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Is it a punishment?
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Tam hadn’t really thought of it that way, but now that Orion mentions it, the captain finds himself forced to reconsider the reasoning behind his own decision. Why would Orion think he’s punishing him?
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Of course he doesn’t realise why, because of course Tam hadn’t considered that fact that maybe Orion would hate the idea of being stuck at HQ enough to see it as Tam’s own way to get back at him. ”He must really hate me.” The thought crosses his mind in passing.
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Still, he gives no response until entering the vast file room, and once there, he simply leans against the back wall, watching the cadet.
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”Hm…” Considering his answer to the question posed, Tam crosses his arms. Clover sits by his side. ”Until I can trust you not to get yourself shot at.”
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Yeah, Orion must definitely hate him.


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Jake is not entirely wrong there, honestly. Sure, Noah Camus may only be two years younger than Tam, but, well… mental age may tell a completely different story.
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Anyway! Back to the interview.
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”All the bad things.” Tam echoes, and he could argue that there’s a shitton of bad things happening in Hoenn. Everyday. Constantly. Like… Just about everything. This kid must already know that, though. Otherwise, why would he move to Hoenn right after Necrozma’s attack? Tam doesn’t believe anyone is capable of being that oblivious.
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”And you want to become a ranger because you want to help, then? Not many people do… A lot of them just want the job to have a stable income and benefits and what not.”
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His own reason had been different. Tam just thinks that pokémon are much easier to deal with than people.
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Too bad that now he’s a captain, and as such, he’s stuck dealing with people.


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Clover – or as is her full legal name assigned by members of the Slateport squad: Dame Clover Cottonbottom – is actually the current mascot of Slateport HQ, and as such, she gets to wander around the building as much as she pleases. In fact, if Jake were to look to his right, he would see the poster on the wall which is clearly just a bunch of pictures of her. Noah Camus’ art project.
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At least she lets Jake be as soon as he takes his seat, and it’s with one last enthusiastic bark that she goes back to her dog bed to lie down and watch the interview as if she also were here to judge the potential trainee.
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It’s only then that Tam looks up from the paperwork.
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”Jacob, right? Why Hoenn? Most people kind of avoid this place these days.” He should have known the question would come, and it does with a just so slightly quirked brow. But, perhaps Jake would notice the clearly Unovan accent of his interviewer. Tam has his own reasons for having moved to Hoenn.


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The door opens and a head peeks through it, causing the Yamper that had been peacefully napping in her usual corner to perk up and joyfully bark up at the stranger.
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The pitter patter of tiny paws upon the office’s tiled floor dutifully follows, and when jacob kim enters and introduces himself, the first to greet him is the Puppy Pokémon – curious as to who this stranger might be.
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"Clover, let him be." Her presumed trainer, the blond who sits at the desk, isn’t nearly as enthusiastic. He looks… unimpressed? Or, well, more like unfazed. Maybe he’s just not a morning person. The mug of coffee bearing the Minor League’s logo is as if a telltale sign of this.
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”Hey. You can just call me Tam.” He starts off, not for the sake of the recruit’s nerves but because being called ‘sir’ has always felt strange. ”Have a seat.”
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He takes the paperwork, giving the resume a look while waiting.

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”I know.” Is Tam’s immediate response to Orion’s needless clarification, just as he knows that said injuries would be ignored if he were to be out in the field at this moment. He’d push himself as if he hadn’t just been in the hospital, he’d act as if he’s completely fine, and he’d ignore his pain. Above all else, though: he would still do something reckless and dangerous if given the chance.
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For someone who is generally so bad at understanding people, Tam does understand this much.
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”Rookies are out on patrol today. All of them.” Orion would doubtlessly want to swap places with them. Tam wouldn't allow as much. Benched is benched. ”File room is on you.”
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The walk to the file room in question isn’t particularly long, and Clover dutifully follows along – wagging her tail by Tam’s side as if oblivious to any tension.
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When Tam opens the door, they find themselves greeted with the intimidating sight of the Slateport Ranger Records.

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”Glad it’s not.”
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Is he really, though? In Tam’s case? Throughout this week, a part of him has sometimes wondered if Orion wouldn’t prefer to have a different captain; if he wouldn’t rather work for someone who lets him do whatever he pleases regardless of how reckless or dangerous it is. He even half expects him to request a transfer to Verdanturf’s jurisdiction, though.
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None of these thoughts are voiced, and Orion doesn’t say anything about it either.
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Tam stands, picking up his cup for one last sip of coffee and causing Clover to finally wake. The Yamper gives a long yawn, and after a stretch, she walks over to greet Orion while her own trainer simply looks at the cadet.
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”File room. You're reorganizing it. Come on.”
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Just like that, he walks to the door.
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Orion is now officially benched.

