"necessities. food. medical." the commissioner is quick to recite her list. on her lap, her hands clasp together in a polite shell. "league personnel should meteoroid hysteria become difficult to control."[break][break]

anchored by her overlapped palms, she replies in the negative. the man's gold stare is held with her own blues.[break][break]

"nothing would be requested." dahlia says. "we are here to help."[break][break]

all rocket must do is accept.[break][break]

but to accept would mean another acceptance. an acceptance of shortcomings.

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Cillian Quinn[break]

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

the habitat is stunning. though it may be a far cry from the sheer liberation a rayquaza may feel in the soaring wilds it calls home, one may compare this salving sanctuary to the best vacation home.[break][break]

after all, it is meant to be a temporary holding...[break][break]

after dahlia takes a soft breath, she points toward the serpent. its verdant shape settling within the waves of a GRASSY TERRAIN.[break][break]

"there it is." the commissioner whispers to freya morningstar, before glancing at Eva Morales. "would it be possible to approach?"

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] freya morningstar Eva Morales[break]

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

as cobalion's hooves strike off the floor, the guards lurch toward them like pouncing ariados.[break][break]

"let her go."[break][break]

the commissioner commands. they recede. energies conjured by their pokemon are neutralized like dying stars.[break][break]


the fading hoove-steps of cobalion are the last notes she hears of melody for awhile, the sinfonia concertante of nihilego toxin nearing the end of a movement.[break][break]


quietly, she contacts the elite four.

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Melody Miro[break]

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

"thankfully, the machines that will house the primal crystals control and aim the released energy proper when it is time to do so."[break][break]

The Commissioner speaks swiftly, softly and precisely. There is no need to speak with scathing edge, when the context is acuate enough.[break][break]

"evacuation can be and will be done for those who wish to evacuate. every city will have shelters and underground bunkers to convalesce in... in case the worst comes to pass." [break][break]

She nods, the depth with which she inclines her head matches the slow stretch of the Head Scientist's smile.[break][break]

"medical need will be sorely needed. in the predicted panic, i'm sure there'll be injury and hysteria that needs to be tended too. please help in whatever way you can... if i remember correctly, gym leader Georgette Bluebottle is an adept healer, and may be a valuable asset in this regard."

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Aqua Kennedy[break]

[attr="class","pokesprite pokemon tapu-koko"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon tapu-bulu"]

"as long as you are professional about the matter. if you feel as if you can not conduct yourself around them, no matter how you feel, then yes, keep yourself away."[break][break]

the commissioner frowns, for she is genuinely sympathetic for the man. to protect the region and to ascend to the seats she and Laurence Anderson have been able to perch on, one must reevaluate their branches. groom and cut them carefully. cultivate connection when necessary with much sacrifice.[break][break]

"some of you have bonded with them. made friends. shared experiences both traumatic and hopeful, and so, the cognitive dissonance of this matter can not be ignored." she says. "but i trust you all at this table to use your professional judgement."[break][break]

after, she flickers her gaze between GABRIEL BLACK and Laurence Anderson like a litwick's flame before settling on the head ranger.[break][break]

"it would pertinent of you to follow councilman black's orders. as he said, if you receive any pushback from gym leaders or your rangers, inform the council. they are a valuable resource that can help you engage in matters such as these."[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Aqua Kennedy[break]

[attr="class","pokesprite pokemon tapu-koko"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon tapu-bulu"]

the tapus reunite. a welcome sight and nothing that needs much intervention despite the formality of their setting.[break][break]

"no, you do not keep everything transparent around them." the commissioner says to the head ranger curtly. "those responsible and those nearby will simply monitor as we devise preemptive measures should the worst come to pass."[break][break]

she is immediately suspicious of Laurence Anderson, for the way he conducts himself from under the breath mutters and quiet smirking is as obvious as scented vape.[break][break]

"transparency will welcome aggression, and should anyone enlighten them of our contingency plans," dahlia is quick to say, "then we know someone seated here today is to blame... and suspicion will lie on those who have spoken against confidentiality. as always, contents of this meeting, apart from what is distributed to other league officials and organizations, is confidential."[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Aqua Kennedy[break]

[attr="class","pokesprite pokemon tapu-koko"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon tapu-bulu"]

of course she remembers the war. ever since the birth of her admiration, she has been thrust into it. wreathed by immediate conflicts and their macabre gravities, rendering nights sleepless and thorned with learning curves like bisharp blades.[break][break]

"of course, i do."[break][break]

the commissioner says and saves any rebuttal or retort in favour of respect for the traumas of the three day war. she'd rather not relive it.[break][break]

"if you can easily sustain your own, then it seems like your organization is being stingy." she shakes her head. "feel free to correct me if i am wrong... so, what does team rocket want from the league for sootopolis?"

