#kaanta

[adventourer]

I pretend I do not see.

@kaanta

[aetherceuse]

It's funny that we have Rose in the villain club now, because he's the only one that didn't break into Lusamine's house during the Rainbow Rocket event. He at least gets THAT much credit from her.

Achievement Unlocked: Didn't trespass. He can have a little medal. As a treat.

[yyamask]

"...U prommy?"

[vixletserenity]

Ah yes. Her most hated type of adult; she's met too many that are quite similar.

[skullkxd]

Examine! Your Z-Ring.

it’s your Z-ring. It almost never leaves your wrist, because it’s yours.

You never thought you’d be allowed to have one. boss had one, sure, and some of the other trial rejects in skull had them too, but you never imagined doing the trials yourself. It just wasn’t something that skulls did — it was something that your little rag-tag family was specifically rejecting.

It was something you figured you didn’t deserve. A ‘bad kid’ doesn’t deserve ‘good things’; a ‘bad kid’ will be rejected immediately from something like this.

But you weren’t.

It’s important to you. The fact that you weren’t “rejected”. The fact that you were able to actively seek out a dream you assumed was going to be forever out of reach. The fact that even though you had an uphill battle the whole way, Alola had to recognize you…

whenever they wanted to or not.

You weren’t chosen as a kid. Not by the professor, not by the tapu, not even by your own blood relatives. Rejected at every turn, it wouldn’t be surprising if you were afraid to try.

But you were able to choose. And you chose to chase those dreams, even when everyone outside of skull was beating you down, down, down. Even when you were hospitalized, even when you struggled harnessing the power of Z-moves without doing harm to your body, even when you were faced with the hardest battles against champions that are in a league of their own.

The Z-ring is proof of that.

[danderosa]

❝ It's Mister Rose! ❞

[haerith]

@kaanta // Oh he got noticed

Staring at people became a thing for him over time as he grew up, making assumptions about whoever, coming up with random things on the spot... Without wanting their attention. Usually, if said attention moved to him, he would just walk away and move on and all that without a care, but damn. This guy spoke to him.

"Oh, uh... Hey." Is it impolite to not introduce himself after he was told he can? "Sup."

[doublebattled]

@kaanta // from ask

Well, that's about what Hilbert was expecting. Getting information out of this guy was going to be like pulling teeth if he didn't manage to play his cards right. (It probably still would, even if he did.)

"Yes, we've already read those statements. However, Interpol's investigation is an entirely different matter.

"To be completely transparent, sir, this isn't a criminal investigation. Everything regarding that has already been carried out according to Galarian law, and Interpol had no interest in going above your justice system at this time."

Much as he would like to. If experience had taught him anything, it was that the biggest frauds always got off too easy. (Sure, the ex-Chairman's crimes were pretty milquetoast compared to all the others before him that had gone around capturing legendaries. But his own experiences didn't exactly make him eager to trust Rose, either.)

(Un)Fortunately, Hilbert is a professional. Whatever feelings he has on the matter have to be put aside in favor of the mission at hand. His division wasn't so concerned with justice as it was... Well, the optimistic way of putting it was "the greater good". Whatever that meant.

"We're far more concerned with Eternatus than we are with you, sir. We want to ensure that it's contained and not a potential threat to Galar—or anywhere else, for that matter. Therefore, I'd like to request your cooperation in this matter.

"I know you're a busy man, of course—by no means do you have to clear your schedule for me right this instant. But I think we would both prefer if a polite request didn't have to turn into a demand, right? So if you could find time in the near future to speak with me a bit more, Interpol would greatly appreciate it."

[galarglory]

“...” sniles so sneetly

A moment of Conversation “...”

A Hatterene stands before Rose matching his ever so sweet smile. She stares at him in analytical silence for several long, tense, seconds. Until finally removing the Kings Rock that sits around her head and placing it atop Rose's, it's a bit large on him so it winds up sliding over his head and to his neck. None the less the gesture is akin to a queen passing her crown onto her predecessor. In an instant he hears a voice in his head.

