Ask to Join The Journey

[MelodyMay]

Still fuming at Absol's blatant disregard for her, the teen didn't even bother turning her head at the biker girl. This wasn't her business, anyway. Still, there was no point in being secretive about this situation in particular; it would only make her look bad.

"This guy wouldn't stop asking if he could borrow my Buneary- a common pokemon! I told him to buzz off and him ignoring that made Absol here antsy. He responds by sending out a Houndoom and ordering a flamethower! Felix here was kind enough to have Charmeleon take that hit and Marshtomp... well, I guess he always walks around freely and decided to offer his help."

During her explanation, the battle had raged on. The man having his Houndoom deliver moves that were normally considered harsh or viscous while Absol stubbornly acted on her own. She had hung in there so far but she was tiring. Rhashyya usually only battled starting trainers, tooled by the seemingly easy victory promised by a Buneary. No one on their little team had faced a fully evolved pokemon before.

 

[Confidentheart]

Teddiursa cowered in Riley's arms the battling roared on. Riley quickly scanned the field, including the newcomer. It annoyed him that they were getting so much attention that onlookers felt the need to interfere. Clearly the most efficient way to dissolve this conflict to find a conclusion both sides can agree with. Almost instantly, an idea lit in Riley's brain.

"Milk Dud, use your Mud Shot now!" "Marsh!" Marshtomp tilted his head back and puffed his cheeks, filling them with mud and splashing it in between the battlers. The chemistry between the two help Marshtomp realize he wasn't he supposed to attack anyone directly. Usually any conflict they encountered was defused without violence unless it was absolutely necessary. "Listen! You want a stupid bunny for your daughter right?" Riley furiously dug through hid duffel bag until he pulled out a tiny pokeball. "I tell you what; I'll catch you one on my own if it means this childishness is put to an end alright?" The firmness in Riley's voice showed he meant business. He wasn't offering an any other alternative. Either accept the offer or it will get really ugly.

 

[sgiovannii]

Everything had escalated so quickly. One moment Felix had successfully managed to join a group heading to the big nearby city, the next he was taking part in a three-on-one battle with some man who apparently refused to catch his own Pokemon. Gabriel's Absol had taken up primary offensive maneuvers, slamming into or slicing at the Houndoom at surprisingly quick speeds, while Balerion acted on his own as a back-up of sorts for her, mainly by coming from the rear and raking the hound's hindquarters with his claws to act as a distraction for Absol. But to Felix's astonishment, the Houndoom was able to keep up with both and seemingly had enough energy to spare. The older man didn't seem to be letting up either, determined stance and all.

"Ugh, just go away..." Felix muttered to himself, wiping a few beads of sweat from his brow, before movement to his right alerted him of an incoming person. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Gabriel talking quickly with the newcomer, and out of the other - "Balerion, get out of the way!" He exclaimed just before Milk Dud's attack launched, his Charmeleon reluctantly but immediately making the short retreat back to his side, breathing hard and glaring at the Houndoom. There was a heavy splashing sound as the mud hit the street, successfully putting the battle on pause with the combatants on either side of the obstacle. Riley's voice rang loud and clear, and with slight surprise and apprehension Felix looked towards him and then to the man.

The Houndoom was panting slightly at the man's side, who reached out to pat its neck while he fixed Riley with a quizzical stare. "... You would do this for us? Truly?" He spoke softly at first, but then once more with much more energy and even a small smile of relief, his eyes for the first time relaxing into a warmer expression. "Yes, please! Please do so! Thank you very, very much, but you must hurry!"

 

[Confidentheart]

The man's pleading left a sour taste in his mouth. Normally when he helped people with their problems it was for a reward, usually money. But right now, he found himself wasting a Pokeball on a Pokemon for a stranger who just randomly decided to attack his group for a rather insane reason. Not only that, he still has to help said group with their trip to Jubilife City. This was turning into a hassle that's almost not worth dealing with. Well, it wasn't worth dealing with in the first place but Riley didn't put too much thought into it.

