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Ask to Join Geminos: ~Threads of Uncertainty~ (Role Play Thread)

"Wallace again huh? He really is a big role model for you, isn't he? Maybe you can meet him one day, if you train hard enough." Sandra smiled as Terra sniffed Beepbeep and Crouton. Whilst Beepbeep had gained some respect for the Rockruff after seeing it try its best in the Water gym, Crouton was a bit more cautious. She had not yet met the rock type and her last encounter with canine Pokémon did not go too well. The Parent Pokémon preemptively covered her child as she growled.

"Kangaskhaaaan....". (Don't try anything funny or attempt to touch my child if you don't want a fight, little pup. I've beaten down predators for less.)

Sandra noticed the hostility and patted Crouton on her arm, she could not reach any higher whilst fishing. "Easy girl, Terra is friendly." Reaching out her other hand, she patted Terra on her head. "Don't worry Terra, Crouton is just a little bit wary after being attacked by a pack of Growlithe. I'm sure you two will be great friends, just give her some time."

"Mag, magnemite." (Hi there, Terra. I've seen your valiant battle, did your trainer eventually prevail?) The Magnemite asked the Puppy Pokémon, curious to hear about the results of the Gym battle. In the meantime, Astraea and Sir Flopsalot left the water as the Sharpedo began submerging. Whilst the Staryu could easily survive walk around on land, the Magikarp didn't have such luxury and was swiftly returned. Getting up from the ground, Sandra walked away from the water's edge and stood next to Crouton who was the biggest Pokémon around. This was getting risky.

"Devin, stay back. The Sharpedo has submerged and I don't want people to be hurt." That's when the Sharpedo lunged from the water, its target being Sandra. Seeing the Brutal Pokémon as a threat to its baby, Crouton clapped her hands together and sent a shockwave towards the Sharpedo as the Normal type used Fake Out. In an attempt to help their trainer, Astraea used Water Gun and Beepbeep fired off a Thunder Shock. The Sharpedo was a fully evolved Pokémon and Sandra was no battler, but that didn't mean she was going down without a fight. Diving to the side, the girl tried to get herself to safety.
 
"Y-you could say that, he is the trainer that inspired me on my journey so to say..." Devin answered, somewhat sheepishly as thee had been another aspect to Wallace that Devin had say aimed to model himself after but he'd rather keep that to himself. Though Terra had worked to make herself friendly to the Magnemite and Kangaskha.

"Ruff! Rockruff." (Oh no worries! I wouldn't do anything to threaten your child I hope Sandra makes you both happy she is very nice.")

Terra seemed to not hold it against Crouton and barked happily Sandra's way as Devin seemed to sigh in some relief. Terra was a bit overly energetic to put it lightly so he worried she may have startled the baby to get a good sniff but it seemed least here she had managed to show some restraint. Though of course attention shifted as Devin kept back and provided Sandra with needed space as it seemed she worked to aid in this Sharpedo hunt as Ellie seemed naturally nervous as Devin stroked the back of the Dratini's neck.

"Don't worry, Sandra is more than capable. They all are, just gotta trust them..." Devin assured his newer partner as still Ellie had watched with concern as this one they tried to corral seemed so big and scary, but she'd simply keep close to her trainer as she watched while Terra first addressed Beepboop's question.

"Rock. Ruff ruff!" (Oh yes we did. Ellie was awesome! She managed to take out the first and did well on the second, and I was able to help finish it, it was so great!")
 
The magnemite's attack caught the shark off guard. The magnemite seemed like it would be helpful in fending the sharpedo. As Sharpedo leaped back into the water, if pulled on the fishing line once more causing Dolan's boat to rock. "Woah!" Dolan went. The Sharpedo used a aqua jet to try attack beepbeep and Sandra at the same time. The only thing Dolan could think to do was hold on to his fishing rod as tight as he could and not let go. "Watch out!" Dolan said. Skol was still with him using its psychic powers to help. Then there was Gosil who continued to hang onto the sharpedo relentlessly.
 
"What's with this Sharped-AH!" Sandra was caught off guard by the Aqua Jet and crossed her arms in front of her face in an attempt to block the attack, only for Beepbeep to jump in and take the attack. Its Sturdy ability made it able to survive the hit, but the small Electric type could not prevent itself from flying backwards after the attack landed. "Beepbeep!" Sandra cried out as she felt her Pokémon collide against her arms, stumbling as the 13.2 lbs ball of metal collided with her. "Are you okay?" The Magnemite shook its body before heading back into battle as their trainer let out a sigh of relief. "Oh thank Arceus, you're okay. Okay, Thunder Wave! Slow that thing down!" The magnets on Beepbeep's sides began spinning as the Electric type fired off blue electricity to stun and slow the Brutal Pokémon.

