Private/Closed Pokemon: A Journey Through Hoenn

[Vaporeonn]

Kai was happy to see the group coming together again. That meant they could keep going – of course, after the biker was taken care of. The man didn't seem to care enough about the others as much as Val, but Kai promised himself that he'd help her if things got ugly. He was sure the girl was more than capable of dealing with the biker, though. It was just a what if sort of thing.

"Oh," Kai was surprised by a sudden nudge he felt. It turned out to be Laika. "There you are." He smiled, ruffling the Poochyena's fur. Laika happily barked. Well, it Laika was there, then it would mean Saorise was back as well. He turned to look at her, and saw a peculiar scene unfold involving the redhead and Ernest. Kai chuckled, deciding to give them privacy and focus on something else. He wasn't sure on what to focus on, though. It was an odd thing, not having anything to do. So he just waited for an opportunity to arise.

 

[NDB]

Val looked around and noticed the group had gotten together and was glad that they were staying together. Val returned Drax to his Pokéball, her Pokémon deserving a rest after that battle. Val forgot about the biker until he spoke up again. “Hey!” he yelled. “Don’t ignore me!”

She looked at the biker, raising an eyebrow. “Do you really want to take all of on?” The biker looked at the group. He huffed and hopped back on his bike and drove off. Hopefully they wouldn’t see him again.

Val turned back to the rest of the group. “So, what bring everyone out here? All ready to keep moving?”

 

[Salted_Apples]

Ernest smiled, as he also much mirrored the feeling of finally getting this makeshift group of trainers back together after a short absence, before clearing his throat and regaining as much of a composure as humanly possible before throwing together a sentence that hopefully wouldn't make him sound like a mentally challenged Tauros.

"Anyways, I'm glad you're feeling better, Saiorse." Ernest said, before turning back towards the group as a whole, all while wondering what in the hell was going on with Val. She can probably handle it, anyways. She always came across as a bit more of the perceptive type. He thought briefly before speaking: "Alright, as cliche as it sounds, let's all just cheer up a bit. It's a nice morning, clear weather, all that jazz - so, I say we just continue through Route 102 until we get to Petalburg. Then we can rest up if we get there later, but I would kind of just make some more progress. I also hear there's a gym there, as well." Ernest said, before slowly setting down the lush path that laid ahead of him.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
John Veerman slowly felt a tension engulf his legs, as a throbbing pain woefully diffused throughout the entirety of his cranium. He was barely concious, though the Devon executive could clearly tell that he was sitting on something. He could also clearly tell that it likely was wood, as it was hard, textured, and considerably uncomfortable; which insinuated that he had been sitting there for a decently long amount of time.

His mouth felt like it was filled with wet cotton, a grogginess keeping his eyes barely half open. It looked like he was in some kind of office, with a desk in front of him, and a tall, lanky figure seated behind it. The other man that laid directly across from him was in a well kept, expensive looking black suit. And then the realization hit, all the memories from the previous night flooding back towards John, as he sat in the chair, with fear rising up into his throat.

I've been fucking kidnapped.

The man on the other side cleared his throat authoritatively, before looking towards John and speaking in a smooth, almost casually assertive tone.

"Please excuse the manners, John, the drugs really were necessary - we couldn't take any risk here. My name is Admin Jason Hitarashi of the Team Rocket Hoenn branch, but you can just call me Hitarashi." (At this point, the pain in John's head that had been bleating against his skull like a dying mule was now finally calming down, suppressing some of the extremely present discomfort, as he wondered impatiently about what would happen next in this saga of intrigue.)

"But, you see, we've taken you here because..."

"I would like you offer you a position."

 

[Red Gallade]

Russel looked at Val with a smile. "Hell yeah." He said with a smile, knowing he was glad to have made so many friends so soon within his journey into Hoenn. This made him remember his childhood back on Alola, despite the amazing region it was, he used to find it extremely difficult to interact or socialize with other people, his only friend was his first ever Pokémon: Arthur. He decided to rush the though aside, knowing that his troubled past might effect his future in ways he wouldn't want it to, besides, he didn't want to lose the streak of confidence he gained since he set foot on to Hoenn. He put his hands in his coat pockets and began to walk to their next destination, he walked slowly so the others could catch up.

 

[Vaporeonn]

"Moving on sounds nice," Kai said, someone else finally mentioning the fact they had to get going. Ernest even reminded Kai of Gyms, something he had wished to challenge ever since moving to Hoenn. He wondered how Komala would fare in the first one ... He might have to ask Ernest, as he was the only person who was from the region.

Route 2 was a pleasant walk. The trees offered nice shade, even though it wasn't warm, and there were plenty Pokemon around them. Kai was tempted to catch some, but he didn't know much about any. As the group progressed, the boy realised he hadn't talked much at all, and decided to start a conversation with someone. Just to pass time. He turned to see who was next to him, and was actually glad it was Russel – the first one he met. Kai felt bad their battle had to end to abruptly, but he hoped there would be other opportunities to make up for that. Once they both got stronger. "Hey, Russ," Kai spoke up, hoping the nickname could pass. Back in Alola, close friends often refered to each other by nicknames (Kai got so used to his, he introduced himself by it), so he hoped Russel didn't think he was being too invasive, or anything similar. He was trying to get to know all of his companions better, and nicknames may be the right step forward. "Are you planning to take on the Gym challenge?" Kai decided to ask.

 

[Red Gallade]

Russel turned his head to Kai who called him by a certain nickname that he decided to let slide, given that Kai was the first one he met and battled with. "Hell yeah I am! I'm gonna battle every Gym this region has to offer and hopefully even take on their Elite Four. Russel said, his voice was booming with confidence. "And these partners right here are gonna get strong with me." He said with a smile as he petted the Poké balls in his pocket which contained his two Pokémon.

 

[waluigipinball]

"Yeah, a gym..." Saiorse murmured half-heartedly, her eyes on the ground. She was not one for battling, as would be easy to work out from simply looking at her, and she'd already expressed her dislike for doing it herself to Ernest the night before. Of course, she wasn't going to have a massive preach about how Pokémon battling was wrong, because she didn't think that- she actually enjoyed watching battles, and elaborate strategies of experienced trainers often brought ideas into her head about contest combos. The nearest contest hall was unfortunately as far away as Verdanturf Town. "Well, I'll be, um... happy, to watch you guys battle. I'll... cheer you, um, cheer you on!" she chirped, attempting to sound as cheerful as she could in her meek and quiet voice.