"I'll be quick." Riley reach into his duffel bag, pulled out some snacks, then placed the bag on the ground. It would just get in the way if he took it with him. "I know everything that's in that bag." Riley was facing the man but realistically, he was speaking to the whole group. He still hadn't gotten accustomed to the group and didn't trust them too much, however, he did leave his Marshtomp just in case. Riley began making his way north towards route 202 with Teddiursa still in his arms.

Riley sat Teddiursa on the ground as he reached a patch of tall grass on route 202. He searched around but it didn't take too long for him to encounter a Buneary. The two stared each other down as Riley reached into his pocket to pull out a snack. "Hey there little girl. Easy now." Riley flicked pebble sized snack on the ground. the Buneary warily inched towards the snack, sniffing it for an tampering of some sorts. Once deemed safe, she picked the snack up and carefully placed it in her mouth. After a moment of chewing, a beaming smile blossomed on the Buneary's face. "Buneary!" Riley pressed the button on his pokeball, enlarging it as the Buneary happily hopped upped in excitement. "Alrigh, here goes." Riley lightly tossed the ball at the Buneary's head. The ball opened and a red beam engulfed the bunny, absorbing her within and closed shut. One the ground, the ball shook a few times before settling down, indicating the success of the capture.

Riley made the trek back to the group, Teddiursa on his back and the newly caught Buneary, snuggled in the Pokeball in his hand. "Alright dude, here's your bunny." The ball was tossed into the air and popped open. A red beam shot to the ground and morphed into a Buneary. Riley caught the ball in the air and tossed it to the man. "Treat her better than you treat strangers."

 

[sgiovannii]

Thank goodness for Riley and his quick thinking. Felix took a few more steps back from the pool of mud on the street, moving closer towards Gabriel and the other girl and standing with his arms crossed over his chest. He gave the other boy a nod and watched as he quickly set off down the nearest path towards the nearby forest, Teddiursa in his arms. Now all they had to do was wait. Felix himself remained rather quiet as he mulled over the battle in his mind, his only significant movement being when he used a potion on Balerion and offered another to Gabriel and her Absol. Eventually the man's voice rang out once more.

"I... really am sorry. My child... she's been terribly ill for days now, and I've been simply beside myself doing whatever I can to make her feel better. When I saw you and your Buneary, right after she had asked me for one this morning, I... I had thought it was meant to be." He spoke directly to Gabriel and shifted uncomfortably, and his Houndoom gave him a gentle, reassuring nudge with its snout. "I realize now how manic and irresponsible I have been, and I sincerely apologize. I- oh!"

Riley's return snagged his attention, and the man nearly rushed over in excitement. He caught the ball and picked up the confused Buneary happily, giving the younger trainer a wide smile. "Thank you, my boy! Thank you!" And with that he was off down the street with his Houndoom following, form becoming smaller the further he went into town. There was a brief silence while they watched him leave, broken by Felix. "... That was weird as hell," he scoffed. "But you guys were so awesome! That was a genius idea with the mud and your Marshtomp. And your Absol was phenomenal!" He'd never had a group battle like that before - it had almost been fun. "And of course I'm glad your Buneary is okay, Gabriel. So, uh... are we heading off now?"

 

[Zenhu]

Gertrude was filled with relief when the girl had lowered the staff. Although she hadn't calmed down completely, she wasn't as agitated and uncomfortable as before, which was good sign. After he'd asked if she needed help finding her lost Pokemon, the girl was filled with a sense of enthusiasm. The look on her face was enough to ensure that she wasn't as hostile towards him, which meant he wasn't getting beaten with a staff today.
"...and Slink is the treasure at the end! Lead the way capt’n! Aye!”

