missing out. it was something that was maybe deeply buried by years of unrelenting dutifulness. though clearly considering it for a moment, she eventually gave a casual shrug. ”i like the work.”

he wanted a plan. pretty words were oftentimes enough to dazzle someone. not today. she smiled a smidge wider, knowing well that she’d said practically nothing at all.

”i’m still working on my manifesto. so many factors are constantly changing in the region in recent years. since i’ve been there, really. truthfully, i’m still learning too much to settle on a clear strategy yet.”

while her journals were full, her position had quieted her, lately. she was no longer outspoken in her classroom, upholding her family’s goals in kalos. she was in a new world, right under the wings of power. established wisdom and experience.

there would come a better time to confront all obstacles. for now, it was better to stand with them.

”commissioner goode has clearly proven herself to be a capable leader. at this time, when disasters have been so prevalent, and things like extraterrestrial invasions are on the table, goode’s politics are keeping the region safe, and that is most important.” for now.

John Sullivan

”hm. that’s true.” in fact, plenty of pokémon were changed in demeanor upon evolution—even some of her own had. ”i suppose i meant to ask if they’d become more aggressive. i’ve heard about attacks in the distortions; but, if your braviary has changed for the better, then perhaps i have the wrong idea about them.” but they wouldn’t earn her trust just yet.

barnaby’s explanation of his gift to the world was poetic. he provided a beacon of hope, to face danger for the public and spotlight the mysteries that kept them up at night.

”you are certainly a light.” she smiled, watching the way his face glowed, reflecting the beams coming from lumineon’s orbs.

a sip from her cappuccino was followed by the next prompt, ”so besides exploring terrifying rifts in the fabric of our reality, what else has been happening in the life of barnaby finch?”

BARNABY FINCH

”of course.”

despite her neat and dutiful tone, the corners of her mouth pinched downward a degree. after divulging the information he'd asked for, she was promptly used for it. it shouldn't have been surprising.

when presented with the task, would GABRIEL BLACK ask if she'd been airing his business? would it matter? perhaps that in itself could be interesting. time would tell.

”have you met with smohke yourself?”

FERNANDO SILPH

didn’t remedy the fact, as in, didn’t annihilate the world—at least, that was what she assumed he meant. it was a tricky thing to do more than acknowledge with a brief nod, lost to the gait of her step.

”and i suppose you have already tried to reason with councilman black?”

she hadn’t known fernando silph for long, but she did not take him for someone who might withhold his opinion from his colleagues, especially on such important matters.

FERNANDO SILPH

what changed? her smile wavered as she focused on an answer, realizing she didn’t have much of one to give him.

”i guess i just got older, maybe,” she eventually called over the wind. they weren’t exactly talking about the bogeyman, though.

”i mean, i never stopped believing the ocean was full of monsters. just, at some point, they didn’t scare me so much anymore. i think maybe learning to battle helped.”

though she’d never been a deeply dedicated trainer, competence had been a requirement growing up, and it had given her an extra sense of security.

JAMES BAKER

”sure.”

she followed, her step brisk as her phone lowered again, and they were on their way to the next destination.

”we already know about sea hoenn. if i understand correctly, going to ultra space could lead us to any number of other worlds, none of which we would be familiar with, and all of which could be unfriendly. the potential to stumble upon a greater threat seems significant.”

FERNANDO SILPH

the art of murdering. that was an interesting way of putting it.

the way sullivan rolled his eyes made her wonder about a side of things she didn’t often see. the military was not only made up of those who had made the choice to serve, but those who hadn’t had any other due to circumstance. countless dreams, gone by the wayside. it was a shame that any boy who preferred to be an entomologist would ever have to get blood on his hands instead.

”hoenn is lucky for your sacrifice, captain, but i do hope one day you’ll be able to pursue your passion.”

when she looked up entomology later, it would not be anything within the realm of what she would have guessed.

at his sentiment about digital classes, she smiled a bit weakly, and admitted, ”i sometimes wonder about the normal experience—but i can’t imagine keeping up with everything if it weren’t online. i’m always running around some place, multi-tasking.” fun had never really been on the agenda.

then came the question about hoenn. what did she think about it?

”hoenn is a beautiful region which has suffered enormous hardship. war, terrorism, constant extraterrestrial threats... hoennians have known more loss than anyone ever should, and it's  heartbreaking that many of them now seem to expect tragedy at every turn.” most who had been there for any significant length of time had become desensitized, or crumbled in one way or another. ”but i do believe that much of its conflict stems from underlying, infrastructural issues which can be resolved. with the right steps taken by its government, hoenn can begin to heal in many ways.”

behind her smiling lavender gaze, a promise twinkled.

”i have hope, and you have my word that i will do what i can to push for a better future. hoenn is my home now, too.”

John Sullivan

that rock band. she would not have known the names of teravolt’s members if she hadn’t looked adrian up whilst updating gabriel’s schedule. she wasn’t nosy. she was informed.

”i believe so. teravolt.” did she sound cool?

her thumb pressed a few things on her screen, forwarding a document, and confirming an open spot for yet another meeting. it was almost mindless work, and her eyes remained on it the whole time.

”i'm not sure. he didn’t tell me the nature of the meeting.” it was the truth. ”do you say that because of necrozma?”

FERNANDO SILPH

lavender eyes cut towards fernando keenly at the criticism. though she’d remained outwardly neutral to the whole of the office, she was inclined to agree.

she decided to divulge more information on GABRIEL BLACK 's activities as of late.

”he had a recent meeting with DEREK HOFFMAN , Adrian Malcolm , and PENELOPE LIVY  regarding the meteor.” she paused, curious about the last one. ”and another with general smohke.”

they soon arrived at the ranger headquarters. as he looked over documents, she finally brought her cup to her lips. when it lowered, so did her gaze to the phone in her hand. during these hours of the day, she was checking emails at nearly every opportunity.

FERNANDO SILPH