 

[Salted_Apples]

Ernest was clearly perceiving the conversation where the boys were enthusiastically discussing the prospect of challenging gyms, (well, at least, Russel was to a very large extent - a good dose of confidence can't hurt, right?) though stayed silent during it. He had decided a while ago that he likely wasn't going to attempt to challenge any of the gyms, in part to a lack of feasible skill and the fact that he was practically and ethically against it. Obviously, it forced a trainer to spend a sizable amount of money on medical items to prepare for the seemingly inevitable event that one of his Pokemon would lose a battle, which Ernest felt wasn't exactly warranted - especially given his currently admittedly volatile financial state.

He noted that Saiorse shared her own stance on the situation, though this tangent didn't really pose anything of a surprise to Ernest, given that she had already express these thoughts privately towards him the previous night. Despite this, the boy felt himself slowly crawling inwards socially, due to his, well, lack of expertise on the subject that he really should have seen coming from a mile away.

"Well, I agree with Saiorse - I'm not exactly too interested in battling a gym myself, either. I'm happy to see you guys do that though, different people with different priorities, right?" Ernest said nervously, looking around the route. It was going to be a long way - he had heard plenty about the journey to Petalburg from his father, and so he began attempting to avert the boredom by scanning the lengthy tree line and also all that laid beyond it for some kind of Pokemon, a new companion to accompany him. Just in case this possible subject would display any resistance, Ernest also let out both members of his own party; and it became apparent that they were both a bit drained on physical activity, immediately frolicking around avidly. The boy then turned to the rest of the makeshift group.

"So, is there anything you guys would like to do in particular? I mean, uh, there are the gyms and stuff, but I don't think we have to legging it along so much. Basically what I mean is that if you all want to do something more recreational while we're there, I'm curious to know, because this is a journey after all." Ernest said before smiling, hoping that he wouldn't sound like a sloth by saying this.

(oh god that took a while to write)

 

[Vaporeonn]

Kai was endeared by the interactions between the group members and how they contrasted each other. It was a nice dynamic, and everyone had their own thoughts and goals, but none tried shoving them down the others' throats. He listened to the chatting intently until Ernest asked them what they wished to do.

Kai had to give it some thought. Sure, he wanted to challenge the Gyms, but that was for the sake of the Hoenn experience. It didn't come from a love for fighting. He wanted to try out everything the region had to offer, but wasn't sure what those things were. "What does Hoenn have other than Gyms?" he asked, but quickly added on in case his question was interpreted as trying to bring the region down. "See, I want to experience everything Hoenn has to offer. Make the most out of me moving here." He shrugged. "Is there anything special that Hoenn has?"

 

[NDB]

Val listened to the group and gave some thought to Kai’s question. She knew about the gyms and the various landmarks, but a part of her mind was telling her that she was forgetting something important. Her mind went back to her trip to the Hoenn on the boat. There were pamphlets on the boat with information about the region. One of the topics that the pamphlet addressed were Pokémon Contests, where coordinators could show off their skills with Pokémon.

“There’s Pokémon contests,” Val said, answering Kai’s question. “It’s more of a show competition
with some battling in it. Now that I think about, I might try my hand at a couple of them.”

 

[Red Gallade]

Russel looked back at Val as they walked. "Although that doesn't sound like my thing, that doesn't mean I don't find it interesting. If I remember, they're not just about using moves, but how you use them as well." He said before he looked at Kai. "I can understand what you're saying. By the way, Komala's a Normal type, right? I feel like you might be in a bind as I hear the first Gym leader bloke here is a Rock type." He stated.

 

[Vaporeonn]

"Pokemon contests?" Kai repeated. Yes, he had heard about those – briefly and not enough for it to stick in his memory, obviously, but there was a mention of them before. He scouted his memory – some TV show that his younger sister would watch reruns of. But he was sure that that one was from Sinnoh, which was why he didn't think about Hoenn having its own contest challenge. It didn't interest Kai that much, but at the same time, if the opportunity arises, he'd probably try out. Maybe... "That sounds... Fun."

Russel mentioned Komala being a Normal type, and the typing of the first Gym as well. "Well, we're ready for that." Kai smiled. What he meant was that he was ready for facing any Rock type Pokemon. "Komala knows a fighting type move." Then his thoughts trailed off, and landed on a thought he had before setting off. Komala's heart was never into fighting; more into pleasing Kai, her trainer whom she loved. He was beginning to wonder if it was all unenjoyable to her, and even felt guilty of forcing her to fight. He might have to give it more thought later. Komala was his only (official) Pokemon, so benching her would mean having to catch and train another Pokemon. It was too much to think about during such a lovely walk. He'd have to suppress it until a town came around.

 

[waluigipinball]

Hearing the mention of contests, Saiorse's head quite noticeably snapped up. A smile graced her lips, and she looked at the other as they talked, Fiona perched atop her head while happily chirping. In all honesty, the redhead had no idea how she'd deal with the spotlight of contests, the way in which she was always being judged by her Pokémon's moves and outfits- she didn't know how she was going to handle it, since she couldn't even handle it properly in everyday life, let alone competitively. But, she would do it to make Aodh proud, she would do it to make her mother proud. They believed in her, and she knew she had to prove them right.

Once conversation had died down enough for her quiet voice to be heard, Saiorse murmured, "Actually, Contests are the whole reason I'm here... I want to be a Coordinator," murmured the girl, smiling. She couldn't wait to finally put her moves into practice, though she was still immensely anxious about the whole... performance part. She just hoped she would be able to get through it without being sick or something.

 

[Salted_Apples]

Ernest sighed, looking around the route. There weren't a good wealth of interesting Pokemon that were present at that moment, likely eating or sleeping in for the day, he deduced. The boredom of extended traveling with little commentary from others was beginning to sluggishly set in, as Ernest pulled out a map of the surrounding area of Petalburg that he had packed into his backpack for the short term journey, as he figured that he would have plenty of chances in local shops to purchase maps of the greater Hoenn area.

"Uh, right. I guess I'll find something else to do while you guys challenge the gym? Well, me and Saiorse, I guess - she said she wasn't really up for it either, right?" Ernest said, somewhat unsure of his projected course of action from this point onwards - especially with the size of the group.

Saiorse and I. Ernest noted mentally, correcting himself more out of habit than really anything else, before wondering if his statement sounded in the least bit odd. It likely didn't, but the boy once again directed his attention towards the wrinkled map - which showed him that they were gaining distance rapidly, now only about half an hour away from the outskirts of the city.

 

[NDB]

Val smiled at Saiorse. “I’m sure you’ll do great,” she said to her. “We may even go up against each other.” When Russel mentioned that the first gym leader was rock type, she frowned. Her team, at the moment, was not equipped to battle rock type Pokémon. Eventually Drax would be part fighting, but right now he was just a dragon. As she walked and thought, a small Pokémon walked across the path. It looked like a walking lily pad. Val pulled out her Pokédex and pointed it at the Pokémon. “Lotad, the Water Weed Pokémon. Lotad live in ponds and lakes, where they float on the surface. It grows weak if its broad leaf dies. On rare occasions, this Pokémon travels on land in search of clean water.” The Pokédex spoke out data about the Pokémon. Val noticed that it was a water/grass type, a perfect Pokémon to battle the gym.

