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Orion's quietly relieved as Annie makes what he believes to be a good case for herself; it wrenches in his gut when she mentions not wanting to lose Hoenn, for he hadn't forgotten what she'd told him on the rooftop.[break][break]

He's surprised to glean something into Lars' past, though he conceals that shock through a prolonged sip of his soda. The carbonation makes his eyes water. He doesn't usually drink soda, and it hits him like a punch in the throat. He shakes his head when Laurence addresses him.[break][break]

"No... honestly, might've joined sooner if I had..."[break][break]

He lapses into deep thought as he thinks back to his troubled teenage years. The knowledge that he could join the rangers as soon as he turned eighteen and got out from under his parents' control had been the only thing keeping him going. How different would he have turned out if he'd been able to escape their clutches sooner, before the worst of the psychological damage was done?[break][break]

It's way too deep a rabbit hole to be delving into in his bosses living room.[break][break]

His lip twitches, almost hopeful. "Is that a 'yes'?"

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The newest member of the council remains silent for a great deal of the back-and-forth between more seasoned members, dark eyes darting between each of them as they made their points. In spite of his best attempts to remain civil, however, he clenches his jaw at Olivia's continued coldness toward Lars. Though he makes no comment, he does cast a sympathetic glance toward the Head Ranger — and finds appreciation with Fernando's chastisement of Olivia's attitude.[break][break]

Of course, the bickering doesn't stop there.[break][break]

He thinks that Olivia's solution to the issue of funding is a fair one, and one that'll spare budget cuts, but is surprised when Fernando counters with a firm refusal. He's the head of logistics, and Orion assumes the man knows what he's talking about, thus keeping his own opinions to himself for the time being. He doesn't want to look foolish in front of the others and end up discrediting himself in their eyes.[break][break]

It's not until Olivia shows footage of a seemingly mutated Galarian specimen that he speaks up.[break][break]

"I've battled something like that myself," he says, when she pauses for breath. "I assume you're all familiar with the troubles Oldale had with dragon sightings during the new year? There was a Duraludon of rather unusual size rampaging about the town when I investigated one such report. I, unfortunately, did not capture it, but as far as I know, it's in the possession of PIERCE WILDE. If we wish to learn more of the phenomenon, I wouldn't be opposed to reaching out to him on the Council's behalf."[break][break]

The conversation continues, and Orion once again falls quiet. Fernando and Kim voice many of his own sentiments, albeit with less censoring and careful wording than Orion might've used. It's not until Olivia freaks out about inequality that he loses some of his carefully built-up patience. Thankfully, the two other councilmen are quicker on the draw and he's content to nod along with their arguments.[break][break]

He adds, "If you're concerned about equality, Olivia, maybe you shouldn't be so quick to jump down Anderson's throat when he voices his opinions."[break][break]

They're interrupted by a phone call, and Orion takes a breather to recollect himself. He doesn't want to fight anyone. Arceus. He just wants to sort things out for Hoenn's sake. So when Kim hangs up and Fernando mentions a pressing issue, he turns his attention to Silph, quietly intrigued.[break][break]

Would it be about Rocket, perhaps? Olivia's mention — and Dahlia's quick dismissal — of them has not left his mind.

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Much as her appearance rings of familiarity, Annie seems different. Off. Unsettled, perhaps. Orion can hardly blame her, and he makes no comment as he invites her inside and nods in response to the question.[break][break]

"Go ahead, just... be careful."[break][break]

The chimera has never attacked him outright, but it's shown tendencies toward aggression under certain circumstances. Orion stands to the side and watches anxiously as Annie approaches, summoning his Absol closer with a gesture of his hand in case they need to intervene. Katas was one of the few Pokemon in Orion's collection of misfits that the Null didn't seem to mind.[break][break]

It watches Annie like a hawk as she approaches, dead silent apart from its steady breathing. It doesn't move, not even as she gets within striking distance, and simply stares impassively at her when she offers a hand. At least, Orion thinks the creature is impassive. He's really not sure what to make of it, sometimes, except that he'd seen clear signs that it was struggling.[break][break]

"Percy's usually like this... real quiet, y'know? Is yours...?"[break][break]

Though it doesn't seem to react to the pat on its helmet, it does turn its head at the sound of the 'name'. Whether it's recognition or just acknowledgement of being spoken about, Orion can't say.[break][break]

