remarkably calm. no one got to where roach was by flying off the handle about anything. he stayed smooth as oak-aged bourbon. internally, however, he was cussing up a storm.

either way, resilient was absolutely correct.

”i suppose you may be right about that.” he sipped, chuckling at his own dumb luck and poor judgment, and as a way to pacify the anger that bit momentarily. it wouldn’t be tits up for long, if things even went that way. there would be a revival. clubs like this were different than ritual.

but that hope did not take away from the fact that this sucked, and he would indeed lose money over it. assuming they lived through the impending meteor strike that would happen in about a week.

”nothin’ but the best.” a click of his tongue in his teeth as he shifted.

“so, how about that meteno? you goin’ on on the rocketship?” rockets on rockets.

Cillian Quinn

☉

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this was something to behold. roach wasn’t sure what to do, so he opted to try and reason with audric’s shadow, ”might as well stay put. ain’t ever done shit but lay there on the ground—holy magikarp, there he goes.”[break][break]

off went the shadow, and at that, the other men seemed wholly distraught. audric, in particular, was descending into a panic.[break][break]

”woah, man. i don’t think it’s that bad. hell’s a shadow good for, anyways?” he patted him twice on the shoulder, surely a comfort. when Amelia Livy offered the ranger tea, he nodded, ”tea’s usually a no-go for me, too; but sounds like it might fix your predicament.”[break][break]

he tried to move away, then, to give them all some space, "it’s time to set up camp. my gut instinct tells me this place ain't nothin' to mess with in the dark.” and it had gotten dark so quickly.[break][break]

as he moved, he was stopped short by his shadow pinned to the ground by shadow tag. "what in the hell? let me loose."

24 become trapped by the use of 'shadow tag' or 'mean look'.

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”well, thank you, friend.”[break][break]

they were going high tech today. roach stared at the device handed to him by Audric Black , exploring what he could figure out before deciding he wouldn’t need it ,but pocketing it anyways to humor them. he was outdoorsy. innate sense of direction, like a lycanroc[break][break]

already, weird things began happening. he looked over, and a shadow was moving across the ground.[break][break]

”ah shit, here we go.” he watched, wondering what they were supposed to do.[break][break]

”what do you suppose happens if your shadow runs away?”[break][break]

how did they stop it from happening? roach's cubone had an idea, at least. he raised his bone over his shoulder and brought it down with a resounding thwack upon the shadow trying to escape. [break][break]

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as colton descended into his own freakout, roach was not nearly as helpful in return. there was the briefest look of discomfort as he glanced over, before his eyes went elsewhere and he pretended he wasn’t listening.[break][break]
he would not have protested if lia had tried to hold his hand as well, but he was allowed to follow like an adult, so he did so. he did take note that she did not seem happy.
the disarming voice was heard, calling them towards the rift. ”oh, thank arceus for that.” this meant they were going to leave after all. the devil could wait.[break][break]
they made it to the rift, and roach parted from his newfound friends with an offer, ”ever find yourselves in downtown slateport, could stop by ritual for a few drinks on the house.” a pause. ”i usually ain’t like that.”[break][break]
there was another moment, filled with a sigh at the happenings of this adventure. the regret that would follow would be drowned like so many other soggy memories.[break][break]
”well, i’m gonna go process. see ya’ll some time.” with a tip of his hat, he was off in the other direction.[break][break]

49YPGHKD

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he kept swatting, caught up in his anger before turning towards colton halfway through his reasoning. "you talkin' to me?" and he was. that was clear now, in the air of sincerity he now felt.[break][break]

"know who deserves to move on? i do. and i'm movin', goddamnit." he turned, cubone stepping out of the way of his feet as he went back to his attacking. "i said go on!"[break][break]

but they were there. they had arrived. land caused the boat to bump forward and back some, knocking his balance around briefly. as he looked into the mist, he suddenly forgot his anger. guilt welled in his eyes as they followed carson's spirit orb until it disappeared.[break][break]

"goodbye, friend."[break][break]

he got out of the boat, looking around for the sight of their fourth explorer. nowhere to be seen.[break][break]

"i don't see him anywhere."[break][break]

then, his gaze turned to colton. "hey, sorry 'bout that. thanks for tryin' to help."

the power of will let a ray of light into his eyes from somewhere, despite the puddle of blood across his dancefloor. truly hospitable company did not burden the guest with personal frustrations. wisdom pulled a smile across his whiskered lips.

"well shit happens, don't it?"

he lingered there a moment, before patting the bar and turning to refill his own glass.

"'preciate you gettin' here, before all hell really broke loose. coulda been a lot worse, i figure."

turning again, he held his glass, leaning casually against the back counter.

"whatcha think?" about the scotch. or, about whatever else. up to interpretation.