Drax was still resting from his battle, so Val sent out her other Pokémon, Trix. Trix emerged from her ball and landed gracefully on the ground, sparkles swirling around her. Instead of the normal brown fur Eevee’s, Trix had sparkling silver fur. Lotad spotted Val’s Eevee and turned to battle. “Alright Trix, use Swift!” Val commanded. Trix jumped up and spun in the air. Golden stars formed around Trix before flying at Lotad. Lotad fires back with a Bubble attack. The bubbles and stars collided creating small explosions. Lotad then shot out a stream of water, knocking Trix back. “Fire back with Trump Card!” Eevee gathered energy and five squares of white energy appeared above her. Trix fired the cards of energy at Lotad. The wild Pokémon tried to dodge but failed to do so. Three cards collided with Lotad and knocked him back.

Val reached for an empty Pokéball and pressed the button, enlarging the device. She threw the device at the weakened Pokémon. The ball connected, opening up and sucking Lotad inside. It landed on the ground, the button flashed red as the ball shook. After a couple agonizing seconds, the red light turned off with a ding, signaling a successful capture. Val ran over and picked up her newly captured Pokémon, Trix running beside her. She let out her newly Pokémon to introduce herself. Lotad popped out and looked around, eventually looking at Val and Trix with a confused expression. “Hey there little guy. How’d you like to be apart of my team? We’ll travel and battle other trainers to get stronger. What do you say?” Trix chirped a little talking to Lotad. The Pokémon gave it some thought before smiling and nodded, prompting a smile from Val. “Great! How’d you like a nickname? How about Aqua?” Lotad shook his head. “No? How about Tex?” Lotad jumped up in approval of his nickname. “Alright, Tex it is.” Val returned both her Pokémon and returned to the group. “Sorry guys. Got a little side tracked there. We can keep going now.”

 

[Red Gallade]

Russel watched Val's battle with a Lotad, he gave an impressed sounding whistle upon the sight of the shiny Eevee she had in her possession, he had only heard rumors of different colored Pokémon but seeing them in the flesh was something else entirely to him. After Val's successful catch on obtaining Lotad, he gave her a light and slow clap. "Congrats on the catch, mate. He'll certainly be useful in the battle against the Gym leader." He said with a smile. "Also, I'm very interested in that shiny Eevee of yours; I for one haven't seen a shiny in all my life, only rumors." He added.

 

[Salted_Apples]

Ernest decided against replying in harmony with Russel, as it really couldn't (and wouldn't) add anything to the conversation at hand. He had only seen a shiny once in his life, and it wasn't even in person - simply an offhand picture that an instructor had shown the class a couple years ago in his academy.

As the group turned a corner, the large and admittedly astonishing buildings of Petalburg city came into view - as people were visibly walking around in an obviously busy fashion. There were many shops set up around the area, and housing complexes - and the gym was a clear centerpiece to the impressive establishment. The streets were busy, though not exactly crowded, and Ernest felt that he should have made a comment about the incredibly tedious architecture present in every structure - though he was in such awe of seeing a town in such scale that he had never done so in his life that the boy just stood there, positively speechless.

"Uh, wow. Big city, yeah? Well, I guess we should - er - get going?" Ernest stammered, beginning to walk onto the red brick path that winded throughout the city. Scrumptious smells of a nearby bakery wafted past his nose, as people and Pokemon talked and moved avidly in every direction. It was around the middle of the afternoon, and there were several hotels within sight - clearly much more luxurious than that of what was present in Oldale, though certainly more expensive - a middle ground would have to be found for the benefit of them all, Ernest thought.

"What now? The gym is right there, I guess, if anybody wants to challenge it?" The astounded teenager said, feeling like a simple Durant in comparison to this city - this monument of human progression. "Well, there seems to be plenty to do around here - so I guess we can all just have some fun for a bit, then. . ." Ernest stated, before turning to Saiorse with a bit of a look that said: So, now what the hell are we going to do?

Fun. What a vague, tantalizing word it was.

 

[Pjnm13]

Pj had heard the conversation and he talked along the way to Petalburg City about how he came to challenge the gyms, but was still very interested in the Pokemon Contest and hoped to participate in one soon. Anyways, when he arrived to Petalburg City.

“Wow this city sure is big! Didn’t think the next city would be this big, but... I need some battles and proably another pokemon before trying to go for a gym battle, since Eevee is at a disadvantage... Im going to be heading off for a while, but ill be back soon." So what pokemon should I catch now? He saw a lake in the distance, from which various pokemon were flying out. Hmm... That seems like a place packed with pokemon...

Pj headed towards the lake in the distance, he saw some pokemon along the way, but he perceived some of them just wanted to live in the wild, He didn't want them to live a life they didnt want. He got to the lake about 20 minutes after leaving Petalburg City, he saw a beautiful clearing filled with pokemon, and Eevee drank some water from there. He saw a unusual pokemon, it looked like a frog and he recognized its form from somewhere... But where? Some pokemon got close to him, including that peculiar frog-like pokemon and Pj offered them a berry. "Hey you cute pokemon! I got some berries here, want some?" The pokemon ate their berries happily, and Froakie looked up to Pj with a confused look, he was wondering why had a trainer gaven them some berries instead of battling them immediatly.

Froakie got in a battle position, ready to withstand any attack Eevee would try to hit him with. "So Eevee, I guess this is our first battle ever. Lets do our best! Go Eevee use Quick Attack!" The quick attack hit Froakie hardly. Froakie jumped high into the air and threw a sticky cloud-like substance it had on its back, it fell in Eevee's eyes. It couldnt see a thing and Froakie started using moves on it, with it not being able to dodge or do a thing. "Eevee! Fast try to get that thing out of your eyes! Eevee!" Pj shouted worryingly. It was hard to see your partner not being able to do anything and it getting beat. Better throw a pokeball... Go pokeball! Eevee hang a bit more in there! The pokeball touched Froakie and it got in the pokeball. One wiggle... The Froakie got out of the pokeball and it refused to keep battling, it was staring Pj. An amazing pokemon in my sight... and I lose it cuz of being a weak trainer. And Eevee is hurt. The Froakie returned Pj the pokeball happily, at the time Pj held it, it touched the pokeball's button, which triggered the catching mechanic on the pokeball. One wiggle... Two wiggles... Three wiggles... Catched!