Gertrude let out a boisterous laugh, then wiped a small tear from his eye. "Aye' then mate!" he grabbed his hiking bag from the rough ground, then patted Terrak on its rock hard back. "Let's go on 'en friend!" Gertrude started for the footprints that were scattered among the loose soil. After heading a little into the bush, he looked back and shouted blissfully, "Onward lardy," he pointed into the small footprint-led trail. "We've got treasure ta' find."
And with that he trudged forth into the tangle of trees and grass, occasionally calling for the lost Pokemon.

 

[MelodyMay]

As mud flew everywhere, Rhashyya cried out in disgust. Absol conveyed the same emotion as she glowered at her now dirty coat. Riley dashed off to find a wild buneary as the teen moved to groom her now filthy dark type.

She gave no reaction to the man. It was not that his apology fell on deaf ears; she simply didn't care. Absol did care. She cared that this man's mania had threatened her human. If it weren't for the fact that he had stood down, she'd have cut him in two by now. She may not be able to use her claws to let him know as much but she conveyed as much as she could with her glowering amber eyes.

Then came the real question. Should they all continue to Jubilife City? Rhashyya was tempted to say no. After this unexpected battle, she just wanted to rest. Still, maybe it was time to relocate. She had seen posters in Sandgem's Pokemon Center advertising her family's business. If they were expanding to a town as small as Sandgem, she wouldn't be safe for long. It would be impossible to hide out in Jubilife but there were other big cities beyond. Maybe she could set up a new vase there? An exit would be the perfect way to pass through Jubilife easily.

"Hmmm, alright. We may as well head out," she told them as she put her book bag back up and scooped up Buneary. Absol, refusing to go back into her pokeball, stayed by her partner's side. "We just need to travel north along this route," she said as she started walking, not bothering to pick her overly happy act back up.

 

[Vaporeonn]

Falco observed the battle from the side. She didn't know why the rest of the group was battling the man, as she was away from the conversation when it occurred, but from the looks of it, what the man had asked them to do didn't sit well with them. And, it escalated into a three on one battle - which Falco thought was unfair, until she saw how strong the man's Houndoom was, and three Pokemon might've been necessary. Falco managed to connect each Pokemon with their owner; She had seen the Charmeleon and Marshtomp prior, but the Absol was new. Apparently Gabriel's, which was surprising to Falco, as she couldn't make the connection between such a cutesy girl and a Pokemon like an Absol.

At certain moments, she though of calling up Fyodor again, but the group was handling the battle well. There was no reason for Falco to interfere. The argument settled after Riley ran off to catch some Pokemon, and giving it to the man. Terrific, she thought. Finally time to move on.

As for Katya... the Misdreavus was in awe with the Absol, and the fight, and its unsatisfactory conclusion left her somewhat annoyed. "You're odd," Falco side-eyed her Pokemon. They got closer to the group, now able to listen in to the conversation. Everyone was ready to leave, although not everyone's mood was up. Gabriel seemed less peppy than before. Nevermind, she thought. She followed the group towards Jubilife, Katya by her side.

 

[Keybored]

Esme followed after Gertrude into the underbrush of route 202’s fairly open woods. The actual path still visible between the trees dotting the land. Their lifeline against getting lost as long as it stayed in sight. Neither she, nor Slink, would care much about getting lost in the end, but she’d feel bad if Gertrude got roped into their careless method of travel. Yet, maybe he was just as worriless as they were, who knew? The only thing Esme knew, without a doubt, is Slink staying hidden with only a stranger’s voice calling to him. To remedy that possibility Esme took a deep breath and joined in on the calling.

“Slink! Slink!! S-eh.. Slink-?” She stopped, the calling had attracted something, yet, more than one something. The underbrush rustled frantically. Snapping twigs and the remnants of leafs crunching beneath something. Something weighty. The air got sweeter as the sounds grew near. A familiar scent. Without a moment’s hesitation Esme blocked Gertrude’s path with her staff. “Slink is fast, he’ll be here first,” she started, both as a warning and to reassure herself, “buuut- eh- get ready? Maybe?” She wasn’t a fighter and didn’t know the first thing about ‘getting ready’ for battle, but the Graveler seemed a lot more capable than either of her Pokémon.

