"i can only imagine."[break][break]

his smile mirrors hers, sadness coating it, and though he can't exactly relate, he does sympathize.[break][break]

and of course, he hates seeing her or anyone sad, so he asks questions to maybe help remedy that.[break][break]

"are you close to finding it? is there anything i can do to help?"

[attr="class","ooc"]illeana reyes[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-manectric"]

"i can't imagine you doing nothing."[break][break]

he laughs.[break][break]

"i think that's a problem most young people like us have. we have plenty of options, some would say limitless, yet we still gravitate towards doing absolutely nothing."[break][break]

even though he lumps himself with them, he doesn't feel the same way. he'd hate to do nothing.[break][break]

"it's a curse, really."

[attr="class","ooc"]illeana reyes[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-manectric"]

he agrees with everything she says, though curiously finds himself not wanting to fall into the same line as others. power, at least on that level, is not for him.[break][break]

"as someone who once had that power that people so often chase after..."[break][break]

he pauses.[break][break]

"...are you chasing after it again?"

[attr="class","ooc"]illeana reyes[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-manectric"]

"is there something else you'd rather do?"[break][break]

he finds that he cannot relate all too much. though he has worked many jobs (and is still doing), he's known that he's always wanted to work in the field of science. he can only hope to one day reach the same level as her and Eva Morales.[break][break]

"like, if you could do anything, what would you do?"

[attr="class","ooc"]illeana reyes[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-manectric"]

[attr="class","icon"]

covering their advance slash retreat, zygarde lets loose one final LAND'S WRATH, disrupting the terrain enough to buy them time to zip across the wire.[break][break]

"grab onto the rotom! go, go, go!"[break][break]

he ushers annalise henderson, making sure she's the first one to go. he turns back to Katherine Fairburne and FERNANDO SILPH, wanting to do the same only to realize that he is far less capable than them.[break][break]

they will be fine.[break][break]

"let's go, zygarde!"[break][break]

a bark! sounds as zygarde fires a DRAGON PULSE. it disappears into its pokeball, tucked safely away in his pocket.[break][break]

james grabs onto the rotom and makes his way across the makeshift zipline.[break][break]

07 balance on or zipline down wires that stretch from canyon to canyon.

[attr="class","bottom"]annalise henderson Katherine Fairburne FERNANDO SILPH[break]

"yeah! i just wanted to say it in case i don't get a chance to in the future."[break][break]

his energy does not falter even at her insecurity.[break][break]

"i'm not dying or anything but you never know! hoenn's crazy."[break][break]

still smiling, he idly leans against the counter, gaze never quite moving away from her.[break][break]

"was this what you've always wanted to do?"

[attr="class","ooc"]illeana reyes[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-manectric"]

"oh sick! hello, warhol. i'm james."[break][break]

though he introduces himself to grafaiai, it never occurs to him how he has never formally introduced himself to emerson. he's sure his name is known as it shows up on the grubbinhub app, but still feels a bit rude not to.[break][break]

oh well.[break][break]

"can you imagine? we'd have to run around finding your dumplings and my jelly bean."[break][break]

his laugh is cut short when his elgyem TELEPORTS back.[break][break]

"jelly bean! welcome back. how was it?"[break][break]

with a dejected look (as though capable of one), his elgyem brings around the box of dumplings from earlier, except now it's empty.[break][break]

"oh no..."

[attr="class","ooc"]emerson whitlock[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-elgyem color-shiny"]

as clear as it is, james almost misses it if only because he's focused on work. but surprise eventually washes over his features, unable to resist as he realizes how their conversation is steering in a different direction. or it at least could be.[break][break]

a smile flits across his face as he leans forward. he reaches for the recorder and pushes a button, ending their official conversation.[break][break]

"i think that can be arranged."[break][break]

it's unclear which choice he's referring to but he leaves it up to her to decide. he slides the recorder along with any files he might have brought out back into his bag, preparing for his departure.[break][break]

"here's hoping i stay alive, then."

[attr="class","ooc"]Katherine Fairburne[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-manectric"]

"heh, thanks! it's from all the years of running around delivering food."[break][break]

he rubs the back of his neck briefly as he accepts the compliment, though before he can give one in return, his attention shifts to the paldean pokemon.[break][break]

"oh woah that's sick! i've never seen a grafaiai before. what food name is it?"[break][break]

a look around them shows him that his elgyem has yet to return.[break][break]

"jelly bean should be back any second now..."

[attr="class","ooc"]emerson whitlock[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-elgyem color-shiny"]

now for the results...which will take a while so they're allowed a moment of respite. he decides to use it to share something that's been on his mind.[break][break]

"i hope you don't mind me saying, professor."[break][break]

he starts, already smiling.[break][break]

"but i think hoenn's lucky to have you."

[attr="class","ooc"]illeana reyes[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-manectric"]

it does not take james very long until he exits the building. he looks around at the empty streets of slateport's lower district, wondering where the heck the gyoza thief could've run off to in that short span of time.[break][break]

"oh!"[break][break]

he calls out his shiny elgyem, then points all around him.[break][break]

"blueberry jelly bean i need you to find a thief! it has gyoza on it."[break][break]

with a nod (really of its entire body), the elgyem floats up, then starts its search with TELEPATHY before eventually TELEPORTING away.

[attr="class","ooc"]emerson whitlock[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-elgyem color-shiny"]

[attr="class","icon"]

james isn't much of a fighter. in fact, his only real battle was against iseult babineaux during one of their training sessions, and even then, it was almost too easy to beat him. still, that does not mean he will not try his best to survive.[break][break]

"zygarde!"[break][break]

choosing to rely on FERNANDO SILPH's pokemon, james takes a few steps back, heeding Katherine Fairburne's warning to avoid being trapped by it.[break][break]

tendrils of GRASS KNOT rise from the ground to wrap around the STAKATAKA, holding it in place for the BRICK BREAKS and ICE SHARDS to connect.[break][break]

the ground shakes again, though it's not from zygarde's LAND WRATH. many more STAKATAKAS burst free, varying in size but all of them with clear intentions.[break][break]

the GRASS KNOT spreads in zygarde's LAND WRATH, making the terrain around them difficult to traverse. all but one path.[break][break]

"that way!"

[attr="class","bottom"]annalise henderson Katherine Fairburne FERNANDO SILPH[break]

"i have. though it'd be more for work than my own curiosity."[break][break]

it was only a matter of time before aeos would've been sent out to investigate these events. these anomalies. he knew as much after the first conversation he had with FERNANDO SILPH.[break][break]

at her comment, he laughs, shaking his head.[break][break]

"no hand holding will be needed, i think. but i would certainly appreciate the help."

[attr="class","ooc"]Katherine Fairburne[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-manectric"]