Pj gave his Eevee some berries, he would take it to a Pokemon Center some while after. But he wondered why did the rare pokemon get in there... And what was it? He hadnt even wondered to read its pokedex entry. But he was focused on getting Eevee to a Pokemon Center right now. Some minutes later, he had arrived back to the Pokemon Center. "Hey, could you please heal my pokemon?" The nurse got the 2 pokeballs and healed the 2 pokemon, Pj saw some of his friends outside and was dying to show them his new catch, maybe one of them knew about it?

Nurse Joy shouted "Pj! Your pokemon are all healed and ready to battle. Eevee and Froakie ran into Pj, going on his shoulders. Pj catched up with everyone "Hey guys! See my new catch! Also... This might seem dumb but could you please tell me about this pokemon? Never saw it in my life and this has been very quick..."

 

[Red Gallade]

Russel smiled and looked around Petalburg as well as the group he was with. "I dunno about you mates, but me and my Pokémon are gonna go to the bakery and get something to eat before we take on the Gym; I think it's better to battle on a full stomach. Know what I mean?" He asked, half rhetorically. He then started to make his way to the bakery, he walked at a somewhat slow pace so that he could enjoy the surroundings the city had to offer as well as in case someone had the same plan.

Once inside the bakery, he was instantly taken away by the smell of the pastries on the shelves, he got out his Poké balls and let his two Pokémon out. "Alright guys, we're gonna grab a quick snack before we take on the Gym, pick which one you want, but don't cause any trouble." Russel said to his Pokémon who nodded in acknowledgement and went to the shelves to pick out what treat they wanted. Arthur wanted to get a biscuit that was iced to look like a Poké ball, Heather tried to point out that she wanted a Lava cookie, but her lack of hands made it difficult, so Arthur pointed at it for her, Russel nodded at the two. "Alright guys." He said before he looked at the cashier. "Hey, can I get one Poké ball cookie, one Lava cookie and a chocolate donut for me please?" He asked as he got out his wallet.

"Of course." The cashier said with a smile as she grabbed the requested pastries and put them in a bag. "Alright, here you go." She said. "And here you go." Russel said with a smile as he took the bag with one hand and gave her money in the other. "Keep the change." He added as he and his Pokémon went back outside to enjoy their food. They sat down on a nearby bench and Russel gave his Pokémon the food they wanted before he got out and ate his donut. Arthur ate his cookie happily whilst Heather nibbled hers.

 

[Vaporeonn]

(ooc kind of lengthy uhhhh sorry. I wanted to finish up too many things, I guess.)

bic

Petalburg city was... Something else. It was certainly bigger than either of the towns Kai visited, and probably some cities in Alola. The boy was entranced by the many rows of shops that lined the neat path. He was sure he could find anything he wished there. Bakeries, clothing shops, there was a specific shop that sold PokeBalls straight from Johto. That one seems interesting, he thought. He meant to stock up on them back in Oldale, but was distracted before he could manage. It seemed like a perfect opportunity, and he hadn't used a penny from his shopping money, so there was no reason to feel bad about buying things. "I'll go check some shops," Kai told the remaining group, and went onward.

The shop was small compared to the rest of them. It had a wooden door that set a bell off when Kai entered. It smelled like pine trees inside. He wondered why that was. Laika followed him closely, but was quiet. There was a desk that separated the entrance and the back part of the shop, where most of the PokeBalls were. "Hello!" a high pitched voice called out from behind the desk. A girl, around Kai's age. Kai smiled back. "How may I help you?"
"Oh, well," Kai stammered. "Um, I needed to stock up, see, and the shop seemed interesting." He looked around. "I have no idea what the effects of any of these PokeBalls are, though," he admitted. Bookshelves covered the entire wall, except there were PokeBalls instead of books. Kai glanced around, and settled for a green one, picking it up.

"They're all made from apricorns," the girl said. "Special technique from Johto. Great quality, may I add." She chuckled, and Kai did so too. Apricorns? He had never heard about those, but he let the girl go on. "The one you picked up is a Friend Ball. I highly recommend that one, as it makes the wild Pokemon more friendly."
Kai nodded. That sounded nice. He thought about it for a moment, thinking if he really wanted some special PokeBalls that were twice as expensive as regular ones. Then again, he always wanted a signature PokeBall, and he hadn't seen anyone use a Friend Ball before. So it was fairly unique. And if he wanted to try contests and well, themed PokeBalls might give him some points. It looked nice, too. "I'll take some. Twenty," Kai said. Did he really need twenty? Whatever. He was already paying.

Once he got out, he thought about what to do next – there was no one around, so everyone probably split up. How am I supposed to find them, he asked himself. Laika barked. He smiled at her. "How about we get ourselves a new teammate?"

---

Kai settled on Petalburg Woods. He imagined there were plenty of rare Pokemon in there, in the nature away from the city. It was fresh, and damp. Kai saw plenty of Wurmples crawling around, but he didn't intend to catch any. He searched for a bit more, but hadn't found any Pokemon he found interesting. He sighed. Sure, he hadn't looked for too long, but he thought there would be more these woods would offer than Wurmple. Which was the only Pokemon he came across. His luck.

As it always happens, he spoke too soon, and soon came across an interesting specimen. It was green on the bottom, and beige on top, and had small black eyes. Well, Kai had never seen it before. "I want that one," he said to himself, and sent out Komala. He remembered his worries from before, and settled on asking Komala what she wanted after he caught the Pokemon. "Komala, use Slam!" he said. The small Pokemon was sent backwards, but stood its ground well. It jumped up quickly and went with a counter attack. Kai was now completely sure he wanted it. Laika watched Komala fight with awe in her eyes.

"Dodge its attack!" Kai shouted. Komala nimbly went out of the way, and the wild Pokemon hit itself on a nearby rock. Kai cringed. That ought to hurt. He decided it was enough, as knocking the Pokemon out wasn't his intention. "That should do it," he said, taking out one of the PokeBalls he bought before and throwing it at the Pokemon. He was tense as the Ball moved. Once... Then twice... Three times...

Kai was relieved when he saw that he had caught the Pokemon. "Alright, good job!" he told Komala, but he could see that his Pokemon wasn't as pleased. He picked up the PokeBall, and put it in his backpack. He would go to the Pokemon Centre in Petalburg to heal the Pokemon up. "Hey, Komala." Kai finally kneeled down. He decided to go straight to the point. "I know you're not into fighting as you used to be. Would you like to lay off the fighting and the competitions for now?"

Komala sadly looked away. She didn't know that her trainer could sense her wishes. "It's no problem for me. This is about your wants," Kai continued. Komala stood still for a while, and then jumped up to hug Kai. He smiled. "It's okay. I'm sure Mom's getting lonely, anyway. She could use some company."

That was probably what his grandmother did when she released her Pokemon. Balanced out her needs with theirs. Kai now understood her a bit better. As much as he would miss Komala, he would hate to force her to do what she didn't enjoy. This solution seemed... Good. For all of them.

