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[truthdecided]

[Akechi addresses the Pearl with his usual calm and poise, disregarding the cloak draped around him. Pay it no mind.]

In light of recent events, I felt it best to inform you all about Umbreon-san. Having spoken to Mightyena-san recently, she informed me that he mapped out the cave system in which we Oran Berries dwell. He actively trains lower ranked members and has played a pivotal part in Pokémon swarms. Evidently, he was an active player in the ordeals with Dondozo and Spiritomb, providing rescue to those in need...

And he volunteered for the good of his guild, not himself.

[He pauses to let that sink in, though his thoughts ripple with an odd air of relief and an undercurrent of distrust toward politicians on the whole.]

Make what you will of that, but I believe that this places him in a position where he could make a fine leader. I've made my vote, but I bear no ill will toward those who favor other candidates.

[...]

That being said, I do believe it may be in our best interest to share our findings amongst each other regarding the recent Wayfinding missions. The lands beyond Death Blood Murder Skull Town are wild, unpredictable, and full of mysteries...

For instance, the temple in the peaks of Heavy Downmoor suggests the area was once far more populated despite the wild winds. I'm quite curious how the rest of the region compares...

Comments

[firealone]

[Fireheart nods - he doesn't know exactly how apt this comparison is, but it makes him think of Tigerclaw. A ruthless tabby cat who worked his apprentice to the bone, all the while complaining to anyone who would listen about how lazy and weak Ravenpaw was. He never saw the exact shape of what Ravenpaw's training was like, but he knows that Ravenpaw bruised often and didn't heal nearly as quickly as Fireheart and Graypaw did. And yet, none of the adults ever saw an issue with him. He was popular.]

There's one cat like that I can think of. But Bluestar would never make him deputy, he's too... [he struggles for a second to think of the right word] ....he's too much of an asshole. Maybe it's for the best that he didn't get a chance to campaign.

[He sends along a mental image of Tigerclaw himself - a large Maine coon with a scarred face, although Fireheart's memory of him is getting very blurry. Sharper around the nose scar and eyes, and much hazier everywhere else.]

[truthdecided]

[There's a lot Akechi doesn't know about Fireheart's life and his history. The memory is faded, but even so, the image alone does paint a foreboding picture.]

On one hand, overt antagonism makes someone easier to read. The most dangerous people are the ones who hide behind smiles and honeyed words, all while holding a sharpened dagger behind their backs.

[Funnily, an image of his own human self cuts through his thoughts, with a bright, sunny smile... almost vapid, really.]

I lived like that once, so I know the act all too well.

[firealone]

[Fireheart is a little startled by the mental image - it's been nearly a year since he saw a human other than Anasui's vision of his mate, so it takes him a moment to connect that this must be Akechi. Which... is still a lot to wrap his head around, even if he knows intellectually that most of his friends are human.

The smile doesn't really mean anything to Fireheart, it's not a gesture he really understands, but he can see the emptiness in the eyes. It's... troubling.]

...Well, it's... um. It's good to know Pokemon can change, from being like that.

[Akechi's never given him a reason not to trust him... so that means he is different now, right? Even if... Fireheart isn't very sure of his ability to judge characters, so he's mostly just banking on the fact that Akechi wouldn't tell him this if he was still a bad person.]

[truthdecided]

They can, yes. But they have to make that choice, and not everyone is willing.

[Obviously, Akechi was. It took work, a near death experience that should have cost his life.]

It's important not to follow leadership blindly, regardless. There are those who will say what you want to hear, all for their own benefit. There are times when the puppet strings are entirely invisible.