Mazer Pratten the Greninja
Prankster Platoon (De Facto Leader)
Connive, City Center
Affected RPers: None.

((In which Mazer definitely doesn't foreshadow anything, nope, not at all))

Last night had certainly been interesting, Mazer reflected as he sat in front of the set of pilfered Jumbotrons in the middle of Connive, where the qualifiers for the Dread Metal Derby and Bloot Pit Arena were starting to play. He’d considered joining in the Blood Pit Arena, but Sheena and Bella had successfully talked him out of it… and honestly, he was a little grateful. He would still be needed whenever the Devil’s Tide event took place; that would be the his big show. And frankly, the groups they’d sent out were good enough that Mazer wasn’t too concerned. The Screaming Talon and crew were shoo-ins for the Dread Metal, and the other two cars were in fine form, as were the squadrons that had been sent in for the Blood Pit.

Sheena settled down next to Mazer and Bella with a huff, munching from a pouch of acorns. “You worried, Mazer?”

The Greninja shook his head. “No, darling,” he said, poking his tongue out a bit to lap from the bowl of spiced mealworms that were forming his breakfast, “not for this. Some of the ‘mons we sent are gonna die, and that sucks, but they knew that they probably wouldn’t leave alive.” He shrugged, then laid down on his belly and slurped up a couple more mealworms. “Either way, they’re gonna make some interesting fireworks.”

Sheena passed a few acorns to Bella, who chewed them up with a crunch. “I more meant about the people we met last night,” she said. “Does it affect anything?”

Leaves, crunchy and dry from the arid climate of Connive, rustled as Bella turned to glance at Mazer. “Who did you two meet?” she asked. “I haven’t heard anything about this.”

Mazer shrugged, “Some people.”

“Some weirdos,” Sheena said. “Couple of them are gonna be fighting today, I think. Didn’t that Gliscor say he was going to be in the Blood Pit Arena?”

“And the Bisharp,” Mazer said. When he saw Bella staring at him, as though still patiently waiting for an explanation, he sighed. “Okay, love, here’s what happened. Remember how Sheena and I went out to Rhondul to visit Miss Janine and pick up the last of the boat parts?” When Bella nodded, Mazer continued, “Well, there we were, meeting up with Joss to pick up the last of the supplies for the boat,” he said, “since those thundercharge batteries were so scarce. He still had some, but this Metagross and Swampert showed up with some Gliscor and Bisharp escorting them. They were trying to buy, but you know Joss - that Octillery has never believed in ‘first come first serve’; just ‘most money first serve’. The Bisharp got them to back up pretty much immediately, which was weird? They must not have brought a lot of cash to haggle with,” said Mazer, shrugging. “But they were acting kinda creepy. They were clearly together, but I couldn’t tell what faction they were with. If any. The Bisharp and I think the Gliscor were supposed to be in the Blood Pit, but I haven’t seen any of those guys on either of the screens. Either way, they didn’t seem too offended when we out-moneyed them and they didn’t try to murder us, so we’ve got bigger concerns for the moment.” He pointed back to the blaring TVs. “Like keeping our beautiful fingers on the ragged pulse of this festival.”

Sheena frowned as a teleport scar rippled across the screen and a pair of familiar Pokemon wandered out - an Umbreon and a Luxray. The Chesnaught tapped Mazer’s shoulders and pointed at the screen, “Um, Mazer…”

Mazer was so startled that he nearly spit out his mealworms. “Is that Laura!” he yelped. “What is that girl doing; she’s gonna get herself killed!”

Bella snorted. “She’s probably doing what I was doing. I wouldn’t be surprised if she wasn’t there just to rant at Taiya atop a pile of bodies. Have a little faith in your compatriots, Marcellus.”

It was several years’ worth of a deep and abiding friendship, as well as the knowledge that it would get him a faceful of Sheena’s fist, that kept Mazer from trying to strangle Bella for using her real name. Instead, he just muttered, “I hope you’re right,” and lapped up a few more mealworms. There wasn’t much that put him on edge, but the prospect of losing the Prankster Platoon’s de-facto spokesmon didn’t sit well with him.