"Astraea, Water Gun! Crouton, Growl!" A blast of water was sent towards the Sharpedo as the Kangaskhan let out an intimidating growl to hopefully dissuade the Brutal Pokémon from attacking again. "Devin, I need your help here! I can only do so much by yourself, try and see if you can find an opening for Ellie to use Dragon Rage! I'll try my best to chip away at it, but the big damage will have to come from you!" The Johtonian said to her friend, hoping to get through this without any injuries.
 
Needless to say this whole situation had grown chaotic in a hurry, Beepboop ended up taking a hit for Sandra which caused Terra to cry in concern as both Devin and Ellie seemed a bit stunned by this. Seemed the hunt for the Sharpedo had become more hectic than expected, and more so it seemed that Sandra asked for Devin's own help though as the Dratini seemed worried about getting involved, but Devin stroked the back of her neck which seemed to help their nerves.

"R-right! Terra, use Rock Throw to give us some cover. Ellie prepare a Dragon Rage when it is open!" Devin called out, as he decided to join the venture with Donald and Sandra as Terra barked and fired several rocks from her collar at the coastline as she aimed to pelt it from afar, and Ellie while nervous at taking on this scary shark once more felt encouraged as Devin stroked the back of her neck. "It's okay Ellie, you can do this...just make the right strike and keep safe." Devin said as he smiled at her, and the Dratini seemed to work up enough nerve to enter the water as she kept back from the Sharpedo and her head above water as she waited for the right moment to strike.

Once she had seen an opening, Ellie charged up her dragon energy into a stream of blue flames, and fired it towards the Sharpedo as she aimed to land the key strike to help in the effort.
 
Between the electric attacks from Beepbeep's attacks, the sharpedo was visibly exhausted. It was also struggling to move do to paralysis setting in. The sharpedo showed no signs of surrender. The sharpedo attempted to submerge itself in the water but was unable to avoid the rock throw or the the dragon's rage. In a adrenaline rush moment the sharpedo made a last stand attempt towards Ellie with a crunch attack.

As all this went on Gosil continued to shout in the wind hoping not to get hit. Then there was Dolan whom somehow managed to snag photos of all things. Photos in a time like now. Really...

Dolan snagged a picture of the sharpedo lunging at Sandra. Sadly she blinked when the photo was taken, and he wasn't given another opportunity to retake it. He also got a shot of Beepbeep shocking the sharpedo, Beepbeep getting bodied by sharpedo, sharpedo getting hit by a rock throw and Ellie going to town on the sharpedo with dragon's rage.
 
"Oh no you don't! Beepbeep!" Sandra yelled as her Magnemite flew over and fired off a Thunder shock in the Sharpedo's face. The move was not the strongest Electric move around, but it would hopefully be enough to stop the Sharpedo and protect Ellie. In the meantime, she patted down her body. "Dang it, out of Poké balls. Does anyone here have a spare Poké ball? This Sharpedo needs to be caught now, I can only hold it occupied for so long!"

Looking around frantically, the Johtonian hoped that either Devin or Dolan had a Poké ball or better. This could go very wrong, very quickly.
 
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"Ah man... You blinked..." Dolan said dissapointingly as he looking at his camera, then at Sandra. "Oh... uuugh poké... ball... Where are they..." Dolan said looking around through his cluttered bag.

"Sloooow" Skol smiled. It would appear that not only did Skol hear Sandra, but even understood what she wanted. Unlike Dolan who struggled to look through his bag, Skol quickly used his telekinetic abilities. A empty pokéball slowly hovered in the air and slowly began to float towards Sandra.

"Oh... Nice one, Skol!" Dolan said.
"Poke poke" Skol cheered.

The pokéball ever so slowly got closer and closer to Sandra. As it did Sharpedo began to open its eyes.
 
Sandra grinned as the Slowpoke gave her a Poké Ball, grabbing the ball out of the sky and giving Dolan and Skol a thumbs up. "Thanks! Alright, this is the money shot! Let's go!" The Poké Ball sailed through the air and hit the Sharpedo, engulfing it in red light before sucking it up. The ball fell onto the ground, button glowing and ball shaking. "Devin, get out of there! If this doesn't work, I don't want you to get hurt!"

