006. [Video/Action for Goldenrod Rocket HQ, morning of May 8th]

[garbagechild]

[ACTION]

<sub>[It's a normal day in the Goldenrod Rocket HQ.]

[Folks are lining up before breakfast to turn in their weekly finds, be they caught or stolen.]

[Among them is Wrath, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed despite the early hour. His sleep schedule is erratic at best and seemingly nonexistent at worst, but he never seems wanting for energy. He is brimming with excitement, practically bobbling in place as he waits in the line with a Pokeball clutched in his hands. He can't wait to get to the front of the line and proudly show off his brand new Abra, caught after hour upon hour of hunting through the long, itchy grass on the far outskirts of the city after receiving a helpful suggestion from Frank Archer. This morning is going to be a good morning!]

[Also among them is Rocket Grunt Carl, who can usually be found sitting by himself in the cafeteria because no one wants to deal with his snobbery and self-titled "meme lord" status. He is smirking broadly and tossing his Pokeball from hand to hand.]

[They are standing next to each other.]</sub>










[VIDEO]

<sub>[It's very rare that Wrath addresses the camera directly without shaking it all over the place, and it's even rarer that he actually stages a shot.]

[But today he has.]

[He places the camera down on one of the cafeteria tables-- it's in the base, but there's nobody really around, and it could be ANY food-court type cafeteria really. He plops down facing the camera and stares straight into it.]</sub>

Envy.

Envy, look.

<sub>[And then he lifts a gelatinous pink blob onto the table, where it quivers gently before blowing an enormous raspberry and spontaneously growing a large amount of long, spiky green hair. Then it turns into a ball with a crude, cartoony approximation of Envy's face on it, and rolls in a couple of circles, making snide squeaking noises.]

[Chest puffed out, Wrath folds his arms and delivers the smuggest damn smirk that an eight-year-old can muster.]</sub>

You jelly?

Comments

[video]

[exeggutorhead]

[YOU KNOW WHAT WRATH]

[YOU KNOW WHAT]

[FUCK YOU HE CAN'T BELIEVE HE EVER FELT BAD FOR YOU]

Wh--is that supposed to be me?!

Why would I be jealous of your stupid blob?

[Fact: Envy hates Dittos. Envy hates Dittos because he IS jelly.]

[video]

[garbagechild]

_{[THAT WAS A DREAM. DREAMS AREN'T REAL! EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT.]}

Um, maybe 'cuz he can transform and you can't?

Look!

_{[Jelly bounces in place, still bearing the cartoony caricature on its front, and shifts the colors so that it looks like the face's mouth is moving. This is accompanied by more shrill squeaks.]}

He's so talented.

[video]

[exeggutorhead]

[Envy just SCOWLS. He's so mad. So mad.]

I wouldn't call that talented.

[video]

[garbagechild]

<sub>[Oh YEAH?]

[Well watch THIS.]

[Without even needing any prompting from Wrath, the Ditto jabbers Envy's words back at him in an impossibly squeaky voice.]</sub>


I wouldn't call that talented!

[video]

[exeggutorhead]

That doesn't sound anything like me!

[HE'S SO MAD HE EVEN STARTS GESTURING WITH HIS FREE HAND.]

[video]

[garbagechild]

That doesn't sound anything like me!

Really?

I can barely tell the difference!

[Action]

[grapeeater]

[... Okay aside from the incredibly stupid meme, Micchy is displeased for another reason. Sure, it could be 'any' cafeteria, but you never know what someone might piece together. He heads down to the cafeteria, his Absol in tow.]

Wrath.

[This is not the tone of a pleased fellow Rocket.]

[Action]

[garbagechild]

<sub>[Jelly stops bouncing and lets out an alarmed burble.]

[Wrath is pretty oblivious, but he has the decency and self-awareness to look up, wide-eyed, and quickly turn off the camera. And then sit there, looking innocent.]</sub>

What?

_{[wrath YOU KNOW YOU DID SOMETHING BAD. YOU CAN'T CLAIM IGNORANCE THIS TIME.]}

[grapeeater]

[He takes a deep breath. Exploding in anger isn't going to help here, so his first few options of replying aren't right. He takes a moment of silence to gather his thoughts before speaking. He does his best to keep his tone firm and not angry or displeased.]