Cillian Quinn

☉

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”a gimmighoul, huh?”[break][break]
roach and carson followed to the river, the former curious as he was about all pokémon that were rare or new to him. what was the market like for this one? [break][break]
”i’m sorry, ms. lia, did you just say this thing is takin’ us to the underworld?” was it punishment? or was that the wrong story? probably not. carson had done very wrong.[break][break]
”that was not on my itinerary.” a click of his tongue, as he looked around at the eerie mist. ”however, i am along for the ride, i suppose.”[break][break]
he stepped onto the boat, still eyeing the interaction between the historian and the ferryman gimmighoul. as they went down the river, things might’ve been peaceful; but either way, second thoughts from somewhere somehow wormed their way into his head. a malicious weed of a grudge took root, wrapping around roach's heart and his better judgment.[break][break]
”actually…”[break][break]
a moment of consideration, a committing nod. [break][break]
“you know what, why should i even take you anywhere, man? after what the hell you left me with?” he shot a sharp look over at the spirit orb floating near his shoulder. ”yeah, that’s right. you’re an ungrateful son of a bitch.”[break][break]
he started swatting. ”go on, carson! what, you can’t swim? you’re already dead! you’re levitatin’!”

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”a shame. woulda been cool to see ya use it,” roach replied to lia.[break][break]
then, at colton’s question, he asked, ”spirits?” as though this was the first news he was receiving of them. ”no shit?”[break][break]
and he didn’t realize what this meant, for surely, all of the spirits he had mourned had already passed on a long time ago. yet, much to his surprise, he was soon enough stopped in his tracks by one looking right at him.[break][break]
”wait, i gotta check on somethin’. i’ll catch up,” he assured, as though any of them might care. while they investigated the spirit orb, he veered off, staring.[break][break]
stopped. squinted his eyes in disbelief.[break][break]
”no…”[break][break]
his brother, for all the time they’d spent together, grown up in the same orphanage. the reason he was in hoenn, the reason for the operation under ritual, and the direction roach’s life had taken, done in by his own brazen ambition and greed.[break][break]
”what happened, man?” roach shook his head, feeling tearful. ”ya already had it all.” and now he was stuck with what the man had left behind. a ticking time bomb of an underground empire.[break][break]
lost in the heavy moment until it occurred to him he might be left behind, roach looked towards his group, and back. ”you wanna come with?”[break][break]
and towards the river carson and roach would follow, assuming the rest decided to head that way.

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“gol-ly.” this was a field trip, emphasis on the trip part. ”i ain’t even drank yet.”[break][break]

it was something. beautiful, he could agree. holon? he had no idea. ”yeah, we ain’t in hoenn no more, that’s for damn sure.”[break][break]

adjusting his hat to cut the glow of heaven over yonder, roach walked along, cubone waddling at his side. at the historian’s introduction, he nodded over at her, ”howdy, lia. i’m roach. i guess you could call me a tourist.”[break][break]

when prompted for input on the migrating spirits, he shook his head, ”i’m just followin’ ya’ll. lia looks like she knows what she’s doin’. you an archer?”

”a’course! always, always...” a loop around the bar, and roach set his own drink aside, pulled a step-ladder over to reach the top shelf. hospitality was a hell of trade. it was better to know how to keep his enemies entertained at the table, because they then they couldn’t be behind his back, looking at all of the shit he was hiding.

as he was, a master of hospitality, he knew gavin’s liquor of choice. a bottle of aged scotch was selected and brought down. he poured it heavy and neat.

”now, this one right here. that's a good scotch.” roach never gave him anything but the best. he deftly flipped a napkin down, setting the glass on top.

Cillian Quinn

☉

“a cactus?” he hadn’t thought of that. it didn’t have any of those pointy things, but cacti did grow flowers, didn’t they? some of them? paxton seemed like he knew what he was talking about, he was just being humble.

”maybe yer right.”

at the offer of a beer, roach smiled. he wasn’t really much of a beer kind of guy, but he could appreciate being offered a drink, and he wasn’t usually one to turn down such a friendly gesture.

”well there’s an idea. i’ll a drink a beer withye, sure.”

paxton concordas

☉

”hopefully not,” roach agreed, but if he did, it was all on the underboss, in his opinion. roach knew about as well as anyone that messes always fell back on the leader, fair or not. such was the plight of the powerful—but he wasn’t about to say shit to some guy who could conjure darkness.

roach followed back down and out of the elevator. he knew everyone with a badge approaching under the neon lights. he was no stranger to handcuffs or the precinct.

”howdy,” he greeted, raising his glass with same casual impudence he greeted all the law with, dirty or not. there was a silent nod of approval as gavin handled the orders. keeping rocket’s name out of it sounded good to him.

when they were left alone in favor of the cleanup, roach returned his attention to gavin. the weariness was noted.

”nah, but you look like you could use a drink.”

Cillian Quinn

☉

a pokéball disappeared the body of the fallen ursaluna, a quick cleanup. pokeballs weren’t normally used by roach’s gang of smugglers. they liked to cut costs where they could.

the second ursaluna became the victim of muk’s SLUDGE WAVE, racked by the combined force of ariados’ GIGA DRAIN. it soon fell as well, and like the first, disappeared into a red beam of light and into the hands of one of roach’s many associates.

“goddamn distortions are a blessin’ ‘n a curse, i swear,” roach grunted as he got up off the ground and began rounding the totaled vehicle. this was why they used beaters.

”thanks for that. knew i could count on ya.”

Zev Harcourt

☉