"Hello Mister Raza. It's wonderful to finally meet you. I've heard SO much about you. I'm so sad I was unable to witness your battle with my trainer, I heard it was very intense. I would have loved to be there." Her hand like hair touches his arm claws threatening to tear through cloth and rip into skin.

"You put up such a wonderful mask all the time. The other Hattrene's would simply LOVE you. The way you bottle everything up, hide it all under the surface like a child hiding from a monster under their blanket. Me personally? I've always loved watching human emotion though. My favorite thing has always been pulling that blanket back and seeing those raw human emotions. I wonder what yours look like. They must be devastating. How you fear them and how you fear others seeing them. You're right to fear others seeing them. You're right to fear what others will do if they know how you truly are. You know what Hattrene's do when we see that raw unbridled emotion. But do you know what humans do? It's so much worse. Just some food for thought."

With that she removes her Knights Rock, replaces it atop her head and takes her leave.

[starchanged]

@kaanta continued from here

Penny hesitated to hand the photo over for a second, nervous that he might keep the photo should they hand it over. Yet seeing the way his eyes softened at the photo they felt their own grip loosen on the photo as they handed it over to him.

They stood to their tip toes looking to the photo with him as he spoke. Silently trying to view the photo through his eyes, to understand the feelings he and Peony must have held at one point. What they must hold now.

"Really? I never could've imagined dad being that small." Ever since they met he'd always towered over them. Peonia used to tell of how as a kid his shoulders were always the best place for a fireworks show, no one could ever block the view. Seeing a picture of him younger then even they were now, it almost felt surreal.

It was the smile that gave him away though. That bright toothy grin which went from ear to ear and could lift even their darkest moods. It was so familiar they could recognize it even decades ago.

"A cufant?" They repeat until realization hits them. "You caught Uma?" Their dad had always been so proud of his Copperajah. He adored her as though the pokemon was his own sister. Penny always thought he'd caught her just from how close they were. But knowing Rose had caught her for him... It made Penny think. Maybe that was why he loved her as much as he did. Maybe he wanted to use her to make up for the relationship he lost with his own brother.

"Uhh... I- I dunno... Dad would be really upset if he didn't get it back." They're hesitant. The photograph really wasn't theirs to let Rose do as he pleased with. It was their dad's, if he knew they'd taken it without permission he'd be so disappointed. If he knew they showed it to Rose without permission he might actually be down right mad. "Can you promise to return it to me? Exactly the same as it is now."

[adventourer]

"If we don't bother learnin' from the past then we're just gonna make the same mistakes in the future... There's no bight future in dat."

[aetherceuse]

Giovanni 🤝 Ghetsis 🤝 Lusamine 🤝 Rose

Nightmare Blunt Rotation

[battlelaine]

Morgan 🤝 Rose Comphet for profit

[vindictes]

he went for that short man specifically because you saw him first.

[skullkxd]

🍙+ bassetts jelly babies

“……”

They look at the treats with a healthy dose of suspicion, glancing up at Rose to judge whenever these are poison or not. His expression doesn’t really give anything away, but —

ah, to hell with it.

Ree pops one of those suckers in their mouth, chewing with curiosity, before — their expression grows joyful, and they tuck another in their mouth, chewing rambunctiously.

“Oh! Fuck, I guess Galar has good sweets.” A pause: “… thanks, I guess.”

that’s the only thank you you’ll probably ever get from them, rose. Be grateful for it.

[danderosa]

@kaanta asked: Examine! Dynamax Band

You're seven years old and sitting cross-legged on the floor of the Wedgehurst lab. You're here early—it's barely midday, and Sonia won't be coming until after lunchtime—but you don't mind. You like watching the Professor work, like listening to the way she talks to herself, inadvertently sharing little snippets of knowledge you don't quite understand yet, but want to.

She's talking about the Dynamax Fe Fenom Phemon Phe-nom-e-non right now. Even you've heard about this: It's what makes Galar's Gym battles so exciting! Both you and Char have spent hours pouring over the match highlights on the TV, oohing and ahhing at the power of the transformation.

