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howard slayte looked so pretty in the flickering light; it cast him in an otherworldly silhouette, highlighting his obedience in such an alluring way. Just like him, BARNABY FINCH couldn't look away.[break]

[break]

"Good, Howard. You're doing wonderfully." He encouraged, his voice low and compelling. [break][break]

"Now, I'm going to ask you a series of questions and you are going to answer them truthfully." Barnaby leaned in closer, not wanting to miss a single word.[break][break]

"Ready? Nod your head for me when you are."[break][break]

Once Howard assented, he'd then ask:[break][break]

"Why do you in particular need the resources beneath Dewford? What are your plans for them?" Howard had hinted at something of import earlier, but perhaps he was just playing coy.[break][break]

"Why did you keep your joint venture a secret from Rocket? What are you trying to hide? A lover's affair, perhaps?" Barnaby had his own thoughts on why — that the upper brass would frown at Howard's association with Navy — but he wanted to see what the admin would say. He had faith in the Elite Four member, apparently, and that was damning enough.[break][break]

"What are you trying to accomplish? And how can I help, Howard?" This, he knew, would be the more revealing question.

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"He showed me..." BARNABY FINCH trailed off for a moment, contemplating how he wanted to respond, before answering cryptically, "Nothing of import. An inevitability, if anything."[break][break]

Though he resisted revealing much from his own adventure, Barnaby did see the way Jayden's eyes snapped onto him at the mention of Father Winter. fern delaney's tapered silence was also noticed, which prompted him to ask, "And yourselves? There must be a reason why a DRK Triad member visited so many."[break][break]

Yet had taken no lives, as far as he was aware. What was the purpose of it all? Barnaby had his own speculations, but wanted to hear their thoughts first.[break][break]

At howard slayte's comment about caution, the admin inclined his head in agreement, replying with a congenial, "Of course. Recklessness is bad for business."[break][break]

Barnaby smiled then, appreciative of fern delaney's support. "I agree our operatives should be trained to the highest degree." Especially when it came to the use of these sorts of uncertain powers.[break][break]

"As far as I see it, Dynergy, like the Tera Crystals coating every crevice of Hoenn, isn't something that we can destroy," The last word was lilted to sound like a question, probing to see if the other admins had found a way to rid the region of these cancers, as Howard had once put it. He knew they hadn't.[break][break]

"So our options are limited. Use the power or be conquered by it, I say."

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“We love you, Melody!!” Many of the fans here hadn’t even attended because of BARNABY FINCH — they were here to support Melody Miro, who they considered an inspiring icon and one of Hoenn's most influential figures.[break][break]

Barnaby didn't necessarily disagree, hence having her on the show.[break][break]

However, sensing Melody Miro's disinterest in the Navy line of questioning, he naturally flowed into a different topic of conversation.[break][break]

"There's much to be proud of, to be certain. Not only when it comes to sanctioned battles, but also how you use your skills for the good of the region."[break][break]

Here Barnaby turned to his audience. "For those who are unaware, Melody is the former Sootpolis City gym leader."[break][break]

He then turned back to his guest and continued, "Melody, with everyone that's going on in the region, I'm sure your fans would be interested to hear your thoughts concerning Sootopolis' takeover."

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"Wonderful." [break][break]

And it truly was. BARNABY FINCH always had a deep respect for their scientists and how they made progress even from the most outlandish of ideas. He only hoped today would be just as fruitful as breakthroughs in the past.[break][break]

"How 'bout it, Kal? Care to help out?" The admin asked, looking up at the UNOWN-K with a smile.[break][break]

"Though," Here he turned back to Naomi Sato. "We're going to need a lot more than this little one if we want to recreate something as powerful as Zev's laser."

