[ Hello! You have reached: "Walter Sullivan". Unfortunately they cannot answer the phone right now. Leave a message after the beep and they will return your call. ]
[ Assumption in particular. Though overjoyed and proud of his evolution, he knew his starter - one of the main players in the incident - was upset and forlorn over the loss of his friends. He settled closer to Eileen. It was his fault, if they didn't belong to him then Assumption could have all the friends he wanted. He could see the Pokemon he liked whenever he wanted to. ]
I don't know how to make it better. Henry told me to not return to Goldenrod and I won't. Not now. And I didn't think any of you would want anything to do with me, especially after this.
Oh, don't get me wrong. If it weren't for the Pokemon, I for one would be happy to just let you live somewhere else and us all live our lives without dealing with each other.
But that's not how it is, so we have to deal with it. And there's Wrath, too.
[He really really doesn't like that Wrath has decided that Walter belongs to him, but...it happened. And Envy doesn't want Wrath upset any more than he wants the Pokemon to be. He sighs again, quiet for a minute while he gets all his thoughts in order.]
That's why I'm calling, to work something out. For their sakes.
I don't really trust you, and you probably don't trust us either after all that. But we're going to have to.
So...I'm challenging you. To a Pokemon battle, in wherever you are. Plenty of opportunity for betrayal and violence. Neither of us have any reason to like each other, and you'd have a field advantage to set up a trap and I could sneak in an ambush of people if I wanted to.
But none of that's going to actually happen, right? Just a battle, nobody gets hurt. I'd just be coming with me, my Pokemon, and Wrath to watch because he's not on any side.
[ Walter quietly absorbed all this information, leaning a little on Eileen. It was definitely dangerous. Challenging him to a Pokemon battle and openly stating that there was plenty of openings for him to ambush him? It was like showing the mechanism of a gun to your victim before firing it.
But as Envy stated, he had the home advantage. He didn't intend to set up a trap, but it meant he could take precautions. Have his Pokemon patrol the area. Have a way to escape if things went south. ]
...I accept. But I don't dislike you. Any of you. [ It was true that he didn't like or trust them. But dislike? They hadn't done anything to him. They'd said threatening things. But he understood why. And Heather...Heather he didn't know what to think of, still. ]
[Envy's...not entirely sure what to think about Walter saying he doesn't dislike them. The feeling is certainly not mutual. But the important thing is that the offer was accepted.]
[Although there is certainly enough time before he replies for him to shoot Wrath a clearly disbelieving look, even if Walter can't see it.]
Whatever. So when do you want to meet, and where are you? I can use the warp pads anywhere in Johto.
[ Walter hesitated. Did he really want them to know what city he lived in? But...Wrath was there. He wanted to see Wrath. He had to do this. And Wrath...Wrath believed in him.
It was an entirely different...expectation, compared to the one he was used to when people wanted him to do something. He didn't want to let Wrath down but not because he was afraid of Wrath hurting him. He breathed in, taking in the feeling. Eileen chirped encouragingly. He was 'Wrath's human'. He was a 'good human'. ]
Ecruteak City. I'm in Ecruteak City. I can meet you at the Pokemon Centre. Is Monday afternoon a good time? [ He'd decided to work the weekends at the Pokemon Centre. And by meeting there, it meant Envy wouldn't know where his house actually was. ]
...Will this. Work things out with Heather Mason as well? [ It was Heather's Pokemon Assumption was most keen to see. ]
Works for me, I'll be there. With Wrath, nobody else.
[It bears repeating. And the paranoid part of Envy is glad that it's outside the Pokemon Center, because that does leave less room for Walter to try anything if he were so inclined. This is an exercise in reluctant trust on both sides' part.]
It depends on how it goes, I guess. This is just so we can all prove that nobody's going to try and attack anyone at the first opportunity. So it's proof for her, too.
I made it clear to Henry that I would not attack him or anyone else here. [ He might as well as repeat it to Envy as well. ]
The ritual - the 21 Sacraments, is long and specific. It requires Holy artifacts that do not exist here. It requires me to be dead, which I am not. There is no point in harming him in this world. There's no point in hurting anyone in this world.
I don't begrudge him for trying to kill me. It's his duty. I wasn't going to stop him. But, my Pokemon stopped him because...because they don't understand.
[ He hung his head, shaking it slowly. It wasn't meant to be this way. Eileen gently shook his arm, calling to him to get him to refocus. He sighed. ]
[ He has no doubt that if Henry came to Ecruteak for any reason, any reason whatsoever, his Pokemon will be on him. As good as they are, they care for him too much...and he knows Assumption, for one, holds a grudge against Henry for forcing them out of Goldenrod. ]
I told you that I don't intend to hurt him. But my Pokemon have other ideas, after what's happened.
Then you'd better impress on them that if they attack him unprovoked, this truce isn't going to last long.
If he walks into a city and gets attacked without having done anything, guess what? Either one of us or one of his Pokemon are going to be ready to defend him, just like yours were. He's not coming with us this time, anyway.
The only way they will even see him is if he comes to Ecruteak. [ And honestly? Walter knew that to them, it was justified. Henry had forbidden them from going to Goldenrod. That was now 'Henry's territory'. As far as his Pokemon were concerned, Ecruteak was now 'their' territory, and Henry wasn't permitted within it. ]
I once ordered Darkness to protect him. He wasn't pleased about that after the first time Henry and I met. [ He knew when his Pokemon didn't agree with his orders, but to Darkness' credit he had brought no harm upon Henry. He didn't mention that he had withdrawn that particular instruction and now Darkness would probably just watch if Henry ended up bleeding to death, somehow. ]
I managed to calm him by telling him that Goldenrod is Henry's city. Ecruteak is now ours. He understands those concepts. His priority in visiting is probably to see Lyra. He's intelligent enough to not endanger that by attacking Henry, unless Henry attempts to stop him from seeing her.
