strings_theory | Pokegear inbox

[Oh, what's this? A call from Carly?

And the location is on! And

why is the location Sevii Islands]

[ look who's calling, who wants to have chatty times ]

Hey, Jolyne, are you up?

[Erina doesn't know quite how to deal with this call, but she did notice something and now that they're not surrounded by copious amounts of family, perhaps it's time to follow that inkling of thought she's had gnawing on the back of her head.

Well, better to say something than nothing.]

I'm sorry I have to bother you with this, but I'd never had to buy one for myself, given that I could always just borrow one from my ex-. *Do* you know who to talk to if one wanted to purchase a pretty glass pipe for one's faithful employee's Christmas present?

[Hey, Jolyne, time to meet your Secret Santa!

...or at least, the gift he's sending. The box is very small but the content is good: it's a set of green eyeshadows, to match her lipstick. Written on the back of a very cute postcard, there's a poem by Jaskier, the ink gold and the handwriting refined.]

We pray a Merry Christmas,
Made bright by Christmas cheer,
With peace, and hope, and gladness
And all they may hold dear.

Merry Christmas from your "Secret Santa",
🏵 Jaskier

[this text comes late, late in the evening, after having received Jolyne's christmas present.

img]

[Attached is a short, 20-second video: the camera follows a still-unsteady bull calf (okay, a Tauros, that's still a bull calf) around the room. Unlike some hatchlings I could name, it appears to have zero inclination to swallow my books, tools, smuppets, or other Pokemon. The video ends when it touches noses with my Type:Null in an unscripted but truly heartwarming moment we will all forget in about fifteen seconds.]

Nice.

How long did it take you to think that one up?

[This is slightly backdated, but somewhere around the fifth/sixth of January, every Aurora League member is going to get one of these. It's a hand-written letter with a Pelagic gym letterhead leaving no doubts as to the sender.

It reads:]

I hope this letter will not be seen as me overstepping my bounds but --

I think the Aurora League should meet.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has noticed that strange things are happening -- first the wild rumours about pokemon losing control, then the incident at the Safari zone, and now the message that was visible in the sky during the New Year.

Perhaps I'm worrying too much, but it is starting to feel like what happened a year ago when that creature managed to find its way into this world. That didn't come out of nowhere either; there were several smaller events that preceded it though we didn't see the connection at the time. I'm not necessarily saying that this is because of that same creature (though 'He will be back' could certainly be a reference to it) but something certainly seems to be going on. And perhaps this time, if we act early enough, we can put a stop to things before it gets that bad.

I know the Pokemon League is undoubtedly monitoring this situation too, but there is no reason why we of the Aurora League couldn't look into things as well. Or at the very least share our thoughts. Several of us are gym leaders and come into contact with a lot of trainers. Someone may have heard or seen something that, on its own, isn't particularly troubling, but if put together with other, similar accounts, could indicate something brewing.

Plus, even if there is nothing to share of that sort, I think it would be good to get to know each other a bit better. Several new members have joined us since that November. Who knows, we might need to depend on each other again in battle, and wouldn't knowing more about each other and how we fight help if it ever comes to that again? It's easier to trust someone at your back if you know what kind of person they are.

I know all of us are pretty busy, but I'm hoping you could all make time to meet on the 27th of January. That is still nearly three weeks from now, which should give those of us with gym schedules and other jobs enough time to arrange for some time off. I've even found a good place to meet at, where we can both talk and even battle if people would like. I've enclosed the address on a separate card in this envelope.

I hope to see you all there, though please let me know if you cannot make it.

Yours truly,

Armin Arlert

PS. Please do not worry about the costs involved. When I asked Lance for suggestions on where to meet, he told me the Pokemon League has a discretionary fund for these kinds of things.

[As mentioned, there is a card inside the envelope with the address of a battle club in Viridian City.]

[Given in person on Christmas, Jolyne will be receiving a box of homemade cookies and a pretty generous gift card to an online retailer.]

So, just a hypothesis, bear with me here...

Have you ever made any gym leader other than Whitney cry?

A bit before the EV announcement on MEGASTONES

ring ring ring

A Little While After the Family Dinner

12/21

Pidgey Mail | Morning of the 25th

no subject

January 5

no subject

forward-dated to 12/25!

AFTER NARANCIA THREAD...