(Untitled)

[g3_jupiter]

[Somebody's back on the island... Or maybe she never left in the first place. The only certainty is that Team Galactic's Commander Jupiter is presently sprawled on the ground in the CMA in a very undignified position, laying down on her stomach. She seems to be unconscious, though a closer look reveals that she's sleeping. Her hair is down, her

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[galactic_rings]

[Oh... god... Are they dead? Saturn will keep some distance between him and Jupiter while he tries to assess the situation. He is currently holding his young Abra in his arms.]

....Jupiter?

[g3_jupiter]

[Skuntank shifts slightly in her sleep. Jupiter doesn't, but her back rises and falls slightly. She's breathing in the most perfectly normal way. There's no way in the world they're dead.]

[galactic_rings]

[Okay... so they aren't dead after all. He will speak a bit louder so maybe the woman will hear him.]

You certainly look like you have seen better days...

[g3_jupiter]

[Both trainer and Pokémon open their eyes in unison and make little noises of discomfort in the backs of their throats. Jupiter lifts her head to look at the man standing before her and... Whoa, Saturn! Her eyes widen slightly as soon as she recognizes him. She hasn't seen him in like, forever. She can't exactly say she missed him, though.]

... Hi, Saturn. It's called intensive training. Clearly you've never heard of it.

[lunardancing]

[Good Arceus, hat happened to her?]

Jupiter? Are you okay?

[g3_jupiter]

[Both Pokémon and trainer raise their head slightly and squeeze their eyes shut for a moment. They're waking up!]

... Hm? ...

... I'm fine.

[lunardancing]

You don't look fine.

[Kind of comes closer to see if Jupiter's dying.]

[g3_jupiter]

[Jupiter quickly sits up, hunching her shoulders defensively like a threatened animal.]

I'm alright. Leave me alone.

[But Dawn can see Jupiter's bruised face now, and it's clear that, while Jupiter is not in danger of dying, well, something bad's happened to her.]

[stfuimbombing]

[... well, this is certainly a surprise. Cyrus hadn't even mentioned that Jupiter was here. Course, even if she was here, Mars wouldn't have expected running into her like this. She approaches the sleeping woman.]

Jupiter? You awake?

[g3_jupiter]

[Both Skuntank and Jupiter shift in their sleep. They both roll over slightly to the same side, and the movement is almost perfectly synchronized. Additionally, Jupiter appears to mumble Mars' name in her sleep.]

... M-rs...

[stfuimbombing]

[Mars crouches down near Jupiter's head, glancing over her and her Skuntank again. It's somewhat awkward seeing them look so thoroughly beaten up.]

Yes, it's me. You can hear me, right?

[She's going to confuse her with the other Mars \o/ ]

[g3_jupiter]

[Jupiter lifts her head up and opens her eyes. As soon as she sees Mars, she smiles oddly.]

I can fulfill my promise to you now.

[galactic_geezer]

[Of course Charon is going to bother them anyway. Bothering is what he does best, especially when it's done on a whim.]

My, my. Sleeping on the job is hardly productive.

[Eris pokes her head up out of his pocket briefly and meows, but he quickly coaxes her back in. Can't have any Skitties popping out at random while he's heckling his co-workers, now can he?]

[g3_jupiter]

[The Skitty's meowing instantly wakes Skuntank up. Seeing Charon, the Pokémon paws at her trainer, waking her up in turn. Jupiter groggily sits up on the ground, revealing the bruises on her face. She doesn't look happy to see Charon... for a change, am I right?]

... You of all people...

[galactic_geezer]

[Hey, first time for everything. Charon just smirks down at her.]

I presume you were expecting our gracious leader to find you here?

[g3_jupiter]

[Jupiter furrows her brow and pets her Skuntank. She hates how the old dwarf is standing above her... she feels she should try to stand up, but she doesn't.]

I wasn't expecting anything. I do need to get in contact with him, but I know you won't help me.

[distorted_deity]

[Cyrus hasn't seen her in a while.

He hadn't been certain that he ever would again, either; the thought gave him no sense of either contentment or displeasure - it was simply a fact. She had gone one day, and he hadn't been sure that she would be returning.

He imagines it's the will of the island, not her own, that caused her disappearance; regardless, when he finds her, he doesn't approach immediately. Instead, he watches, keeping his eyes on her rather still form long enough to ascertain whether or not she's still alive. The breathing is enough to assure him of that, though it's fairly plain that whatever her experiences have been, they haven't been positive.

When he does approach, it's to lower himself to one knee next to her, attempting to assess the situation; her breathing patterns imply sleep, not unconsciousness, and after a brief moment's pause in which he considers a few courses of action, he reaches out, his hand alighting on her shoulder. He doesn't shake her, but the touch is definitely firm enough to be felt.]...

[g3_jupiter]

[Both Skuntank and Jupiter slowly open their eyes. Jupiter groggily lifts up her head. As soon as she recognizes Cyrus, she smiles... It's a warm, happy smile, though the bruises on her face and her disheveled hair make it look vaguely grotesque.]

... Master Cyrus... !

[distorted_deity]

[His expression flickers; the look is one that implies a lack of understanding, and though the falter was brief, it was fairly pronounced. He studies her for a moment, taking perhaps a second too long to respond; clearly, he hadn't expected the bruising.]

Your current state...explain what happened.

[Though his tone is still strange - there's an oddly hollow quality behind his words that he hasn't quite managed to cover entirely - it's decidedly more...normal than it was the last time she saw him. If nothing else, he's been training himself into sounding emotionally intact; it's served him well to do so over the last few weeks.]

[g3_jupiter]

[Her smile widens at his request, pride flashing in her eyes and swelling her chest as she sits up. She looks over to her Skuntank, and her answer is simple, maybe excessively so.]

We trained. We got stronger.