004. Action for northern Route 34/also one other thing

[scientificflair]

[PRIVATE TEXT TO EMMY ALTAVA]

We need to talk. Now.


[ACTION]

[Well, some of you may remember that...weirdly terse post from Descole that went out about a month ago, asking exactly how one would know if their Pokémon that requires happiness to evolve is anywhere near pleased with you. You'll be pleased to know that it's -

...seriously not anything he'll have to worry about anytime soon. No. Really. It's not.

It's not exactly something he's keeping to himself, either. Oh, no. It's incredibly evident in several ways, the primary one being the fact that he's currently skulking around on Route 34, just outside of Goldenrod City, and that Togepi he's been training is currently wailing up a storm.

Descole doesn't seem to know what he's supposed to do with the fact that the damn thing simply will not stop crying; to his credit, he isn't just up and ditching the thing, though from the look of it he's clearly considering - once in a while he'll get fed up and stomp off a few feet, only for the wailing to intensify the further he gets. The result is this...bizarre storming back-and-forth routine, simply because Descole is the paragon of grace and charm and he cannot figure out how to make the damn thing shut up.

Yes, he has tried everything from leaving it alone to being in its presence to...yelling at it to shut up. No, he has not worked out the incredibly obvious solution of "pick the little crying eggthing up."

-50 PICARATS FOR YOU, DESCOLE.]

Comments

[scientificflair]

Over a man?

[................well this is news]

...Emmy, how much do I really want to know...

[snapandscoot]

A friend of mine, Descole! You know Mr Kimblee; my date for the Masquerade? We're not together, if that's what you're thinking!!

[[...why she suddenly felt the urge to adamantly make that point clear is a mystery, but that's....not the point, right now!!]]

And besides, doesn't that make it all the more ridiculous? Archer is telling people to go after me just because Mr Kimblee likes taking me out on the occasional platonic date to a coffee shop!

[[WHAT VALENTINE'S DAY SHENANIGANS]]

[scientificflair]

[CAN WE GET ON THE SAME PAGE HERE PLEASE]

That wasn't what I meant! I never said you were together -

[WHARRGARBLWHARRGARBL JESUS CHRIST]

Are they gay?!

[snapandscoot]

[[WHAT

WHAT]]

How am I supposed to know something like-well, Mr Kimblee definitely isn't, or at least he's interested in women! I mean, I wou-

[[AND N O P E WE'RE NOT GOING WITH THAT LINE OF CONVERSATION QUICKLY VEER LEFT]]

Are you asking if they're together?!

[scientificflair]

That would be literally the only reason why I would want to know if they're gay, Emmy!

[snapandscoot]

Are you implying I thought YOU were interested in one of them, Descole?!

[scientificflair]

Will you answer the question?!

[snapandscoot]

MR KIMBLEE IS NOT GAY!!

[[HE'S JUST IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH A MAN AT THE MOMENT!!!]]

And how the bloody hell should I know about Archer?! Probably?! He seemed to think I was stealing Mr Kimblee from him!

Has that cleared the gay issue up for you?

[scientificflair]

[I'M PRETTY SURE THAT MAKES HIM GAY, EMMY, BUT I DON'T KNOW, I AM NOT FAMILIAR WITH HOW GAY PEOPLE WORK]

You were the one that implied that they were together in the first place, given that you seem to think Archer is under the impression that you're some sort of strumpet - that thought had to come from somewhere, Emmy!

[snapandscoot]

What did you just call me?!

[[THOSE DARN HOMOSEXUALS AND THEIR WAYS!!!!!!]]

I am not some sort of man-stealing tart, Descole! You take that back!

[[THIS REQUIRES PISTOLS AT DAWN, GOOD SIR!!! BY JOVE!!!]]

[scientificflair]

I said he was under that impression - I don't know what you do in your spare time, nor do I know whom you do in your spare time, nor do I particularly care either way!