---

After a visit to the Pokemon Centre, Kai healed up the Pokemon, and sent Komala back to Littleroot. (Nurse Joy told him the Pokemon he had caught was a male Shroomish. He was immensely grateful for that.) Kai had also used the opportunity to catch up with his mom, and told her all about the new friends he had made.
"That's wonderful, Kai!" his mother smiled through the PC screen. "I've made friends of my own as well!"

After chatting for a bit, Kai logged out of the PC. Laika looked a bit down. "Don't be sad, Laika," Kai told her. "She'll be happier like this. Don't worry." He smiled, reassuring both her and himself, and scratched her behind the ear. "Now, let's meet out new companion."

Kai sent out the Shroomish, and the Pokemon looked confused when it saw where it was at. Its eyes landed on Kai. "Hey there." He smiled. "I'm your new companion. This is Laika," he pointed to the Poochyena. "And you'll be..."

"Kinogi!"

 

[NDB]

Val walked with the group into Petalburg City. It was a pretty nice place, but she did love Alola much more, especially Heahea City. When Ernest pointed out the gym, Val looked at it and gave it a once over. It looked pretty normal (pun intended) for a gym. For the moment, it seemed that the group was going off and doing their own things for the time being. She walked over to Ernest and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, I’m going to go to the Pokémon center to heal up my team and then explore a little bit. We can meet up again in maybe an hour or so and see if the group wants to move on to Rustboro.”

Val headed to the Pokémon Center and headed to the counter. She dropped off her Pokémon and went to the waiting area. As she sat there, she saw Kai talking to his Pokémon. Val walked over to him. “Hey Kai, is this a new friend of yours?” she asked, gesturing to his Shroomish.

 

[Vaporeonn]

Kai was surprised by Val. After a short flinch, he was left with gratitude. At least I'm not alone, he thought. He didn't expect to see anybody. "Oh, hi Val," he greeted her back. Kai rose up to get on his friend's level, leaving Laika to examine the Shroomish, Kinogi, on her own. He was now higher than Val, but the height difference wasn't that big. "Yeah, guess I finally decided to catch a Pokemon," he said. Laika didn't seem to like his remark. She let out one (high pitched) bark to let him know. Kai chuckled, and blushed as the attention of the Center was brought on them for a brief moment. "Well, officially catch one."

Kai remembered how Val was helping Professor Burnet, so he assumed she was knowledgeable about Pokemon. "Do you know anything about this guy's evolution? He seems cool, but I'd like to know more about him," he said.

 

[Salted_Apples]

Ernest finally decided to start moving, and stop just waiting for Saiorse - it wasn't exactly the most exciting, or easily viewed by other people. Easily viewed? That was a bit convoluted. The boy thought, criticizing himself over his own thoughts, a somewhat trivial pass time when nothing else is exactly coming up. It kept him on his toes, always thinking critically, and mostly just served to sharpen the already sharp edge that was his already somewhat cynical wit.

"Well, Saiorse - I'm gonna head off and explore a bit, I've never really been somewhere on the scale that this place is. I'll probably be at the Pokemon Center, anyways, so if you want to tag along that would be cool." Ernest said with several pauses, still trying to mull over his course of action for the rest of the day.

He walked down the streets of Petalburg City, still not completely over the awe that had grasped his mind that set in upon viewing the breathtaking buildings. They were certainly a stark contrast to the small, comely aesthetic that was mainly represented by Oldale and Littleroot - which of course was the main examples of large scale communities that had been apparent to Ernest for as long as he could remember, likely even since birth.

Finally the large, iconic bright Orange roof of a Pokemon center came into view, and Ernest entered the building, immediately averting his gaze towards Val and Kai, whom were standing there. Before attempting to interact with them, he walked over towards the nurse present there, and quickly had Nathaniel healed for several bruises he had suffered during their initial battle. With Nathaniel doing well, him and Pestov began to seemingly converse playfully - and Ernest walked over to the other duo inquisitively.

"Right, so how are you guys doing? I don't know what you plan to really do here, but I guess we're still a group, yeah? So, uh..." Ernest stated somewhat uncomfortably, his distinct fear of not really knowing what to do exactly shining through his seemingly collected, charismatic outward nature.

(sorry if this post is a bit messy or unorganized, I'm really zoned out and tired rn)

 

[NDB]

Val looked at Kai’s Shroomish and crouched down to get a better look at the Pokémon, assuming that was the one he was talking about. “Haven’t seen this guy before,” Val said. “But let’s see what the dex has to say.” She pulled out the red, handheld device, pointing the scanner at the Pokémon. The device beeped as it registered the Pokémon. “Shroomish, the Mushroom Pokemon. Shroomish live in damp soil in the dark depths of forests. They are often found keeping still under fallen leaves. This Pokémon feeds on compost that is made up of fallen, rotted leaves.” Val pressed a couple buttons and Shroomish’s evolution’s page. “Breloom, the Mushroom Pokemon, and the evolved form of Shroomish. Breloom closes in on its foe with light and sprightly footwork, then throws punches with its stretchy arms. This Pokémon's fighting technique puts boxers to shame.“

Val read a little bit more. “It says that Shroomish is a grass type and Breloom is a grass and fighting type. Drax and your Shroomish should halve a fighting competition when they evolve.” When Ernest walked over, she stood up and up. “Hey Ernest. We’re doing well. I’m just resting up my Pokémon right now. They’ve done some great battling and deserve some rest right now.”

 

[Salted_Apples]

Ernest nodded readily at what Val said, as he himself felt that a bit of rest wasn't exactly unwarranted. The boy watched as Pestov and Nathaniel ran over to the Shroomish, filled with a surge of childlike curiosity. It was funny, he thought, how Pokemon themselves were completely free from any kind of judgement - did they get admonished by their fellow kind? How could he know, either? Hell, it like didn't even matter; the Sandshrew seemed readily able to respond to some commands or statements that Ernest made, though the way that the brain of the creatures absorbed knowledge would likely be an alien concept for a long time. Who knows? There were certainly many geniuses within the scientific field currently, especially the regional professors, one of them even resided in Littleroot. Maybe some of that wonderful intellect had rubbed off on Ernest? He didn't remember any interactions during his early childhood, and later on in his life they were decidedly short interactions, mostly between his parents. The teenager had never really liked speaking to adults, as he always felt a prominent stigma of superiority, just due to some arbitrary number. . .

Ernest noticed himself rambling on internally, and he likely had a blank stare plastered across his face in reality, which would have a tendency to allow his eyes to lock onto something inquisitively during his complex process of thoughts. It was a habit, and he had likely only been in this trance sort of states for several moments, but felt somewhat negatively conscious about it regardless. The boy hoped it wasn't noticed, even though it was significant enough to be caught by the even slightest perceptive naked eye.

