BLOOM

Meeting with Rowan Wrynn.

That was not what he wanted to hear. That did not help at all.

"... Ya too, huh?" He said after a moment of silence, hands moving to rest at his hips as his head craned back, a tired sigh escaping his lips.

There was another moment of silence were he simply stared at the clouds without speaking a word.

"Chrysanthemums. White chrysanthemums, actually. No notes for me, though. Wonder why." He said, before taking a deep breath.


"... I... tried m'hand at romance. Once. so I knew a little 'bout flower talk when I got'em." His mouth opened, then closed again. "Thought they were supposed to mean loyalty, or innocence."

He paused.

"Wondering if they were supposed to be funeral flowers instead."

Decompression

Hideo Kino & Eris Halla

"Ya both are stronger than I ever was." Doug said after a moment, gaze forward but far off. "But that doesn't mean ya should have to be."

He turned a grin down to Eris Halla. Mostly because Hideo Kino wouldn't have been able to see it. In its place, he squeezed his hand just a little bit more firmly.

"There's stuff strength alone can't solve." Where it otherwise, he wouldn't have feared anything. They— all of them, Andy Blackadder and Arashi Akiyama and @cardamom and god rest her soul, Ruby Walker— were strong. Had been strong. But the world was cruel— specially to kids. "And that's were friends come in."

It was emotionally draining, drawing from a well of optimism that was running nearly dry after an exhausting day of failure and death. But if there was one thing he had learned from trying again and again, is that no matter how deep he had to reach, there was no bottom to be found.

"Yer not weak for calling on yer friends for help when ya need it, Eris. Hideo." Eris was the more obvious one of the two, but he knew Hideo felt more obligated than anyone to be independent. "If they're able to help, they will. Yer not abusing their trust by asking."

He paused on his little cipher as they reached the fabled gelato store, letting go of both kids hands before patting them on the back.

"But enough about my prattlin'." He said, turning his smile to the man manning the shop. "'Ey, Jimbo! Long time no see, eh? Three— big as they go! One triple chocolate chip, One strawberry, and one mint chocolate."

The man named Jimbo jolted awake as if half asleep, before immediately launching into reminiscencing conversation with Doug as his brain registered the order and began to work.

Decompression

Hideo Kino & Eris Halla

"Yeah, that's what I'm here for." Doug said with a lazy grin, lifting his hands and punching the air. "To beat trouble's ass."

With Hideo properly suited and disguised as well, They were all up and ready to get some ice cream. Doug gestured at his Shedinja to get them on the road.

"We're going to Slateport, everyone." He said, staring into the dark depths of the portal before them. "Next stop, Jimbo's Amazing Gelatos."

And off they went.

---

The entire crew materialized in Slateport Park, a location Doug had frequented quite often back when he lived in the city. It was well illuminated and traveled even at that late time.

Hoenn's largest and most influential metropolis never slept— just like its guardian, FERNANDO SILPH.

"The good thin' 'bout Jimbo's that he's pretty much always open for business." Doug said as he took the lead, holding out a hand for each child.

The poor man's attempts at competing with the big brands was their benefit tonight.

"I'm feelin' like mint chocolate tonight. Is that weird? I don't really like mint chocolate."

ULTRA DESERT: EMSD 2

The long awaited sequel!

When Sigurd Holst came to, they were no longer in the megalopolan vessel.

This was HQ's medical bay.

"Woah, woah, calm down!" Came as a figure suddenly rushed into the tent. "You okay?"

It was the Lt. Colonel, and as he paused to look the blonde over, he sighed in relief.

"Hoooey, n'here I thought ya looked lika ya were enjoyin' the sleep." Doug said as moved to take a seat on one of the beds besides the one Holst was rested on. "Oh— we had to carry you back. Or, teleport you back...? Anyway, you were asleep for that part."

Doug scratched at his cheek.

"We were trapped inside, what with the storm and all... so I teleported everyone back to base." He explained, before tilting his head. "What's got you so tilted though, man?"

Seemed like the mission was over... for now.

---

uPFPJaDI

Tapu Playdate

Mission: Vs Tapu Koko, ft. Eris Halla

Anyone who had attended the star soiree knew that Tapu Lele loved dancing. Just like that, Mesprit had herself a partner.

On the other side? Tapu Koko simply stared at Eris, still bouncing energetically in place. That was almost like a nod, yeah?

"... I think that means he likes you." Doug said as he leaned slightly over to Eris, whispering conspiratorially. "Now's your chance, ask him something! Or... play a game?"

He paused, poking at his cheek in thought as his lips pursed.

"What did'cha wanna do once ya met him anyway?"

Lab Rats

Testing. Ft. Eva Morales, illeana reyes

He did as Illeana instructed and remained otherwise silent, barely seeming to register the needle go in.

"Needles were a lot scarier before my first stabbing." He said after a moment. "Wonder why; it's not like the pain's changed any."

Maybe getting his throat turned into a pincushion had given him some perspective.

Before his wits could remind him that the bandaging was unnecessary, Eva had already stepped in, brushing aside the supplies in place of a new set of instructions for him.

"I don't really—" Doug was halfway through trying to intersect Eva's words when his wound sealed shut without warning. "... have any control over it. Uh. Yet?"

He glanced at Tapu Lele as he said(asked) this. The Tapu remained silent, her eyes closed as she leaned lazily onto his shoulder, seemingly napping.

