azume | Second.

Second.

ENCOUNTER 2.

Saturday evening arrives, and with it the time to follow through on that invitation.

Upon entering the resort area, the group will be greeted - inasmuch as the emotionless can properly greet anyone - by staff that evidently works there. They don't appear to be affiliated with Team Galactic, at least not outwardly; they're all dressed similarly, but not in Galactic uniforms, and their hair is down and noticeably not covered in identical wigs. They seem to have retained some aspect of individuality, in other words, as opposed to being absorbed into what appears to be the Team Galactic hivemind, and while they don't seem genuinely pleased to see the lot of you, they'll smile politely as they usher you in, albeit in an odd, uncanny-valley sort of way that doesn't reach their eyes. A purely mechanical reaction, their bodies smile while they do not.

It's probably a little difficult to say whether that's preferable or not to the usual blankness you may be getting accustomed to.

However, they seem cordial enough as they escort all of you further into the resort proper, past several bungalows that likely contain a few rooms apiece for people to reside in for the duration of their stay. The walk will take you up a few sets of stairs built into the rock formation the resort is built upon, leading eventually to a restaurant that likely overlooks Lake Valor from the north side of the building - it certainly seems elevated enough, and the positioning is right. The seating area itself seems to have been prepared in advance for your arrival; rather than several separated tables, there's one long arrangement draped in white, with twelve chairs arranged down each side - twenty-four total - and one at the head of the table. That one appears to already be occupied with your host for the evening; the smile Saturn is offering is soft but it isn't nice, disingenuous in a way that's only slightly less unsettling than the mechanical expressions of the staff.

"It's good of you to join me." His voice is likewise soft but it isn't nice; just the same, he'll gesture at the rest of the table easily. "Feel free to have a seat, and keep your Pokémon out if it pleases you; this used to be a battling establishment, so the staff is more than accustomed to things like that."

Food will be brought out shortly after people are seated; there are no arranged seats, so you're free to sit wherever suits you along the table. It's likely noticeable once things are laid out that either the people here don't hunt or Saturn is aggressively vegan; either way, there's no meat involved and nothing that would insinuate that Pokémon were harmed in any way to obtain what's in front of you, though the food is still decidedly nicer and more substantial than anything you've had for the past week - high-class and freshly-prepared, and not...you know, relying on berries and nonperishable stuff from a department store shelf.

"Enjoy yourselves." Saturn's voice is still even, still calm to perhaps infuriating levels regardless of whatever the atmosphere in the room may happen to be, "since I did say that this was intended at least partially to apologize for the incident at the lakefront. And of course, you're welcome to ask whatever you like, seeing as you did have questions and I'm no longer strictly on company time. After all, a peaceful solution to this entire...situation is what we're all striving toward, isn't it?"

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Because something is going on with you and she thinks she's finally found it.]

Neither do the legends, but you still spoke to me about them. Why not your Pokemon?

Everyone in Team Galactic knows of those legends, as does your beloved Cynthia. I saw no reason to not tell you.

[Right. Excuse her while she eats another piece of vegetable - gently stabbing it with the fork this time.]

I don't understand why you invited us here if you aren't going to answer any of my questions.

[The anger her voice previously held seems to have dissipated, though - if anything, she's almost sounding...kind.

This conversation is starting to give her a sense of deja-vu.]

I'm answering the portions of your questions that are any of your concern.

[This man is exasperating-]

You're not my boss any more, you know. You don't get to decide what is and isn't worth me knowing.

[Oh yes, she overheard you mentioning that she was supposed to work for you. Lovely.]

But I am getting more and more sure that you are bothered by what your Master has done.

[Another piece of vegetable neatly disappears into her mouth, Rey happily munching on it as she says-]

Otherwise you'd tell me about your Pokemon.

That has nothing to do with you.

[He's obviously agitated, but there's less volume behind it than there was with Zelda, even if there's no less severity, god forbid we get people eyeballing the forks again.]

[excuse you he wasn't eyeballing anything]

[he doesn't need you smelling the damn forks either]

[....ah. There it is.

Finally, Rey feels like she's getting somewhere.]

It's a sore spot, then.

[For once, that's not a question.]

Think what you want. It hardly matters.

[...]

Can I see one of your Pokemon?

For what reason?

Personal curiosity.

[ In spite of herself, Zelda actually giggles at that response. She'd been on a similar line of questioning when the man outburst, but that response was far more clever than her own. ]

[O-oh, well. Rey is pleased to be appreciated. Their ex-boss deserved it!]

[Little thumbs up over the table, Rey, for turning that annoying response back on him. If you weren't sitting a few spaces over, she'd high-five you.]

[Rey will take note of that thumbs up with a tiny smile.

(Don't worry, she's internally elated. How nice................)]

...Very well, then.

[His hand slips below the level of the tabletop then, for the sake of finding one of those Pokéballs at his belt; the creature he releases is far different than Cynthia's and not quite as large, but still very obviously built for combat, physically speaking.

She's also just as dead behind the eyes as the rest of the Pokémon you've encountered in this world.]

[.....oh, wow. Rey hadn't actually thought that Saturn would do what she asked (at least, not without another ten minutes of him avoiding her questions), so for a moment, she's speechless as she takes in the sight of his Pokemon. It looks strong, for one thing - far stronger than anything they've got, and yet...]

...oh. It's a....

[...even with its size, Rey doesn't feel all that intimidated. Just...sad, especially when she sees the lack of light in its eyes.

What sort of a monster is Saturn's master?]

...Croagunk. No, wait-

[She's seen its picture in her book, what was the name....]

Toxicroak. It's a Toxicroak, isn't it?

Yes, she is.

[You've researched this because of course you have.]

...She's been with me since I was a child. They can be found in a certain area in Pastoria City; that's where I grew up.

You let someone you have been with since you're a child undergo something as cruel as this?

[Kiryu sounds both in disbelief and absolutely furious]

[Oh, that's - ]

I didn't simply let that happen!

[...You aren't the only one that's Fucking Pissed right now, Kiryu, let's put it that way.]

Then explain this! What reason's there to have your companion be a shell of what she was before?

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