"Well, I'm pretty hungry - it's around lunch, and we've been walking for a few hours. There are plenty of nice cafes and stuff around here, would you all be okay with going out to see if we can find something?" Ernest asked, mostly his stomach talking, as the day had genuinely had him a bit . . . exhausted combined with the sudden awe of Petalburg City.

 

[Vaporeonn]

"Thanks, Val," Kai said. The PokeDex seemed like a useful little tool. He smiled at the girl's suggestion about her Jangmo-o and his Shroomish having a show down after evolving. "It's on, alright." He tried throwing in some sort of comment, but ended up feeling awkward. To Kai's luck, a familiar face joined them quickly. "Hey, Ernest," he greeted the boy.

Laika was still examining the Shroomish, but her inspection was cut short when two new Pokemon arrived. The Shroomish, Kinogi, was confused and a bit unsettled by the sudden attention. It wasn't used to crowded places, and would've attacked them all with a Stun Spore as a defence mechanism had Kai not interrupted the happening. "Laika, leave our new friend some space," he said, noticing how uncomfortable the Shroomish was getting, as well as the preparation for an attack. Kai had seen plenty of Grass types attack with powder moves, and it seemed to him like his new Pokemon was about to do exactly that. He picked up the Shroomish from the floor. "You doing alright, Kinogi?" he asked. The Shroomish looked up at its trainer. Kinogi. It'd take time to get used to a new name.

Kai liked Ernest's proposal. "Yeah, I'd love to eat something. We can leave when everyone's ready," he said, still holding the Shroomish. Kinogi was nestled nice in his arms, and didn't feel like leaving. "How will we get in contact with the rest, though?"

 

[waluigipinball]

Saiorse nodded hurriedly at Ernest's statement, her blue eyes flickering to look at him before falling upon the concrete of the pavement again. "That's fine, I think... um, well, i'll drop back for a moment. Just so I can get my sh- uh, self together before I dive headfirst into a, uhh... city centre." she murmured, cutting herself of when she had just been about to swear. Saiorse swore, of course she did, but... her mother hadn't ever really liked it, so she decided she would try to... vary her vocabulary, for Fionnghuala's sake. She waved a temporary goodbye to the other, smiling softly. She took in a deep inhalation, closing her eyes.

The Irish girl took a brief stroll around the outskirts of Petalburg, looking in with fascination. If only it didn't scare her so much to even enter such a place; if only her heart didn't beat so heavily he felt as if she would be sick; if only she wasn't herself. Maybe then, she could finally find peace, instead of wondering what she was destined to do simply for her mother's sake.

She spotted the small group of Kai, Ernest and Val, and shuffled over, making herself scarce- nothing from the usual. Half-heartedly smiling, she listened to the end part of what had seemed to be a conversation, discussing eating plans. "Uh... I'd be happy to go and eat, I guess... I promise I won't wimp out while ordering this time," the girl added in a jokey tone, willing to make fun of herself for the over-the-top situation she had created.

 

[Red Gallade]

Once Russel and his Pokémon were done with his food, he beckoned them to follow him and licked his fingers with any remaining chocolate before he went to find the group he travelled with. "Hmm, let's get you guys freshened up within the Pokémon center, yeah? Can't be too careful now." He said as he began to make his way to said location. Once inside, he went over to Nurse Joy and picked up Arthur to place him on the counter. "Hey there, think you can heal my Pokémon please? I know they're healthy enough, but I just wanna make sure for when I battle the Gym. Better safe than sorry." He asked whilst Heather bounced up on to the counter. "Certainly." Nurse Joy asked as she took his Pokémon. Russel went to sit on a nearby bench and wait for his Pokémon.

 

[Salted_Apples]

Ernest nodded. It was decided, then - they were going to find some place to have a bite to eat. Hopefully something to drink. He thought, as well, a couple miles of walking is certain to incite thirst into a young trainer. And the exhaustion of all the excitement was certainly getting to him, and a cup of coffee would be a wondrous luxury for the tired boy. He saw Nathaniel turn around, and scuffle back towards the door of the center, much to Ernest's surprise. Maybe it was somebody they recognized? Pestov watched on in a relaxed curiosity, a typical mien for the little dusty creature, before he waddled over to the boy and curled up into a ball next to his foot, earning an amused chuckle from the teenager.

He then looked up, noticing the now somewhat familiar form of Saiorse enter through the threshold of the Pokemon Center sliding door. Nathaniel had rushed over to her, in an action that was no surprise to the typically rambunctious, outward nature of most Lillipups, and Ernest gave an awkward smile before pacing over quickly to scoop up the young Pokemon. The boy took the dog into his arms, before glancing up to Saiorse.

"Oh, sorry for the trouble. He's a bit of an active fellow." Ernest apologized, before sending him back over to converse with Pestov and swiftly regained composure from the unexpected lapse in the recently calm nature of Nathaniel. "Anyways, about that food stuff." The boy added, just having put the Lillipup into a more favorable position for the group. "Also, don't worry about wimping out, everybody has to do what they gotta do, I guess." He added quietly to Saiorse, before looking over to a map monitor hybrid in the back of the building. It had a list of nearby highly rated restaurant, and so Ernest paced over to it hungrily and inquisitively.

"So, what looks good?"

 

[NDB]

Val followed Ernest over to the monitor and looked over the map. There were quite a few good options that she had seen back in Alola. Towards the bottom of the list, Val noticed the name of her favorite restaurant. "How about Tidal Cafe?" Val asked. "It's my favorite ramen shop back in Alola. They sell other things but their ramen is top notch." A ding was heard over the Pokemon center PA followed by a message: "Valentina, your Pokemon are healed and ready. Please come to the front desk to retrieve them."

"Excuse me for a moment," Val said, leaving the group momentarily. She reached the counter and Nurse Joy handed Val her three Pokeballs. She tanked the nurse and headed back to the group. "So, what do you guys think? Any other suggestions?"

 

[waluigipinball]

Saiorse giggled as the Lillipup bounded over to her- it was no secret at this point that the ginger girl was fond of Pokémon, and Nathaniel certainly wasn't an exception to that rule. She reached down to pet him, before Ernest arroved to scoop him up, and the girl smiled softly at the other in return to his own grin, and murmured, "Oh, don't worry... he's a little sweetheart." She offered a silly grin to the Lillipup, something she would never think of doing to another person- but she knew Pokémon, and they didn't judge- Nathaniel certainly wouldn't judge her, she hoped. Hearing Ernest's question of food, Saiorse nodded, but didn't speak- since, Val seemed to know a place.

