[attr="class","sunshine"]Theo's casual 'greeting' is about what Plank expects. That is it's not much of a greeting at all. She almost appreciates that though, no bullshitting around. Pretending there's some friendliness where there's none.

The question he asks is less expected.

"Uh, I don't fuckin' know?" she asks back, "I'm not exactly the fuckin' sign maker around here. Maybe ask Gav, he's the one who runs shit most o' the time."

[attr="class","sunshine"]"Yeah, ya look it," Plank replies, leaving practically no air between Wolfe's words and her own. One of her hands tucks itself into her hoodie pocket while the other reaches up to scratch at the back of her head. She scans the older woman's body -- what's visible above the blankets.

Silence hangs for a couple seconds as she finds herself at a loss for words. She isn't worried, wasn't worried, but she's not not concerned. Maybe it's just a transactional tit-for-tat thing; but she'd feel bad leaving her high and dry after Wolfe helped with her concussion.

(Would she even be leaving her high and dry? It's not like Wolfe is as friendless as she is here, right?)

"So uh, what the fuck happened?" she finally speaks up again, "I mean I figured ya were just flakin' on me until I found out ya were uh . . . a vegetable? Or whatever? Well you're not, obviously, a vegetable -- you're awake but . . . I mean it's not like the other grunts know anythin' aside from ya were in the medbay for-fuckin-ever. No one really knows why. So, like, what happened?"

Okay yeah maybe it's better if she go back to staying awkwardly silent. Thank god those bandages keep the admin from seeing the faces she's pulling at her own word vomit.

[attr="class","sunshine"]When Wolfe didn't come back to see her it wasn't a disappointment, or even something that stuck in her mind for more than a couple hours. There was no relationship to be broken there. Only a few surprisingly nice moments, incapable of being tarnished by a white lie.

Plank left the medical bay without seeing the admin again. Went back to her missions. All without Wolfe coming to mind once. Then she suddenly was forced to reconsider the why of that "lie". The fact it wasn't a lie at all.

At first hearing the woman had been in an accident and slipped into a coma was whatever. Lunchroom gossip about a woman she barely knew. With time, though, it became a bit of an earworm. A thought that kept coming back up while she was training, or eating, or brushing her hair.

That's why she finds herself wandering back into the medbay awkwardly. Shuffling her feet in a way that betrays how reluctant she is to be there, but there nonetheless. The first time she puts eyes on Wolfe, Plank can't help sucking her teeth. She looks rough.

"So, ya dead or what?" she asks as she saunters up to her bedside, ignoring the Lycanroc that stares her down from Wolfe's feet.

[attr="class","sunshine"]Plank's expression softens for a moment, pride at being known (at being spoken of in 'certain circles', even) bringing her guard down just a little bit; but then it grows twice as hard at the mention of her father. Her lips twist into a sneer and reveal just a bit of her teeth. Like a Snubbull threatening to bite.

The question is unappreciated, too. She sucks her teeth (a sharp tsk) and turns to meet him fully before responding. The sword in her hand is held tight.

"I 'consider' all o' that none of your fuckin' business."

Sure she could go off about the whole question being stupid, about how the option to 'fall further' from the tree wasn't really one allotted to her, but like she said. It's none of this nosy fuck's business.

[attr="class","sunshine"]Gavin jumps into action so quick it startles even Plank. For a moment her shoulders are bunched up damn-near to her ears as she throws a pair of wide eyes back. It would be fair for the trapped man to assume she's as surprised as him. At least until Gavin acknowledges her.

The sad look he shoots her tugs at her for just a second. Plays a guilty chord in her chest. It's with some effort that she swallows it down and muffles its echoes with a roll of her eyes and a sneer. Stamps it out with forced, apathetic words.

"Ya couldn't have let 'im get his lighter?" she sighs, pulling the cigarette from out between her lips. Whatever. Not like he's going anywhere, she'll get it later.

[attr="class","sunshine"]Tired seems to more and more be Plank's resting state. Nightmares, concussions, restless legs, hard to shake emotions -- they take turns keeping her up. She never slept well, but lately she's lucky if she gets five hours every other night.

It has her scowling at everything around her as she helps supervise tonight's drop-off into the Sootopolis warehouse. She glares at the people who pass because if they weren't making this delivery she wouldn't be here, she glares at the sky because what right does it have being pitch black while she's wide awake, and she glares at her partner for the evening just because she can.

What else is he there for?

Oh right, their job.

"Let's check the perimeter again," she orders instead of asks (not that she outranks anyone often enough for her orders to mean shit), "I'm sick of watchin' fuck all happen. Maybe somethin' t' deal with will show up on our rounds."

[attr="class","sunshine"]The opening is weaker than Plank had hoped, but not fruitless. The Metagross managed to easily float out of the reach of the stabbing rocks, so Plank zeroes in on the Poipole. She opts to emulate noah faber and the way he'd focused one of her pokemon to start their gym battle.

"This baby looks ready for a nap!" she shouts to Baby and Swabbie, "Put it in the dirt!"