They're joined shortly by the others, an unlikely group of individuals all guilty of a shared crime. Not for the first time, Orion wonders if this is something he's going to regret.[break][break]

"That's all of us," he says, once Stormy's taken her seat. Orion's Type: Null has taken to staring at each guest in turn, silently analyzing. The Absol has taken up a position at his side, close enough that their fur is touching. A comfort. "Everyone I know of, anyway. The way things went with Cotillard... I doubt we're the only ones." He sighs, then laughs, a strained sound absent of actual humour. "Listen: I know this is probably weird for everyone. It's weird for me. But I really want to understand these... uh... Pokemon?" It comes out as a question. "Help them, even. I don't know if you guys have noticed, but mine's a little, uh... he gets distressed, sometimes. I think it's the helmet."

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"Do we want to meet an alien civilization?" Orion's laughter is strained, more of a nervous tic than an indication of amusement. "I mean, you were at Slateport. I don't know if I want to know who else lives here..."[break][break]

Of course, he'd signed up for this mission and he'd be damned if he chickened out now. In spite of the lump in his throat and the flutter of his heartbeat, he doesn't protest when the general consensus leads them toward the city.[break][break]

But when they traverse yet another tunnel of light and emerge on the other side, the 'city' is eerily devoid of life. Where Orion had expected to see some kind of life-form traversing the streets of such an advanced-looking civilization, his anxious gaze settles upon a single source of movement: too quick to identify, but more than enough to raise the hair on the back of his neck.[break][break]

"Yeah, that light looks like bad news," he agrees, and gestures to where he'd spotted the movement. "Saw something move over that way, though. Your call on whether or not we want to go that way."[break][break]

Releasing his Alakazam, he instructs her to use her powers of future sight in an attempt to glean some insight into what the sweeping beams might do. Should the group decide on a direction to move, Alakazam would teleport after them.

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Orion feels a little guilty as he approaches the garden; he's been neglecting it more often than not, lately, juggling two jobs and a disaster of a sleep schedule. The berry trees strangely still appear perfectly healthy from afar — perhaps confirming an earlier suspicion that he was no longer than sole caretaker of the little patch of land.[break][break]

A steady thumping sound draws his attention quick, and it's not long before he spots the culprit: a Skiddo![break][break]

"Hey!" His sharp tone seems to startle the goat, who offers a disgruntled bleat as if to reprimand the ranger for the jump scare. Orion isn't sympathetic; he knows that Skiddo don't need to eat the berries, so what did this little shit think it was doing? "Those aren't for you! Go on, shoo!"[break][break]

He flaps his hands at the Skiddo, but it seems utterly unimpressed until Orion begins to close the distance with a menacing gait. He wouldn't have actually harmed the wild creature, but it didn't need to know that.[break][break]

Checking on the trees, he finds them healthy and sits down beneath one to keep guard in case the little shit came back.

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Good, he's talkative. Under most circumstances, Orion would hate that, but in this situation it allows him to mostly listen.[break][break]

Until Rex, quite forwardly, asks if he's got a chance.[break][break]

Clearly caught off guard by the deerling-in-headlights expression, Orion takes a sip of his coffee in order to give himself a moment to formulate a coherent response. (Of course, it barely helps.)[break][break]

"Uh, yes," he replies, and then quickly corrects, "I-I mean, y-yes I've met people, but I'm not like, seeing anyone? To be honest I'm not sure if he was serious or just being nice..." He trails off, getting into his own head for a moment, before he remembers he's supposed to be socializing and turns redder still. "Anyways... does that answer your question or did I just make it more confusing?"[break][break]

He laughs uncomfortably, his smile apologetic.

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Rex carries himself with a cool confidence that Orion quietly envies. It only serves to make the councilman all the more nervous, fiddling self-consciously with his hands as the other man sits across the table.[break][break]

"Haha, yeah," he agrees with an awkward laugh. He's quick to latch onto the first available topic of conversation, anything to avoid uncomfortable silence. "Your Cranidos is really cool, too, though. Did you get it from a fossil or was it in the wild?"