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Livy? A part of BARNABY FINCH rebuked the notion. She didn't have the balls to do something like this, he told himself. [break][break]

But, perhaps Naomi Sato was right about PENELOPE LIVY. CHI-YU's influence may have been more prominent than he'd first thought... or maybe she had always been a snake. It made the most sense that the person who'd organized the event would have the best access to orchestrate something like this.[break][break]

When THEO BECKETT entered the room, Barnaby nodded a brief greeting before getting right to the point.[break][break]

"We can't let this go unaddressed. Rocket needs to make a statement. But," His gaze swept around the room to the rest of the gathered brass. "The context of that statement depends on how we want the public to perceive us."[break][break]

Eventually Barnaby's attention returned to Underboss Beckett, knowing that his ruling would be their final decision.[break][break]

"Optics matter. Do we deny involvement or take responsibility?"

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[break]

BARNABY FINCH had no words for her in that moment. Only bitter indignation at her audacity.[break][break]

[break]

His face contorted into a wounded grimace and his eyes appeared glassy with emotion. [break][break]

[break]

This would be her final affront. To claim love just to cling onto something she herself had destroyed — it was unconscionable. Despicable. And, to BARNABY FINCH, so unsurprising. The weak always used love as a crutch.[break][break]

With a deep, dour exhale, BARNABY FINCH's shoulders sagged as he turned away from her to climb the stairs back to his bedroom, Pepin the EEVEE following worriedly at his heels.[break][break]

Elisabeth Fiorelli was left alone to see herself out.

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Crippling vines dispersed and latched onto whatever surface they could, whether that be limb or torso or otherwise, rooting down and providing SHAYMIN with enough energy to weather the raging storm caused by the HURRICANE. Though they were small, they were mighty — flying headlong into the buffeting winds at the periphery of the battle, barely dodging the tendrils of electricity coming from freya morningstar's DRAGONAIR.[break][break]

MOLTRES, on the other hand, preferred staying in the thick of things. It flew forward after expelling its FROST BREATH, only to find its quarry gone. Vanished, though not in retreat. Having TELEPORTED through the haze of ice and rain, BARNABY FINCH didn't pinpoint their whereabouts immediately.[break][break]

The IRON JUGULIS tumbling from the skies and its OUTRAGE caught him unawares. Barnaby attempted to pivot out of the way, but a dragging claw caught his upper back before MOLTRES could shift and PROTECT from the worst of the damage. As the IRON JUGULIS moved past and continued to lose altitude MOLTRES made eye contact with ones of its riders — the GARDEVOIR — and felt a brief psychic link form between them (FUTURE SIGHT).[break][break]

Seeing all this unfold, SHAYMIN flew in closer to provide support — doubling the efforts of jayden cross's MILOTIC by blowing a SWEET KISS toward ana fell's Sima.

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[break]
• masked [break]
• upper back injured by IRON JUGULIS' OUTRAGE[break]
• MOLTRES uses PROTECT against IRON JUGULIS's OUTRAGE[break]
• MOLTRES uses FUTURE SIGHT on GARDEVOIR[break]
• SHAYMIN uses SWEET KISS on IRON JUGULIS

[break][break]

SPOILER: Click to show

TOTAL: 170 MP[break]
+ 10 MP per IC post[break]
+ 10 MP per IC post[break]
+ 50 MP have your character reflect on why they're fighting [break]
+ 50 MP have your character recall a past thread[break]
+ 50 MP character is injured by another's pokémon

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She talked of punishment and blame, but it was all so derisive, so unapologetic. Part of him knew that this was her natural defense mechanism, but that didn't make it any less frustrating to deal with.[break][break]

"My life is in danger and all you care about is getting caught in your deception. Look at how petulantly you're acting," He shot back, his tone having cooled to a tempered simmer.[break][break]

"Were you even going to tell me about your little pact? Or just hope that MATIAS SILPH kept his word?"[break][break]

Zev Harcourt came to mind. Of all people, he'd been the one to have Barnaby's back. He'd been the one to communicate the odd happenings during their battle in Area Zero. Not Elisabeth Fiorelli. [break][break]