Esme’s warning came mere moments before something dashed out of the bushes, recognized the ‘obstacles’ before it and deemed at least one of them an ally. It was Slink. Not much of a treasure hunt when the prize finds you. Or maybe they were the treasure and Slink was the hunter? No, no Slink was definitely the prey. Though only because of the flowers held gently in his mouth.

Slink darted around Esme’s legs, running around and in between them multiple times, before coming to a stop. Laying down between her legs. Ears flat against his neck. Not scared. Ready. The Pokémon probably felt he had lured his hunter into a trap. Even if it was by sheer luck, and just in time as well. From the bushes emerged a large pair of grey pincers dotted with spikes. Clasping together repeatedly as they cut through the underbrush. Revealing the ‘hunter’ to be a visibly pissed-off Pinsir. Once more Esme held her staff tight, utilizing it as a shield for her and her Pokémon. “Come get some- y-you bully!”

 

[The Kitsune]

Shana's brief impulse to intervene on behalf of the old man died with Gabriel's explanation, but her hand still lingered on the Friend Ball on her belt as the fur and dust continued to fly. Neither side seemed willing to back down and the situation was getting out of hand. And all over a Buneary...

She was of half a mind to send out Dart to retrieve one and settle this skirmish once and for all. The Tomohawk had hunted them often enough for his meal during their time here! Shana had retrieved the ball and had a finger frozen over the button before the rest of that scenario played itself out in her mind. ...Dart rarely brought his prey back alive...or in one piece for that matter. That wouldn't work.

Luckily, it seemed she wasn't the only one looking for a less-violent solution and Riley's intervention seemed enough to quell even the old man's hostilities. A quick return with the desired pokemon and the group's mood turned immediately back to the journey ahead, without a second look at Shana in their midst. Slipping the Friend Ball back onto her belt, she put an awkward hand to the back of her neck before falling in beside the Kalo girl and her Misdreavus.

"Well hopefully Route 202's less eventful than Sandgem was," she interjected softly with a sheepish smile. "By the way, I never got your name. I'm Shana."

 

[Zenhu]

Gertrude and Esme had only been walking for a minute or two, when a rather peculiar rustle was heard, making Gertrude jump. His reaction time wasn't very keen, so when a seemingly pissed-off Pinsir comes rampaging after a small furry Pokemon, it took him a few moments to get ready for a battle. The urging Terrak had looked anxiously up at his trainer, and then received a nod from him. “Come get some- y-you bully!" Gertrude chuckled, then focused back onto the agitated Pinsir. "That's the spirit!" he called out wistfully. He had his finger pointed at the ferocious Pokemon with a glint in his eyes.

Terrak slowly moved closer towards it, which made the Pinsir move closer as well. The two stared down one and other, until the Pinsir dashed forward, once it was face to face with Terrak, it grabbed Graveler just above its legs, and then had jumped upwards, somehow just managing to heave Terrak above the ground—then slammed down with a force that rumbled the rough dirt around them. "It'll take more then'a Seismic Toss to take this Graveler down!" Gertrude called out, "Now, Stone Edge!" he commanded. The winded Graveler urged upwards, then let out a battle cry. One of Terrak's large arms had began glow bronze—he swung at the Pinsir, although it wasn't quite fast enough, it just managed to chip its chest. Terrak's stone edge wasn't very accurate, but it packed a fair amount of power behind it.

"Finish it off with Earthquak-" Gertrude cut himself off, thinking about the right move. Aye, looks like Earthquake is off ta' table, I don't wanna do any damage to Slink or the girl. He shook his head, "Smash em' with a Gyro Ball!" Terrak had started to speed up while spinning at an exponential rate—causing wind to exert off the cyclone. It launched itself at Pinsir, wind and rock erupted from the collision, wind blew Gertrude's hiking hat off, making it drift back onto Route 202, making it visible for anybody to pass by. Terrak stopped spinning, and shook its head, dazed from the intense gyro ball. Pinsir was definitely more injured than Terrak, as it was on its back, although still ready to battle—as it had risen to its feet a few seconds later.

