Mr. Roche's compliment, however restrained, was enough to reassure Sasha that she hadn't completely fucked up her answer. It granted her enough courage to meet his gaze as he assessed her, despite feeling like his violet eyes were boring a hole through her very soul. [break][break]

And then, just like that, she was hired. [break][break]

"Oh—yes, of course. Thank you, Mr. Roche," she stammered, flustered by the suddenness of his decision. Still, she could not help the relief that washed over her and the warmth that flushed her cheeks. [break][break]

Only when he had disappeared through a side door did the meaning of his words register in her mind. [break][break]

Seven a.m. is a late start? she wondered as she picked up her résumé and started toward the main entrance of his office. It opened before she could reach it, and a man in a butler's livery stood in the doorway expectantly. [break][break]

"Hello," Sasha said to him, her smile a mix of relief and nervousness. "You must be Simon. May name is—" [break][break]

But then he turned and stalked away, obviously expecting her to follow. Feeling flustered once more, she jogged to catch up with him.

TAGS – Colin Roche[break]
NOTES – mission | outfit

[attr="class","pkmn"]

Sasha loved craft fairs. She never had opportunities to visit them as a child; her parents told her they were frivolous wastes of time. Yet her heart yearned to admire the beauty of the creative world, especially that made with others' hands. [break][break]

Since leaving home, she'd resolved to attend as many as she could. The annual fair in Lilycove was a favorite, one she enjoyed perusing again and again. [break][break]

One vendor in particular sold a variety of products made by Pokémon on their farm: Gogoat cheeses and soaps, Combee wax candles, and flowers tended by Cutiefly, to name a few. [break][break]

Sasha was admiring a beautiful wax rendering of a rearing Rapidash, turning it over in her hands, when someone walked right into her from behind. It was not the gentle bump of another customer in a small space, but instead felt like a small mountain had decided to run her over. [break][break]

"Ah!" she cried out as she dropped the candle, her hands scrambling to catch the edge of a table so she wouldn't fall into it. Mortified, she watched as the candle hit the floor, pieces of it break off from the main body. "Oh no!" [break][break]

She gathered the broken object in both hands and turned to the vendor. "I'm so sorry. I'll pay for this." [break][break]

Only then did Sasha turn to look at whoever—or whatever—had run her over. She found herself face-to-face with a tall, broad-shouldered man who looked as flustered as she felt. [break][break]

"I'm—I'm okay, yes, thank you." [break][break]

Then she hesitated. He should have been watching where he was going, but she should have had more awareness. Perhaps the crowdedness was why her mother hated craft fairs.

TAGS – benji sawyer[break]
NOTES – mission

[attr="class","pkmn"]

Sasha's brow furrowed at the hypothetical scenario Mr. Roche presented. She took a moment to consider the options before speaking. [break][break]

The average person might drop everything to see their mother one last time before she died. However, CEOs had notorious reputations for ruthlessness. Who was to say that a man such as Colin Roche cared for his parents in the first place? Sasha was certain, though, that he cared about his company. [break][break]

"This shareholder meeting is your top priority," she answered at last. "However, it is imperative that you have the latest information about the security breach, because if your shareholders catch wind of it, then they will have questions. Ones that you must be fully confident to answer, even if that answer is a deflection or redirection. Of course, I'll stay on top of providing you with those updates." [break][break]

She took a deep breath and clasped her hands in her lap so they wouldn't tremble. [break][break]

"As for your mother… Of course, I would arrange for her comfort during her final moments. But you can't be distracted with even a video call until the meeting is over, so that's out of the question." [break][break]

Sasha paused, pursing her lips in thought. [break][break]

"Flowers and a card would be frivolous for a dying person, but the gesture might distract her from the fact that you aren't on your way, so I would have some delivered. And whether you go depends entirely on the outcome of the meeting and how IT is handling the security breach." [break][break]

Finally, she fell silent, waiting with bated breath for her evaluation.

TAGS – Colin Roche[break]
NOTES – mission | outfit

[attr="class","pkmn"]

Sasha laughed again at the ridiculous notion that Pawmo was her 'son', but she said nothing to deny it. Instead, she reached down and scratched the rodent behind the ears as she listened to Andrea's explanation. [break][break]

Which didn't make any sense, but who was Sasha to argue? [break][break]

"Thanks for showing me how it all works, Andrea," she said instead, glancing at the incubator once more. "If you don't mind, we'll take a walk around the ranch—I imagine it won't be the last time we'll stop by to help out, so we better get a lay of the land." [break][break]

Pawmo uttered an agreeable noise. The two waved farewell to Andrea and the Poison-types before exiting the barn. [break][break]

"My son, hmm?" Sasha mused aloud, looking down at her Pokémon with fondness. "I don't know if I'm worthy of such a claim. What do you think?" [break][break]

But Pawmo merely smiled at her before bounding ahead to frolic in the nearby field.

TAGS – Andrea Vaneau[break]
NOTES – mission

[attr="class","pkmn"]

Andrea's words of reassurance were well-meaning, but Sasha guessed that Andrea was much younger than her, based on her choice of dress. She gave the onesie-clad woman a polite smile, which quickly softened with warmth as the Fuecoco popped out of his Pokéball. [break][break]

"A pleasure to meet you, Jalapeño," Sasha said to the small reptile, laughing lightly. Addressing Andrea once more, she continued, "If that's the case, I do have my own Pokémon, too. Like Pawmo here." [break][break]

At the sound of his name, the orange-furred rodent perked up. The berry he'd been eating had vanished into his stomach; all that remained were juice stains around his mouth and on his forepaws. [break][break]

"But what makes Jalapeño your 'baby' compared to other Pokémon in your care? Like these?" [break][break]

She gestured to the Nidoking and Nidoqueen who had followed the two women into the barn.

