scurrying between her legs and darting off was a Wimpod. though the evolutionary path was quite powerful, she could do better than wasting a Pokeball on it. always finding one in the wild if she truly, really, needed one Siobhan would move on. her hunt was for dragons of any scale. they were quite rare even in the wild, so the Safari Zone provided them to eager trainers.

she would move on from the Wimpod, skirting the tall grass and moving toward the water. Siobhan wished to at least capture three Dratini. the others she could trade - she would select the best one of the group for herself. Lorelai would float beside her, keeping her human company. even if the woman didn't need it right now. she was a loyal partner.

- skip -

[ stay awhile, and listen ]

purchasing;
1x camping gear
= 50 pd

she didn't like when people talked randomly to her. it felt awkward and forced in any situation, especially when they didn't know her. Siobhan was learning quickly and effectively to assume everyone in Hoenn was league-folk until she saw them around HQ. this man was no different. "yes" she says curtly, distracted by the carvings in the tablet.

ah, ancient civilizations communicated in the most honest ways...

but the man would continue, trying to strike up conversation. she mentally sighed before her periwinkle eyes glanced away and to him. "as a folklorist, yes" the woman says to him "but as general interest - also yes." if he was curious, his curiosity was now sated, right? wrong. there would be more questions and answers by the time she was done here.

the tablet was one tale she knew well. Kyogre, Groudon and Rayquaza. the original three myths of Hoenn. "and you?" Siobhan supposes it was polite to ask.

Amor Rose

"so you are Hades" Siobhan repeats, lifting a brow as she lifts her own glass again. swirling around the golden liquid idly, she hums. "and I have eaten one of your seeds" she refers to the rather illegal smuggling involved. Remiel had not asked for anything in return, so which begged the question of what he wanted. "am I to be kept under your rule?" until he realized what he wanted from her? she did not like to be indebted to people.

she muses his further words. "I suppose if kings and queens kept everyone as slaves, it would diminish the 'fun' of ruling" in many ways, actually. the weak were many, so if they were not happy about their rulers they could easily dispose them. and if the strong were few, Siobhan guessed they didn't want to spend all waking hours hauling and controlling their slaves. spending way too many hours on control, and not enough about changing their world. "nor not enough spent on cheese."

Siobhan slips that in deadpanned. "yes, it is your fault" she agrees with his guilt "I'm doomed to suffer underwater" though he does offer an escape. a challenge. she smirks for once, amused by his behavior "do you do that for all the people you recruit?" she wonders "it must cost a pretty penny to set them all up with amenities..."

"Cian."

she also repeats. his name was also Gaelic in origin, meaning ancient. though if one was to twist it to the Persian alternative, Kian, it meant king, realm. she would wonder which one he preferred with another idle sip of her drink.

"hmm?" she was so absorbed in the name meanings she barely registered his question. a slow blink was earned as she re-stares at the books. "all of them" Siobhan replies easily "each page contains its own particular knowledge."

and therefore, she could not judge a book by its cover until she exposed the contents. his own haul was... meager. baseless. not even there. why was he even here? just for the café? "all of them are witness accounts to the events in Hoenn in the last few years."

just in case he didn't read all of the titles.

the success of the Dratini's capture overshadowed the other's approach. Siobhan barely registered the new beast as she plucked the sphere from the earth. pocketing it, she'd turn away and allow the wild Pokemon to be on it's way. thankfully it didn't even bat an eye at her.

she would continue to search. hopefully by the time they were finished, she would have a mighty haul. something to brag about, even for a small bit. there were others leagues ahead of her. she knew this, but she was not humbled by such things.

she had to get and be better.

-skip-

"and what of you?" she directs the question to him "you are an Administrator here, correct?" she traces a thin finger around the rim of the glass, idly wishing to know what he thought of all this discussion "do you get to choose who grows in power, or watch those obtain it themselves? are you not already a god to the lowly grunts, Remiel? they aspire to be you. to have your power." surely he knew this.

of course, this was all merely conjecture. "should the strong get to decide and rule, is it not a type of slavery to the masses below them?" and of course, capturing the beasts they all used... was a type of slavery in itself. sure, one could fancy it up with friendship but the point was; nobody would want to be captured in a tiny little ball and carried about against their will. she doubted the countless Pokemon who died in the line of service wanted to die. "even if the strong have their 'best interests' at heart?"