Wrath. Never ever make a public video from anywhere in the base that's not something like a blank wall, okay? Someone could put together information and it's not like there's a ton of cafeterias around. Or worse, someone could walk past in uniform and then people would know you're with Team Rocket.

[garbagechild]

<sub>[If he'd been a puppy, his tail would be going directly between his legs right about now.]

[He looks up at Micchy guiltily. YUP. He knows he did a bad thing.]</sub>

... I just...

_{[... Nope, he can't even think of an innocent-sounding excuse for wanting to rub his new Pokemon in Envy's face.]}

[grapeeater]

[... He sighs, and reaches out to put his hand on Wrath's head gently.]

I just don't want you to get in trouble with either our superiors or the law. Laws aren't that harsh here... but the higher ups could probably make life really hard for you if they wanted to. I was just worried, okay?

[garbagechild]

<sub>[Wrath can't help but flinch even at the gentle head-pat, squeezing his eyes shut. But when it doesn't become a strike or an alchemical assault, he tentatively opens one of them again. Micchy doesn't sound mad... but then again, Master rarely sounded angry either.]

[Even right before she laid down the law, painfully.]</sub>

M'sorry... I was just excited... I didn't think anybody could tell where I was...

[grapeeater]

... I know.

[Getting mad... won't really solve anything here. Wrath knows he's not happy, so yelling at him more won't help. He doesn't intend to be soft, but... being rigid in enforcing things won't hep either. ... He's not really cut out to look after kids. He ruffles Wrath's hair gently.]

You just have to think a little before you broadcast, Wrath - especially if it's public. It looks like things are okay this time, but they might not be next time.

[He sits down next to Wrath so he's at least at roughly the same height.]

Now who's your... friend?

[If you can call a blob of jelly a 'friend'.]

video;

[pipers_son]

[Envy is one of his close friends. Envy is one of his performers. Envy is not someone he's going to laugh at- ]

[Crap, Joker is so bad at this, he is absolutely laughing his ass off.]

[SORRY ENVY]

video;

[garbagechild]

<sub>[Not that he wasn't, you know, AIMING to piss Envy off, but it's also nice to see some approval!]

[Wrath chortles delightedly right along with the ringmaster, pleased as punch.]</sub>

Joker! Joker, don't you agree that Jelly is very talented?

I think he is!

video;

[pipers_son]

[Give him a second to catch his breath again. After a moment, coughing into his hand, Joker gives a grin to the camera.]

Oh yeah, Jelly's quite the talented little thing. Ya teach 'em that yerself, then?

video;

[garbagechild]

Yes!

--Well, I showed him a picture of Envy. He pretty much did the rest.

He's very funny!

And VERY accurate.

_{[The Ditto blows another raspberry, making the cartoony caricature of Envy distort and ripple.]}

video;

[pipers_son]

I can tell~.

Are ya gonna work with 'im ta teach any other tricks?

video;

[garbagechild]

Um, prob'ly!

He learns real fast.

I bet I could teach him how to look like just about anybody!

Action

[silentscales]

[Snake's Ekans slithers over to inspect the new pokèmon. He waits until Wrath is done with his video to mention,] It looks like cotton candy, says John.

Action

[garbagechild]

_{[Wrath looks up, beaming, and shuts the video off.]}

I don't know what that is, but if it looks like Jelly, it's probably great.

Is John your purple snake?

Action

[silentscales]

[Snake is a bit surprised that Wrath gets it so easily. It usually takes people a bit to figure it out. He nods and pets John's head.]

And my trainer is named Snake, says John.

Action

[garbagechild]

_{[Wrath tilts his head, blinking, and then laughs. The Ditto on the table chitters and burbles along with him, although it doesn't seem to know what's so funny. It just wants to fit in.]}

That's weird!

That you have a snake name and your snake has a people name! Maybe his name should be Human instead of John. Then you'd match really well!

Action

[silentscales]

[From most people that would probably have upset him, but Wrath really didn't seem to have any ill intent. He instead considers for a moment and looks to his pokèmon.]

Maybe we'll name our next new friend "Human", says John.

Action

[garbagechild]

<sub>[For a literal monster, Wrath doesn't have a mean bone in his body when he interacts with most strangers in this place.]

[His namesake has become reserved for a select few.]

[He beams good-naturedly up at Snake and John. If he were a puppy, his tail would be thumping.]</sub>

That would be good!

It should be another snake friend, though.

Otherwise it won't match as well.