[he's... not sure how he feels about james's reaction. he would police it, but he seems almost too forgiving.
best not to think about it.]
Uh... I guess quite a few people. [he sighs.] May and Steven-- other trainers here, were involved in it as well. May defeated Kyogre after it achieved primal reversion and Steven...
[his expression goes blank for a moment.]
...Was absolutely useless, like most champions.
[he hums.]
Maxie was there too. Ugh. I can't believe I miss my rival.
She's a very powerful trainer. [and while she shouldn't ever have to do it again, archie has no doubt she could calm the raging leviathan without breaking a sweat.
...god there's a lot to unpack there. but first, he feels a weird urge to defend team magma, defend maxie.] You heard wrong, bro. It was just us that woke up Kyogre. Team Magma never got to Groudon.
[he snorts at the ball part, though. childish.]
I handed the Blue Orb over to... [may, but hmmm.] ...well, doesn't matter who has it now. Important thing is it's not me.
I-- Okay, I get there's probably crazy rumours goin' around, but I never even saw Groudon. Why would I have any interest in it?
[...actually he can think of about twenty reasons off the bat, but.]
That can't be right. If I had Groudon, the world would've ended. Kyogre alone was so powerful... there's no way anything could've survived both of them, especially with their Primal forms.
Give me a minute. My brain just stopped working, because I thought about the shit I'd get from Maxie if he'd found Kyogre first. Oh, god. Awful.
[then looks up.]
I don't-- you were there? That can't be right. We went from the Seafloor Cavern on Route 128 to Sootopolis and nowhere else. Groudon wasn't involved. I'd remember if Groudon was there, trust me.
[he can't help but feel a little awkward-- how did this turn from archie trying to comfort james crying to whatever that was just now to this? well, better than sitting in silent, he guesses.]
It's just easy to forget when you let yourself get wrapped up in the regrets and guilt. Which is really easy. [arceus above is it easy] ...At least we have our Pokémon for company.
[said as he, too, watches sharpedo and mareanie play.]
And each other. Sort of. I mean, I'm glad I'm not the only one from our world here.
[even if everything james said about kyogre made... no sense.]
[James doesn't feel too much guilt over Operation Tempest... He'd paved the way for that but had the Twerps not intervened maybe the Operation could have ended smoothly.
He does, however, know what it's like to feel haunted.
The memories that anguish him have nothing to do with his criminal career... They're memories of taffeta gowns and cloyingly perfumed hands wrapped around his throat... Things he's not about to mention in front of a relative stranger.
Just the thought of them makes him sigh.]
You just can't let yourself get wrapped up.
[And for a moment his eyes cloud as a dark memory tries to return to him... It never gets the chance.
Someone else present starts to sense his torment, momentary though it is.]
YEEE-NO!
[And Mareanie is flying at James's face again. He lifts protective hands out in front of him and manages to hold her away from his body as he tips over backward.]
[while archie obviously doesn't know about james's past, he recognises expression on his face-- from matt, when he had failed him and from some of his grunts. he's about to try and offer consolation when...
well, when mareanie jumps at james again. he's not really sure if he should help?
archie, unhelpfully, cocks his head while he watches this.]
[oh jeez oh jeez oh jeez... archie shifts to dart out the way if she looks like she's about to jump on him. sharpedo, in the stream, is watching this with interest.]
Hey again, Mareanie. Y--you're really friendly and nice, y'know that? You must care about James a lot...
[he cautiously... holds a hand out. god please don't poison him again.]
Can you maybe not poison me this time? James is a lot hardier than me.
[she must be both a young pokémon and newly caught, he realises. sharpedo makes a sad noise that its friend is gone, prompting archie to hold out his ball for it and returns it likewise.]
S'too bad I don't have Muk here. He might've been able to help teach her how to not poison people... where'd you catch her?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
You could've died because of me. [and he's sure there's someone out there who did.] ...I'm sorry doesn't really cut it.
no subject
Huh?
Hey, it's okay.
Who hasn't gotten all tangled up in a wee bit of apocalypse here or there? Goodness knows I have!
no subject
best not to think about it.]
Uh... I guess quite a few people. [he sighs.] May and Steven-- other trainers here, were involved in it as well. May defeated Kyogre after it achieved primal reversion and Steven...
[his expression goes blank for a moment.]
...Was absolutely useless, like most champions.
[he hums.]
Maxie was there too. Ugh. I can't believe I miss my rival.
no subject
[He blinks.]
But I had no idea May had what it took to defeat a critter like Kyogre...
I'd heard Groudon beat back the beast, then they both just took their balls and went home.
Erm.
So to speak.
no subject
...god there's a lot to unpack there. but first, he feels a weird urge to defend team magma, defend maxie.] You heard wrong, bro. It was just us that woke up Kyogre. Team Magma never got to Groudon.
[he snorts at the ball part, though. childish.]
I handed the Blue Orb over to... [may, but hmmm.] ...well, doesn't matter who has it now. Important thing is it's not me.