The ball shook once, and Beepbeep made its way back to Sandra. The ball shook twice, and the girl bit her lip. The ball shook three times, and tension was so thick in the air that you could cut it. After what felt like an eternity, the ball stopped shaking. The Sharpedo was caught! Out of relief, Sandra fell back upon her butt and let out a sigh. "That was way closer than it needed to be, I thought this was going to be a relaxed fishing contest." Looking at her Pokémon, she smiled and began petting them. "You all did amazing, go relax now." Recalling Astraea, Beepbeep and Crouton, the Johtonian got up and picked up the ball containing the same Sharpedo that almost made a snack out of her. Walking towards the water's edge, she waved at Dolan. "I believe this is yours?" The girl asked, holding the Poké Ball up high as sunlight reflected from it.
 
"Wim wim wiiiiim!" Gosil yelled in panic as the sharpedo it had latched onto disappeared leaving the bug to fall in the ocean. The little bug bug squirmed and wiggled, but didn't splash... it would appear Skol caught the bug mid air before it could land it the ocean. "Wiiimpod!" Gosil cheered. For once, the lil wimpod actually looked happy for a change. He was still angry about losing his sharpedo throne but was all too happy not to be in the water. As soon as Gosil was on the boat, he leaped on Skol's back and sat there rather contemptly as per usual once more. Gosil still didn't like Lucky, but for now he tolerates Skol. Skol was a loyal servant to 'Gosil the Great'.

"Haha! Your the greatest fishing pole in the world, old Reliable" Dolan said.

Old Reliable didn't speak.

"Don't be bashful! That was a good catch!" Dolan said.

Old Reliable being a regular fishing pole obviously couldn't talk.

"Glad that's over!" Dolan said.

"Last year was a relaxing contest... Ha!... mine?! Are you sure? I don't know what to do with it..." Dolan said. As his boat got closer he reached out to grab it. He didn't know what to say. Dolan thought to himself, "You guys helped just as much as I did... you guys deserve some of the credit too" Dolan said. He continued to look at the pokéball. For now he put the pokéball on his belt.
 
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Ellie of course was petrified when the Sharpedo had began to speed her way, and Terra quickly dived in the water; she may not have liked it, but she had to do something to aid her teammate, however her dramatic save ended up being uneeded as both Dolan and Sandra coordinated their efforts and together defeated the Sharpedo as they seemed to make out with some impressive catches as Ellie, Devin and Terra seemed to sigh in relief.

Naturally he called his partners back and returned Ellie to give her much needed rest, while Terra moved to cuddle by her lap as she was proud of her friend's Pokemon and their accomplishment as she barked praise to them. While Devin had began to pet her and glanced over at the pair. "W-well, managed to make fishing a stressful event. Not sure if I should be alarmed or impressed..."
 
Sandra dismissed the words of Dolan, waving her hand to give her words more meaning. "No dude, you hooked that Sharpedo and gave me that Poké Ball. You deserve it more than me, it was your catch after all and I don't want to steal from you. It's pretty much a guaranteed victory, but I'd rather lose fairly than win via cheating."

Turning to her friend, Sandra chuckled. "I will try my best to not make this a recurring thing. Don't worry though, Sharpedo are salt water Pokémon and usually stay in the sea. This one probably was looking for new territory or food and got lost in the canals, add that to the fresh water here and you have a stressed Pokémon that wants nothing more than to escape which causes it to lash out. If it stayed in there much longer, it could've succeeded in harming a human or have died, potentially even both."
 
This seemed to be enough to get Devin to feel at ease, and really he was impressed as Sandra had been able to guess the reason for the attack, and it caused Devin to feel some sympathy for the Sharpedo; poor thing likely had to be in a panic with the sudden change of scenery. At this point, Devin had just been happy nobody including it seemed to get seriously injured.

"I am sure you will, just hope that no other Pokemon ends up being put in strange waters..." Devin expressed, though it seemed that least one boat further out from Dolan and Sandra had gone to investigate that matter. Terra of course had happily barked Sandra's way as if saying good job, before she passed one to Dolan as well as it seemed that the Sharpedo would go to him.
 

sSoul

Previously Swirled
After enough time in the water, Rowan could say with certainty that Ellen was nowhere to be found. Annoyed, he told his Pokémon the deal and put the both of them back in their Pokéballs. He knew that she was looking for the same thing that he was, but they seemed to have started at completely different locations. As such, they would eventually need to meet up.

I wish I had her number, at least then I'd be able to give her a call or something.

Fortunately, it turned out that the Alolan trainer wouldn't need a phone call or anything of the like, as he spotted a boat with a familiar face on it. He smiled before waving both of his hands above his head as if to get the junior detective's attention.

"Hey Ellen! I finally caught that water type!" Rowan mustered as much volume as he could in a singular cry, hoping that he wouldn't be ignored.
 
Devin watched the scene in the water as it seemed Rowan moved closer to where Ellen was, as he wondered just what the pair had been up to; he figured they worked to solve the issue of what had brought the Sharpedo here to begin with, but he had no way to be sure and to a degree it had annoyed him.

