<Tom> "I'd like to tell you something... so you can just tell me I'm being paranoid and I don't have to let it worry me while I'm on the mission."
<Leo> "Oh? What is it?" Leo looks suddenly concerned
<Tom> "The way they're trying to send us in like this... I don't know why but I can't shake the feeling they're putting us in danger on purpose because we're newtypes."
<Tom> "Almost like they want to get rid of us somehow."
<Leo> "I've thought about that. It's possible. Inadvisable of them, but possible."
<Tom> "And here I was hoping you'd tell me I'm just paranoid."
<Leo> "Of course most likely is that we're the team that went up against D the first time and survived."
<Leo> "Therefore we're the best equipped to handle it this time."
<Leo> "Occam's razor. The simplest explaination is usually the best."
<Leo> "But that doesn't mean that I'm discounting the complicated and unthinkable situation."
<Leo> "If it's true, then we'll simply succeed at the mission. If we make ourselves indispensible, they can't simply get rid of us."
<Tom> "I kinda get flashbacks to the first mission we did together."
<Tom> "Remember how they refused to maintain communication with us?"
<Tom> "Said it was pressure from higher up..."
<Leo> "Yes. And once we proved ourselves, we were given marginally more respect on subsequent missions."
<Tom> "But again, they're getting pressure from higher up that's putting us in danger. I just don't like the trend I'm seeing."
<Leo> "We certainly have far to climb, We're high school kids with superpowers who keep too many pokemon for the military economists to be comfortable with."
<Tom> "Damasi's an Admiral, Leo. And he hasn't liked either of these decisions more than us."
<Leo> "I have no illusions that we have any friends up above, except perhaps for Admiral Damasi and the Captain."
<Tom> "Maybe after this mission it'd be worth trying to find out what kind of guy holds the rank of fleet admiral."
<Leo> "Perhaps."
<Leo> "This mission is going to be big. If we survive and succeed we should be able to use it as leverage."
<Leo> "So let's make sure we survive."
<Leo> (Ask about the Carbos :B)
<Leo> (And bring up the Hidden Power HM if you're able)
<Tom> (I'd assumed we were retconning it in so that I didn't have to go through a scene of evolving belze too)
<Tom> (HP on the other hand)
<Leo> (Ah. Well.)
 Leo hands over the bottle of pills, "Here's the Carbo supplument you paid for, by the way. Thank you for being so generous."
<Tom> "I just hope that this doesn't have some kind of deeper root. I'd hate to have to think that the higher ups were prejudiced against newtypes. We may be the only newtypes on this side as far as I know."
<Leo> "Yes, I suppose we are."
<Tom> "But if they are, I guess we oughta just persevere best we can. As long as we do our best, maybe we can get 'em to start considerin' trustin' newtypes as their own."
<Tom> "Anyway, the Hidden Power HM I bought oughta be ready again this mornin'. You should give it a try if ya want."
<Leo> "Maybe. I'd be more comfortable not ascribing racial metaphors to a segment of the population with superpowers. It would be better if we were just people first."
<Leo> "And the metaphors just alienate the two groups further."
<Leo> "Oh? Hidden Power hm?"
<Leo> "...Might be useful for Maestro. May I?"
<Tom> "Yeah, go ahead."