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[ Finn's about to answer something about what he's learned about being stuck on a single planet so far but stops from the sudden yet subtle wave of emotion. He'd been getting better at ignoring it, but that tiny streak of fear brings him pause. What does Guzma have to be afraid of here?

It's so subtle, though. Maybe just a little anxiety?

Then he's distracted by the Poké ball and SUDDEN DOG that he momentarily forgets the rest of it. With a gigantic smile, Finn falls to his knees to give Mightyena a great big ol' hug. ]

Hey, man! Sorry I was gone so long. I heard what happened to Archie. I'm so sorry. Are you okay? You been a good boy?

[ Halfway through the hug, he starts scratching up and down Mightyena's back. Weird that it felt like no time at all to Finn yet he missed this dog so much. ]

[Should Finn find himself spending more time around Guzma, he'll come to know this strange undercurrent always seems to be there. Like a permanent anxiety that never seems to wane, no matter the situation. Like Guzma's always on some low-key high alert at all times. Dude doesn't know how to relax, or won't allow himself.

As Finn is clobbered by Mightyena, Guzma just watches the, both along with his two bugs. Mightyena, naturally, can't answer any of those questions beyond his excited barks, whines, and wiggles in Finn's arms. That tail wagging like crazy too. For all it might have been no time for Finn, it's clearly been too long for Mightyena! But those scratches? That's definitely a great way to get him to melt, and melt he does, complete with a little leg kick.

Guzma remains silent meanwhile, watching the two, before turning to face the water once more. Just in time for Sharpedo to come to the edge and call out to the group. Seems like Mightyena isn't the only one wanting attention. With an exchange of glances between Guzma and Golisopod, the latter makes his way over to the water, and jumps in. Joining the shark-Pokémon for a swim. Leaving Guzma with Scizor standing vigil beside their trainer.]

[ Finn ends up on his back, giggling a bit at the affection until he's distracted by Sharpedo. He looks at the pair left by the lake and shares a glance with Mightyena. ]

What are their names?

[ Is it even okay to ask? Should he even ask to see Crobat and Muk, too? ... Does he really want to see Muk, though? Hmmm. ]

[At the question Guzma glances over at Finn again.]

The one that just went into the lake's Golisopod. [he nods towards Scizor, the mantis peering over at Finn with a stern and stoic stare. Nothing friendly about it at all.] He's Scizor.

[Clearly it's fine to ask! There might even be a small twinge of positivity when Guzma talks about and acknowledges his Pokémon. Like a dot of white stark against the dark emotions that are otherwise swirling around in Guzma.]

How familiar are you with Pokémon? I know some of you other imPorts like to act like y'know more than y'do, but I know not all y'all are completely ignorant.

[ Finn blinks after the one that vanished into the lake before looking up at Scizor, never letting up the scratches behind Mightyena's ear. ] I'm Finn. Nice to meet you. [ None of Archie's Pokémon looked like these two so he's kinda fascinated.

Then he turns back to Guzma after the question. ] I haven't been around too many except for Mightyena, Crobat, and Muk. Even Sharpedo and I haven't really hit it off yet. [ He's trying not to take it personally. Just seems to be the aloof way Sharpedo is. ]

I did look after one for a little while, though. A lot of Pokémon showed up for a few days and one of them followed me home. Archie said his name was Poochyena, but we ended calling him Junior instead. [ He... really misses Junior...

Shake it off, buddy. ] A-Anyway, I wouldn't say I'm much more familiar than Archie's other friends.

[Scizor's cool gaze lingers on Finn long enough for his introduction, and with a shallow nod, he turns his attention back to the lake. At least Guzma keeps his eyes on Finn. Though they widen in surprise when he mentions that Pokémon appeared.]

Wait, some just appeared? Like, without a trainer or nothin'?

[Well that's something. He knew it was a possibility, considering all of them were here, after all, but that it's happened before...]

What happened to 'em--the Pokémon?

[He'll get to Finn's experience with them in a moment.]

[ Ah. Finn frowns, looking a bit miserable. ] They vanished. We looked around awhile for Junior, but they were all gone. We never found any of them.

Sometimes Earth does things like that. Things from our homes arrive and then leave just as fast. At the time, if I'm remembering right, the things we dreamed about would become real. One of my friends had a tree growing in his bedroom.

But, anyway, Archie's dreams apparently manifested in a world full of Pokémon. When the dreaming stopped, the Pokémon were gone.

[He watches him for a few moments more after his explanation, before turning his face away with annoyance.]

Tch... figures. This place is so wack--like a real bad trip, but so mundane in ways you're left questionin' if anything's actually fucked up at all.

Then it does that kinda shit to remind you. Or them rocks, or the fairies. I wonder if this happens to all worlds that fuck 'round with wormholes...

[That last part is said a little more quietly, to himself, but Guzma's never been good at actually being quiet. Of course, he's left wondering if this sort of chaotic mess is something that he and Lusamine would be bringing to Alola, once they've opened the Ultra Wormholes... He knew it'd bring the Ultra Beasts, but.]