Wish I knew how to help with this stuff...

Terra seemed to sense this and quickly cuddled by her partner, a gesture which snapped Devin out of his slight slump as he smiled lightly and patted the dog along the back of her neck.
 
Eleonor startled with a soft yelp, nearly losing her balance. Her boat wobbled as she warbled and she was just nearly off to a capsized start. The source of her spooks was a far too chipper and far too loud, Rowan. From the bank of the canal the boy bellowed at what must've been the top of his lungs, leaving Eleonor to return a strained smile after she managed to steady herself. Kids were so energetic.

"That was pretty quick, you must have a knack for catching Pokemon," she praised. "Fantastique!"

"Then, if you're ready, we'll need to use our water-pokemon to dive beneath the surf and look for holes in the city's filter-grate. Wild Pokemon inhabit the city's canals so we'll need to be careful while we're down there—be careful."
 
Sandra sat down and sighed, resting her head on her hand. The adrenaline in her blood was dying down and so was the drive to win the contest. She knew that someone had a Sharpedo, and there was no way to beat that unless she caught like a Gyarados. "Man, there's no way I'm going to win this contest now. I was so excited too, hopefully there's a good second place prize. Releasing Sir Flopsalot, she watched the Water type flop around in the shallows as her bobber remained motionless in the water.
 

sSoul

Previously Swirled
Though his yell was effective in getting Eleonor's attention, it came at the cost of her nearly losing her balance on the boat. Despite the fact that she managed to return a smile as she regained her balance, Rowan still felt a little guilty in startling the older trainer.

"You know, now that I think about it, maybe I do..." Rowan took a moment to ponder on the compliment he received before he approached the canal's waters to let out his Mudkip. Flippers gazed at the water and then back at Rowan, evidently confused by the change in scenery. Up to this point, it had slipped the Alolan trainer's mind that Pokémon are completely unaware of the outside world while within their Pokéballs, so an explanation was due.

"Alright Flippers, there's been a slight change in plans. Instead of hunting down the Sharpedo, we're going to be looking for breaches in the canals to make sure that something like this doesn't happen again. Does that sound good to you?" After laying the situation out to the Mud Fish, Rowan was met with a moment of hesitation before jumping into the waters to plunge into the depths. After watching the Water type return to his roots, the young trainer motioned to Eleonor that she should bring over the boat so he could get on.
 
Devin happened to overhear Sandra's comment which concerned her standing in the contest and well, he decided to speak up. He guessed that because the Sharpedo was caught, she figured her chances to win the contest had shot like a rock. While odds stated she was likely right, Devin hated to see someone especially one he considered close to him. And while he was never the go to guy for "pep" talks, he tried to say something to her all the same. "E-even if that is true, I don't think that is reason to just throw in the towel. Given what just happened, to say anything is impossible would be frankly crazier than finding another Sharpedo or something even bigger. I least think you owe it to try and see what you can find, but it's your call..." Devin mused, as Terra seemed to bark as if she supported that bit from Devin.
 
Sandra huffed as she pouted, cupping a single cheek as she leaned on her arm. "I suppose, but it does put a big damper on things. Maybe if I get super lucky...". The girl looked at her Magikarp that struggled to swim. Whilst the shallows should be safe, the Water type still managed to look as inexperienced in the water as a toddler. "Look at you, trying your best regardless of your abilities. It's kinda cute, in a way. Trying to improve until you evolve into a Gyarados, if you even make it that far. That kind of tenacity, should I share it with you?" The Johtonian talked to herself and Sir Flopsalot, unaware of Devin at the moment. "Maybe you're right and I just need to suck it up, you are not complaining either. Not that you really can, but still."
 
"Rock!" (That's the spirit!)

Terra seemed to speak with the enthusiasm Devin had lacked ability to match, but the Poke-speak sentiment held true as it seemed that the Magikarp helped inspire Sandra which Devin only had capacity to infer from though as Sandra seemed to work to build her confidence back up. Devin felt he needed to say something to if nothing else least infer Sandra was on the right path.

"W-well I uh usually don't have much confidence to speak up let alone complain..." Devin had began sheepishly, with a rub of his head before he pressed on. "...b-but I do think it is best you try. I mean, regardless of result it is least worth giving your best effort I think." Devin said with a somewhat sky smile, as he had not been an expert at this but hoped he said the right thing.

Ellie seemed to release herself from her Pokeball again, perhaps she had gotten lonely or felt assured/rested enough from the previous scenario to be out in the open again, either way the Dragon Type scanned the area and noted the Magikarp's struggles to swim in the shallow water but what seemed a committed effort to try all the same. Much like Sandra, Ellie seemed inspired by this display, she herself had always been worried about messing up and before Devin or even Ellen she had not been one to try many things as a result.