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Tam doesn’t expect Orion to be OK. He hadn’t expected that much from him since the very day they met. So, naturally, when the immediate answer comes, he waits, blue eyes meeting green ones in search for the real answer.
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Then it comes and it’s much more relieving than an empty “fine” that is no more than lies and tells him nothing.
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”That’s good. You’ve been missed around here.” Tam is honest, so the admission comes easily, even if it's not expressed as anything other than a general sentiment. Had he missed Orion?
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With a sip of his coffee and a glance at his computer screen, he pushes the question out of his mind.
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”I’m tired.” No surprise there: it’s early. Orion himself knows well that Tam is no morning person. Still, he elaborates. ”Sore. My shoulder is killing me. Could be worse, though.”
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The cut on his shoulder blade had needed stitches. It will leave a scar. Tam being Tam, he had taken exactly one day of leave before feeling like staying at home all day would drive him insane. He’d much rather be here. He assumes it’s probably the same for Orion, but maybe it isn’t. Maybe he’d rather be home than work at HQ all day…
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”Your job for today shouldn’t be any trouble, so at least there’s that.”


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Tam is pretty damn sure no one has ever described him as eager to do anything before, and the comment makes him wonder if that’s the image he’s giving off. He sure hopes not. Eagerness doesn’t suit him at all. Has he seemed too enthusiastic about helping? Ugh. He had only spoken up first since he didn’t want his rangers to end up having to travel too far from Slateport and their duties in the city.
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As for Mount Pyre, though…
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Honestly, above all else, Tam is thankful to LANCE VOLLANS. Offering to help with patrolling Mt. Pyre had been logical because of how close the mountain is to Slateport and because of Orion Lykos and Hailee Jacobs’s recent experience with the Shadow Pokémon attack, but at the end of the day, he’d rather not send his rangers there right now. They’d be better off in Granite Cave. His own experience with places like those will be of use, even if he has to push past the inevitable memories and discomfort.
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With that in mind, he shrugs.
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”Sure, Lilycove can have The Cemetery.” This time, he uses the codename Laurence Anderson had given the place, since he’s speaking to another captain. ”Slateport will take Granite Cave.”
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He would mention how he had thought Lilycove might help Fortree given that they’re so close, the former is where the Head Ranger is stationed, and Fortree seems to be a concern to said Head Ranger above all other locations. He would, but the topic of Fortree seems to be causing a whole lot of explosive reactions right about now, and Tam would much rather not get himself involved in all of that. He’s not here for arguments.
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Instead, he turns to boruta maher:
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”I'm guessing Petalburg and the forest? If you end up needing back up, let us know.”
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And with that said, he returns his attention to eating pizza, refusing to get himself involved in whatever other discussions may be going on.
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A mental note is made to contact FERNANDO SILPH to discuss Slateport civilian evacuation plans for when the meteor comes, but he’s also sure the councilman must also have his own contingencies in place and will get in touch about ranger involvement if needed. Tam does like being in the loop when it comes to those kinds of things, though. With both his city and the region as a whole. It’s important.


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Tam also doesn’t say a word, not a first, because admittedly, he’s not sure of what to say. All the anger he had felt towards Orion had vanished a week ago on the way to the hospital, and in its place, all that had been left was concern. Concern over Orion’s wellbeing and also concern over things changing.
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To a man who is so rarely affected by what happens around him, finding himself suddenly dealing with such emotions can be… overwhelming. The vacuum left by Orion’s absence at HQ for the past week does not help, and neither does the fact that despite being concerned, Tam hadn’t checked on him ever since he was discharged from the hospital.
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It’s not like Orion wants to talk to him anyway.
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That’s why he’s not saying anything right now, isn’t it?
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It’s after taking a long sip of coffee that he finally looks at the cadet, and there and then, before saying anything else, a single question is asked – the kind of question Tam never bothers with unless he really cares about the answer:
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”How are you feeling?”

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The file room of the Slateport Ranger HQ is exactly what most people would expect. Just like most file rooms there are cabinets upon cabinets, shelves full of binders upon binders, and undoubtedly, no matter how much effort is put into keeping it organised (which in this case is only put by some), there are certain files that always seem to take hours to find. Eventually, every file room needs to be cleaned and reorganised.
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Today, that task falls upon Orion Lykos.
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However, this is not something Orion is aware of. Not yet.
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It’s his first day back to work after his last assignment with Tam left them both with minor injuries due to an explosion (and a gun, let’s not forget the gun), and of course, as should only be expected, he’s immediately summoned to the office of the captain when his shift begins.
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There, Tam busies himself with looking through his emails for the morning while drinking coffee from a mug with Vanguard’s logo on it (yes, the architecture and construction firm). In her usual concern of the office, on her comfortable dog bed, his Yamper sleeps.


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Tam is about to turn to get her her paperwork when the mention of a question causes him to pause. He looks at her, waiting, and them, when hearing what concerns Calliope Marks, she actually manages to achieve something most people can’t even imagine when speaking to the ever so impassive Ranger Captain. Eyebrows are quirked, and in his stern expression, there’s a hint of something akin to a mixture of amusement and disbelief.
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First thought: ”Not another one.”
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Second thought: ”Eh… Well… Couldn’t hurt to pair her up with Orion Lykos for that sort of thing.”
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With that in mind, comes his response, his expression being as neutral as his voice:
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”Depends. If I were to send you on tasks that involve Team Rocket, do you think you’d still be able to put yourself, your partner, and the mission first?”
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Tam has no use for more reckless rangers who are blinded by their hatred for Rocket. He needs them to be able to do their job.
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Somewhere, Orion Lykos’s ears must be burning.



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