Akacen

Pokémon: Hoenn - Make a Wish

Oh. They actually cared?

No. They were more curious - they knew what Xatu were capable of, and to hear of one afflicted in such a way was something of note. Something they could learn from. It was a matter of pragmatism more than sympathy.

At least, that's what he told himself. He couldn't let himself get soft and trust these people too much. He knew better. Everyone had secrets, after all.

Especially himself.

"Usually only during unique astronomical events." In reply to the Grand Conserve's question. "But, today it's happened twice..." It was at this point that he realized that he hadn't submitted his report of the interrogation yet, and so those gathered before him wouldn't necessarily know what he did. As such, he started to retell the experience with Ether's help. He would include the vision Oracle suffered earlier today in Fallarbor Town. He would also reveal the existence of Samantha, but would remaining vague on her true allegiances, certainly not bringing up Ms. Shade. After all, he didn't even know Ms. Shade's role in all of this.

Tristan nodded in thanks, as expected as the affirmation was, to the Colonel. Then his mind started racing at the prospect of all of this. Everything was moving so quickly, and without him pushing the pace. Usually there was a lot of waiting and making sure the timing was right. He didn't like this. The whole thing was urgent, he understood and respected that, but he hardly had time to think. Good thing Ether was here to keep him straight.

"A bed is not necessary, Sir. But it's appreciated." Tristan always made a point to sleep at home when he could. With Pokemon that could teleport him anywhere and everywhere, that was never really an issue. And in this situation, he definitely needed to go home and get in touch with his family and friends. "No questions, but a request, Sir. I would like my parents to have a Ranger detail while this case is open.” He figured there was no real need to explain why this request was being made and why it was entirely appropriate for him to make it.

Lady Fairfax could be dealt with later.

"Forrest?" He hoped to snap the man out of his concentration. Probably the most Tristan ever saw him think at one time. He'd then motion for Forrest to follow once they were dismissed. Tristan found an empty space for the pair to speak in relative privacy. "I'm going to reach out to the rest of the Elite Four; see if they're willing to lend a hand. I can't promise anything. But, if the bases as well guarded as reported, some help couldn't hurt.

"But, seriously... try not to kill everyone and destroy everything..." While there was some playfulness in his voice, he was still quite serious.

After the two parted ways, Tristan made a point to make a copy of all the files and notes he had gathered. Jonton's file was easily twice as thick now that Tristan had worked on it. Not entirely surprising, but he still couldn't help but think it was meager. The originals he'd keep in his office in a safe behind his desk, while the copy he'd put in a briefcase to carry with him. Following this, he would procure the supplies he had requested.

Once all was set, his hand pet Ether and the pair apparated in Fallarbor Town. He'd spend only about 30 minutes walking around slowly, trying to pick up any clues or information from afar. None of his pokemon were released, so it was just the pair of them walking slowly along the streets.

He didn't want to bring too much attention to himself, and soon enough afterwards the pair were in Mossdeep, right outside the research center. He wanted to have Oracle looked at and tended to right away. Still more unkempt than he typically was, his mother was rightfully concerned about him. However, he wouldn't let her know that he was far more concerned about her and his father at this point. He knew people like this wouldn't think twice about pulling family members into these things to get what they wanted. Or to just stay safe. He desperately wanted his parents, friends, and loved ones to be kept out of this.

While he told her what he could - he knew what he could get away with saying and what he couldn’t, but also didn’t want to worry her unnecessarily - he had a hard time wrapping his head around this whole thing. It was the first time that he really considered his parents to be in real danger. It was unsettling to say the least.

He didn’t like it.

Once Dierdre was caught up and as reassured as she was going to be, Tristan requested that she use her connections to see if anything could be done for Oracle to help her recover by tomorrow morning. Afterwards, he let his mom know that he’d catch his father up on all of this next.

And he did just that. And only on Mossdeep island would he actually walk to his destination, rather than teleport. It helped give him some time to think, so it was helpful if not enjoyable.