TAGS – Andrea Vaneau[break]
NOTES – mission

[attr="class","pkmn"]

"Mmm, you're definitely not the only one," Sasha said agreeably, though her own tastes ran the opposite. She preferred small Pokémon that didn't look particularly strong. It had always been her own form of rebellion. [break][break]

After watching Andrea put the first couple of eggs into the incubator, Sasha lent a hand with the rest. She always prided herself in being a quick learner; she paid close attention to how Andrea handled the eggs and made adjustments to the machine before doing the same herself. [break][break]

A rueful smile touched her lips. "I don't suppose I'll ever know what it'll be like to raise a human baby," she said, more accepting than regretful. All her recent dating prospects had shriveled up into dust, and she'd given up for the time being. [break][break]

"But I suppose it makes sense for Pokémon to know how to fight soon after hatching. How else are they supposed to survive in the wild, you know?"

TAGS – Andrea Vaneau[break]
NOTES – mission

[attr="class","pkmn"]

Sasha followed Andrea into the barn. As was her habit, she immediately took stock of the building's interior, memorizing the layout and counting her steps back to the entrance. Absently, she bobbed her head in small nods as she half-listened to Andrea's answer. [break][break]

"That makes a lot of business sense. Whatever's hot on the market must sell pretty well, and Monster and Dragon egg groups are probably always in demand." [break][break]

She spotted the recycling bin and carefully slid the empty, folded bag into the receptacle. Pawmo, still cradling his half-eaten berry, followed her there and back to Andrea's side. [break][break]

"I've never raised a Pokémon from an egg before," Sasha said thoughtfully, folding an arm across her stomach while she rested her chin on her other fist. "I bet a lot of work goes into it compared to training one that's ready for battle." [break][break]

In comparison, she had a lot of experience with that.

TAGS – Andrea Vaneau[break]
NOTES – mission

[attr="class","pkmn"]

Pawmo's eyes went wide and his jaw dropped when Andrea pulled the berry out of her pocket. His little paws reached up to take the fruit from her. Without a moment's hesitation, he chowed down, juice staining the fur around his mouth as he munched away happily. [break][break]

Sasha laughed lightly at Pawmo's joy, but looked up again when Andrea spoke to answer her question. "I see. That makes sense. Do you breed and raise specific kinds of Pokémon for trainers, or any and all?" [break][break]

The feedbag in Sasha's hands was now empty. She absently folded it up to occupy her hands during the conversation.

TAGS – Andrea Vaneau[break]
NOTES – mission

[attr="class","pkmn"]

Sasha's head bobbed in small nods as Mr. Roche spoke. His comment about predictable questions, answers, and outcomes gave her pause, however. They were her first indication that the usual interview process bored him, and so would the usual candidates. [break][break]

His follow-up question was obviously intended to ascertain her true motivations. Thankfully, her past employers had asked similar questions, so she had an answer prepared. [break][break]

"If I wanted to make a name for myself, I would have chosen a different program to study," she answered honestly. "Over the past ten years, I've learned what it means for me to have satisfying work. Art is something just for me, but my work supports others." [break][break]

And anyway, office work provided a consistent salary, schedule, and benefits. She didn't have to worry about the next commission payment or deal with ignorant would-be customers who didn't understand time, labor, and skill costs.

TAGS – Colin Roche[break]
NOTES – mission | outfit

[attr="class","pkmn"]

Sasha considered Andrea's words but didn't probe for more details. Frankly, she didn't want to think about how genderless Pokémon reproduced. She'd learned about asexual reproduction in high school biology and that explanation was more than enough for her. [break][break]

As they poured food into the feeder, Pawmo popped up onto his hind legs and sniffed the delicious meal aggressively. He reached a paw to scoop a handful, but Sasha slapped it away. "It's not for you," she chided him. [break][break]

Andrea's sudden exclamation prompted Sasha to look up at the new arrivals. The Nidoqueen was obviously a Ditto, and the Nidoking… [break][break]

Sasha blinked, equally astouded. "My goodness," she said, a knowing smile spreading across her face. "That's a lot of eggs from one mama. Are you raising all of them on the ranch?" [break][break]

The feeders were sizeable, but she doubted they would be enough for six new, hungry mouths.

TAGS – Andrea Vaneau[break]
NOTES – mission

[attr="class","pkmn"]

A note of relief entered Sasha's smile as she sat. At least Mr. Roche wasn't the kind of man to make her stand on ceremony. She willed her hands to remain still in her lap while he reviewed her résumé, an act that told her he was taking her application seriously. [break][break]

Not that her career until that moment was particularly noteworthy. After graduating with an Associate's degree from Lilycove Community College, she'd tried applying for arts-related jobs. She'd finally landed one as an art teacher at a local school, but that hadn't lasted long; she couldn't stand the self-absorbed recklessness of children. [break][break]

After that, she'd gone from one mundane office job to another as an administrative assistance, fulfilling art commissions in her free time to keep her skills sharp. But it was the former that had led her to Mr. Roche's office in the first place. [break][break]

If she'd learned anything in the past ten years, it was how to keep an office running from behind the scenes. If she could do that, surely she could do the same for a single man. And for better pay, no less. [break][break]

"My mother taught me always to arrive early so I could take stock of a place," Sasha admitted, maintaining a pleasant tone despite the pain of the memory. "She never liked being caught unaware, and neither do I." [break][break]

As much as she hated thinking about her mother, it was the truth. And most employers valued honesty from their employees.

TAGS – Colin Roche[break]
NOTES – mission | outfit

[attr="class","pkmn"]