"That sounds lovely Val. Ti-Ti-Ti-Ti-Tidal Café... well, I'm not... not aversed to, um, going there..." she said, smiling bashfully. Wow, that was a show and a half; her issues with 't's wasn't a secret at all, but... it was still embarassing when her stutter played up.

 

[Vaporeonn]

Tidal Café? "Hey, I love that place!" Kai excitedly said. He wasn't expecting to see it in Hoenn. He'd go to Hau'oli every other day just to visit the Tidal Café back in Alola – if the ramen was half as good as back home, they could take all of his money. "I'd love to go there, if everyone's up for it."

Kinogi was still nuzzled in Kai's arms, and Laika was jumping up on the boy. "Laika, calm down," he told her. He sighed, then kneeled down and put the Shroomish down next to her. "You're just jealous. But, I guess it isn't fair to carry only one," he said. They both had feet to walk with... Even if they were tiny, like Kinogi's. "Tidal is poke friendly, right? I know some places don't allow Pokemon outside of their PokeBalls," he started, then scratched Laika behind her ear. He was sure Tidal allowed Pokemon, at least in Alola, but it was good to make sure before going. "I wouldn't want Laika to wait outside on her own."

Kai was getting attached to Laika. He even wanted to make her an official team member, but he wondered if it'd be hard since she wasn't technically his. He saw the way she looked at Komala while the other Pokemon was fighting... but it'd be illegal for her to participate in the League battles, or contests, and everything else. Whatever her place on his team was, though, he dumped the idea of finding a family for her, at least for now. Laika was a sweet Pokemon Kai would hate to say goodbye to. That's for later, he thought to himself.

 

[Salted_Apples]

"Tidal cafe." Ernest repeated, as he walked back over to the small blue monitor that held a map of the nearby area of Petalburg, and also happened to show the cafe mentioned by Kai and Val. He took a moment to examine the screen, and even Pestov rolled over to take a moment and inspect the machine; the Sandshrew had always had some kind of queer interest in technology, something that the boy had never really seen in other Pokemon. Then again, he had never really taken any time to closely look at the actions of the creatures that weren't his, he never really saw it as necessary.

And it wasn't. Ernest thought, dawning a momentary frown at the thought. Some people keep to themselves. They focus on the issues at hand. They succeed. And some people observe - they invest too heavily in matters foreign to their own interests, and those people fail. They fail to take care of themselves before others, captive to their own realities.

Nice internal epiphany. Now shut the hell up, and say something. Ernest thought to himself, looking around the building and taking in a deep breath - it was sleek, modern, interesting. Personally, he had always preferred traditional styles of architecture, though times didn't wait for individual opinions, did they? He paced closer to the computer system, now within arms length to it, and began measuring the distance with a provided scale on the screen. It was several blocks away, pretty close, and not too densely packed - it was likely outsold by more local, familiar brands present in Hoenn, meaning it would be a much more casual atmosphere. That was good, the peckish teenager thought. Would be much easier to accommodate the preferences of everybody, especially Saiorse. She didn't need another breakdown, he thought, it was probably draining enough to be thrust so outwardly into a group of virtual strangers - hard enough in crowded areas.

"Well, that sounds nice. It's only a few blocks away, and not very crowded either - I'm up for it." Ernest mentioned, as he continued to examine the monitor that laid out the digital map in front of him. He heard the testaments from Saiorse and Kai, noting the seemingly intense stutter of the former, possibly just another quirk that the persona of the girl happened to present.

"Well, it's agreed then. Let's get going, shall we? I'm starved." Ernest said, before exiting the Pokemon Center into the fresh air that laid over Petalburg; certainly a surprise for a city of such a magnitude, a stark contrast to the current states of most large scale establishments. That could probably be attributed to the large amount of parks that laced the entire area, patches of lush nature that were combatting the industrial nature, no, stigma of cities such as Petalburg, especially those in Hoenn. (The Devon Corporation a glowing example of this in Ernest's mind.)

 

[waluigipinball]

Saiorse nodded in agreement, rather hungry due to the fact that she hadn't eaten all day due to her... episode at breakfast. Though the city was quite evidently full of people, the girl was beginning to feel more comforted as her travelling companions grew more familiar to her. It was strangers that scared her the most, having grown up in such a small town where everybody knew eachother, but... Kai, Val and Ernest were no longer strangers, nor mere aquaintances. They were friends to her- people who she knew would have her back in a tough situation, despite only having known her for a day. It was Ernest she understood the most, really; the redhead saw a lot of herself in him, though he was less outwardly worried of what people thought than herself- however, she didn't fully understand him, much the same for Kai and Val. The latter was the most enigmatic to Saiorse, although her calmness was appreciated by the girl, and she knew Kai had a kind heart from his interactions with Laika and how he had gone to help her earlier that day.

Her mind was wandering as such as they walked, Saiorse bound to silence as she looked around. The lights were certainly a sight to behold, at least to a girl like herself, having only ever seen a town illuminated by the moonlight and a few scattered fairy-lights. For once, she was looking forward to doing something social, in a place recommended by a friend. Someone she wanted to call her friend, though she wasn't sure that Val- or even Kai and Ernest- saw her as a friend. With uncharacteristic optimism, Saiorse chose to look at her internal fears as her paranoia playing up again; and that was most likely the case.

Hearing Kai's worries, Saiorse pursed her lips, her blue gaze drifting down to look at the aformentioned Poochyena. "I'm sure they will," the redhead mumbled, smiling down at Laika. "Most... uh, most places these days allow Pokémon. Some even have, like, uhh, a seperate menu!" she giggled, then continuing to murmur, "If they don't let Fiona in, she's bound to get, um, a lit-t-t-le... well, a lot grumpy." Saying so, she motioned to the Swablu perched on her head, who let out a squawk of agreement.

 

[Red Gallade]

Russel nearly drifted off to sleep, his mind was thinking about the people he travelled with and wondered where they were. Before he could think of anything else, Russel heard Nurse Joy call out to him and let him know that is Pokémon were all healed up. Russel walked to the counter and was greeted by his Pokémon, Heather bounced into Russel's arms and Arthur jumped on to Russel's shoulder. "Haha, I see you two are fully recovered eh?" Russel asked his Pokémon who both responded with nods. "We hope to see you again." Nurse Joy said. "Alright, cheers!" Russel replied as he walked out of the Pokémon center and walked around to find the group he travelled with. As he walked, he noticed a few of the people from the group and walked toward them. "Oy! Wait up!" He called.