You think you'd like to try it, one day. But for now that's a thing reserved for Gym Leaders and Champions.

You're eight years old and sitting with Sonia in the Trainer School playground. Following the announcement that Dynamax Bands would be available to all Gym Challengers, your school had arranged a special visit to mark the occasion.

Macro Cosmos would be sending someone down later this month to demonstrate the newly-improved band design, and there's even rumours that there's a battle planned for the end of the visit. As one of the only children with a Pokémon, your name is naturally being bandied about as a possible opponent.

Sonia, as one of the only other children with a Pokémon, is also apparently being discussed as a possibility. You think the teachers will make you battle it out to decide the winner. You think she knows it, too: You've seen her reading up on type advantages and HMs in the library during lunchtime playtime.

As this is the last term before you're off to the Isle of Armor to start your training, you plan to give it everything you've got!!

You're eight years old and standing on one edge of the Wyndon Stadium, clutching tight to Char's PokéBall. The suited man from Macro Cosmos stands at the other end, Dynamax Band secured around his wrist and Ultra Ball in hand.

Your teacher had wanted this battle to happen on school grounds, but there wasn't a power spot there. She'd taken you aside and said that you didn't have to battle, you know. That a teacher could take your place instead. You'd beamed a bright smile and promised her that it'd be alright—you had Char with you! Nothing would go wrong.

She'd frowned in that way that means that she didn't really believe you, but sighed and took her hand off of your shoulder. She'd promised that she'd make a special request to have the Chairman himself present for the battle, anyway... Just in case. That's why they'd come to Wyndon. He's a busy man, apparently, and has no time to be travelling to the (much closer to the school) Motostoke.

You can see him now, standing up in the special box they reserve for the match commentators. You would give him a wave, but the match countdown has already begun, and you already know better than to let your opponent strike first.

Charmeleon hits the field mere moments before his Excadrill, and he rushes across the field to Scratch razor-sharp claws across the opponent's patterned stomach. The first move is yours.

You're eight years old and watching the explosion of a defeated Dynamax Pokémon. The heat of it ripples across the pitch, the wind whipping your ponytail around and sending ash and dust into your eyes. Panicked, you grab Char and cuddle him to your chest, shielding his eyes from the same wind and ash and dust that blinds yours.

When the smoke clears, the Excadrill lays unconscious. The Macro Cosmos man recalls it.

Your class are cheering.

Your teacher has a hand over her mouth in stunned surprise.

Char is wriggling within your arms, tiny, clawed hands digging into your shirt and pulling himself closer. That orange muzzle is split by a wide grin, and his tail is burning so hot the heat of it is scalding your arms, the center of the flame glowing a bright white.

You've won.

You're eight years old and conversing with the Galar League Chairman in the stadium lobby. You're making a real effort to remember the manners your mama taught you: remembering your pleases and thank yous and to say 'it's nice to meet you' once the introductions are done.

He shakes your hand firmly and congratulates you on your victory. He praises your talent—exceptional skill for one so young!—and you tell him (as you tell everyone, for this is not the first or last time you'll be having this conversation) that it's really all thanks to your partner. Char's real special, you say. It's only 'cause of him that we're able to put our all into the battles.

You choose to ignore the way his nose crinkles, just slightly, at the sound of your harsh Postwick accent.

You tell him you 'n Char have been together three years already. That you'd gotten him a whole lot earlier than you were s'posed to get a starter, but that your bond was too strong to justify waiting all those years to make it official.

Well, he says, such a special duo deserve a special victory present!

A Dynamax Band is slipped over your hand. It's a little too big, slipping down towards your elbow every time you raise your arm, but to you it's perfect. You thank him enthusiastically and assure him you'll take real good care of it.

I'll make you proud, Mister Chairman, sir! I promise!

I'm sure you will, Leon.

As you shake hands again, exchanging your goodbyes, you see a glint in his eyes that wasn't there before.