[he cocks his head.]
What was that about Zygarde and Kalos?
no subject
Hum?
Of course Magma never got Groudon, you had it!
no subject
[...actually he can think of about twenty reasons off the bat, but.]
That can't be right. If I had Groudon, the world would've ended. Kyogre alone was so powerful... there's no way anything could've survived both of them, especially with their Primal forms.
no subject
[That's not right, he'd been there....]
But you had Groudon and they had Kyogre.
Kyogre escaped and then you had both....
And then Kyogre and Groudon both got loose but you were all Orb-loony and you and the Fishstrocity tried to flood the world.
And then, and then...
[He thinks.]
And then I'm not sure what happened, I was unconscious at that point and people tend to not fill me in about these things.
no subject
Give me a minute. My brain just stopped working, because I thought about the shit I'd get from Maxie if he'd found Kyogre first. Oh, god. Awful.
[then looks up.]
I don't-- you were there? That can't be right. We went from the Seafloor Cavern on Route 128 to Sootopolis and nowhere else. Groudon wasn't involved. I'd remember if Groudon was there, trust me.
no subject
[A beat.]
That part wasn't your fault.
Maybe you're not remembering clearly. I don't usually remember things very well when I get possessed...
no subject
I wasn't possessed. Everything I did was fully my own actions, which is like... 99% of why I feel so awful about it?
no subject
Are you sure 'cause from where I was standing you seemed like you were possessed...
no subject
[that's the only way he could've been there, but archie's pretty sure none of his grunts have purple hair.]
I'm certain I wasn't. I remember everything pretty well. Too well, actually.
no subject
[He waves a dismissive hand, insulted by the very idea of it.]
No, no, I'm just someone with a knack for being in all the wrong places at all the wrong times.
[The proud smirk fades a bit as he looks Archie over.]
Memories can be rough, can't they?
no subject
he sighs.]
Yeah. Really rough. [he glances back at james, meeting his eyes for a moment.] I guess if you've that knack you know how it is.
no subject
Sure, there are plenty of memories I wouldn't mind ridding myself of, but...
no subject
But...?
no subject
[He looks over at Mareanie.]
People and Pokemon are who they are because they're an accumulation of memories, both good and bad.
You need pain to know what joy is like, right?
[He makes a face. This sort of comforting talk does not come too naturally to him.]
I think guilt is a poor foundation for a life, without other motivations beside it.
no subject
[he can't help but feel a little awkward-- how did this turn from archie trying to comfort james crying to whatever that was just now to this? well, better than sitting in silent, he guesses.]
It's just easy to forget when you let yourself get wrapped up in the regrets and guilt. Which is really easy. [arceus above is it easy] ...At least we have our Pokémon for company.
[said as he, too, watches sharpedo and mareanie play.]
And each other. Sort of. I mean, I'm glad I'm not the only one from our world here.
[even if everything james said about kyogre made... no sense.]
no subject
He does, however, know what it's like to feel haunted.
The memories that anguish him have nothing to do with his criminal career... They're memories of taffeta gowns and cloyingly perfumed hands wrapped around his throat... Things he's not about to mention in front of a relative stranger.
Just the thought of them makes him sigh.]
You just can't let yourself get wrapped up.
[And for a moment his eyes cloud as a dark memory tries to return to him... It never gets the chance.
Someone else present starts to sense his torment, momentary though it is.]
YEEE-NO!
[And Mareanie is flying at James's face again. He lifts protective hands out in front of him and manages to hold her away from his body as he tips over backward.]
no subject
well, when mareanie jumps at james again. he's not really sure if he should help?
archie, unhelpfully, cocks his head while he watches this.]
Uhh... want me to pull her off?
no subject
I'm fine...
[Seeing her Trainer play dead is a good sign he probably doesn't want a hug right now...
So Mareanie hops off him and turns her attention to the other Trainer who seems a little sad at the moment.
"Mareanie!"
She cheerfully starts hopping her way towards Archie.]
no subject
Hey again, Mareanie. Y--you're really friendly and nice, y'know that? You must care about James a lot...
[he cautiously... holds a hand out. god please don't poison him again.]
Can you maybe not poison me this time? James is a lot hardier than me.
no subject
Just before she descends on Archie, James pushes himself upright and extends an arm towards her, gripping a Poké Ball.]
Mareanie, return!
[She vanishes in a flash of red light and James looks down at the ball with a frown.]
I told you, other people don't think that's cute, not one whit!
[He spins the ball around in his fingertips and clutches it as it shrinks down to fit in his palm.]
Erm...
She didn't get you again, did she?
no subject
[she must be both a young pokémon and newly caught, he realises. sharpedo makes a sad noise that its friend is gone, prompting archie to hold out his ball for it and returns it likewise.]
S'too bad I don't have Muk here. He might've been able to help teach her how to not poison people... where'd you catch her?
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
1/3
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)