She's right, but he doesn't let the information go without some semblance of a fight,

"I wouldn't say it's a question of trust my dear."

He leans back in the chair glassy eyes focused intently now,

" Around Fallarbor. It's why the specimen is so odd. In the area surrounding the original tree fauna and life far outside the standard began to flourish.

In the time since they'd begun dating, he'd yet to see his girlfriend's home. They usually met out in the world and retired at his place, Miles never pushed the question, after all, he had more than his fair share of skeletons and knowing the woman's tendencies he figured she might have been a little embarrassed about the condition in which she lived (for good reason). Today however, had been the end of a very traumatic week for the two and in favour of getting out of the rain, they'd finally ended up at Stormy's place if only out of convenience.

It was a mess.

Not an extravagant mess by any means, but a mess nonetheless. He says little upon arriving complementing the layout not daring to say anything about its condition. After all, he'd put her through over the course of days leading to the current he was happy to even be let in the home. He refuses to take a shower first, and so Stormy's gone to shower deeper in the house while he chooses to wait in the living room. As to not drip, he removes his clothes stacking them neatly on the floor. A look at his body showed its fair share of wounds. Welts and bruises line his figure now, but all would heal in time.

Regardless of the mess and his many anxieties, he feels a sort of peace here. This place, even if she wasn't here, felt like Stormy. In its messiness? Yes, but not solely. In all the things she had lying around, he spied her character. Burns on the sofa's edge, an obvious accident with fire pokemon, an assortment of clothes strewn about spread her scent to every corner of the room. Bills- paid but unsorted cover her coffee table. It was warm in its own very special way, not unlike the owner of the home. He finds himself unable to sit still after the day's events and so he starts to clean. He begins in the kitchen - the sinkful of dishes is intimidating, but he doesn't falter and soon enough the sink is empty. The shower still sounds and so he moves to the living room, gathering the assortment of clothes haphazardly scattered folding them piece by piece. He's so absorbed in the task he doesn't realize the shower's stopped.

In a clear lapse in judgement, he'd taken a sweater and brought it close to him inhaling the piece's scent, after all, it was a means of her presence and that in its own way was a source of comfort for the researcher. Just in time for Stormy to see him. In a way it was sweet her scent brought feelings of safety, being caught in the act, however, especially when he was stripped down to his boxers. could have taken any and all magic from the moment.

His agreeableness is appreciated and would be rewarded. The man turns and after a click or two black liquid would flow into some generic mug complete with a corny science pun. Of course, the various accouterments that generally came with the drink were within reach. Seconds later Miles finds himself in his chair ready to broach the topic of the hour.

"I've been leading the studies on the recovered tree Priam, but before I go any further in my research I wanted a full recount of the incident leading to its retrieval and any first-person accounts you may have concerning its abilities. I think there's a lot to learn here and you may be a key in unlocking those secrets, my friend."

"Really anything that you feel is worth sharing I'm all ears."

And with that Priam would have the floor.

"Stormy I love you."

He whispers repeating the statement if only to hear the sound of the words through those silent sobs. Her fingers trace his jawline now, and like a stray, he leans into her kindness craving it. With each second that unflinching warmth she embodies grows like a furnace consuming coal.

She pervades further fingers moving from tired eyes down to his finger locking, interlacing against them. He nestles his head against her neck the warmth of his breath grazes against her nape almost rhythmically, it matches the steadying drum of his heart.

"Let's go home."  For what was his, was hers.

Lips press against bruised knuckles, and he wants nothing more than to be with her now, to show her how much she meant to him because words only go so far when conveying feeling. Nut she pulls away ever so slightly to bring him away from the countless bodies beneath them. Least of all his mothers. The tension begins to lighten as the rain slows, no longer a fierce downpour, but a light shower cleansing purifying the shadows that remained between them. He looks back at the bouquet left on that generic grave. and he promises to return soon, perhaps Stormy would join him, to meet the love of his life officially, though he supposes Gloria Sharp had seen everything she needed to know about Stormy in the minutes prior.

He follows her closely, both of them soaked beyond measure. Her raven hair slick with water. He thinks back on this mighty game fate had played with them, their countless meetings over the months neither knowing who the other truly was. The astronomical chance on the two having met as they did bonding and loving despite their ignorance, and choosing to love further in spite of those truths becoming what they were today.

Inseparable.