"No, I suppose you weren't..." Shaking his head again, BARNABY FINCH stepped away from the table and turned his back on Elisabeth. [break][break]

"I trusted you. I opened my heart to you."[break][break]

She had said the same to him once, but now he wasn't so sure.[break][break]

"Leave." Suddenly, the shadows receded and light returned to the room. "I'll have your things sent to you. Both here and in Mauville." [break][break]

Her toothbrush, the nightgown she wore when she stayed over, and many other small items representative of those whose lives had intertwined over the years.[break][break]

"I..." He appeared pained as he continued, more quietly, "I need time, Elisabeth. Please go."

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BARNABY FINCH watched with chilling apathy as Elisabeth Fiorelli retracted her hand, increasing the divide forming between them. [break][break]

He even ignored Elisa's jab about her life being on the line — after all, it had been her mission, her duty to ROCKET. But she'd fucked it up in the process. That was on her.[break][break]

"And how was my identity discovered in the first place? Hm?" It was all too coincidental. The timing too suspicious. She had to have had a hand in it in some way, even if it hadn't been malicious.[break][break]

At the mention of MATIAS SILPH dying — of her failure to see her mission through — BARNABY FINCH replied with a cold, "But he didn't, did he? And now look where we are."[break][break]

Barely discernable in the darkness was a quivering, curled ball on the nearby living room couch: Pepin, Barnaby's EEVEE, frightened by the conflict unfolding before him.[break][break]

"Don't fret, though. I'm sure he's more interested in killing the woman who betrayed him and caused the death of the person he cherished most in the world."[break][break]

"Fuck, Elisabeth! Stop trying to deflect from what you've done." He countered in a raised voiced, slamming his hands onto the table as he rose from his seat. "Take responsibility."

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It was as if the earth knew what was to come. Nature wept, revolting against the violence heralded by KYOGRE's return. Blood red waves crashed on a frothy, roiling sea. The scent of salt and rain were whipped up by tempestuous winds as the din of the dying buffeted the cliffs surrounding Sootopolis City.[break][break]

Admin Bee could barely hear jayden cross over the storm. Still, few words needed to be said now, anyway. They knew why they were here. [break][break]

ROCKET demanded their loyalty — and that included protecting its assets. Its people. They may have taken Sootopolis away from the LEAGUE — stolen a birthright from those like freya morningstar — but it was no less their home now. [break][break]

And that was worth fighting for.[break][break]

"It won't be long now."[break][break]

The two admins stood guard at the city's periphery. Beside them, MOLTRES loomed large against the somber skyline: a dark sentinel perched among the crags. Watching. Waiting. [break][break]

Soon enough, a pair of shadows closed in, one of which was bitterly familiar. Seeing freya morningstar astride her monster of a SALAMENCE — fuck, the scar on his hand practically ached at the sight of her, each toothy indent more painful than the last. Cunt.[break][break]

They acted immediately, with jayden cross and BARNABY FINCH rushing forward in unison to confront the LEAGUE interlopers. After releasing his SHAYMIN, Barnaby settled onto MOLTRES' back and the three then flew together down toward the sandbanks. [break][break]

A volley of whistles and clicks, though difficult to hear over the storm, directed his Pokémon: SHAYMIN flew high, releasing a swathe of LEECH SEEDS over both freya morningstar and her unknown companion, ana fell; separately, MOLTRES curved around them, aiming a FROST BREATH at the IRON JUGULIS to possibly freeze it's rain-soaked metallic wings.

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[break]
• masked [break]
• MOLTRES uses FROST BREATH on IRON JUGULIS's wings[break]
• SHAYMIN uses LEECH SEED over freya & ana

[break][break]

SPOILER: Click to show

TOTAL: 110 MP[break]
+ 10 MP per IC post[break]
+ 50 MP have your character reflect on why they're fighting [break]
+ 50 MP have your character recall a past thread

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