[ Finn sort of pauses on the idea of this being wormholes. He hadn't heard it described that way before. ]

Hard to say. This is the only place I've seen or heard of that's like this. There are a few theories going around. Could be the broken porters, some secret technology we're not supposed to know about... Could be anything.

But sometimes, it's almost normal.

[ He says, giving a belly rub to a dog that could take lava to the face. ]

[Wormholes makes the most sense to Guzma, because he and Lusamine were trying to get into an alternate universe through them back in Alola. That's how it worked there, so it's what he's assumed is going on here. Instead of a Pokémon making it happen, it's technology.

Same thing, different catalyst.]

If this place had more Pokémon it'd be a bit more normal for me. That kinda throws it all off. The beasts that are here—animals or whatever—they ain't the same.

[And not just because they can't take lava to the face like the good boy getting spoiled over there. After all, Scizor can't handle that shit. Well, he wouldn't die from it, so maybe he handles it better than any other animal on Earth, but that's besides the point.]

But I dunno what other explanation there is. [He pauses, considering for a moment as he looks over at Finn. Then shrugging and looking away again, he figures it wouldn't hurt nothing, so he continues:] Where I'm from, we had shit comin' from alternate realities. Don't think Archie knows nothing about it, he sure don't act like it, anyway.

[ Well, Finn never said this was his normal but he was under the assumption that it was normal for most people, more or less.

He perks up at this news, though. ] Really? I didn't think there was another place like this. How did it start happening there? [ Wormholes, apparently. Maybe all of this was connected. ]

[Guzma comes from a society spread across four small islands, still steeped pretty deeply in tradition, and slowly modernizing. A big city like Maurtia Falls dwarfs the bigger cities on Alola by a considerate amount. In fact, everything here seems so much bigger, so much more expansive, than what Guzma's used to. It's almost overwhelming in a sense, and while he likes the change of scenery (something he almost thought he'd never be given back home), it really made it sink in just how different everything was.

How far from home he is, and maybe there's a small (although ignored) twinge of homesickness settling into him.

The talk of wormholes is a little bit of a distraction, but not quite. Not when it still has to do with talking about home. Oh well.]

Legendary Pokémon mainly.

[He shrugs.]

There's a foundation doing research into 'em, tryin' to figure 'em out and access them. It ain't like here, where it's rampantly dumpin' people and other shit in here like this world's a dump for every other alternate universe. There's been instances of shit happenin', creatures appearing, but I don't think people have come through.

[There has been, but he's not aware of that.

Besides, him and Lusamine were less so trying to bring people through, and were more trying to go through it themselves. He's still left wondering if that's how he ended up here. If their fucking around with Cosmog's unique ability had anything to do with it.]

Legendary Pokémon? Archie mentioned one of them before. [ Something about using it to take over the world and nearly destroying the world instead. ] He made it sound like they're too powerful to mess with... I guess that's never stopped people before.

[ He's kind of surprised to learn a Pokémon could do something like this. Maybe it's the same here. It's all some sort of living being or something. He thinks on it while giving Mightyena what looks like an amazing back scratch. ]

There has to someone looking into all this here that's not OTO. Maybe what you know about the Legendary Pokémon can help fix everything. Worth a shot, isn't it?

Yeah, they got powers we can only begin to understand. People be messin' with 'em even if they ain't got a clue what they're doing.

[He glances to Scizor, who spares him a similar glance, before shrugging at Finn's suggestion.]

Maybe, can't say I care too much to involve myself with them dudes who are lookin' into this shit. Not that I ain't helped Aegis before, but we ain't what you'd call homies, yo.

[He says that, and he means it, but the one thing that would indeed get him to work with Aegis again is trying to find a way home. It's almost a little ironic, that he's so ready to head back to Alola, just so he can leave it again. But this place doesn't have Lusamine, and that's one hell of a draw back.]

I'm with Aegis and so's Archie. You can just talk to one of us. No need to go to HQ.

[ He's not sure Jacob's making getting home a priority as much as keeping people alive but he'd definitely know who to talk to about all this mess.

He flops back onto the grass, Mightyena wiggling around next to him with his big ol' tongue hanging out, ridiculously happy and carefree. ] I think that's how people started coming here, you know? Messing with powers they shouldn't.

Man, you guys are all over, huh?

[There's an edge of annoyance in his tone, but there's no surprise behind it. It seems like he can't go two steps without tripping over an Aegis member, but he's also aware that their HQ shares his city, so that's bound to happen.]

I know that chick Allura is lookin' into it. She and me ain't really seein' eye to eye on much, not since I trashed her lay.

[Darin, he means Darin.]

You probably ain't wrong. That's usually how this shit plays out, right? Messin' with things y'don't understand, then it blows up in your face.

[Funny he should say that, when that's exactly what's waiting for him whenever he goes back home. Not that he thinks so.]

You trashed her what? [ Finn doesn't even want to speculate about that one. It sounds dirty. ] I, um- I don't know her all that well, though.