So, Ellie did something that had not been becoming of her, and drifted to the shallow water by the Magikarp. "D...dratini." ("Y-you...you can do it.")
 
Sandra chuckled, both at Devin's attempt to make her feel better and at Ellie hanging out with Sir Flopsalot. "Thanks, I appreciate it. I really do. I did my best, there's no room for regrets here. I just have to keep going."

"Karp! Karp! Magikarp!" ("I am trying my best! I shall overcome these weak muscles and go to heights no Magikarp has seen before! I shall evolve and show the world that us Magikarp are filled to the brim with unrealized potential!) Sir Flopsalot lived up to his name, as he spoke high and mighty whilst flopping a lot. Slowly but surely, the Magikarp swam forward in the shallows.

"I got a bite!" Sandra cried out as she jumped up and began reeling her catch in. The vigorous splashing concealed her catch, but the large bill and yellow coloring gave it away fast. "It's a Psyduck!"
 
Eleonor dove into the waters below, Nynyve by her side. The bivalve Pokemon acted as a most accommodating floatation device for her trainer, who with one hand held onto the Clamperl's shell and with the other hand, pushed the boat to shore.

While she waited for Rowan to row the boat back over to her, Eleonor idly thumbed over Nynyve's shell.

"There's an aqua-breather inside, in a box towards the back; it's a gift from City Hall, our payment."

The aqua-breather was curious device, the very cutting edge of technology that absorbed water and filtered out minute bubbles of oxygen. They functioned like a wearable set of gills for humans and were worn over the mouth. They used to be so expensive that only Pokemon Rangers were allowed to possess them, due to the natures of their jobs; but, in recent years, advances in manufacturing and technology had made them easier to produce and they had become a hot item among trainers

The aqua breather cost a pretty penny, but Eleonor had managed to work out a set of four aqua breathers as payment for services rendered. But she'd reveal the rest later. The deal she'd brokered involved a down-payment of two aqua-breathers for herself and Rowan who would be doing the underwater search and after the completion of their task they would collect the additional pair for Sandra and Devin.
 
Dolan sat there looking at Slol and wondered when the fishing contest would end and he could claim his prize.He smiled as Sandra caught a magikarp. Good for her. It looked like a nice healthy one too. He listened to Sandra and Devin talk. Though he couldn't think of anything to say, so he sat there petting Skol, and wondering what to do next.

Meanwhile Gosil hated when other pokemon were the center of attention. Gosil was the center of attention. Gosil was the bug king of the ocean, and he would not sit idly by while some filthy pokemon steals his spotlight. Gosil slid under Dolan's hand, so that now Dolan was petting Gosil instead of Skol. Skol was too carefree to be concerned by Gosil's act of jealousy.
 
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"Yeah, that's the spirit and I wish you well..." Devin said as he seemed happy that at the very least he seemed to somewhat help Sandra find a confidence. And perhaps, he'd be able to shift this advice to himself in his own adventures.

Ellie seemed to be equally marveled by the natural confidence of Sir Flopsalot as he actually began to swim in the shallow water, and perhaps as a way to help feed off its confidence she had began to swim with it as the sheepish Dragon-type seemed to be growing more comfortable around the Pokemon of Devin's friend.

Sandra then pulled up what seemed to be a Psyduck which seemed to get Terra's attention as she barked happily at Sandra's capture. "Ruff!" (Nice one!)

Devin seemed to share that as Sandra had made another capture. "W-wow you are really reeling them in, c-congrats."
 
"Eheh, it's not that impressive really. I just know what I am doing." Sandra smiled, unsure what to do with the compliment as she focused on reeling the Psyduck in.

Sir Flopsalot enjoyed swimming around with his new friend who swam around with incredible grace and ease, one day he would achieve the same level of swimming. Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice the Psyduck that bumped into him "Karp! Magikarp!" (Fiend! Watch where you are swimming!)

"Oops, sorry Sir Flopsalot." Sandra apologized as the Magikarp seemed rather upset at her. "Karp! Karp!" (Sorry? Sorry is not cutting it! What if that blasted hook would have come loose and injured me? I would have been a fish out of water!)

Freeing the Psyduck from the lure stuck in their mouth, Sandra petted the Duck Pokémon who held their head in their hands, unsure what to do with the situation. "I don't have any Pokéballs, so this little guy just has to spend some time with us until the contest ends."
 

sSoul

Previously Swirled
Rowan hopped into the boat without skipping a beat, taking time to put Flippers in the boat before listening rowing the boat over to Ellen. While he was rowing, he listened to the junior detective describe the contents in the box as well as why they have it. Once the boat was near enough for Ellen to board, Rowan grabbed opened the box to examine the very aqua breathers that he heard about.