 

[Keybored]

“Did you see that Slink! That bully doesn’t stan- Slink?” Esme’s sentence halted out of sheer confusion. Her Pokémon had escaped her sights while she was distracted by the fighting! Just moments ago the Furret had been watching the fight from a safe distance. Protected by his trainer’s legs and the staff in front of him. Yet he must have wormed his way out and snuck off once again. At least Slink had been courteous enough to leave the flowers behind. Esme picked up the golden plants of the ground and smiled. Pissing off the local wildlife just to get a present. Slink was definitely the most considerate, inconsiderate companion she’s ever had and will have.

Though sufficiently ‘swooned’ by her Pokémon’s gift, she wasn’t unaware of the Pinsir getting back on its feet. Still ready to fight. Still incredibly angry. Maybe it was time to make a tactical retreat, before this fight would end in someone getting badly hurt. Most likely the Pinsir, yet, that wasn’t the problem. The problem would be healing a Pokémon that had no intention to play nice, nor was it small enough to not form a threat. No choice then. Her only option seemed to be her other companion. Esme reluctantly took a minimized Pokéball out of her jacket’s inner pocket.

She sighed and let the ball enlarge in her hand before releasing the characteristic red beam. Aiming it at the top of her staff as she held it steady. The light gathering to form a small, plump bird roosting atop the staff. It turned out to be the most exhausted looking Hoothoot in existence! If there was ever an example of what a purely nocturnal creature would look like during the day, this would be it. The tired and already somewhat agitated owl turned his head 180 degrees to face his trainer.

Esme brought her free hand to her neck the moment the Hoothoot showed off its head-turn. “Lumi! I don’t like it when you do that- it hurts my neck just looking at it!” The bird seemed unimpressed by the disapproval of his trainer. Merely responding with a tired, empty expression. Still in a half asleep state. “Could you help out? I’ll let you get your rest after you uh- help, ye!” Esme requested timidly, gesturing towards the Pinsir opposing them. As if she was somehow intimidated by Lumi’s lack of interest in the situation.

Lumi reluctantly agreed by turning his head back to face the threat, ready for the command he knew was coming. “Lumi, use Hypnosis- please-thank-you.” There is was. Esme’s command prompted the small bird to fully open his red eyes, emitting a faint glow from them. The warm, mesmerizing color affecting the Pincir’s state of mind. Drawn in to the sight. Calming its mind. Lulling it to sleep.

 

[sgiovannii]

The young man nodded in agreement and followed suit down the grass-lined path that led out of town and down Route 202. There was a large knot of trees at its beginning that served as a small forest, but through them he could just make out the winding path making its way through expansive grassy fields. Seemed like Jubilife was a ways off. With a small groan, he held out a Pokeball and returned his Charmeleon. At least one of them would be spared the walk.

It was almost midday, the sun nearing its highest point in the sky. Felix stretched his arms to the warmth of the sun, glancing around at the group. The girl he had embarrassed himself in front of was back, about a yard or two behind him talking to the friendly-looking biker girl. He made a mental note to try to talk to them later, and not be lame this time. Riley was nearest to him, but in ahead of them all was Gabriel, silently marching ahead with her Pokemon. No wonder, either - Felix wouldn't exactly have been the happiest had someone tried taking his Pokemon, either. He hurried a bit to catch up with her, hands raised in innocence once he had caught her Abol's warning eye.

