"the goal is to bring team rocket to justice."[break][break]

The Commissioner shakes her head, sighing as nuance is discarded in favor of extremes. Simplifications. This is no simple war waged in pokeballs.[break][break]

"josh, you must understand that you are in no position to speak on behalf of team rocket's victims." She says. "everything must be case-by-case and even then, we can not discount what team rocket has done."[break][break]

The Commissioner continues.[break][break]

"you're in danger of pontificating about matters you have no clue about."

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Josh Devlin

"no, feel free to explain."[break][break]

dahlia wonders if she had heard, but she feigns utter ignorance. there is too much to keep track of. there are far too many woes in hoenn to cast attention onto the birthplace of casteliacones.[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Thomas Benoit[break]

[attr="class","pokesprite pokemon espeon"]

"what makes you think we've been 'carpet-bombing' their locations or engaging in large-scale operations? can you name one such engagement?"[break][break]

dahlia waits. the air stills as she holds her crafted posture. time hardens the shape of her perch. as the miliseconds tick by, her pose grows heavy and stalwart like a stone statue of a boddhitsatva.

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Josh Devlin

inevitably, her high station leaks through into their conversation. it is a ceaseless fount. the waters must remain sparkling yet glacial cold as they course through the cracks of her forsaken friendships: a filigree crafted not by the warm hand of an artist, but by a sad and required pragmatism.[break][break]

"why do you ask? are you advocating for yourself to be one?" she is quick to lift the motive.[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] ALEXANDER STONE[break]

[attr="class","pokesprite pokemon mr-rime"]

[attr="class","icon"]

As they stretch, the Commissioner cringes. The memory is an injection in itself: a thin silver needle rusted by a reluctant rembrance. When it breaches the memetic membrane, the resistance makes it all the more painful.[break][break]

"We aren't out of the woods yet." Dahlia says. "But should it ever leak, all we need to answer with is the truth. That you've been cured."[break][break]

The Commissioner begins their walk. Above, the Taillow preen their feathers on the peeling bark of old branches.[break][break]

"Do you feel like yourself again, then?"

[attr="class","icon"]

Through the door, Dahlia walks through. She holds her jacket closed, fingers grasping at each flap of fabric as if the world depended on it. The wind howls around them, pulling tenor notes from trees thinning at their tips.[break][break]

Despite the darkness, the vague suggestion of Dahlia's face flits about as she speaks.[break][break]

"I'm fine. I'm fine." She says. "Is your report okay? Saved?"[break][break]

Dahlia swears she sees a shadow shift in a dark corner's recess. Gasping, she fishes her phone from her pocket. Frantic fingers fumble for the Flashlight tool. After a few crisp taps, the white light blares out from the tiniest lens.[break][break]

"Sorry, thought I saw something." Dahlia says. "Is it embarrassing to admit that I'm still afraid of the dark?"

[attr="class","icon"]

"ah, just hoenn things." the commissioner jokes as melody pulls away.[break][break]

when melody begins to warm up, dahlia wonders if she should as well. the window of time before it would become too awkward to join in begins to close and so, she is quick to stretch too.[break][break]

"the rondez-view of luv game? frankly, i have no idea how it all works." the commissioner grimaces. "did they have a route based off your 'life' too?"

the man has a long-winded tongue. dahlia learns quickly not to find natural pause, but to create them by way of patient, listening ear.[break][break]

"okay, josh. then propose to me a surgical approach."[break][break]

dahlia's hands remain folded over her lap, stirring little as she maintains her open, receptive gaze.[break][break]

"what does that look like?"[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Josh Devlin

[attr="class","icon"]

"oh good. good." [break][break]

though she holds utmost trust in angelo's abilities, her nerves show in the uncertain placement of her footfalls. the way her gaze catalogues every detail.[break][break]

she wonders why she makes these silent motions. a fear of flight, perhaps. or the tumult of hoenn's contemporary history etching itself into her veins.[break][break]

"hoenn must look so small from up there." [break][break]

dahlia says loud enough for angelo to hear, but quiet enough for one to wonder if she is speaking to herself. [break][break]

"shall we board?" she balances herself on the flotation device, a hard grip on one leg of the ladder. "we can discuss your role in hoenn's future while admiring the view."

dahlia can sense the anxiety welling up within thomas. how it leaks into the sprawl of his language and wets its roots. she does not envy the 'blessed' or the forsaken.[break][break]

what they understand of avatars is but the thinnest blade of grass.[break][break]

"no use fretting about all of this." dahlia says. "you'll work yourself into a sickness. if yveltal wanted to kill you, it would have done so long long ago."[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Thomas Benoit[break]

[attr="class","pokesprite pokemon espeon"]

[attr="class","icon"]

remiel's handsome face does little to soften the confession. such a admission of guilt is a complicated embroidery. pulling one string tugs upon the others, dragging the variegated mess of stitching all together should one lack care.[break][break]

dahlia breathes out. she is careful that her exhalation's stream lacks the strings' colors. she must take time to pick apart each thread.[break][break]

the bodyguard stirs, but the commissioner shoots him a swift glance for pause.[break][break]

"ambassador calcifet, if your previous allegiance is to be believed... why should i trust you? why should i trust any calcifet?"

[attr="class","icon"]

Finally, the Commissioner makes it to the woods. She's a little late, sad to say. Convincing her security to give her a more distanced perimeter took some time; however, being with an Elite Four member is protection enough anyway.[break][break]

She's in running shoes. More casual wear. The woods demand it of her.[break][break]

"Melody! You look stunning." The Commissioner walks toward her, hands wide to grace her with a hug and a greeting's kiss on the cheek. "How has life been treating you?"