"Sandra would love one of these," The Alolan trainer said to himself as examined the aquatic equipment, "Hey Ellen, how do I put this thing on?"
 
"S-still though I am happy for you..." Devin replied sheepishly as he quickly discovered he was not the best at passing out praise but still wanted Sandra to feel good about this catch.

Ellie in turn seemed to enjoy the swim with Sir Flopsalot. While it desired to be as graceful a swimmer, Ellie wished one day to have that unshakable confidence it possessed. However, a sudden bump into the Psyduck caused an argument as Sir Floopsalot had not taken kindly to that.

Devin had a sweat drop as the Magikarp seemed to get into an argument with its own trainer as he sheepishly tried to interject. "H-hey it's okay she didn't mean to..."

Ellie of course tried to add to it. "D-dratini." ("Y-yeah it is okay..."

On the topic of a lack of Pokeballs, Devin on instinct reached into a pocket and pulled out an extra one he had on his person. "W-want to use one of mine? I don't mind." Devin explained.
 
"That's sweet of you, Devin." Sandra smiled at her friend, petting the Psyduck. "However, I don't plan on keeping this little one. It would be wrong for me to remove it from its natural habitat, after all. They're not causing any issues, they're not in danger, so why should I catch them? N-Not to discredit anyone who does catch Pokémon for other reasons, but I just cannot bring myself to do it." The girl said, an awkward smile on her face and a bead of sweat finishing the image whilst the Psyduck was just incredibly confused about what was going on.

Sir Flopsalot huffed and turned away from Sandra, clearly its pride had been injured. "Karp, karp, Magikarp!" ("Hmph, you two don't know the fear that hooks instill on us. Only Lady Ellie knows what I am talking about, only she has the kindred heart spoken of in legends! You...you....brutes can not imagine what perils we live through!")

Looking at her Magikarp, Sandra couldn't help but chuckle. "What if we could understand what our Pokémon were saying? I'm sure Sir Flopsalot has a lot to say about us."
 
"I-I see, well I respect your decision. You seem to have a good heart..." Devin complimented as he understood Sandra's point and put his Pokeball back in its bag. Devin had to admire the attitude that Sandra had, while he desired to make a full team to battle and uh...another thing with among travel, he could understand in cases like this to leave nature to itself and let the Pokemon roam free. Though the conversation soon shifted from that to what their Pokemon had said to one another.

"H-honestly sometimes I feel I am better off uh not knowing. Truthfully, I am just happy to see Ellie speaking to your Magikarp. T-the most she has talked to another Pokemon thus far since she became my partner..." Devin confessed to Sandra.

Ellie in turn seemed to have widened eyes when she was referred to the more "proper" name by Sir Flopsalot. "L-lady? I-I am not sure I've earned such a title but uh let's try to avoid calling our partners brutes I-I think that doesn't help form a connection." Ellie said, as she appreciated it speaking up for her but tried to keep the peace between people and Pokemon.
 
"Maybe I can do some research on that topic? I do want to be a researcher later, so I might as well enter the science field with a bang. Who knows? I might even hand out starter Pokémon one day, I already have a plant-based last name. Professor Rose, inventor of the Poké Translator. Got a nice ring to it, doesn't it?" Sandra chuckled, causing the Psyduck to hold its head and turn it as it looked at Devin.

"I am glad Sir Flopsalot helps Ellie get out of her shell, she'll warm up to you eventually. Dratini are rare Pokémon, they probably aren't used to humans. Give it some time, she'll come to see you as a trusted partner eventually. She's just shy. I believe in you." Placing a hand on Devin's shoulder, Sandra gave a warm smile to Devin.

Sir Flopsalot shook his head, which just resulted in more splashing. "No, Lady Ellie. Titles are given based on the purity of heart, not endeavors of the valiant. Plenty of Pokémon have done incredible things, but more than half of them have done them to grant the title of Sir or Lady. We cannot have those fiends filthy our high standing. You, of the noble Dragon type, must know that better than anyone else. I, Sir Flopsalot, am a Pokémon of my word, and my word says that I will not call our comrades brutes any longer. However, I will require that our comrades do nothing to deserve another name-calling."
 
Devin listened to her ambitious dreams and desires for research as he could not but help but admire the open passion Sandra had for her desires. Something he wished he had in full luxury, but he had not let that show as he nodded a bit in agreement.