He can be not pleased all he wants so long as he's not attacking.
[As far as Envy's concerned, Henry doesn't need the protection from Walter's Pokemon. That's what they can do just fine thank you very much. Especially him! As much as he doesn't follow Wrath's...uh, ideas about what it means to "have" a human, that doesn't mean he's not going to get kind of possessive about it.]
Anyway, is this all set? I'm meeting you Monday afternoon at the Ecruteak Pokemon Center and nobody's attacking anyone?
[ Look, Henry is his Receiver of Wisdom. He has a vested interest in making sure he stays alive. Until it's time for their fight to the death. Then one of them can die to the other. ]
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[ Assumption in particular. Though overjoyed and proud of his evolution, he knew his starter - one of the main players in the incident - was upset and forlorn over the loss of his friends. He settled closer to Eileen. It was his fault, if they didn't belong to him then Assumption could have all the friends he wanted. He could see the Pokemon he liked whenever he wanted to. ]
I don't know how to make it better. Henry told me to not return to Goldenrod and I won't. Not now. And I didn't think any of you would want anything to do with me, especially after this.
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But that's not how it is, so we have to deal with it. And there's Wrath, too.
[He really really doesn't like that Wrath has decided that Walter belongs to him, but...it happened. And Envy doesn't want Wrath upset any more than he wants the Pokemon to be. He sighs again, quiet for a minute while he gets all his thoughts in order.]
That's why I'm calling, to work something out. For their sakes.
I don't really trust you, and you probably don't trust us either after all that. But we're going to have to.
So...I'm challenging you. To a Pokemon battle, in wherever you are. Plenty of opportunity for betrayal and violence. Neither of us have any reason to like each other, and you'd have a field advantage to set up a trap and I could sneak in an ambush of people if I wanted to.
But none of that's going to actually happen, right? Just a battle, nobody gets hurt. I'd just be coming with me, my Pokemon, and Wrath to watch because he's not on any side.
That should prove something, shouldn't it?
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But as Envy stated, he had the home advantage. He didn't intend to set up a trap, but it meant he could take precautions. Have his Pokemon patrol the area. Have a way to escape if things went south. ]
...I accept. But I don't dislike you. Any of you. [ It was true that he didn't like or trust them. But dislike? They hadn't done anything to him. They'd said threatening things. But he understood why. And Heather...Heather he didn't know what to think of, still. ]
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See, Envy?
Walter is a good human.
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[Although there is certainly enough time before he replies for him to shoot Wrath a clearly disbelieving look, even if Walter can't see it.]
Whatever. So when do you want to meet, and where are you? I can use the warp pads anywhere in Johto.
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It was an entirely different...expectation, compared to the one he was used to when people wanted him to do something. He didn't want to let Wrath down but not because he was afraid of Wrath hurting him. He breathed in, taking in the feeling. Eileen chirped encouragingly. He was 'Wrath's human'. He was a 'good human'. ]
Ecruteak City. I'm in Ecruteak City. I can meet you at the Pokemon Centre. Is Monday afternoon a good time? [ He'd decided to work the weekends at the Pokemon Centre. And by meeting there, it meant Envy wouldn't know where his house actually was. ]
...Will this. Work things out with Heather Mason as well? [ It was Heather's Pokemon Assumption was most keen to see. ]
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[It bears repeating. And the paranoid part of Envy is glad that it's outside the Pokemon Center, because that does leave less room for Walter to try anything if he were so inclined. This is an exercise in reluctant trust on both sides' part.]
It depends on how it goes, I guess. This is just so we can all prove that nobody's going to try and attack anyone at the first opportunity. So it's proof for her, too.
You'll have to talk to her about it.
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The ritual - the 21 Sacraments, is long and specific. It requires Holy artifacts that do not exist here. It requires me to be dead, which I am not. There is no point in harming him in this world. There's no point in hurting anyone in this world.
I don't begrudge him for trying to kill me. It's his duty. I wasn't going to stop him. But, my Pokemon stopped him because...because they don't understand.
[ He hung his head, shaking it slowly. It wasn't meant to be this way. Eileen gently shook his arm, calling to him to get him to refocus. He sighed. ]
Fine. I'll speak to Miss. Mason after.
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I'm not going to attack you, and you're not going to attack me.
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Yes. But what about Henry?
[ He has no doubt that if Henry came to Ecruteak for any reason, any reason whatsoever, his Pokemon will be on him. As good as they are, they care for him too much...and he knows Assumption, for one, holds a grudge against Henry for forcing them out of Goldenrod. ]
I told you that I don't intend to hurt him. But my Pokemon have other ideas, after what's happened.
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If he walks into a city and gets attacked without having done anything, guess what? Either one of us or one of his Pokemon are going to be ready to defend him, just like yours were. He's not coming with us this time, anyway.
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And he's allowed, but not if he's going to be trying to put Henry back in the hospital.
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I managed to calm him by telling him that Goldenrod is Henry's city. Ecruteak is now ours. He understands those concepts. His priority in visiting is probably to see Lyra. He's intelligent enough to not endanger that by attacking Henry, unless Henry attempts to stop him from seeing her.
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[As far as Envy's concerned, Henry doesn't need the protection from Walter's Pokemon. That's what they can do just fine thank you very much. Especially him! As much as he doesn't follow Wrath's...uh, ideas about what it means to "have" a human, that doesn't mean he's not going to get kind of possessive about it.]
Anyway, is this all set? I'm meeting you Monday afternoon at the Ecruteak Pokemon Center and nobody's attacking anyone?
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It's settled.