Sharp is unaffected by Asriel Pryde 's smugness, as long as the man brings pain Miles has no issue. The Nidoqueen gets close bearing her claws and swiping at the Shellfish pokemon, "Night Slash." The Nidoqueen hits and while pain settles in the kabutops the pokemon would once again trade those once blue sickle's now pulsating with a shadowy aura slashing at the nidoqueen that'd taken the offensive.

Asriel doesn't slouch his fist slamming into Miles' jaw before a knee follows into his chest. Both connect but before the knee can fall Miles grapples the man's leg in an attempt to topple him, but before he can finish the Golurk makes its second strike its own massive leg slams against the ring sending seismic shocks through the entirety of the field. It's enough to force Miles into a free fall blasting him and kabuto a few feet back from the other fighters.

"We're not done." Through labored breaths he speaks, the previous fights weighing on his body now. "Aqua Jet." And despite its own wounds, the Kabutops would encase itself in water dashing forward in an attempt to slam itself into the Golem responsible for separating the two. Miles however would push himself up moving toward Asriel Pryde once again this time attempting to slam his heel into the man's knee.

Raziel Beckett

"My team found a larger sample around Western Hoenn." He's purposefully vague, while she wasn't part of the league as far as he knew it was still best to cover his bases,

"They extracted it and brought what they could to one of my labs, where I've been running tests."

He wonders how much further she'd push, and how much further he'd allow her.

Beckett enters, and in seconds solidarity has formed between almost everyone in the room. Miles says nothing eyes moving to his cohorts ending on Killian once again who proves brave enough to make the offer. When THEO BECKETT eats one a grin flickers on the scientist's features. When he grabs his second Mles blinks twice a hand landing on his chest. If there was any blessing in all of this it would be seeing Theo Beckett get absolutely unequivocally fucked up. Killian had become the great equalizer in his prank. It'd become perfectly balanced as all things should be.

He glances around attempting to read his companions all of whom looked pretty at peace with the situation excluding Lulu Flint and so he moves to her first placing a hand on his fellow scientist's shoulder. For all her brilliance perhaps Miles could impart a sliver of knowledge to the woman, it was a lesson he'd learned long ago, in days when he was covered in Doritos particles and his breath smelled of 'The Baja' it was a lesson that proved true in most situations, but situations like this especially.

He shakes his head slowly in the negative as she tapped on her phone.

"It is what it is..."

It's a sad smile but it was the truth. He then glances over to Chu-e Choi , the person he felt best suited to answer his next question.

"Where do we keep the cheese puffs? I'm gonna need some in 49 minutes, but chances are I won't be able to fucking walk in 49 minutes so..."

Was he being dramatic? Most assuredly, but this was gonna be a dramatic ass situation.

Today's excursion to the wandering sands was to be a quick one. He'd come later in the morning and was scheduled to be in the labs in no less than two hours, thus the man wanders across the burning sands Caelum no less than a Pokeball away if a retreat becomes necessary. He'd had less and less time out to explore the wild sands as work had picked up significantly the generator was in its final stages and studies of Xerneas' tree showed no signs of slowing down, still to neglect the body was to doom oneself and so once again he's caught moving through the blistering sands.

When he falters she lifts him, his head hangs low but her hands find themselves latched against his collar straightening it underneath the downpour, as if to pull him up, to tell him his fight is not yet over.


"Don't ever be sorry for the hurt that the world has brought upon you, Miles Sharp. Be thankful that you were strong enough to overcome it because that is what courage is."

Those thin fingers with unbridled strength and gentleness then rise to his icy cold cheeks warmth finally brushing against those self-inflicted wounds, punishments doled out to his own body. Their eyes meet once more ruby and slate now melding against each other where they once clashed.

They're left in a murky grey now, the future was cloudy not with doubt, but with the realities they both faced and the challenges they brought. Even so, she uses the word 'we' and never before has it been so powerful because it meant despite what could be endless murkiness, shadows that could drag on indefinitely she states with confidence only known to her that they would face that unwritten future together. It's enough to bring him to tears, his smile shining even in the overwhelming weather.

"Come hell or high water, I'll always be in your corner Stormy. On the grave of my mother, this I promise you." He was hers in mind, body, and soul. She faced the spectre of his revenge and hadn't faltered. She met it as only she could, reaching her hand out into that darkness deeper than she could imagine at the time.

He remembers something he'd said on their first date, overlooking Slateport's nightscape.

“I don’t think the two are mutually exclusive. My mother used to say all it takes to save someone is a reach of the hand.

"Stormy Silph, my hero."