"Hey, Gabriel, right? I'm really sorry about all that before. I don't know what I'd do if someone tried doing that to me. If you, uh, need anything just let me know, okay?" He offered her a soft smile then moved back again, giving her some space. They had just reached the outskirts of town when -

"Wait!" The man from before was back, running up the small hill toward them with something bundled in his arms. Behind him was his Houndoom, a brown paper bag clutched in its jaws. "Holy Magikarp, what now...?" Felix grumbled, watching in unamusement while the man finally caught up to them, panting. He fanned himself with a hand once he caught his breath, and fixed them all with a bright smile. "I'm so happy to have caught up to you before you left! I realized I may need to make amends of a sort-" At that, Felix scoffed. Obviously. "- and because you did me the favor of providing me with a Pokemon, young man, I decided to do the same to you," he said to Riley, and handed him the small bundle of blanket in his arm. One of the folds moved to reveal part of a creamy white egg flecked with brown spots. "I'm sure you will find great use for this lovely being here. As for the rest of you..." he took the bag from Houndoom and pulled out a number of thick white envelopes, which he handed to each person present. To Gabriel, he gave two. "Please accept this as a token of my gratitude and apologies. As a former head of Hearthome's Pokemon Fan Club, I, William Hoffman, must do better to behave as a dignified and gracious gentleman. If there is anything I can ever do for any of you, anything at all, please do not hesitate to call the number on the cards in your envelopes. Now, farewell, and good luck!" He tipped his hat to them and patted Houndoom's side, and together the two of them made their way back into town.

Felix took a moment to ingest what had just happened but soon opened up his envelope first. He gasped. "Oh, crap... there's five hundred dollars in here. I'm gonna eat so well when we get to Jubilife."

 

[MelodyMay]

Each step felt like it held a certain finality. As though she were reaching her end with every step. Which she very likely was. Her former foster family and Mother Lilith all in one city?

She forced herself to take deep breaths. Her hands were already shaking. If she was caught by her many cousins, they would bring her to Mother Lilith. She would take away Absol! Possibly even Buneary if her mood was bad enough. It would be just like the old woman, to take away someone's pokemon just to further hurt them.

Still, she forced herself forward. She only stopped when she heard the man calling after her. Sensing her human's distress, Absol pressed close to her, only keeping one glaring eye on the man. Rhashyya accepted her two envelopes without looking at him. Instead her eyes were looking at the ground as she tried to hide how sick she was starting to feel.

"I'm going to eat so well when we get to Jubilife," she heard Felix say. She immediately whipped around. "No fine dining in Jubilife! That can wait till you're in Orebourgh."

Turning around to face the group, she made sure the man was out of earshot before continuing. If she was leading them into Jubilife, she would would have to lay down some ground rules. "Okay, everyone, listen. When we get to Jubilife, those with other business to attend to, head on your way. Jubilife has no gym so if your here for a badge, I'll lead you straight through. Just don't talk to anyone outside of the group and don't stop if it's not necessary," she ordered. She was still only seventeen; Mother Lilith still ruled her life until sometime in March. She, under any circumstances, could not be found.

 

[Vaporeonn]

Falco found out quite a lot halfway through their trip to Jubilife - biker girl's name was Shana; old men in Sinnoh were extremly odd; and Felix apparently thought 500 dollars was an unusually large amount of money, although, Falco quickly became aware she was the only one who thought otherwise. Of course, it had a lot to do with how she grew up. A child from a wealthy family had a high chance of viewing money as something that was standard, never giving it a second thought.

But, Falco didn't allow anyone to think that even a penny of her self-earned money, which she acquired during her fairly successful career as a Pokemon trainer, had anything to do with her parents. As if! Falco had nothing to do with them, nor their money, in almost five years. It was all her own hard work. But, since people tended to assume things, Iskra rarely gave out her family name, or background.