Much the same report was provided to his dad, and the request from him was to use his connections to dig up any information he could on myths and legends of Jirachi. An odd request to be sure, but Tristan would be rather adamant about it. Leon agreed, but wasn’t sure what, if anything, he might be able to come up with. Tristan appreciated the effort before leaving him to it.

Percival was next. Hopefully he was still at the gym, but he was going to head to his parent’s house afterwards and speak with his mother, Persephone, next anyway. These next recitations of the story he could tell came a bit smoother, after having gone through it twice already. He’d make the request that both Percival and Persephone keep an eye on his parents, and let him know of any unusual activity on the island until further notice. Before he left, he’d ask if any of them had noticed anything of note in the last few days, just to see if there was anything else he might need to take care of before he left.

Only once these conversations were concluded did he finally make it back to his condo. His job and profession left little time for a boyfriend, never mind any sort of family. He was fine with this most of the time, despite the occasional loneliness. It was times like these, though, that he was glad he didn’t have anyone particularly close to him like that. Less to worry about. Fewer people who could get hurt.

He let all of his pokemon out to stretch their limbs and to be apprised of the current situation and what they’d be getting themselves into. There was a quick discussion about which base to hit first. The concern was that hitting one would cause the other to either consolidate resources, or just be wiped and abandoned.

Ultimately the decision was made to hit the Route 123 base first. He certainly wasn’t going to split his team and look into both at the same time. And he figured it’d be better to get the one he thought would give them more trouble first.

The whole thing didn’t take long, but it was still well into night by the time he managed to get all the other Elite Four members on the line, their figures hovering over his Trainer Gauntlet. Fredrick and Lois were always up this late, but getting Bingham on the line required a few calls before he finally answered. They were all read-in as much as he felt necessary and finally asked if they might be able to lend a hand.

Pokémon: Hoenn - Make a Wish

Tristan only rolled his eyes at the incredulous question posed by the hulking man. There wasn't any need to respond, nor did he feel like spelling it out for Forrest. Tristan was sure he wouldn't believe, or maybe even understand, anyway. And while Tristan didn't really acknowledge Shaq'ti - he was too busy trying to put the pieces together - Ether accepted and reciprocated her bow on his trainer's behalf.

Even while Forrest spoke, Tristan was shutting down the terminal. When his words finally registered, Tristan rolled his eyes and sighed. "How inconvenient..." he couldn't help thinking.

"So, what have you been up to?" He asked Forrest while they made their way up. Internally Tristan cringed thinking about how Lady Fairfax would be seething about all of this. His assumption that she would call on him to "work around the system" only grew stronger and he began to think of various scenarios in his head about how the conversation might go and how it might be best for him to respond.

Likewise, Tristan shared what he'd found in the Lab; letting him know that Jonton seemed to be more a pawn than anything, and that there was something larger at play here. Even sharing his thought, absentmindedly, that he hoped to debrief Agent Hawly before investigating the safe houses. Ether looked up at him, sharing a curious feeling that brought Tristan back to "reality". Why was he sharing so much?

Tristan didn't necessarily mind taking the stairs - he wasn't a fan of crowded elevators, and it gave him time to think. What he certainly didn't care for was the speed at which the stairs were climbed. This wasn't a race! By the time they were on the floor, Tristan was somewhat winded, though did his best to hide it.

Yet again, Forrest was on full display, showing his disregard for proper procedure, or even decent manners. Tristan was more than happy to wait for her to page in and let the Master General know they were here - effectively interrupting the meeting with a similar outcome, yet in not such a grand show. (Pun intended)

Tristan caught himself being surprised that this situation that he, by happenstance, found himself caught up in elicited an immediate in-person meeting of the Grand Rangers. It certainly shouldn't have, but he didn't suspect that he would be, seemingly, in the middle of it. He wasn't used to being in the middle of anything like this. Always working from the sides and in the shadows. To be thrust into the center, shared or no, of something so significant.

