It's several seconds before Orion's subpar hearing picks up on what has unsettled his partner, the drone vibrating uncomfortably in against his eardrums. Bugs weren't uncommon at night, but the hum unsettles him as he's reminded of Buzzwole from the war, the buzz of their wings as they gave chase.

How one of them had drove its proboscis straight into a Salamence and drank it dry—

Orion has to remind himself to breathe, heart rate picking up as traumatic memories threaten to overwhelm. Absol drops back to his side as if sensing his discomfort, leaning its weight against his thigh and blinking up at him with large red eyes.

"M'okay, buddy," he mumbles, reaching down to scratch the Pokemon behind its horn. "Thanks."

Still, his gaze darts around the trees, searching for the source of the sound.

kyle lopez presents a familiar face among the crowd, equally maladjusted to large social gatherings forcibly held by the government. He's bolder than the councilman who sits stiff-backed in his chair, eyes darting around the room.

Perhaps seeking camaraderie from someone who might be equally unhappy to be here, Orion stands from his seat and is about to approach when the doors burst open and draw his eye.

Zac Ramsay is a giant of a man, and hard to miss even if he hadn't brought the force of nature along with him — Orion's cheeks flush when he realises he's staring in a mixture of awe and curiosity, though he does not look away from the spectacle. His thoughts drift to the reports he's read of the Vital Spirit festival, of Tapu Bulu's chosen. Where many might gloat and grin upon being granted avatarship, Ramsay had vowed to bring about much-needed change. It was the promise Orion wished he could make to the region, but when Tapu Koko had revealed itself, he had not felt himself worthy of its splendor.

Anxiety claws desperately in his chest, but he steels himself against it enough to approach the pair as Zac leans over Kyle's shoulder.

"Mr. Ramsay," he greets, perhaps too quickly. "We haven't met, but — I heard about what happened at the festival, and I figured it's time to introduce myself. Orion Lykos, councilman." There's a brief hesitation before the title, as if he'd been about to say something else, but his presence in a room full of government officials had changed his mind. "What you said at the end of it, about change, I really respect that. I think the region needs more people like you — Avatars like you."

He trails off with a nervous laugh, brushes a hand against the back of his damp neck. "So, ah, thanks."

Orion finds his Absol in the gloom, drops down to his knees next to his oldest friend and runs fingers through its bloodied white fur as it shudders in pain. Though the herald of disaster stands in defiance of their foe, willing to fight until its last, Orion will not allow it to risk its life for his own.

Altair's pokeball shudders in his hand as red light swallows the creature, the Absol attempting to defy Orion's wishes and return to his side. It is weakened, however, and after a beat the shuddering goes still, and the light on the ball dims.

Silvally, too, falls victim to the assault. It is designed to fight, to kill, but these are no Ultra Beasts, and it is outnumbered.

Orion is left with his wounded Alakazam and an infant Ultra Beast, the former attempting to use its FUTURE SIGHT to their advantage. What were the aims of this unseen villain? What was the reason behind the attack? Into Orion's mind, a single image is delivered: the Pheromosa. That's what they're after. Was it Megalopolans, then, come to reclaim their beastly kin?

No, he thinks, they don't use Pokémon, do they?

It doesn't matter. He will not relent. He is a fighter, through and through, and he'll protect his Pokémon until he no longer can.

"I won't give it to you," he snarls, tone threaded with grief for his fallen friends. "If you don't leave, now, you're about to be very outnumbered."

A lie. He has no idea how far away help is.

Still, he persists, sending out a sleek-furred Espeon who summons the MORNING SUN upon witnessing the darkness around them. Lanturn continues to slumber.

[attr="class","pokesprite pokemon alakazam"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon espeon"]

Katherine Fairburne

His reason for owning the Luxray was innocent enough: it was a rescue. Before he was a councilman, Orion had been a Ranger, and as a Ranger had performed many a bust on black market operations in Hoenn. It wasn't the first Pokemon he'd rescued from their clutches, and it wouldn't be the last.

It was, unfortunately, the first one to harbor a tracking device — knowledge Orion lacked, and thus had done nothing to ward against.

In his travels through Route 120, Orion stays off the well-worn path forged by trainers passing through on their way to or from Lilycove and Fortree; where he roams, there is little light, little interference with the meditative quality of his walk. He knows these routes like the back of his hand, having lived in Fortree since he was barely out of high school and forging his own unsteady way through life.

On his belt, alongside the illicit Luxray, there were three others: Arbok, Thievul, Liepard. Strange Pokemon for a councilman, perhaps, but Orion was a strange man: he favored those Pokémon that others shunned, feeling sympathy for the misunderstood.

To that end, his Silvally and Absol accompany him as well, though their balls had been left at home. It is Absol who seems to first sense something amiss, fur rippling along its spine as it stops in place and growls softly.

"What's wrong, Altair?"

Does he imagine the tension as he enters the League's cheerfully lit conference room, all wide windows and colorful catering? Is it his own trepidation that blankets the scene, or is this venture as cursed as FERNANDO SILPH had assumed from the start?

He spots his fellow councilmen immediately, deep brown eyes finding kim cole-essam in the company of cait alfric and one of Orion's fellow Rangers, Sénon Game. Silph converses with a man Orion knows in official capacity only (zenji jabami), and Orion's anxieties decide against interrupting.

He takes a seat nearby but alone, instead, and runs through a mental list of those he's known to have been invited. Would any of them fail to show?

Thunderous retribution strikes the councilman's beloved Absol, the energy of its mega-evolution fading along with the ruffled fur along its spine. When it tries to call down another bolt, it falls further victim to a spiteful opponent.

"Altair!"

Orion's cry is threaded with distress for his lifelong partner, visible only as a swaying silhouette in the smoke. Against his better judgement, he rushes forward to tend to the wounded Pokémon. Pheromosa chitters in distaste, its little claws digging into his shoulder.