Something that caught Falco's attention was the egg, given to Riley by the old man, who revealed himself to be a former president of the Pokemon Fan Club in Hearthome. A sudden memory flashed in front of her eyes - a younger Falco, helping an elderly couple through the Ilex forest, being given a bright pink egg as a gift. Waiting patiently for it to hatch... The Smoochum which hatched becoming an important part of Falco's team... Valya, the Smoochum, was unusually strong for a baby Pokemon. She was residing at Natasha's, Falco's sister's, ranch, much like the rest of Falco's Pokemon. As Natasha was a Pokemon breeder, her sister had no worry leaving her Pokemon at the ranch. It was spacious and in the nature, and Natasha got along with all of them just fine. Unlike her sister, Natasha stayed in Kalos, though far from Lumiose City. Some town at the coast, Geosenge if Falco remembered correctly. She wouldn't know for sure. She visited the ranch only once. Perhaps it'd be a good idea to pay another visit once I'm done with Sinnoh, Falco thought. She hadn't seen some of her Pokemon in years. And Kalos, too. As much as she hated to admit, Falco loved her home region.

"Have any idea what it is?" she asked the boy.

 

[Confidentheart]

Riley closely and quietly followed the group with Teddiursa in his arms and Marshtomp to his side. Hearing the man yelling caused a Riley to grunt and begrudgingly to around. "I realized I may need to make amends of a sort-" Those words caught Riley's interest. There was a lack of work around and he was running out of money and supplies. He was almost excited for the apology he was going to receive. But that changed when the man handed him the egg. "An... Egg..." Riley threw Teddiursa on his shoulders so he could hold the egg being practically forced to on him. The man also handed him an envelope, as well as to everyone else. He didn't bother opening it, believing it to be a useless gift.

Riley wasn't against the idea of raising another Pokemon but the current circumstances didn't allow such a responsibility for him. Riley sighed and prepared to give someone else in the group the egg until, "Oh, crap... there's five hundred dollars in here." Those words caught Riley by complete surprise. Five hundred dollars? This morning, Riley work up with less than a hundred and some guy just gives him five hundred more? Riley stared down at the egg once more. "Maybe I will hold on to you......"

Riley was silently thinking until Gabriel started barking orders at everyone. While listening to her, Riley was able to all but confirm something he'd been speculating awhile ago; this girl is off. Not too long ago, she was this peppy, happy-go-lucky weird girl. But the more people we encountered, the more anxious she seemed to get. Then that man attacked us and all of the sudden her personality took a complete one-eighty. Not to mention, who approaches a random stranger and asks them to escort them to a completely different town while there are fairly known kidnappings going on? Now she was here restricting everyone's movement in Jubilife? Yeah, she was hiding something. It was to the point where he wasn't even concerned with the group expanding to it's already uncomfortable size. "Shana was it?"

Riley took a quick glance around the group for their reaction to Gabriel and Iskra's reaction specifically caught his attention. Was she as suspicious as he was? Riley considered pressing Gabriel on the matter but pushed the thought aside just as fast as it came. Maybe he talk to her later. Or... I mean, it's not like they'll be hanging out much longer anyways. "That's weird." Maybe he'll just outright ignore it? This was too much so he decided to roll with the flow until later. Maybe he'll come to a decision by then.

The sound of a familiar voice breaks Riley from his trance. He turned his head toward Iskra, still processing what was going on. "Uh, the egg? Well, judging by the coloring, the pattern, the size, and the amount of Pokemon tat can be hatched from an egg, I'd say....." Riley takes a short pause to consider his answer. I'd say I haven't the slightest clue what this thing holds."

 

[Zenhu]

Gertrude had been urging Terrak to get up out of its haze, when suddenly Esme had sent out her Hoothoot. The ominous owl turned its head around to look back at its trainer, giving Gertrude a jolt of fear than ran up his spine. It managed to drift the Pinsir softly to sleep, although it was bound wear off, so he had to act quickly. Once the Pinsir had become fully submerged in a deep slumber, Terrak had shaken off the daze it had been in, then narrowed its eyes— staring directly at the snoring Pinsir. "Hit em' dead on with Rock Smash!"