Furthermore, he was surprised that the Grands ended up on the same page as himself. It took him a few moments to realize the implication of this all, and a further few moments to consider an answer to the question.

"Fallarbor Town," he started. "And Route 123." He wasn't sure he wanted to tackle the alleged largest base by himself, but the prospect of all that likely intelligence and documentation was too enticing to leave to Forrest. He had absolutely no interest of spending any time in the Central Desert, and preferred something near civilization than a second location in the middle of nowhere.

Still, he was shaken by the recent happenings. These visions and Oracles current state made him forget that he was a highly capable and powerful Trainer in his own right, and wouldn't be bothered too much by whatever lackeys would still be at these locations.

"Before I go, I'll need some Restores and medicines. Oracle isn't doing well..." His gaze dropped for only a moment when he spoke this, his tone reinforcing the look.

"Also, can we agree that we are going to subdue suspects and do our best to not damage anything?" His visage and voice hardened, and while he didn't look at Forrest, it would have been clear who he was talking about.

Pokémon: Hoenn - Make a Wish

Sometimes it was good having position and authority in important organizations.

Still, at others, it felt like it wasn’t enough. That was the reason, after all, Tristan was a clandestine operative of Lady Fairfax. He had that insatiable need to learn and know more. However, arrogance, maybe even hubris, was the downfall of many.

Hopefully he would not be as caught up in it.

Any information that he gathered in the archives that wasn’t already in the file was printed and included.
He’d get the coordinates for each of the safe houses and all the personnel files and reports on the agents listed. He wanted to be able to use what they learned just in case. If nothing else, it might give him inspiration to play the part he knew he’d have to soon enough.

Moreover, with the Wharf clear, he was sure Forrest would like to clean up the other locations as well. Tristan was eager to learn more as well, and would be more than happy with the muscle.

As long as he didn’t make too much of a mess.

That, and he was sure there had to be something to this Southern Island. He’d ensure another mission was organized. One that he (and probably Forrest) would a part of.

Otherwise, he further looked into anyone - Ranger, civilian, criminal, or etc. - and any reports having to do with Gorebyss and/or Huntail. Anything seemingly benign, but hopefully something less-savory. Though, it wouldn’t surprise Tristan if this Pisces was smart enough to not leave traces of their work. Still, it was worth a try.

Finally, he would try to find someone, or something, that could tell him more about Jirachi. Stories, lore, anything that could give him more insight.

_______________________

“A few places to look into.” Tristan mulled.

“Where do you want to go first?” Ether asked.

“First I want a debrief from that undercover agent that is probably dead by now.” He had already forgotten the name of the Ranger. Ether suggested, “Hawly?”

“Maybe,” Tristan shrugged physically with that.

He’d ask a nearby Ranger to check let him know where Forrest was - no surprise he didn’t bother coming down here to observe and actually learn something during the interview. He also needed to meet with Master General Hardy as well to let him know what his plans were and ask how he thought of handling Lady Fairfax and Jonton going forward.

Pokémon: Hoenn - Make a Wish

Ether would, likewise, share his experience of the event in much the same way. After learning of everything Shaq'ti and Forrest endured, he couldn't help but feel glad about not having seen the worst of it. There was a part of him that felt guilty at that, but he didn't really have time to dwell on it.

The interrogation wing was rather busy today, to the surprise of no one. It seems the Rangers were rather efficient; so many already being questioned and all. Colloquially referred to as a "Box", each interrogation room, while plain, were specially designed to hold and effectively question people and Pokemon. Some would be a bit larger than others for this purpose. But each were to be barren with a secondary room to move through first where observers could watch behind a one-way mirror.

"Just a chair," he'd reply to Major White. "And probably some pokeblocks. This could take a while."

Once the "questioning" was under way, Tristan made notes on his copy of Jonton's file as information was revealed.