Rolling his eyes, he made another fist. His hand glowed a pink neon as scales began to emit from it, fluttering and dissipating in the air. Tapu Lele released a soft coo, but otherwise remained static.

"I can bring 'em out if I need to heal someone else. In my case tho, it just... happens." He said. "Never really occurred to me to stop it."

He didn't go out of his way to get injured on purpose; if he needed healing, it was usually pretty dire.

He looked around briefly, before perking up as if remembering something. Reaching for his discarded jacket, he fiddled with its pockets briefly, before producing the military's standard issue combat knife.

"I can try, though." He offered, moving to stab his hand—

BLOOM

Meeting with Rowan Wrynn.

"Pardon?" Doug asked, staring at Rowan as if a second head had just sprouted from the young man's neck.

It was hard to feel too proud of his success in raising the garden when he was being told the person responsible for said success was—

"A rocket? What?" Doug said, turning to the other with a twisting brow. "No? No... No? That doesn't—"

Elisabeth Fiorelli?!

"It doesn't make any sense." He said, stressing the last word with both intonation and gestures, leaning closer with index and thumb pinched tightly as he held his hands head level. "She's a florist."

He threw his hand towards the blooms

"She— She's the one who taught me how to raise these!" He suddenly seemed to remember something, his hand fishing into pocket before fumbling about a phone, face twisted in frustration as he stiffly and clumsily maneuvered within the touch screen to open the gallery, before showing off a selfie taken with her... and several bugs.

"She's a member of the _Unofficial Bugcatcher's association!"

Rocket? Elisabeth?

AQUA INITIATIVE

------------------- ENCRYPTED GROUP CHAT

[break][break]

dahlia goode FERNANDO SILPH Eva Morales illeana reyes kyle lopez Katherine Fairburne MATIAS SILPH Melody Miro Callan Young Laurence Anderson Razz Kingsman John Sullivan skyler dross angelo vestri Elinor Anderson

Tapu Playdate

Mission: Vs Tapu Koko, ft. Eris Halla

Tapu Lele mirrored Mesprit in enthusiasm, leaning closer whilst humming to herself and observing the Lake pixie with interest.

It reminded Doug of her interactions with Celebi, the prince of the forest. He wondered if she would try to... court (?) this one too.

Tapu Koko, for his part, seemed briefly interested on the interactions between his sister and the pixie, though his gaze went back to Eris when the little girl reintroduced herself.

Tapu Lele seemed a little distracted with Mesprit, but Koko gave her his full attention, bouncing in place whilst looking her in the eye.

He glanced Doug's way, expression blank. Doug's shrugged at the deity.

"I'unno!" He said to the unspoken question, before gently placing his palm on Eris back. "Go on, Eris! He doesn't bite."

Decompression

Hideo Kino & Eris Halla

For fuck's sake.

"Eris, I swear to god, I'll handcuff myself to you for a day." He said, dragging his hands across his head. "I will witness the universe bend over backwards tryin' to kill you, and I'll suplex all of it."

The universe could eat his ass, he was getting mad tired of finding new injuries on little Eris.

Doug answered Hideo's question by plucking one of his hoodies from a nearby rack, holding it out in front of himself and Hideo...

And then chucking it at the boy.

"Nope, it won't fit even a little." He said bluntly, before smirking. "But hey, that helps, don't it?"

He grinned, before turning over to Eris. "Ya want one too, Eris? It gets chilly at night in Slateport."

BLOOM

Meeting with Rowan Wrynn.

"For real?" He asked, his brows rising in surprise. "That's amazing! This could save so many pokemon!"

Shadow Pokemon were a bizarre lot. Many were powerful, but just as many seemed to be in constant pain from their continued existence.

Any machine that could relieve them of the pain forced upon them...

"Shit, ya should've just led with that, man!" The youth said with a cheerful laugh, clapping Rowan's back. "Come on, then! Let's get a move on!"

By which he meant, sprint the rest of the way there. For a smoker, the young officer had a hell of a pair of lungs in him. Maybe he was new to the vice.

---

The garden was nested far away from the offices, barracks, warehouses, hangars and training fields.

A field of poppy flowers greeted them as they arrived from the east, stretching far over a grassy field surrounded by tall trees. Puddles and small ponds formed into an incomplete, spiral that reached towards a small body of water at the center of the gardens. Interesting and bizarre rock formations formed around the waters as an ever present breeze blew through the well trimmed trees, allowing for a measure of sunlight to reach the rest of the plantlife abound.

And finally, what Rowan had come for—

"Welcome to the garden!" The former Gym leader said as he stopped before a relatively small bed of shimmering blooms. Nested in a more shadowy, damp area of the gardens, the blooms seemed to be growing around small ponds and puddles, shimmering like gems as thin, stray sunrays cut through the canopy of trees. "These are what'cha looking for, yeah?"

Several pokemon of all types seemed to lounge about the gardens; not just the lt. colonels, but those of his subordinates as well.

Doug rubbed his nose with a grin, looking a little proud as stray sunrays refracted from crystal petals.

"Ya wouldn't believe how tedious getting them to bloom can be! I was lucky to learn from the best of the best."

He should visit Elisabeth Fiorelli sometime and thank her for her teachings... maybe send a bouquet of crystal blooms her way!