gradientchoice | Mailbox @ Holly Heights

[Telling people how he feels about them? That's not hard at all for Cheren. He does that anyway. The real question here was a matter of just who to tell.]

Hello, Touya? This is Cheren. Though, I'm sure you probably guessed that. I just wanted to say that while we might not be from the same "world," I'm glad I have the chance to get to know you here. I think it might've been fun growing up with a friend that was also a guy, as nice as having both Bianca and Hilda around is.

[ Touya stares at his phone for a moment. It's still weird each time he's confronted with Cheren not being the Cheren he knows, but this is nice to hear. He's always been worried that he's just been complicating things for everyone and while he's sure nobody would ever think of him as a nuisance directly, he still sometimes felt that way.

He decides against calling back, because it's still kind of awkward, but he sends a text message. ]

I'm glad that we can be friends despite everything. Thank you.

[oh huh a response, and one that wasn't too bad at that. He's glad for that, really. While it might have been because of a dare, it wasn't like he didn't mean what he had said. But if Touya wants text, text is good too]

Don't mention it. I'm sure it's hard for you, but I really would like to get to know you better, like I've said before.

[ with Colress' sudden re-appearance in Holly Heights, Mei feels like she has a duty to inform her fellow Unovans about the possible new threat. while she knew that N and Cheren could take care of themselves, there was also Touya - someone that she knew only as a trainer from the same region she came from. ]

Hey, Touya! I've got something super-duper important to tell you!

[ He smiles at her in greeting. Super-duper important? There's not really anything he can imagine this to be about, so it got him curious. ]

Hey Mei! What's up?

[ super-duper might sound like it's leading up to something cute, but this is far from it. Mei doesn't quite smile back - her expression looks a bit worried, actually. ]

You said you were from Unova... so do you remember Team Plasma?

In great detail, actually...

[ His nod is immediate and his expression goes to worried right away as well. This confirms Mei doesn't know who he is at all, which is... nice, actually. It's hurtful with people like Cheren, but it's not all that bad to be unrecognized by someone new. ]

That's good... I guess. It'll save me some explaining.

[ she sighs. might as well get right to the point, then. ]

One of their commanders is here. He showed up with this month's batch of newcomers.

H-huh?!

[ He seems seriously startled at the revelation. He hadn't seen anybody. Cheren told him they had reformed, but the sages were not around, were they? And Ghetsis... it would be horrible to have him here, but Touya thinks N would have noticed and told him. ]

I haven't seen any of them... and I know them pretty well... Who is it?

Um... his name is Colress. He's a really tall guy with glasses and a labcoat and a really stupid-looking hairstyle - it's like a blue whoosh that goes around his head!

[ she makes a motion with her hands around her head to try and illustrate what she's talking about. but the fact that he said that he knew them well was a little strange... maybe he attended the rallies that Ghetsis and the Sages put on? ]

Ah!! I've see that guy!

[ He knew he was from their world but nothing more so this comes as quite the shock to hear. ]

He's a Plasma member... commander even...? Well, you can never tell about people from appearances after all.

Yeah! And he's really dangerous... or at least he was. He said he wanted to change, but I'm not so sure yet.

[ she wants to believe he was telling the truth, but she had been deceived by him before. one doesn't just go from being willing to destroy the world for science to being a model citizen, after all. ]

You should be careful around him once you get your Pokemon back. He might try to take them and use them for experiments!

I have Maractus back, actually... and I'll remember that.

[ 'Expiriments'....? That sounds nasty and he doesn't really want his partner to have any part in that. But it also makes him curious to hear more about Colress... In his time fighting Team Plasma he's met a lot of different characters, each with their own reasons to support the cause they fought for. Some of them were bad people, but others turned out to be a lot more relatable than Touya ever would have thought. ]

But if he wants to change, maybe we should give him a chance... Of course, there isn't any guarantee that it will be worth it, so I'll remember to be wary.

What kind of experiments did he do at home?

That's good! That you have Maractus, I mean. Grass-types are totally choice. [ she gives him a small but genuine smile. if Touya had one of his partners back, it was something to celebrate. ]

You think so? [ she's always considered it, but never really asked anyone about it before. Hugh was definitely biased, and she didn't know how Cheren or Bianca would respond, considering their histories with the group. ]

He would do all kinds of power tests on the Pokemon that Team Plasma stole... but the worst would be capturing Kyurem and hurting it to take its power. He didn't even seem remorseful about it...

[ the thought brings a shiver down her spine. ]

[ Touya honestly isn't comfortable with the thought of experimenting on Pokémon this way. He understands why people don't want to forgive something like that. There is no way to make someone simply forget a painful memory.

He hasn't met Colress in his Plasma days, so his thoughts of him are of course different than Mei's. Before he replies, he tries to consider what he would say if Ghetsis announced he wanted to change his ways. How he would feel and what he would say to him... ]

Well... I don't know Colress well... but I think that people can change. Bad people and bad actions exist, but the truth doesn't always stay the same...
So maybe he really wants to change. And maybe acting differently is easier when you don't feel like people expect you to act the way you did before...

But of course some people don't change, even when I really thought they would.

[ Like Zinzolin... The way he spoke about reflecting on his actions really had Touya thinking he would stop hurting people. But maybe he did reflect and reached a conclusion entirely different from Touya's truth. ]

Well, it's settled, I got you your blind date! Make sure to show up at the park at 4PM today, your date will be there with a red rose!

Oh, and bring some muffins along. You can pick them up at Moe Moe Funtime Haven for free, just tell them you're there because I allowed you to and they'll give you them. Have fun!

[ Time for a trial by fire, Touya. ]

[ He swallows hard as he gets this text. He wants to say it's not what he signed up for - but it kind of is. This is his own fault and he has no way to back down anymore. ]

Alright, I'll do that. Thank you!

[ Good thing you can type whatever text message while making whatever face, really. ]

I'm interested in seeing how you compare to what I remember of Hilda during a Pokemon Battle. Just so you know, I've got high hopes that it'll be a fun battle. You have Pokemon with you here, right?

That is a really good idea! A battle style says a lot about a trainer after all.

[ He'd like to hear what this Hilda fights like - he's fought with her on the subway, but that wasn't the one who had shared his journey experience. Back then he thought they went well together and thought similarly... But in this case, Cheren, who knew her so well, would know better. ]

I only have Maractus as of now, but we're ready to go.

[If Hilda fought with their Hilbert, he hasn't heard about it. He's got no idea what to expect from Hilbert, except for him being similar to Hilda. And honestly, he kind of liked it that way, it made it more fun.]

Maractus, huh? In that case, I'll use Stoutland. I don't know that Serperior or Haxorus would make for an interesting match up with Maractus.

Mailbox @ Holly Heights

DARES HELLO

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