It was terrifying and invigorating all at the same time. So much was revealed, but Oracle's suffering was heart-breaking. Tristan's connection with his Pokemon resulted in him full-crying as he cradled a writhing Oracle, struggling to not lose her consciousness to the void. The rest of his team, and even Shaq'ti, did what they could to try and ease the pain and horror. It could have been much worse, but it was still several long minutes before Oracle was able to compose herself enough to return to her pokeball with some semblance of assurance that she would be find on her own.

Because of this, Tristan completely missed Lady Fairfax's "visit", though that was probably for the best. Veritas had picked up on her, though, and let Tristan know about it when all returned to calm.

He expected to again be summoned to Lady Fairfax any time now. Probably expected to use his connections to get Jonton out of there and into her "care". He was conflicted about that. Would he do this above board and risk not learning everything, and perhaps worse, getting on the bad side of Lady Fairfax? Or did he risk his career and livelihood to chance learning more than he could hope to otherwise?

While he might have wanted to worry about Lady Fairfax - that was a situation more tangible and comprehendible - he forced himself to consider this Pisces. This was clearly the same one from Oracle vision earlier today, and it seemed to suggest that this person was the one controlling Jonton. A fleeting thought passed through his mind that he desperately hoped there was no one else behind this "Pisces" pulling the strings.

He and his Pokemon, along with Shaq'ti of course, would be fed and have a chance to rest. The rest of Tristan's team were returned to their pokeballs before he, Ether and Shaq'ti would head to the Archives to dig up what they could about this Pisces. Tristan would suggest to Shaq'ti to report to Forrest and perhaps have him go and meet them there.

Tristan, for his part, would search for anything having to do with the name "Pisces", and any interesting reports about Gorebyss and Huntail. He'd see if there were any overlaps or possible connections, and would even ask for any reports on Jirachi, working under the assumption this was the same person.

Pokémon: Hoenn - Make a Wish

A somewhat stern look and a nod would indicate his understanding before turning to leave the office and head to Box Row. While he was originally uncomfortable being in this building, by this point he had fully transitioned to his public role. While it had been a while since he had been called to participate in an investigation for Internal Affairs, Tristan was still intimately familiar with this building. Indeed, he could probably walk these halls with his eyes closed, even without the help of Ether.

Ether and Shaq'ti seemed to get along well enough. She was a bit more straight-laced than he was, but he knew how to turn it down and act professional. Make a good impression and all that. Ether couldn't help asking if Shaq'ti had been around the night of the Mauville attack. The both of them were eager to get another perspective on the whole thing. Perhaps even learn more about Forrest's actions during, if only to get additional information.

Tristan would nod to the Rangers and Officers he'd pass along the way. Mostly Land Rangers, but given this was the headquarters there would be a smattering of the other branches passing through on their way to this or that mission. At this point, Tristan had removed his sport coat and had it simply resting on his shoulders in a sort of cape. Even with the air conditioning, it was still a hot day, and being in long sleeves and pants of only black certainly didn't help. He figured he should get something more appropriate for the weather and climate, but even after all these years he'd never gotten around to it.

After swapping Mauville-Attack stories, Ether would start prepping Shaq'ti on basic methods and tactics that they would use to get what they needed out of suspects. The more pliable ones could simply be questioned by Tristan and, regardless of what they said, Ether would be able to discern what they really thought. Other required more... intimate (read: invasive) methods. There was your typical Good Cop or Bad Cop; playing the sympathy card, or trying to intimidate them into talking. Bribery worked at times, trickery, outright lies. Anything was fair game, really. Other than torture, of course.

At least not in Box Row...

Not that Tristan would know anything about that...

...

With such a high-value captive, Tristan was going to pull out all of the stops. Passing by a stray Ranger, he'd order, "I'm going to need a Hyper Potion. I'll be in Box Row." He hoped that this, somehow, might make Oracle more comfortable. She would be instrumental, he thought, in piercing the man's mind. Or, at least finding out more about him.

And then a thought passed through his mind.

"What if she has him?" Speaking of Lady Fairfax, of course, but this would be kept from Shaq'ti for the time being. As much as he might want to, he didn't trust Forrest with this information.

Not yet.

But, no; that was just Ether.