 

[Salted_Apples]

ooc
hey sorry for the late post

bic
The walk to the cafe was clearly pretty quiet - Kai was worrying out loud, and Saiorse seemed to be in some kind of state of deep in thought, as Ernest was only a few moments ago back in the Pokemon center. Well, it didn't exactly pay to be wandering through your mind as it didn't pay to be wandering in a physical manner, and so the boy simply continued to walk towards the location pin - pointed by the computer, as Pestov and Nathaniel bounded around playfully in front of him. They even earned him an angry glare from some local couple, their rambunctious nature nearly tripping the duo in the stone lined streets of Petalburg. This the boy simply ignored - they could bear discontent, it's not like they would be ranting about it all day; minor instances always slipped the mind, no matter how annoying it seemed in the 'heat of the moment', so to speak.

Ernest turned towards the yell that had reverberated from the direction of the area they had just left, the Pokemon Center, just to see Russel stumbling over towards the division of the group that had already set off towards the Tidal Cafe in an eagerness for satisfaction. He was in quite a hurry, and the Alolan boy had just finished healing his companions, likely in preparation for the gym that he apparently planned to challenge later. As the foreign traveller hurriedly attempted to catch up with the rest of them, Ernest slowed down his pace to a crawl in order to not leave anybody behind; they weren't running a race here, were they?

Hearing the comment from Saiorse about the supposed temper of her Swablu, Ernest chuckled. Looking over her, the girl seemed to have taken a fondness of the Poochyena that Kai owned - Laika was it's name, he remembered - and from the interactions earlier she was clearly had a distinct love for Pokemon, though also displayed previously wasn't very interested in using them to battle in a simple act of sport. The repeated stutter was also noted, seeming to only really effect the pronunciation of the letter 'T', it seemed to be somewhat inconsistent; and the boy couldn't exactly notice a staunch pattern in it yet.

"Well, I've heard Petalburg is pretty Pokemon friendly - and if Fiona is worried, I'm sure it's alright. I think it said something back on that monitor in the Center, so I wouldn't worry." Ernest replied to the worries of Kai and Saiorse, as they turned around a corner. Darting his eyes around the block attentively, the boy noticed a shop on the left hand side - a chalk sign labeling it as Tidal Cafe. They were finally there, much to the relief of likely the entire group of teenagers.

"Look, over there!" Ernest exclaimed, pointing over to the door of the establishment. He hurriedly walked over to the area, opening it and entering. The interior had a comely interior; clearly an extremely local establishment, with few people inside of it, only a couple of attendees in a very spread out manner. As he had predicted, the restaurant was outclassed by more familiar brands that hailed more so from the region of Hoenn. A pleasant smell of coffee and various pastries was lightly wafted throughout the room, only further enticing Ernest to walk over to the counter where a young male clerk was humming a tune while wiping over a display case with a rag doused in cleaning solution.

 

[NDB]

“It looks like we’re all decided,” Val stated excitedly. “Let’s get going.” Val followed the group out of the Pokémon center and through Petalburgh City. Val was quite interested in the city, Looking at the different buildings, architecture, and statues. She looked back ahead of her when Ernest exclaimed “Look, over there!” Into front of them was in fact Tidal Cafe. Val followed inside and looked around. It definitely was similar to the one back in Alola near her place. She followed Ernest the counter and cleared her throat.

“Excuse me, sir,” she said to the guy cleaning the display. “We’d like to get order some food. Do we order here or at a table?”

The guy stood up, putting his rag in his back pocket. “You can order it here and we’ll bring to your tabe,” he said with a smile.

“Awesome!” Val exclaimed. “Let’s see, I’d like the classic ramen bowl and boba tea, please.” She turned to her friends. “What about you guys?”

 

[Salted_Apples]

20 Minutes later.
Ernest trotted down the steps that lead up to the Petalburg City Tidal Café, an alluring aroma of delight emanating from the food and pastries that he had purchased there. Eager to eat the items that had been given to him by the friendly clerk, the trainer attempted to scan around the area for a place to eat. It was certain that the rest of the group for the most part had other endeavors they would like to attend to, primarily the desire to challenge the local gym leader.

Pestov waddled down next to Ernest, with Nathaniel following close behind the armadillo Pokemon. Both of the creatures were jubilantly and intently consuming the treats that had been purchased for them by their affectionate trainer, in a distinct episode of gratitude for the care provided to them.

“Well, what now?” Ernest asked to the rest of the group, sifting through the sustenance that was present in the brown paper bag he carried.

“Should we find somewhere to eat, go to a gym? I’m up for anything, really - after all, this city is pretty, well, expansive.” Ernest continued, gazing absently around the stoned pathways present.

(sorry for the short post here, just wanted to get the revival started. may also be a bit incoherent.)

 

[Vaporeonn]

Kai thought about Ernest's suggestion. He wasn't hungry, but challenging a Gym before even training... Kai wasn't sure about that one either. Petalburg's Gym was also hard for beginner trainers, or so he had heard. "I'd like to get to know my new Pokemon better, before challenging any Gyms," he told Ernest. "Isn't there a Gym in Rustboro I'd have an advantage over, though?" Kai wasn't sure if he had remembered correctly, but if he was right, then Kinogi, a Grass type, would have an easy time against Rock types. The boy was also thinking about forming a bond between himself and the Shroomish, and having the upper hand in the first Gym battle might strengthen it more quickly.

The vastness of Petalburg, while amazing, made Kai feel nauseous. He had spent too much time there, and needed to escape the city noise. He didn't want to be a bummer, though. "Anyone wanna get a head start to Rustboro with me?" He asked, possibly too quickly. The trip to Rustboro shouldn't take too long, he thought, and there'd still be enough time to train his new Pokemon. Getting some quiet time, and training, and getting to Rustboro was a one stone, three Spearow kind of deal, too. His proposal hung in the air

 

[Salted_Apples]

Ernest began to eat the items that he had purchased for himself, being simply a caffeine loaded bottle of Roselia Sweet Tea, and a buttered Alolan sweet roll, for a good amount of energy for the coming rest of the day. The boy was sufficiently satisfied by the incapsulating tasty and well structured quick meal that the two objects of sustenance provided. During this time of consumption, he continued to listen intently to the proposals that Kai was mentioning, and somewhat taken aback by the prospect of moving forwards to Rustboro. He paused for a moment, mulling over this somewhat perplexing question.

Ernest swallowed down the myriad of liquid and food that had been inserted into his mouth, finally collecting his thoughts about what Kai had so suddenly said. "Well, I'm not gonna hold you here - but I really wouldn't like to divide the rest of the group and whatever intentions they would hold. Especially after we almost got broke up after the whole, er, scene that occurred in that restaurant -" The trainer thought for a moment. "Growlithe's Homestyle Grill, and then the subsequent stuff in Route 102. It's just, if we're gonna do that, I feel a need to consult what everybody else would want, y'know?" He finished, gazing wistfully around at the rest of the band of traveller that they had assembled.

The teenager just wanted a consensus.