[Nero looks tired, a bit grim, like he's been thinking too much. He's sitting on some crates in Cerulean, either just about to just having finished some heavy lifting. Beside him is Basilisk, still a houndour and still as icy and collected in temperament, his fur wet for reasons yet unexplained.]

Got the Cascade badge. This guy did a number on that Starmie.

[Ah, so that would be why. There's a spot of hesitation in Nero's voice when he glances at the Houndour: with Agnus here, the name, which seemed clever at the time, makes bile rise in his throat.]

Might cross Mt Moon to get to Pewter, haven't decided yet. Apparently it takes a while to get through. [It's strange for him to actively want to be away from Kyrie, so he's naturally hesitating. Flying back to Vermillion and then taking Diglett's Cave would be quicker, but...] Man, after all that trash I could use some time off, though. Dante, Trish--Miyuki said she wanted to head to Cinnabar and see the beach. You guys up for it? If you take the train to Saffron, I could meet you there once I'm done with this crap.

[There's some sound, so Nero flips the gear to show his new baby Deino. She's got her face rammed into her food bowl, little puff of a tail wiggling behind her, not unlike a dog. In fact, Basilisk leaps down to join her, and the little dragon easily dwarfs the pooch.] That's right, the egg hatched. How's yours doing, kid? [When Basilisk butts Deino's head out of the way and attacks her bowl, Nero doesn't intervene. None of his other pokemon are visible when he turns the gear back towards himself, presumably tucked away in their balls.]

Anyway. I got work to do.

[Click.]

[Have a shot of Nero's hand, holding the Thunder Badge.]

That was a piece of cake after the hell that voodoo chick in Saffron put me through; finding that damn switch was a worse pain in my ass than breaking into HQ back home, though.

[He turns the camera around. His hair...well, let's just say that the levels of static electricity in the Vermillion gym are quite high, and leave it at that. Dandelion? Got nothin' on this.

Clearly Nero hasn't noticed, because he runs a hand through it, a bit impatient, only making it worse. Behind him, there's a snuffling sound, before a big, lumbering shape--his Druddigon, all teenage-gangliness and overenthusiastic movement--pushes her head affectionately against his side. She reaches up to fix his hair, but he doesn't know it, so he tilts his head away, letting her claw rub like sandpaper over his cheek. His eyes narrow.]

So, uh.

Anyone know how to make a pokemon like you...less?

[Because having a two-hundred-pound fangirl with scales like sandpaper hanging all over you during a gym match when you're trying to teach her how things are done is. Distracting.

Click.]

( private text messages to Dante and Miyuki )

[The feed opens to the inside of...a mouth!

A canine mouth, if the teeth are anything to go by. A great big tongue swipes the screen, and static fizzes for a second. The mouth, startled by the noise, pulls away, revealing the long, slim muzzle of a Houndour. It would seem Nero's added a new member to his team...but that doesn't look like a hotel room behind the pokémon, or a route. Where is it?]

What the f—that's not a goddamn chew toy!

[There's the sound of a giggle, and some indistinct soothing words, probably from Kyrie. Basilisk the Houndour turns his head, perfectly dignified, as Nero plucks the 'gear from out between his legs. His expression is vaguely disdainful, lip curling to expose white teeth, but Nero ignores him, expression still mildly smug from the recent fight.

In Nero's hands now, the 'gear turns away to show...the battle arena of the Celadon gym.

Or at least. There used to be an arena here. Vast swaths of trees are now little more than charcoal, blast burns where green grass should be, wisps of black smoke curling like ribbons towards the vaulted ceiling. At the center of all this destruction is Red, scuffed and possibly poisoned but victorious, spreading her wide wings and taunting the yet-unevolved Buster with them. The camera pans a bit too quickly to see much, but Nero's tone brooks no argument.]

Red, cut it out.

[She's not inclined to listen, basking in her first gym victory, won only by the skin of her teeth. Looming over Buster, she huffs out a puff of smoke, her tail burning bright behind her like a banner. Her posturing earns her a headbutt from the smaller Shelgon, which only serves to make her upset—and there they go.]

Fuck this...

[Nero chucks the 'gear down at Basilisk's feet, taking off towards the skirmishing dragons. Now, most people might have a moment of concern when approaching this situation, but Nero? Nah.

Nero uses his Bagon as a stepping-stone to vault up and punch his Charizard in the face. You can't really see it from that angle, but the sound is pretty telltale.]

Fucking—stop!

[Basilisk watches this, mildly impressed, and then goes back to chewing. The feed goes out the same way it started.]


[[ooc: Rainbow badge approved by Stormy. Replies will happen a few hours post-broadcast once Nero gets himself a non-chewed up 'gear.]]