"Yeah, I think it does. And I am sure when you do become one, you'll be a great Professor. And I'll be happy to tell people that "hey did you know I went on an adventure with that great Professor..."' Devin said, with a sincere smile as in spite of the nerves that had come with meeting people, he had been glad he went on this journey and met people like Sandra and Rowan.

"You honestly...think so?" Devin asked, when Sandra pointed out his ability to help Ellie shed her sheepish shell. In truth, Devin constantly wondered if he had been good enough a trainer to do that. Given his failure to connect with Growlithe and his first defeat at the Gym he had faced many internal doubts of ability. But as he expressed this, he felt a familiar rub as he glanced and Terra his Rockruff companion seemed to nuzzle against him as she barked happily in support.

"Ruff!"

Ellie in turn listened to Sir Flopsalot as he explained his rational behind the title he presented her. And the story seemed to cause the shy Dratini to widen its eyes a bit, almost with a child-like wonder. The Magikarp had spoken with an unshakable confident and bravado that she simply lacked and its energy had been rather infectious.

"D-dra....tini. Dratini." ("Wow...I am impressed, you seem to be a good judge of character. However, I do not want to be held to a higher standard till least I earn it, the way you do. And I agree, I am sure our partners will prove their heart to us so do not worry.")
 
"Of course I do! Just look at Terra, you two are as close as you can get! I'm telling you, you're gonna do fine. You've got a gift, and I'm willing to help you with whatever you might be struggling with. That's what friends are for, no?" Sandra smiled at Devin, ignoring the comment on becoming a great professor because she really just did not know how to react to compliments.

Sir Flopsalot listened to Ellie talk, clenching its fin like a fist in admiration. "Karp! Magi, Magikarp!" ("Such a modest soul! You will go far, Lady Ellie, further than I can imagine. You truly and fully deserve the title of Lady, for your drive and goals are unmatched!")

Psyduck meanwhile had gotten used to the two trainers and decided to take a nap, leaning against Devin as the Water type fell asleep, causing Sandra to chuckle. "Are you sure you don't want a Psyduck? They seem to like you."
 
Devin listened as Sandra made her case and Terra seemed to bark happily in agreement, and it had made him wonder about things. In spite of his missteps, he had been able to give his Growlthe a partner who'd bring the best in him, Ellie managed to work through her sheepish skin and was a critical aid in his Gym Battle and he had gotten his first badge in spite of the struggles. Perhaps they had a point. "T-thanks Sandra, I...I needed to hear it." Devin answered with a small smile.

Ellie seemed to figuratively and perhaps literally blush a bit, as she had not been used to so many compliments coming to her at once as she tried her best to form a response. "Dra....tini. Dratini, nini." ("Wow...I am speechless, truly. One with your confidence and kind spirit will exceed all expectations, I know you will become a great Pokemon!")

Devin had a slight blush as Psyduck seemed to rest on him, though when asked if he wanted it he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head as he tried to find the phrasing for his answer. "Uh i-it is tempting but I want to prove I can catch a Pokemon on my own. Ellie was a gift, and one I'll treasure, but I do want to earn my team from here on in." Devin explained to Sandra.
 
Clouds float by. Sun shines in Dolan's eyes. The scent of salt water everywhere. Feel of the cold water kissing Dolan's fingers as his arm dangles off the edge of the boat, fingers in the water. Also the sound of talking. Dolan sat there looking up at the sky, as Devin and Sandra conversed. Dolan sat quietly for this conversation. He had no clue what they were talking about as he wasn't listening. He rarely did.

He did hear something about psyduck. Turning his attention towards the two, "Psyduck? Those are nice. I like psyduck. The noble elegant duck. Truly a marvelous intriguing wonder of the water type pokémon. They ain't Skol, but they are nice" Dolan said patting his slowpoke.

Slowpoke let out a cheerful yawn, Lucky happily watched, and Gosil sitting on Skol's back, continued to look around with his chin held high. If anyone was the best, it was him. He was #1! In his mind at least.
 
"Now don't you get down in the dumps again, got it? In a fight, you can give me a run for my money, we both saw that." Sandra said, punching Devin on the shoulder in a light-hearted manner. "You got a badge, and not everyone can get one of those with the type disadvantage you had. You are far more capable than you think, but I got you beat in the fishing department." The girl let out a laugh, causing the Psyduck to wake up and leer at her for making such noise before taking a nap again. The Water type just wanted some relief from its headache and this girl just had to be loud.

Sir Flopsalot glowed as he got complimented by Ellie, finally someone who recognized his greatness! "Karp! Karp!" ("You haven't seen anything yet! When I reach my final form, everyone will see just what I am capable of! They mocked me for my being before I met Sandra, and now I shall prove to the world just what I can do when given the chance to grow and I am not being stifled by hecklers and non-believers!")