"Then she has some balls." He'd pause before adding. "And we'll just have to stop by for a visit. Twice in one day..."

Yes, today had been rather busy.

Once the trio made it down to Box Row, Tristan asked of the guard there, "Bring us lunch, please." Tristan fully expected the man to know what he liked, or to find out. And quickly.

"For all of us," he clarified as he started to release a number of his pokemon from their pokeballs. Veritas, Pandora, Oracle, Vertigo, and Aequitas all made their appearances. Ether, as usually, got them caught up to speed. Each of them would set up in empty rooms, keeping out of sight for the time being, and preparing for what would be assumed was going to be a difficult questioning.

"Can you tell if he's almost here yet?" Tristan asked of really any of his pokemon, but most of Ether and Shaq'ti.

Pokémon: Hoenn - Make a Wish

That would have been more of a relief if Tristan believed Rich. It had been a long time since he'd transferred to Internal Affairs; plenty of time to stir up ill will among the ranks. Tristan still nodded in approval, if not agreement, with the assurance.

His mind was still a-buzz with possibilities. Trying to figure out questions and tactics he might use against the beast, it took a moment before he realized the Medicham was there with them and speaking to him in his mind. "Ah. Shaq'ti. Yes, well met. I hope you're well." He, again, thought all of this while his mind was working on other things. Ether would catch her up, though.

"Appreciate it?" he thought. "Why would they appreciate it?" He was still rather skeptical of the whole thing, but wouldn't outwardly question any of it. He would see how things went and deal with whatever happened when it happened.

While Rich and Forrest bantered back and forth, it was Ether, again, that brought his attention back to the room. "That was probably the one that almost caught Vertigo and Aequitas..."

"That was you?!" Tristan almost yelled at the realization. "I was literally right there. If Oracle wasn't around, Vertigo and Aequitas would have been caught in that!" His hands found his hips as he expressed his indignation towards the flippant attitude surrounding the whole thing.

"Just like you to blow up evidence and suspects first, though..." He shook his head and sighed heavily. He'd put on an aire of jest, but he was rather serious. Still, he didn't want to get into an argument, so he didn't press the issue.

"Anyway, I should be off. Jonton will probably be ready soon." He'd turn to leave, but then stop at the door and half-turn. "What will the two of you be doing in the meantime?"

Pokémon: Hoenn - Make a Wish

"I'll make a copy before I leave..." he insisted absent-mindedly while he half-listened. He was focusing more on diving into this disappointingly thin file. Indeed, there was more information on people other than Jonton than on the man himself. Not that this should have surprised anyone, but it was still someone bothersome.

He'd certainly run through the list of the couple dozen of potential contacts or leads to Jonton, but was much more interested in the undercover agents who were reported as dead or missing. He'd think back to post-attack and the time he spent in the hospital - whether or not he heard of an Agent Hawly and what his condition was now.

The groups of names with the three officers was also an interesting report. He was curious what the notes meant and how they were involved. And what was Forrest's name doing in here? What did that all mean?

He was a little disappointed that there was nothing inferring or having to do with the destruction of the physical archives department of the Mauville Energy company. The Draco Meteors, he thought, looked awfully similar. Sure, the same move typically looked rather similar, but he wanted to be able to determine what Forrest's role in all this was, if any. He couldn't quite shake the doubt in his mind, even though he might have wanted to. This whole thing was too simple, but only led him to believe it was all the more convoluted, and that they weren't even yet scratching the surface. To think that Jonton wasn't the mastermind, or the end goal, was troublesome.

The offer to say mostly wasn't heard by Tristan. Ether brought his attention back to the room so he could properly hear the offer to lead the interrogation. That certainly piqued his interest. "I would be honored. I hope I wouldn't be stepping on any toes, though, Sir." He wanted to make sure Rich was sure about this.

"Oh. Yeah, of course." Mentally Tristan was elsewhere when he answered Forrest's request. He was busy thinking about how he'd go about the questioning of this infamous criminal.

