soggypastry | 033 [Video/Action for Goldenrod + Anon Text]

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033 [Video/Action for Goldenrod + Anon Text]

[Private Text to: Riku and Xion]
Team Rocket's list of targets changed. You're both on it now, so stay sharp and watch your backs. I don't know when they'll move on any of us.
[/private texts]

[It's been almost three months since he left, with only a letter to say goodbye. To say that Lightning hadn't been thinking about him as the day that would have been thier first anniversary drew nearer would be a lie, and she's taken it with remarkable grace when all things are concerned.

Or maybe she's just used to getting left behind. Who knows. All she knows is there's a house on the beach with too many memories and dreams, and she can barely look at Lucky or Strike without expecting him to be right at her side. She has to put that part of her past to rest if she's going to be able to lead the Corps in the best way she can, and so she's come to the seaside once more. Something a young boy once taught her matters more than she ever thought it would now.

Those passing close to the Radio tower will find her crouched at the railing, a lit sparkler in one hand and a bottle with a letter in the other as her Lucario stands guard nearby, gear in paw. Today would have been special, if he were here. But he isn't and it's just one more anniversary of loss. One more thing that needs to be shaken off.]

Turn it off, Sen.

[The Lucario in question yelps, but it's only in surprise, not fear. Lightning's voice is steady and quiet, and she rises to her feet as the sparkler burns out and leaves ash in the wind. She moves to the railing now, but Sen manages to end the feed just as the bottle that was in her hand drops out of sight and into the ocean.

A few minutes later, however, something else hits the network. The fact that it's an anonymous text may make people wary, but there's nothing untoward about this one. No, this one is the exact opposites of the others that have gone out.]

[Anon Text]
If someone gave you a chance to help protect this world and everyone who lives here from the people who want to harm it, would you do it? Or would you stand by and watch it burn like the Lighthouse?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Just yourself? So you'd stand by and let the world burn so long as you survived?

[Honest question. She could understand if that's what he chose to do, but...she'd like to know.]

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<font face=Courier New">A world that was burning down would undoubtedly be a highly unpleasant place to live in, would it not?

That depends. Some people enjoy all that destruction and fire. Why else would they cause it when they're stuck here?

You're assuming that those people aren't an absolute nuisance to the rest of us. I've had a few run-ins with this sort of thing in the past, so it's not as though I'm unfamiliar with the kind of person we're discussing here.

That's good to know. Too many people were surprised when things like this first started happening. It's like they expected the peace we had to last forever.

[of course, they probably did, but...eh. She's too paranoid to think it would have always stayed that way.]

There was an incident the first time I arrived in a city that had a gym. Needless to say, I have no illusions about this place.

And would you have any illusions about working with others to help keep those kinds of incidents from happening again?

In a normal situation, I'd prefer to work alone-but nothing about our presence in this world is normal, so I suppose that beggars can't be choosers.

You're right about that.

[If she had her way, she wouldn't have to ask for any of this. Wouldn't have to field recruits and enemies alike. But, like he said, beggars can't be choosers.]

I suppose the real question is, would you work with a group if there was one or stay on your own?

That would depend on the group, really.

A group of trainers with the goal of taking out Team Rocket. That's all I can say over this channel; if you want more answers, we'll have to speak in person.

I suppose you could say I'm tentatively interested, then.

[He's not one for causes, but if the fight he had in Goldenrod is any indication, this will be far more of an interesting challenge than any of the gyms.]

How soon can you get to Goldenrod? That's where we'll meet, if you want to continue this discussion.

[Far more interesting? Perhaps. But certainly far more dangerous. Should be fun!]

I'm in Goldenrod right now, actually. I'm not sure how much longer I'll be staying, but I trust this meeting won't take particularly long.

It won't, provided you can get to the Pokemon Center without taking the entire day. I'll be waiting when you get there.

I will have absolutely no difficulty accomplishing that, so I'll meet with you soon.

