotom straight onto his desk.

"I need a battery," Fernando states plainly, fully expecting the Pokemon to accept its designation as his computer's power source. With a shrill giggle, the ghost turns into arcing lightning that bounces along his desk's glossy, wood surface, until it strikes his desktop and the monitor surges with new life.

"Tch. Cila? You there?"

No reply. No nothing. The only person that responds is Cadis' Chatot that reports that there's a source of light in the room unbeknownst to Fernando.

Fernando knows full well that his AI won't respond but there's a stubbornness in him that refuses to accept the resignation that he'll have to text on his phone like any other person. A private scoff to himself hides the sound of his cellphone unlocking and he pulls up Orion Lykos.

'Power out in Lilycove. Reach out to confirm tomorrow before coming. Save you some time and you can WFH. : ) '

The smilie face is totally unnecessary but @lenora has badgered him enough into adopting more informal texting patterns. She advocates that it'll help his image of being some scornful, blunt, asshole but Fernando doesn't see it. All he sees is an artificial act used to dupe those stupid enough to fall for such a small variation of behavior, or someone who puts too much value into meaningless internet symbols.

All in all, he expects nothing and that'll be his downfall. Peace time has made him complacent. Politics has made him soft. A war time Silph would have went immediately for his Pokeballs under the assumption of a Rocket attack. Now he spends his days patching up the aftermath of Ultra Beasts attacks and he fears little due to the telltale signs of their arrival long before their attack.

Unless an Ultra Wormhole appears, Fernando has little to fear.

It makes him sloppy.

Team Rocket approaches and he's none the wiser. Marcel's Gardevoir takes the vanguard and it meets no opposition on the route to his office. Isra's notes about League routines after hours proves correct. The few that remain are scattered to the far ends of the earth. Fernando prefers his privacy and more often than not, there is no one that can hear the faint echo of Isra's singing on a typical weekday night. The halls are her domain and now the Gardevoir traces her steps until it comes across his room.

All that separates it and Fernando is a door with four solid walls surrounding him. For a typical Gardevoir, the only choice is to open the door or TELEPORT inside. But considering the odd anomaly that makes up Marcel's Shadow Pokemon; it's suffering provides it a new slew of options that come in the form of unnatural, wicked powers.

Remiel's Lycanroc will find the path to the west stairs unattended. ODOR SLEUTH allows it to pinpoint and verify that Fernando has indeed stayed within his room. Several stray scents graze the Pokemon's senses but all prove much too far to interfere in a timely manner — as long as things stay relative quiet and they don't blow up the whole building.

Fernando remains oblivious to the immediate dangers that lie right outside his field of vision. Clouds of pixie dust trail from his mouth as he adjusts his vision to the Rotom's particular hue of brightness on his display.

His WISH TAG flares up in a spontaneous rash and Fernando curses his luck, scratching at the remnants of runes that have long etched into his skin.

He coughs mid-inhale, momentarily choking on a mild strand of his own MISTY TERRAIN.