His attention shifted back to Rich. "I'll go and make a copy of this," he started, lifting the file up a bit to indicate what he was talking about. "Then I'll figure out where Jonton is and take over from here." This was a statement. A pretty self-assured statement, actually. There was still a pause for Richard to offer his thoughts or opinion on this, but Tristan wasn't really asking if this was ok more than letting the Master General know what was going to happen.

Pokémon: Hoenn - Make a Wish

Teleporting was convenient, sure. One of the few drawbacks to it, though, was that it didn't allow for time to think while on the way to the destination.

It wasn't until Tristan walked through the door and into the Master General's office that he realized he was arriving as a long-time Internal Affairs Investigator, not an Agent for Lady Fairfax. There were certain things he could say, and he had most certainly not prepared for this.

It was a good thing that Ether was there to help reign in his thoughts and make him take a breath to stop looking like a Deerling-in-the-headlights. "Master General." He said with a nod of the head. "Mr. Johnson." He continued with another nod.

He chose not to sit down. Not yet, at least. He'd move closer to the desk, standing so he would make a more equal triangle with the other two. He couldn't help but roll his eyes once he finally realized that Forrest was shirtless.

In the Master General's Office!

"Like... can we calm down? It's not like there isn't air conditioning in here."

"Why are you complaining?"

"Bitch, shut up."

Ether just chuckled as Tristan did his best to contain himself.

"Sir, I was hoping I might be read into what you have on Jonton." Tristan finally managed to request. "I met with Mr. Johnson at the Wharf just looking into a lead. I didn't actually believe him when he said he was here for Jonton himself. I mean, I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it.

And, Sir, if I may... you should have seen it."

He'd pause for a moment before putting on something of a show. "Of course, if you'd rather me go through the proper chain of command..."

Pokémon: Hoenn - Make a Wish

This was all as fascinating as it was aggravating.

Samantha, for her part, wasn't wrong. At least as far as Tristan was concerned. Indeed, Tristan didn't work for her out of the goodness of his heart. Not that any who worked for her had much in the way of "good" to go around. Sure, he did what he thought was right, and ensured he wasn't directly involved in anything unsavory. However, to presume that he wasn't equally using the opportunity and proximity towards his own ends was rather myopic.

Hearing Asuna stick up for him was... surprising. They had only just met and she was trying to protect him. Curious. Especially because she still seemed to defer to her, but worked up the courage in this moment to speak out against her actions.

After that, everything moved so quickly. Tristan was largely helpless as Ether's Light Screen managed to hold against the Meowstic's attack. However, Ether was much more well-practiced in his screens than Veritas. In fact, it could be argued that Ether's Reflect Screen was stronger than either of Veritas' individual screens.

However, having a third pokemon to help defend him against the attacks of two allowed Tristan to remain rather safe. Vertigo interfered with the Bronzong's descent via his own Psychic power, severely weakening the power of the Gyro Ball. Still, the Reflect strained against the Psyshock, but managed to hold. Even before the dust settled, Tristan and his team were now alone.

He'd take a few moments, allowing his pokemon to ensure that the area was safe before letting their screens fade.

"They're strong..." Ether opined while they cleared the area.

"Can't underestimate her. Still... surprised I've never heard of her before. She would be a strong Trainer."

"They must keep to the underground."

"I... feel bad for her." He admitted in regards to Asuna.

"You want to save her, don't you?"

"I mean..."

"What if she doesn't want to be."

"... I don't know..."

"Exactly."

Ether was always the more rational and intellectual of the pair. It was he that largely contributed to Tristan's calm outward appearance in many cases.

Veritas and Vertigo were returned to their pokeballs and Ether teleported them to the center of the Wharf, where Forrest's brawl took place. Arine and Aequitas were recalled and debriefed by Ether before being returned to their pokeballs.

"Do you know where Forrest went off to?" Tristan asked a nearby Ranger.

"Last I saw, he went off towards HQ." she answered, pointing a thumb in the general direction.

