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[rocketman]

✆ Crystal | Messenger Bird | In Person

Comments

[broceanic]

I'm gettin' you three of 'em.

[HIS TEAM LEADER HEART IS BREAKING...]

[rocketman]

[James opens his mouth to gleefully accept this offer but what comes out is...]

I say, old chum, are you all right?

[broceanic]

[he shakes his head with a snort.]

I'm fine, James. I'll be back in a moment.

[and he will be-- holding the three martinis, then disappears again and comes back with a god damn stein for himself.]

[rocketman]

[He lifts a martini glass in a toasting gesture.]

Here's to...

Uh.

[Long pause.]

I've got nothing, help!

[broceanic]

To...

[it takes him a moment, too, thinking it over.]

To... not... to not... bein' on fire?

[archie shrugs helplessly, then takes a long pull of his drink.]

[rocketman]

All right, to not being on fire.

[He takes a sip of the martini and settles the glass back down.]

Where did you say you met the Twerp again?

[broceanic]

In the middle of that fog we spoke of.

[he takes another drink, shrugs.]

He's the boucer here, though I guess he's not on shift tonight.

[rocketman]

Right...

Wait...

Bouncer? Here?

[James looks around.]

Why would they let him do something like that!?

[broceanic]

[archie puts a hand flat above his head. then out to the side.]

He's massive.

[rocketman]

Massive? The Twerp!?

[James boggles.]

You and I have very different definitions of that word.

[broceanic]

I mean, he was literally taller than me.

[it makes sense, he thinks. archie didn't think of the person james described as a kid.]

My memory's not that bad.

[rocketman]

You're not very tall, buddy, but you're not that short, either.

You don-

Ah

Hm...

[James drums the tabletop and his eyes become unfocused and his brow furrows. The gears are turning...

Turning....]

[broceanic]

Hey! I'm not--

[oh, it's dawning on archie, too. he takes another long pull of his drink, more interested in getting twatted than working this stupid mystery out.]

What?

[rocketman]

[Jame takes a slow sip and says, steadily....]

...We're thinking of two different people, aren't we?

[broceanic]

[he frowns into the distance over james' shoulder, unfocused.]

Maybe so...

[rocketman]

Just so we're clear...

Yours isn't a ten year old, right?

[He takes another sip.]

[broceanic]

[he puts a hand on his beard, appears very deep in thought.

...

...

...


...










....









...]

No. Unless... a disguise?

[rocketman]

I've never known the Twerps to wear disguises, that's more my shtick.

But...

[James also drifts into deep thought.]

...Hmm...

[broceanic]

It was very realistic. He really looked like a forty-year-old.

[archie taps his chin.]


...No, it has to be someone different... there's no way he could know you were here!

[rocketman]

There's no way the Twerp could pull off forty.

I can barely do that...

[But because he's too pretty, not because he lacks skill... At least in his own not quite humble opinion.]

Has to be a different Ash.

You gave me a fright.

[He takes a casual sip of his martini, not fully realizing he just confessed to being afraid of a ten year old.]

[broceanic]

What're you gonna do if he does show up?

[look, he gets meddling kids. even ones that sound as unforgiving and horrible as this one.]

've been thinkin' about what I'd do if Maxie or any of Team Magma showed up... did you know them too? [he snorts.] Imma recruit any of his grunts or admins outta spite!

[rocketman]

[James opens his mouth and closes it again.]

You're gonna bring back Team Aqua? Here?

[broceanic]

Nuh.

[he takes another link drink, shakes his head.]

Just if Magmas show up. Like I said. Outta spite to Maxie. Asshole said he wasn't gonna leave me alone until we fixed my stupid mess. Now I'm here, alone! [he runs a hand through his hair.] Or... with Steven, I guess. And May. Can't believe I'd rather have Maxie here.

[...than steven, at least. may can stay. she's good.]

[rocketman]

[James blows out a sigh of relief.

He likes Archie. The other man is the closest thing he has to a friend in this strange place but if Aqua reformed they'd have to be enemies. Team Rocket's goal has always been to capture strong Pokémon, but James has been tasked with another assignment as well: Flushing out and dispersing other groups.

He's thinking about this when he catches on to what Archie says and snorts.]

I'd rather have Maxie here, too!

Steven Hyper Beamed me in the face!

[Champions also have a tendency to be Righteous in the more irritating ways.

...Although he still can't help squeal with fanboy glee around Steven Stone. It's Steven Stone.]

[broceanic]

Y'say that like Maxie wouldn't have Mega Camerupt use Lava Plume on you if he thought you slighted some rock.

[he huffs, feeling some strange emotion that makes the varnish on the wooden table they're sitting at crack and peel.]

Somtimes I think he's ready to Hyper Beam me, too. Guess that'd just be another thing we got in common.