"That's fair, I can get behind that. I just have to show this little guy to the judges and then I'll let them go. I already have four team members, I don't really need a fifth at this moment. I want to focus on Astraea, Beepbeep, Sir Flopsalot and Crouton before I wear myself thin. I can't really think of anyone who has four Pokémon before their first badge, even Jasmine of Olivine City only has three Pokémon she uses in gym battles." Sandra said, reminiscing about her hometown.
 
The city’s usual bustling was no trouble for a certain visitor who had been in Aquamarine for a while now, that being Pure. She had been eagerly sticking around to observe some Pokémon in the city before setting out into the wilds again. She… hadn’t gotten to that part yet.

Pure’s partner had been eagerly following her path the whole time, a gutsy and flamboyant Buizel with an aurora patterned cape tied around his inflatable neck sac to give the two a sense of pleasurable synergy.

Pure herself didn’t talk though, just wandering about and taking in the city sights. There had been quite a lot of commotion going on recently, and honestly Pure lived for it. The bustle and energy really pumped her up, almost as if she was mentally preparing herself for a Coordinator experience by being lost in a crowd.

Besides, that was her goal anyways. All Pure asked for in life was to become a popular Coordinator, not a battler like her cousin or breeder like her mother. Coordination just struck all the right chords for the Sinnoh native, even though the region always had all of its Contest Halls filled up by the big names. So Geminos was exactly what Pure hoped would help guide this goal along, step by step.
 
Devin had a light "oof" as he was lightly punched in the shoulder, it didn't hurt so much as catch him off guard but it seemed that Sandra & Terra's supportive energy had rubbed off on him all the more. As his sheepish smile seemed to rest to a relaxed one as he nodded thankfully at the pair.

"Thanks I...I do appreciate that." Devin answered with sincerity before he chuckled at the fishing comment. "Yeah, when it comes to that you school me with a rod." Devin sheepishly chuckled as Terra seemed to sense her trainer's concerns die down and barked happily as she moved to sit on his lap. Devin stroked even as the Psyduck passed a Leer to the pair which had made Devin thankful that Status Move seemed to not effect humans, though Terra had a shiver before she tried to downplay it which caused Devin to chuckle as he patted her head. "It's okay."

Ellie could not help but smile, she had been so unsure of herself...her capabilities, her confidence she just lacked that trust that this Magikarp seemed to ooze in spades. It had been an admirable quality the Dratini admired greatly. "Tini. D-dra!" (I am sure you will do great things. No, I have no doubt in my mind you will show everyone what you are about!")

"S-sounds like you are quite experienced already. I think your Pokemon are in good hands." Devin assured, as really from his POV just trying to tame one Pokemon on his journey had been far harder than expected, for Sandra to nearly have a full team basically at the starting gate had been nothing short of incredible. "W-what made you decide to venture here, i-if you do not mind me asking?" Devin asked curious about what drove Sandra here. Since they had been in a small talk period, he figured he'd feed that curiosity.
 
"You know it, I've been told that I was raised with a bottle and a rod." Sandra chuckled as the Psyduck began to snore. "Someone's a deep sleeper, sheesh." Chuckling at the behavior of the yellow duck, the girl was taken by surprise as Devin asked why she was travelling. "Good question. To be honest, I'm not quite sure. I always wanted to go on a journey, but Johto was not quite what I had in mind. I wanted to explore new areas that I didn't know much about, so Kanto also was not an option. When I heard about Geminos, I was ecstatic about the idea of a new region. Guess I just wanted to have fun whilst I was still young, and I suppose it worked out in the end. After all, I met Rowan and you. What about you, what brought you here?" The girl asked, leaning her head on her hands.

Sir Flopsalot liked this Dratini, she was visibly growing in confidence the moment someone showed that they believed in her. Not as if he could relate or anything, he was perfect of course. Shaking the thought away, the Magikarp puffed his chest. "Karp, Magikarp!" ("Of course! I have complete trust in you doing the same thing. You and I both come from powerful bloodlines, it is only logical for us to rise to greater heights than anyone can imagine!")
 
“Here, follow what I do.”

Eleonor brought the aquabreather to her mouth. “You wear it like a snorkel…do you know what that is?”

It was a genuine question. Eleonor herself had never worn or even seen a snorkel in real life up until a family trip to the tropical orange islands a few years back.

The rubber straps of the aquabreather stretched as Ellen pulled it over her head and secured the straps behind her ears. A subtle tilt allowed her to show the process to Rowan without much trouble. Then she slipped the aquabreather over her nose and mouth, then released a muffled ‘tah-dah’.
 
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