Right. See you there. Look for the woman with the Lucario nearby; that's how you'll know it's me.

[And, sure enough, whenever Kayneth reaches the Center, Lightning will be leaning against an outside wall with a Lucario shadowboxing at her side. She's examining every person who walks by with a purpose, but other than that, she looks just like any other person. Hopefully she's obvious enough for Kayneth to notice.]

I'll keep that in mind.

[Kayneth has gotten by on the bare minimum of figuring out how to use the Pokegear so far, so he's not really the sort to have figured out privacy settings-however, he is cautious enough to have his Quagsire out with him in the event that someone saw that...

...regardless... it's not too difficult to find this recruitment agent, given that it's a bit hard to miss a woman with pink hair who has a bipedal jackal... thing next to her.]

You would be the one from the network, I presume?

[It's not difficult at all, probably. Besides the pink hair and the Lucario, she's wearing a black leather jacket one size too big. Probably sticks out like a sore thumb, but she doesn't seem to care at all as she pushes away from the wall. The Lucario has stopped shadowboxing in favor of watching the trainers, but he seems at ease, which is a good thing.]

That's right.

[She tilts her head, looking him over. He's not one of the Rockets she knows, but that means little in an organization that hides in plain sight. Time to see if this works.]

I never did get your name, you know.

[Well, if she's not even bothering with stealth she must either be incredibly competent or incredibly arrogant.

...or, well, both; sometimes those lines got kind of crossed and wow Kayneth pots and kettles!!!

Regardless, there's no reason not to be polite, and he likes to think himself the kind of gentleman that would be expected from his lineage, so-]

A pleasure to meet you, then. Forgive me for not introducing myself prior to this, but I'm certain you can understand my unwillingness to do so, given the circumstances-I am Lord Kayneth Archibald El-Melloi.

[Competent and confident and not afraid. Or perhaps arrogant, yes, just a little. But better arrogant and knowing she has the skill to back it than cowering in a corner somewhere, at least.

His title gets a raised eyebrow, and a polite nod.]

Lightning.

[She watches his face for a moment once she says it; she's not the best at reading people, but if he's a Team Rocket member who knows of the list, there should be some kind of visible reaction. At any rate...]

You should know that I can't tell you everything about us until I'm sure I can trust you. There's a lot more at stake here than most people realize.

[He... doesn't react much to her name at all; perhaps some people would find the name "Lightning" a bit strange, but given that nobody in his world batted an eye at names like Waver Velvet, Luviagelita Edelfelt, Sola-ui Nuada-re Sophia-ri, and, well, Kayneth Archibald El-Melloi... well, "Lightning" is a little more sane than the rest of those.]

No, I certainly understand that. Given the lengths that some of these people go to in order to hide their identities, I don't blame you for being suspicious.

[Either a very good actor or he doesn't know...neither is pleasant, but she'll take what she can get and nod, shifting her weight as if to avoid a cramp in one leg. It's more to be ready to move or defend herself if she needs to, but he doesn't need to know that.]

At least somebody sees it that way. [siiiigh, then she looks back at him. Time for phase two.]

What do you want to know? I'll try and answer what I can.

[Kayneth is, at the very least, not giving off any suggestion that he might be about to attack.

...then again he's kind of a skinny nerd, if he's going to attack it's going to be with his Pokemon... he isn't unless Lightning gives him reason to, but it's not like Lightning knows that.]

I would guess that the majority of people are blind to their circumstances, then? Well, no matter-there's not much I can do about them.

What do you know about the person responsible for the attack that occurred in the area around the Goldenrod Department Store?

[It's definitely not like she knows that, and she prefers to err on the side of caution. She's seen skinnier people take down giants before...granted that was with high level magic, but still!]

If you're talking about the attack that was broadcast over the network, then not much. No one who was in the city at the time was able to get close enough to identify the attacker, and the person who did it seemed to be working alone. We weren't able to trace their gear signal, either. It led us straight into dead ends.

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