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Cillian Quinn[break]

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

"we'll find a suitable replacement soon." The Commissioner says to Eva Morales, but the slightest fry from her vocal cords reveals her agreeance. "as quick as we can. as careful as we can."[break][break]

Criticism levied at the Elite Four is no new news, whether it is from the public, the League, or from each other.[break][break]

The Commissioner allows the demonstration, moreso for the fact that it happens all too quickly. As MATIAS SILPH's EARTHEN PILLAR erupts toward the sky, it quickly falls apart upon kyle lopez's SOLGALEO'S COSMIC POWER.[break][break]

However, upon seeing it in action, a curious question weasels into her mind like a Furret's snaking tail: what are the exact mechanisms behind its ability to nullify?[break][break]

"please," The Commissioner says as brutish fragments of stone topple and roll across the chamber, "let's... save this for some other time."[break][break]

She shifts in her chair, hand brushing off a crumb of stone from the table.

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Aqua Kennedy[break]

[attr="class","pokesprite pokemon tapu-koko"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon tapu-bulu"]

conveniently, eva answers for her. while dahlia wishes for the dragon's recovery with the sincerest depth, there is a carat of her heart that wishes for it to slow. to stop, should the thought become intrusive enough.[break][break]

for should the world be saved by primal quartz, then she would be validated.[break][break]

when they reach the mouth of the cavern, dahlia's steps stop. she raises her hands briefly as if she were holding the curtain of reveal closed.[break][break]

"before we go in, i wanted to thank you both," the commissioner says, "for your service. i'm sure rayquaza is too."

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] freya morningstar Eva Morales[break]

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

at the appearance of cobalion, an unwieldy phalanx of bodyguards rises. their pokemon are summoned. league standards. gardevoir, metang, a magneton or two owned by a scientist.[break][break]


the commissioner casts a hand toward them, hoping to stave off their intimidating swell. but there is little she can do to silence the whispers in melody's ear.[break][break]


"melody, please. we are here to help you." dahlia says. she faces cobalion, pleading with a frown. "you're ill, melody. we can make you feel better."

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Melody Miro[break]

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

"oh no, i am not, matias." the tapus huff beside her, their hovering shapes imposing yet pacified in the way of their patient stillness. "and none have come to me."[break][break]

the commissioner is careful that her chair does not snag on their shadows.[break][break]

"there is much our pokemon do not tell us."[break][break]

of course, some of the powers present within the league have lived many lives. what has giratina not told Katherine Fairburne? what has groudon lived through, but dare not communicate to MATIAS SILPH?[break][break]

"should it come to it, i am sure they will assist us. as for selecting an avatar," she peers across the table, "it all rests on their will and their will alone."

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Aqua Kennedy[break]

[attr="class","pokesprite pokemon tapu-koko"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon tapu-bulu"]

"even a ranger under silph co. has their ties with the ranger organization as a whole." [break][break]

The Commissioner shakes her head. As long as the title of "ranger" hangs above Raziel Beckett's head, the tether could never be severed. Categorical language is powerful. Embedding.[break][break]

However, the following train of thought confuses her.[break][break]

"you would willingly collaborate with rocket? kingsman, even in your quest for truth, do understand that context can be manipulated. like a cut gem, an objective fact can hold a varied brilliance depending on the perspective used to view it."[break][break]

She sighs.[break][break]

"furthermore, your safety would be at risk. one rare exception should not be the sole basis for collaborating with a corrupt crime syndicate. your collaboration with willing rockets may very well place them in jeopardy too."[break][break]

She shakes her head, eyes closed briefly before it stills.[break][break]

"you can talk to councilman silph to mull the contract over and do mull over what we just discussed too."[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Raziel Beckett[break]

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