Siobhan goes quiet, lifting a brow. she was curious to see what he would take from that, how he would respond to such a statement. she did not believe one way or the other, and would not get offended with any answer. as a type of scholar, the woman was merely looking for a studious debate. there was no thin veiled emotion in her words. "I will think about it" she smiles thinly, giving him no promise it but also not rejecting the concept "so what you are saying is you carry cheese all the time...?" she could not help a light chuckle.

but ah, a question... "it is different" Siobhan says softly "and I do not like being around so many other people at once. I'd rather live alone where I can write and study in peace."

Remiel Calcifet

"indeed" Siobhan says, taking another swing of the whiskey, a soft exhale released "but to what end?" she posed "is it fair to assume everyone would get these abilities? or a select few - like olden times? evolution is meant to be an up-hill battle, with only the strongest coming out alive with benefits. what happens to the unevolved? will they become slaves to the new demi-gods?" it had happened in the past, no doubt.

at the mercy of power, anything was possible. even those with good intentions could be swayed to take advantage of those that did not have any merit. Siobhan supposed some in Rocket might find the idea of slavery - people or Pokémon - an ideal world. only the strong survive, only the strong get to rule. it was why she was doing everything in her power to obtain strength. "or will they be eradicated?" she says, finishing off the whiskey. placing the glass to the side -

she looks to see the cheese offered. "hmm" Siobhan says to Remiel "do you always walk around the witching hour with a plate of fine cheese?" the woman raises a lithe finger and plucks one of the swiss variant from the pedestal. popping it into her mouth, she chews quietly.

Remiel Calcifet

the source of the noise was a slithering Dratini. excellent; it was what she was looking for, after all. quick to call out her Whimsicott, the fairy ball used Moonblast to take the weaker Pokemon down. the little dragon cried out one final time after Siobhan ordered another assault, it was felled easily.

she would toss the first of her Safari Balls at it. waiting with baited breath, she hopes it is successful. there was nothing worse than wasting an item on failure. Lorelai peers at the Dratini's engulfed form curiously. as it was swallowed up by the sphere, they could do nothing more than wait on the results.

- 1/3 safari balls used & capture -

"with all due respect to the people's triumphant over such adversity" Siobhan muses "I would rather live in a world where anything was possible" even if death, madness and regret were a thing here; she would believe, to quote a famous author - six impossible things. before breakfast. "than be stifled." she glances down at the offered glass, her belly full of coffee. to hell with it. perhaps she could sleep if she drank a little...

a pale hand slips out to grasp the glass, pulling it toward her chest. she looks deep into the depths of the whiskey before Remiel's words cause her to look up. a wry little smile appears. "humanity is not meant to have divine power" Siobhan says honestly "that is what makes us human. we are supposed to play the cards we are dealt from birth" she scoffs, shrugging "and rise above on our merits." swinging the glass back, she takes a long sip before placing it on the table again.

it clicks against the wood briefly. a little wave dismissed her earlier words. "that is what the untouched believe, anyway" Siobhan would say to him "rise enough, and even gods take notice. the Avatars are special, exceptional beings granted godhood. I think they are... funny. it's like a soap opera; what will they do with their powers? what accomplishments can they achieve that regular humans cannot? will they burn the world, or will they... evolve it?"

she shrugs idly. "watching their struggles. documenting their powers and victories and failures; fascinating."

Remiel Calcifet

she waited until everyone else seemed to be back in town before venturing out. the event in full swing was not her cup of tea, yet she partook slightly. still, the beach was an opportune moment to capture some strong Pokémon. Siobhan was not going back to HQ without something to show for her efforts.

the woman roams along the shore, kicking a few stray shells and pebbles into the ocean. no one could protest that Hoenn was not beautiful, especially in the throws of chaos. this was downtime, though. she sighs softly, letting her quiet vocals echo in the air around her. if she was to partake in the next big thing, she needed strong Pokémon.

time to hunt.

"no, you did not" she says, agreeing with that "I never gave it." a light chuckle escapes her lips, amused at the rather casual way of asking for her name. the man would slip into the seat opposite of her, and she would sit as well. how did this happen... people usually let her be if they saw her with a huge stack of books.

"nor did you" the woman points out, accepting the smoothie with a fluid motion. she would take a sip of it before adding more words. though not injured or recovering from anything, she also thought it was a good choice. the taste was a wonderful experience "I'm Siobhan." shi-vawn, pronounced slowly for her own benefit. some called her 'se-oh-bean' which led to her nickname. even in Galar, others got it wrong.

"and you?" she asked, swirling the straw idly as she waited for the man's name.

CIAN MAHER