[snapandscoot]

[[SHE IS GOING TO THROW THIS EGGTHING AT YOU, YOU-]]

Could you be any more crass if you tried?! I cannot believe I'm hearing this!!

[[JFC SHE IS GOING SO RED

THIS IS SO UNGENTLEMANLY

SO

UNGENTLEMANLY]]

Do try to have some damn decorum, Descole!

[scientificflair]

Likewise, Emmy! Do you even understand that by approaching you about any of this in the first place, I'm trying to do you a favor - and if you do, would it kill you to be a bit more civil and less defensive overall?!

1/2

[snapandscoot]

......

2/2

[snapandscoot]

I suppose.

[[Hmph!]]

....well....what do you think I should do, then?

[[...and there's actually a bit of a sad tone to her voice. She hugs the Togepi closely against her body, looking off to the side.]]

If what you said is true, that list has gone to all of Team Rocket...I don't know who the members are, Descole...how am I supposed to defend myself against dozens, maybe hundreds of people I can't even see coming?

[scientificflair]

[He looks away from her then; when he speaks, his voice is tense and...strangely awkward.]

They won't go after you. They have your name, but they shouldn't attack.

[snapandscoot]

....really?

[[She's....cautiously optimistic!]]

Why is that?

[[Please give her good news!]]

[scientificflair]

[Yeah, he's...still not looking at her. Even with the mask over his eyes, that's incredibly obvious - his entire damn head is turned from her, and from the look of it the ground behind her somewhere is seriously angering him.]

I took a guess and assumed that the person circulating the list would understand personal vendettas. I was right in that assumption.

[He pauses for a moment; both his voice and his posture are incredibly tight.]

I asked to be allowed to handle you myself. In exchange for a few small favors, of course.

No one should attack you, because that would be stealing my mark.

1/2

[snapandscoot]

....

[[...did she hear this correctly? He...]]

....you said you'd....so that no-one else would....

[[....oh

oh goodness

wow

you know, this eggthing

is so damn cute

let her look at it for a moment because maybe that will stop her face going red again]]

2/2

[snapandscoot]

[[....nope, the eggthing doesn't appear to have that power. Instead, let her run a nervous hand through her hair, forcing a smile onto her face.]]

That's...that's really generous of you, I....

[[....have no idea what to say. What on earth does one say in this situation?]]

I'm.....really grateful, Descole.

[[And to her credit, she'll actually look at you while she says that! And that smile will even be a bit more on the genuine side.

...because she really is grateful. She just...has no idea how to express it, and....

....look at how fascinating the earth is, oh my goodness

better stare at it]]

[scientificflair]

[It's. Really quite fascinating, isn't it.]

I imagined it would be best to do that, in case your anonymous friend was watching when that list was released.

[He pauses for a moment, thinking.]

Speaking of - there was another name on that list that I found interesting. How, exactly, do you know Isaac McDougal? I believe he was mentioned as being a friend of yours by that...rather charming individual.

[snapandscoot]

[[...is that a topic change

it is! excellent!]]

What, Mr McDougal?

....wait a minute, he was on there? He's done ever less than me, I don't think he's even-

....

....Kimblee left Archer to go travelling with Mr McDougal and I....it makes so much sense! I cannot believe this!

[scientificflair]

...one more question.

At the time of the first anonymous attack against civilians, was Kimblee with you? I'm not accusing him of anything, but it's relevant.

[snapandscoot]

...Mr Kimblee? Ah...

[[....thinking.....]]

No, he wasn't. Why?

[scientificflair]

Because Colonel Archer was no longer in the base when those attacks occurred; I hadn't seen him for days. Given how close he is with Kimblee, and the fact that they seem to have reconciled sometime around the time of that first attack, I think this might explain something I've been wondering about - this anonymous individual pulled a bit of an interesting trick in your first conversation, didn't he? Knowing details that he wouldn't have known unless he was very close to you at the time of your Pokémon evolving?

[He pauses for a moment.]

If nothing else, you might want to tell Kimblee to watch what he says to his friend.