"Thanks," he said with a curt nod. His hand brushed Ether and the pair teleported again to just outside of the Ranger Headquarters.

It was rather busy outside of the building. Several Rangers could be seen running this way and that. With all the chaos at the Wharf, that was only to be expected. Most that scurried about were Area Rangers, but eventually Ether pointed out someone of rank to him.

"Lieutenant?" Tristan called out with a raised voice, so he might be heard over the commotion.

"This area is restri... Oh! Mr. Aeros! Sorry, Sir. What can I do for you? Are... you alright, Sir?" The young man seemed concerned about Tristan's decidedly disheveled appearance.

"I'm fine, Lieutenant. Did you happen to see Forrest pass by? Do you know where he might be?"

"Oh, um. I think I heard that he's speaking with the Master General, Sir."

"Thanks." Tristan nodded and hurried off to find them. He couldn't be too far behind - the little spat didn't take that long, but he wasn't sure if Forrest had gotten into the habit of teleporting everywhere like he had.

"Sir," the Lieutenant said in kind and watched him stroll away.

Entering inside, he'd be addressed by the man behind the counter. "Uh, Sir?" It was clear that the man, similar to the Lieutenant, didn't immediately recognize the Elite Four member.

"I'm meeting with the Master General." Tristan was not asking. Not today. Not after this.

"I'll... let him know, Sir." The receptionist thought better than to question or deny him.

Tristan wouldn't offer a "thank you" or anything in return - he was in something of a rush.

While Tristan and Ether walked, both would keep their eyes and ears open to pick up what they could as they made their way. Maybe someone would slip up and say something about the raid ad how they knew Jonton was going to be there. Unlikely, of course. Still, whatever other gossip or information he could glean on his way would only help.

Once he made it to the Master General's office, he'd do a quick double knock and open the door before an answer.

Pokémon: Hoenn - Make a Wish

So, this one was Asuna. He'd make a mental note of that, filing it away for future recall.

Though, if we were being completely honest, it would be Ether's future recall. Tristan was notoriously bad with names.

Then he would nod in understanding and appreciation of her request. Veritas would have to be shooed away a few times before it stuck, but the others should fall in line fairly quickly.

And her response to his request confirmed that he would still need to work to find this Ms. Shade himself. A bother, surely. But he couldn't concern himself with it now.

A shiver ran up his spine when another woman seemed to appear out of nowhere. The silhouette of an Espeon was clear enough to Tristan. "Is this..." His thought was cut off by Asuna's confirmation that this was, indeed, Samantha. This was the one that was invisible in Oracle's vision. This was someone he had to be careful of.

And she soon proved this to be true. Tristan had been saved more than once by a Psychic. To be on the receiving end of the attack, though, was less-than pleasant. It was like his whole body was being crushed in all direction simultaneously. Good thing Ether, Veritas, and Vertigo were intimately in tune with their Trainer had quick reactions. While they couldn't protect him from being gripped and thrown, they could nullify the impact - the part that was really going to hurt. It was still quite a shock for his body, but he'd have no broken bones for it.

All three of them were now visible to the two women, having formed something of a triangle around where Tristan and Asuna had been chatting. On instinct, Ether erected a Light Screen that mixed with Veritas' Reflect in a dome around their Trainer while Vertigo thought of a Nasty Plot or two. Tristan would ask that they hold to see what would happen so he could retort, "I don't think Lady Fairfax would appreciate that characterization."

"I was just leaving, anyway." His gaze would settle on Asuna. He wondered, if only for a moment, if she was safe or if this Samantha abused her to keep her compliant. But that was far less important in this moment. He needed to get away. He wasn't in the mood to get in a fight right now. There was too much to do.

If that intimidated her to make her stand down, great. He wasn't banking on it, though. These two worked for Ms. Shade, not Marilda. And he was sure Lady Fairfax was working multiple angles, and the only rational way to do that was for those "angles" to not know about each other. Even better, to not know where their orders actually came from.

It only made it inconvenient for her agents, after all.