But, yeah! Yeah. I think that's what happened. I've heard that people used to come through the porters at will, either theirs or someone else's. Rumor is, they lost control and now we're here, but it's just a rumor. I'm not sure it's true.

Ain't familiar with the term, huh? [Different worlds, different slang. It makes sense, but man is it inconvenient at times. He shrugs his shoulders.] Her boyfriend. Darin—y'know him?

[That bit is definitely interesting, and Guzma turns a bit more fully to look at Finn as he talks. Rumor or not, it's definitely a possibility.]

It'd explain why we're here, huh?

The other option is that this government is full of shit, that none of this is arbitrary or random, and they're conning every heroic type into believing it.

I don't believe 'em, not for a damn second.

[ Oh, lay! As in- Right, okay. He gets it. And he blinks. ] I know of him. He's at Aegis, too. We share a few friends. [ He kinda wants to be nosy and ask what happened, but he'd just get one side of the story and it's not really his business, anyway.

He lets the Darin issue go and thinks about what Guzma's saying while scratching at Mightyena behind the ears. This dog's spoiled. ]

I agree, to be honest. I don't trust them either. One of my friends is registered, so now I am, too. If they did something to him, I don't want him to be alone. [ It's still stupid logic, but Finn's more comfortable with that than the alternative. ]

Honestly, it doesn't matter who gets registered or what we think. All of the imPorts are under their thumb whether we like it or not. Our options on this planet are... very limited.

Yeah, the dude seems to know everyone, tch... [Guzma seems oddly miffed at that, but he lets it go all the same. He wouldn't even be opposed to sharing the deets with Finn, after all, he loves to gloat, but for now he lets it fall to the wayside.

After all, Finn agreeing with him catches him, but what catches him even more is that stupid logic. Not because Guzma's against it, but that he respects the loyalty behind it. The bond that would inspire such a stupid decision, and perhaps Finn can feel how the tension in Guzma momentarily lessens after hearing that...

Though, it tightens the fuck back up with the latter half of Finn's contribution to the conversation. A scowl replacing the thoughtful expression that came before it as Guzma looks to the side, at the lake. Golisopod is nearly fully submerged, only his face and upper back visible in the water as he's floating there, watching the two humans talk. At least the sight gives Guzma a small ping of comfort.]

I ain't gonna play by their rules, no matter what they try to pull. Ain't the first time I've been strangled by a society tryin' to impose their ideals on me, their demands. Trying to shackle me with their limited options and messed up ideals—won't be the last, neither.

If they think they can bend your boy to their will, they got another thing comin'. I'll destroy 'em and anyone else who thinks they can break me.

[He sounds utterly convinced that he can, his tone leaving no room for plausible deniability of it.]

Edited 2019-09-16 20:36 (UTC)

[ ... Hmm...

Finn feels the sudden righteous anger and doesn't exactly flinch away. He's felt it before in himself, something striving towards hope and independence by any means necessary. It's the same drumbeat of his heart during that TIE Fighter escape, the march of the Resistance, all of that...

He sits back up, pausing his pets to talks seriously for a moment. ]

Aegis could use someone like you. Or maybe the Justice League if you feel better there. We all need people with that mindset to work together more. The only thing we imPorts have is each other... That's why I joined up.

[ After pouring a thousand questions onto Jacob's shoulders, anyway. He had to know they weren't a government weapon and has been pleased so far.

Anyway, he doesn't expect Guzma to jump on the offer. More like he wanted him to think a little about it. They could use more people like him. They all could. ]

[At the suggestion, Guzma just shoots Finn a disgusted stare, as if he just suggested something far more foul in nature, than merely joining up with Aegis.]

Nah.

[He shakes his head before looking back out at the lake, watching Golisopod as he lazes about in the water.]

A dude like me ain't gonna fit in with neither of those teams. I ain't nothin' but trouble, and a good deal of Aegis ain't fond of me, and I sure ain't caring to associate with a group so up their own ass to name themselves something like "The Justice League."

Me and them high-and-mighty types don't get on. And I don't answer to no one or nobody—'sides, got my own team.

[ Okay. He can't help a little snort at the dig. Finn thought the same thing when he first heard of "The Justice League." ]

Then don't. But if we all stay separate, then they'll be able to pick us off that much quicker if they ever decide to.

[ Actually, that reminds him that The Heal Squad exists... Should probably check in on that but later, later- ]

Yeah? What do you guys do?

Yeah, I know all about divide and conquerin', yo.

[He's a strategist, after all, but he's also stubborn as hell. Thus he doesn't seem willing to budge on this.]

Whatever we want. We ain't heroes. Ain't tryin' to front as 'em.

[They're a bunch of misfit criminals.]

[ Whatever they want? Yeah, Finn catches the implications. At the same time, he doesn't picture Guzma as a bad person. Not that he knows him very well but that was pretty clear so far, at least. ]

Was this back in your home or is the team here?

[ He's pretty sure Guzma's kind of new here, at least by a few months. Or maybe Archie just has all these close friends that Finn never heard of before. One of those. ]

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