"buggy!"

the fool.

heracross buzzes in confusion as it peers down at the trainer it just knocked over. it starts crying as it approaches, quick to extend a hand down as guilt washes over it.

"it's okay, buggy!"

finally, danny steps into the area.

"shit! so sorry."

gabrielle black

☉

her voice creeps up the back of his neck.

even after close to an hour of waiting, the excitement on his face shows when he turns, barely able to make out her frame from around the tree.

"scared? only a little," he chuckles, "but i wanted to see you again."

his mudsdale huffs, freeing danny as it stands.

"no ghost horse today?"

Katherine Fairburne
mission

☉

"because i thought i could get close to her."

a lie; his tell is in how he rubs the back of his neck.

even when the gun lowers, the tension remains, hanging in the air with enough density to crush a copperajah. he exhales, shifting in his chair slightly.

"you will see me again, serena. i'm still in rocket. i'm still trapped here, for fuck's sake. nothing's ever gonna change that."

foolishly, he continues.

"for the record, the majority of us have killed and lied. what makes us any different than her?"

Serena Malcolm

☉

"somethin' else, huh..."

he wonders what it could be. an artifact worth millions? gems? fossils? the possibilities excite him, and he finds himself gripping onto the handle of his pickaxe tighter in anticipation.

"let's mine on the way. sounds fun."

past the mouth of the cave, they venture in, ready to explore. what awaits them?

virgil roach
mission!

☉

"i, uh, came prepared."

he looks over to the heracross who takes it as its cue to shrug off the backpack, unzipping it to reveal a few pickaxes; enough for the both of them and more.

"i think that's what we're doing, right? mining for gems?"

virgil roach
mission!

☉

"?"

stunned, confused, and at a genuine loss for words, danny can do nothing more than stare at her, tensing through it all before finally summiting in the form of a gun.

"what the fuck, sera? we were just horse riding."

he even chuckles at the end of it, more disbelieved than anything. swallowing, he steels himself.

"my loyalty is to you and to rocket. besides telling Greyson Connors, i've never done anything else to betray that."

Serena Malcolm

☉

"you were really good with that stuff so that's no surprise."

pr stuff. despite having a degree in marketing, his imposter syndrome tells him he could never do what luka does. that stuff's in the past anyways. not like he'll ever have a normal job again.

he looks down at his costume, nodding.

"yeah! i'm pretty busy but i game whenever i can."

gone are the sleepless nights of gaming with Greyson Connors. he swallows the thought, shifts it elsewhere.

"you wanna grab something to eat? maybe catch up a bit?"

he pauses, hesitating for a moment.

"i've just really missed you, luka."

luka chêne
mission

☉

the ivory catches his attention but the massive ruby is what holds it. his eyes widen slightly, almost in awe.

"you found that here? it looks really cool."

he rummages through his pocket, pulling out a gem that looks small in comparison. tiny, rather.

"best thing i found here was this. it ain't much, but i like it."

the emerald gem glistens before being pocketed.

"think we'll find something good today?"

virgil roach
mission!

☉

it was less interesting and more eye-opening. it was danny's first real look into some of the consequences for his actions. he knows the next time won't be as pretty.

but his thoughts are soon pulled away by a familiar document.

"hm?"

it takes him too long to put the pieces together. when he finally does, she's already reached the end, and he's gripping at an empty glass of wine with nothing left to hold onto.

"i don't...understand. you're the person i want to be with?"

Serena Malcolm

☉

when the heracross rises back up from its nod, it carries with it bits of dirt, scattering it across its back as it turns to look at danny.

"hello, roach, boomer, betty."

with a nod, danny turns as well, following the sweeping gesture as he starts walking. never one to enjoy the silence with a stranger, danny looks to fill the void with small talk.

"you, uh — you do this often?"

virgil roach
mission!

☉

useless.

his hand balls against the cold ground stained only by his blood. he raises a hand to wipe at his nose, smearing red across his upper lip and cheek.

he's been hit harder by KING WAYLAND, but this one hurts much more.

a pokeball pops open. his clobbups slides up his shoulder, reaching one of its tentacles over to danny's nose. he turns his head away, standing.

"it's fine, fyodor."

and he follows after gavin.

Cillian Quinn
mission

☉

recently promoted rocket elite danny hall still jumps at the loud squawk, caught off guard as he turns to eye the mandibuzz. he brings a hand to his chest, exhaling once roach's voice follows.

"shit—that scared me."

buggy turns with its entire body, swiveling in place to look at danny, then back at the mandibuzz, confused.

"it's fine, buggy. they're friends."

danny meets roach halfway. no idea why, though, as they're meant to go in the other direction. being polite, perhaps?

"good, good! i'm danny, and this is buggy."

the heracross nods; its horn bumping into the ground.

virgil roach
mission!

☉