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Though he isn't intimately familiar with their practices, Orion knows of the Abiatti family and their religion. How they revered the sea above all else. He doesn't understand it, but he's too worn down from the night's events to question her words. He just wants his Pokemon to be all right.[break][break]

Releasing his Swampert into the surf, his heart wrenches at the creature's agonizing cries. The councilman's expression is visibly tortured as he kneels in the water next to his Pokemon with no regard for how it soaks through his clothes and stings at open wounds.[break][break]

"I know, buddy, I know, shh, it's okay," he murmurs with one hand on Schism's flank, trying to soothe with words where he's otherwise unable to help. His eyes are shining with tears not shed when he looks up at Olivia. "How is this supposed to help?"[break][break]

It's not accusing; it's almost hopeful, like she might know some miracle cure for the pain his partner was in.

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When Orion next risks a look behind at the opposition, he sees them in ruins thanks to Kyle's interference. Grinning wild with his adrenaline, he shoots the Elite Four a thumbs up before turning his attention back to the real competition.[break][break]

Thanks to the baking heat of the sun, any competition apart from fire and grass types start to fall behind as those drawing energy from the heat take the lead. He witnesses the girl with the Galarian Rapidash cursing and abusing her Pokemon as he flies past her and makes a note to ensure she gets arrested alongside the man they were here to bring down.[break][break]

His mount is a Rapidash as well, of the Kantonian variety, its fiery mane streaming behind it like a banner. Try as he might, Orion's finding it difficult to gain ground on the experienced racers. The flaming horse fires a wheel of flame behind it, and Orion ducks low and clings tight to his Arcanine's fur.[break][break]

"JUMP!"[break][break]

There's not enough time to dodge, so he trusts in Apollo as the Arcanine howls and leaps into the air. Orion feels the heat from the fire as they clear the hoop, but doesn't breathe until the dog's weight slams back to the earth and they're running once again.

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As the Dragalge goes down with a horrible sound, the thick underwater smokescreen begins to fade. Nephelai's light pierces through the darkness and Orion breathes a sigh of relief, kicking his fins to swim closer to his Lanturn.[break][break]

This also puts him closer to the Kingdra, however, and the ranger doesn't miss how territorial it seems to be over their fallen prey. As best as he can underwater, Orion mimes a gesture of surrender with his hands, attempting to convey to the Kingdra that they'll have no trouble from him nor his Pokemon when it came to the incapacitated Pokemon.[break][break]

He turns to check on Stormy and realises with horror that she's breathing heavily, clearly panicking. Ignoring the mouth of the cave for now, he swims close and puts a hand on her arm.[break][break]

"You're OK," he says, muffled but firm. "It's OK. We're safe. Try and steady your breathing; you don't want to burn through your air supply. But if you think you need to swim back up, I can go in alone, all right?"[break][break]

He knows the cold claws of fear only too well, and wouldn't want to subject her to them any further.

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Orion is the first to arrive at his next table, and he settles anxiously into his chair. His catch-up with Hannah had been a nice reprieve from the dating aspect of speed-dating, but now it was back to the usual fare.[break][break]

An Absol sits at his side, silent and still as a statue save for the red eyes that blink on occasion.[break][break]

On the approach of Rex, the councilman offers a smile that's as brief as it is nervous.[break][break]

"Hey," he greets, and intermediately his cheeks flush red. Too casual? Not casual enough? His heart hammers. "Um, I'm Orion. It's nice to meet you, um...?"

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Arceus above, it's been a long time since Orion's genuinely wanted to punch someone. He remembers his discussion with evan fader about being the bigger man, about resisting such urges, and their agreement that such a stance wasn't always satisfying resonates with him in that moment.[break][break]

But he doesn't want to lose either of his jobs, and so his nostrils flare with a deep intake of breath.[break][break]

This kid looks like he's fresh out of high-school, the sort of cocky punk that Orion's older brothers had been. Such unpleasant associations do nothing to better the councilman's mood.[break][break]

"If you do well, you prove your point," he repeats, nodding his agreement. Nova makes to follow the kid and his Pokemon, then hesitates and trots back to her trainer when she realises he hasn't moved. "If you do shit, I clean up your mess and don't mention you in my report as anything other than an arrogant civilian who got in the way of an important operation. I get the credit and the reward, you get blacklisted from future jobs. Who do you think they'll believe?"[break][break]

Orion now counts himself among the ranks of the elite rangers, to say nothing of his camaraderie with the Head Ranger, Laurence Anderson. Petty as it was to use such things as leverage or blackmail, this little shit was really pissing him off.

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