Words.
Banter.
People talking.
Dull murmurs in her hear, creating noise with no purpose, sound with no music. Stupid, in hindsight. Cassie realized how much she hated crowds, and useless banter. Even then, when she was still she. A Michaels and successful. Just keep chewing. Gum, that is. It was free, she got it from the concessions stand before the boats took off. She was on the second fleet. Late for the first, but not accidentally so. Everyone was taking the first fleet. Now all she had to deal with was the crew member's banter.
Chew.
Blow.
Pop.
Stuff the gum back in your mouth and chew again.
Look cool as you lean against the railing.
"Mraaaaaawr~" Came the unmistakable purr of a Liepard, stretching her devilishly divine body across the deck. She was well-groomed, and well fed. But Lady, her Purrloin-turned-Liepard, was literally a child at heart without an ounce of maturity. Just what you get when your Pokemon gorges on rare candies. She must've had fifty, but who could be sure? It difficult to tell from the darkness of the nightmarish ruin Cassie barely escaped from alive. And sane.
Fingers crossed that she's trained well enough to win the tournament. Even if she wasn't, well, what'd they have to lose really?
Cassie knew she probably should've brought along Nine, her confidant who'd been with her for much longer and was more familiar with her strategical tactics. And yet, Cassie had always been a sucker for curiosity, and having a Liepard made her wonder what she was capable of.
Even when she was snatching valuables from the crew members.
Well, she was still a Purrloin at heart.
And yet, despite acquiring her not too long ago, Cassie felt a connection with the Dark Type. The Cruel Pokemon. An understanding and common goal that went beyond years of bonding and experience. Lady represented the new her, and it was time she embraced it. One way or another. Though, the move limit restriction was endlessly bothersome. Oh, and the item thing was too, she supposed. But hey, she had a clepto feline.
Docking, the duo touched land, or sand, after what had been several hours. Gum. Still chewing. She took note of the podiums and different reception desks. One for each region. And also the additional words. The additional banter. People talking. She didn't care. Her silver eyes glancing over them with slight boredom, masked by fatigue, but also hiding merciless judgement. Paralelled by the amusement in Lady's eyes, disguising the dark, opportunistic thoughts within the feline's mind. Cassie could sense it, oh, and she loved it. It brought a smile to her stiff lips.
And so, the two strode over to the woman specified for Kalos acceptance parties. Seemed nobody was even from Kalos. Well, if they had regional winners, then she would undoubtedly win by default. How nice.
The muted pitter of Lady's paws upon the platform were in tune with the patter of Cassie's boots, stopping only after they've reached the desk. But even then, the trainer decided to ignore the woman and glance about the excessively supervised welcome area. All those lenses. Like eyes, unblinking. Watching your every move. Boy was that familiar.
"I read the invitation. There's only this Liepard with me, and my bag is full of clothes. If you want them. But that'd be strange." Was the introduction she chose to go with. A very one-sided, disinterested introduction, given she couldn't make eye contact. Her eyes were glued to the CCTVs, watching the lens flicker and adjust, peering at them behind the brim of her fedora. Meanwhile, Lady looked very interested in the woman's shiny pen. "Don't have a trainer card, though... But I have this." And so the Tournament Card was given instead. Why introduce yourself verbally when you're just going to hand them an ID of who you are?
Business men were strange.