The order comes as said baby burps up all over Plank's Sharpedo. Her muscles that were tightening under the effect of SPEED BOOST slacken back to their normal tension thanks to the GASTRO ACID; but with the TAILWIND at her back she still has ample support for her next move.

She gnashes her teeth twice, stirring up energy that makes them glow dangerously, before lashing out with a retaliatory PSYCHIC FANG at the Poipole.

That isn't all.

Swabbie begins to beat his wings again. This time the action calls forth whistling gales instead of a pleasant TAILWIND. The HURRICANE the Pelipper summons surges out towards the Poipole as well, growing larger and fiercer with the support of the rain and rushing winds around the combatants.


[newclass=.sunshine]text-align: justify;font-family:calibri;font-size:14px; margin: 0 auto; width: 300px;[/newclass]
[newclass=.sunshine b]color: #f9993d[/newclass]

[attr="class","sunshine"]

Plank stomps up to the great fence of Camp Winstrate with the same casual, unbothered gait she has the quite literal Verdanturf Gym and Melody's battle stage. No matter how done up it is -- a gym is a gym is a gym; and as far as she's concerned there's no reason to get all weird about any one of them. Even one as locked down as this one seems to be.

The increased screening isn't a problem. To any who look, Bonnie Taylor's ID is legit as they come. If they want to dig she has sparse records that seem above board and reasonable. A young nobody trainer from Galar, no criminal history, no outstanding accomplishments. Drawn to Hoenn by the action and prestige that defines it of late.

With a sigh, Plank rolls her neck and spits into the dirt while waiting for her escort into the base.

[attr="class","sunshine"]The storm summoned by Swabbie's DRIZZLE is finally in full effect when the battle begins. The ring's springy floor sounds almost drum-like as it bounces rain drops off its thick surface. The noise is, however, quickly lost under the sounds of battle.

"Hunker down!" Plank shouts as the Machamp takes great, bounding steps towards Swabbie and the Primeape loudly sparks across the ring.

The Pelipper pulls his wings in close to his body and summons a shimmering, emerald field that puts a stop to the BULLET PUNCH and THUNDERBOLT both. The many fists of the Machamp run up against a wall like steel and lightning breaks and scatters against its surface.

"They're ignorin' ya, Sharpedo!" she continues, "Show 'em we don't put up with any monkey business!"

Baby gives a short snarl before rushing to meet the Primeape, where its fur still stands on end with residual static. As she surges forward the rain water and more, spontaneously generated surf swirl around her body. She rears back right before meeting with her opponent, only to crash down like a WATERFALL on river rocks.

Her muscles tense and flex, SPEED BOOST ensuring that if she doesn't connect this time it'll be harder to dodge the next strike.

[attr="class","sunshine"]'We'll start tomorrow'

That's all Theo left Plank with last night. Another short, exceedingly direct missive had given her a place and a time. The high offices are a place she's been; but she didn't know it at the time. Just looking down the hallway they sit on sends a shiver down her spine.

"What the fuck could we even be trainin' up here," She complains to herself, leaning against a wall pointedly outside the domain of the higher-ups.

She's a little bit early. So she waits.

[attr="class","sunshine"]"Yeah, well I speak for myself when I tell ya t' shove it up your ass," Plank bites back, popping off the tree to stand straight up. She takes a step forward and isn't sure exactly what it'll lead into; but thankfully is robbed of the opportunity to think too hard by the scientists' instructions.

With a huff she turns her attention away from the older woman and towards the tree before them. The order to touch it is weird, but all of Rocket is fucking weird. The fact they're here planting some extra special tree is at least as weird as any commands to feel it up.

It's significantly weirder that the thing has a pulse. At least that's how Plank understands the feeling of something under her palm. She rips her hand away like she's been burned.

"What the fuck," she murmurs, glancing at it and then the tree in turn.

The conversation this seems to prompt from the Head Scientist and the significantly-less-head scientist fades into the background as Plank shakes her hand off and walks back to her place under a normal, not breathing tree.

Xerneas isn't a name she recognizes, and while "legendary" is pretty big in any context she's also not especially interested in dealing with one.

Bulu and Shadow Lugia made it clear she and that particular breed of demi-god weren't meant to interact.

"You gonna need anythin' once it's planted? I can, like . . . fuckin' water it I guess? I was kinda expectin' to be plantin' the tree the old fashioned way so . . ." she waves a hand around vaguely as her voice peters out.

[attr="class","sunshine"]The gratefulness from her partner throws Plank a little bit. An awkward laugh bubbles up and she plays a bit with the drawstrings of her hoodie.

"Don't get all sappy now, a job's a job," she deflects, but she's smiling, "you're not half bad yourself, though. Was worried I'd be stuck with some brainless idiot. So thanks for not being that I guess."

Plank tosses the Raichu's pokeball into the pallet as the man gathers things up in preparation of leaving. Thomas waddles up to her, looking bored but something simmering under the surface. The way he runs right into her leg and settles his face against her bare skin lets her know he's tired and getting grumpy.

"Sounds good t' me," she replies, nodding along to Jonah's plan.