Succumbing to sleep, Lanturn's light dims, plunging Orion into darkness once more.

Absol counters the void with a resplendent FLAMETHROWER that bathes the battlefield in warm hue before it fades. It's just enough time to see another wisp of flame strike Perseus, the Silvally growling as it finds itself BURNED. The chimera's crest glows, then ripples as it turns hard as steel; snarling, it launches itself at the nearest foe with a devastating CORKSCREW CRASH.

Tianyi, still frail after meagre recovery from its injuries, aims to DISABLE the devastating mirror coat.

Their opponent was stronger than most foes Orion had faced. His heart hammers in his chest, confidence in his incoming back-up faltering. He could only hold them off for so long without aid.

[attr="class","pokesprite pokemon alakazam"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon lanturn"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon absol-mega"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon silvally-psychic"]

Katherine Fairburne

Lanturn's light battles against the veil of darkness, but Orion is too far from his mysterious opponent to catch anything more than a vague silhouette at the edge.

A surge of water floods forth, only to slam into an invisible wall. With her TELEKINESIS, Alakazam wrestles for control of the deluge as her trainer reaches for his phone. An emergency signal is sent out to both the Council and the Rangers, but any help that may come has no hopes of being precise. They would have to find their way from Fortree, and he was well into the wilderness. The nature that Orion took comfort in had become a weapon against him.

Katherine's distraction works: as Lanturn sends out a SIGNAL BEAM toward the SURF, phantoms close in from behind. Tianyi, disadvantaged by her typing, can only hope to RECOVER from the damage.

A rippling snarl from the trees announces the presence of two Pokemon who'd been enjoying the nearby woods: an Absol whose ruffled fur resembles wings as it leaps to its master's defense, and a Silvally whose FANGS glisten with ICE as it lunges at shadows. THUNDER crashes overhead, the Absol relying on its SUPER LUCKY strikes.

[attr="class","pokesprite pokemon alakazam"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon lanturn"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon absol-mega"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon silvally-psychic"]

Katherine Fairburne

Warning comes in the familiar sound of opening capsules, but Orion is relaxed enough to disregard a potential threat. This is a public route, and though they're well off the beaten path it's not particularly strange that someone else might have wandered out this far in search of Pokémon.

"Hm?"

He turns toward the sound as the route is plunged into an unnatural darkness. His guard is up, now, but Orion is too late in releasing his Alakazam onto the scene. By the time Tianyi gets her bearings, an arrow of shadow has pinned her own.

The councilman hears his Pokémon cry out in pain, but he cannot see her. Her MIRACLE EYE allows her to discern shapes in the dark, but the ghostly shackle of her shadow prevents any attempt to flee. Her TELEPORT fails, and fizzles out.

Another capsule bursts, Orion's Lanturn attempting to ILLUMINATE the spreading void.

"Who's there?" Orion calls loudly. His voice comes out strong despite the panic gnawing at his chest. When he'd attempted to stagger back from the dark, his own shadow had acted as an anchor. He was trapped. "You're attacking a member of the Council; back down, and I'll consider against pressing charges."

[attr="class","pokesprite pokemon alakazam"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon lanturn"]

Katherine Fairburne

Orion's lip twitches fondly as he stares down at the odd, chittering creature in front of him. He crouches next to the 'baby' Ultra Beast, and lets out a startled laugh when it immediately elects to scramble up his arm.

"You really don't like nature, huh?"

Ever since it had hatched, the creature he'd learned scientists called 'Pheromosa' had displayed a particular disdain for the world it had been rudely birthed into. Orion had all but forgotten about the egg, assuming it infertile, until Balder Schwartz had gotten in contact with him about its hatching. Now he was entrusted to the care of this spindly white creature, who seemed only slightly less disgusted with him than the dirt and grass it had been set down upon.

"You're so quick," he muses. "Hey! Where are you going?"

Its claws hook into the fabric of his shirt as the Ultra Beast maneuvers from his shoulder to his back. Attempting to crane his neck to see what the little alien rascal was up to, the councilman's guard is momentarily lowered. Just long enough.

Katherine Fairburne

Claiming GACHA PHEROMOSA from Team Solar! We discussed our choices as a group!

It is him.

As if there had been any doubt; Orion would never admit to it, but he owned at least one magazine whose cover featured the famous blond. The thought of it does little to calm his nerves.

Had @cyril really just asked him out for drinks?

"Oh! Um, sure." Did that sound non-committal? Too quickly, Orion amends, "I-I mean, yes, I'd love to, that sounds — I'd love to." He looks down reflexively, studies a flaw in the tabletop before looking up at the younger man through dark lashes, his shy smile edged with hopefulness. "I'm Orion."

Before the heat has had time to disperse from his cheeks, Orion's plans for a peaceful, solitary lunch are dashed against the daring boldness of one @cyril.

Caught entirely off-guard, his thoughts derailed by a particular word — handsome? — the councilman opens his mouth, stares, then abruptly closes it. Like a deer in headlights, he feels trapped by Cyril's stare, wanting desperately to look away and yet scrambling to not appear rude because Cyril-fucking-Alarie had just called him handsome—

"I-I—" His first genuine attempt to speak is cut off when he stammers, and he reflexively presses his lips together, breathes. He'd taken PR lessons for his position. Speak clearly, feign confidence. He tries again. "I'm sorry, you — ah, you caught me off guard." Not much better, but he stumbles forward. "I'm on my break, I come here pretty often — it's, quiet, and all, and the drinks are pretty good—"

Orion stops himself for the umpteenth time and lets out an awkward chuckle. He's flirting, idiot, he doesn't care about the café.

Shame Orion doesn't know how to flirt back.