Terrak stormed towards the Pinsir, then pounded into the Pinsir, making it fly backwards, landing in a soft patch of grass. It wasn't quite fainted, but anymore attacks would surely render it unconscious. "Aye, that's enough mate, we don't want ta' injure it," calling the Graveler off, Gertrude then pointed towards the wild Pokemon. "How 'bout we capture this fierce Pokemon?" He exclaimed, laughing boisterously. He reached for his Poke-Ball slots on his belt, then panicked, reaching into his bag. "Ya' got to be kidding me..." Gertrude echoed, looking down solemnly. He let out a cry of despair.
"YA'RE LUCKY I'VE GOT NO POKE-BALLS ON ME, YOU DOSSER!"

He sighed then looked at Esme. "You can go ahead en' catch then." Gertrude hadn't noticed his hat had gone missing until after the fight, otherwise he would've went after it. He glanced at the bushes surrounding them, then shrugged. "Do ya' happen to know where my hat went?" Gertrude's limited edition hat held a special place in his oddly-large heart.
The Pinsir had been fidgeting, slowly opening its eyes to let out a ferocious battle cry, though it winced in pain. "Now is ta' time to catch it!" Gertrude chuckled, "Before it comes for ye' Pokemon." Which was exactly what the Pinsir was planning to do, as it had began to charge towards the Hoothoot, kicking up dirt behind it.

 

[sgiovannii]

"No fine dining in Jubilife...?" Felix repeated, pout on his face as he pocketed his portion of the money. He was going to object, but Gabriel commanded attention from the group without even trying as they continued onwards. Stern and to-the-point, she wasted no time in dictating the group's rules... but why were there rules in the first place? Riley spoke up after a moment of silence, and he seemed to be thinking the same thing as Felix. "Yeah, how come we can't do a little sightseeing?" He asked lightly.

The crunch of dirt beneath rubber soles underscored the conversation, the chilly breeze ruffling the trainers' clothing and the leaves of the trees above them, and eventually they broke the treeline and continued down the route with a huge expanse of grassy fields before them. For a moment the young man spaced out, looking all around them at the scenery. Compared to Kanto, Sinnoh's horizon was rife with gorgeous forests and mountains, and he could just make out a river making its way down to the coast. Felix regretted not getting into photography. He really did hope to get the chance to not only explore Jubilife, but the rest of the region as well. It was what he came all this way for, after all. But he could still be a bit of a drama queen.

There was a stretch of silence while the five of them walked, broken up by Felix's eventual, tired sigh. "Honestly, all this walking is pretty and all, but if we don't get there in the next hour I'll die," he huffed, gently kicking a rock into the grass.

 

[MelodyMay]

"It shouldn't be much further," she said to the group. Felix was growing tired and she knew multiple party members had suspicions about her. But how could she explain? If they knew, they could quite possible turn her in!

"And I know I'm dropping these rules on you people, but believe me, none of you have idea who the top runners are in Jubilife. I do and I know it's best to avoid them," she assured. Her seemingly personality change would come across as suspicious, she knew, but she had bigger problems than what this group thought of her. She continued walking forward, never back at the group. She only paused to kneel down and recall Absol.

While reluctant, the pokemon knew she would attract the wrong kind of attention as they got closer to her hometown. Once she was back inside her engraved luxury ball, Rhashyya securely zippered it inside her backpack, away from sight. Doing a quick bought of mental math as she straightened out, she muttered, "Technically there are thirty-nine people specifically we need to avoid but, hey, who's counting?"

She was painfully aware that her stress was visible. Nervous sweat along her hairline, her skin taking a greenish tint, her hands shaking much more noticeably, she was suprised no one called her out on those specifically. "Jubilife is just past those hills," she told them, pointing to the horizon. After checking the position of the sun, she added, "As long as we keep up this pace, we should be there by midnight."

 

[Sciencewars]

"What the?"

"Ty?"

"Oh, it's probably nothing, just a Pokémon battle." Xavier was already outside of Sandgem and onto Route 202. The route, as the two towns were quite close, was short compared to others. Despite that, it was still a long distance through the trees and grassy fields. There were some sharp ledges spiked around, and quite a few small rodent and birds running around.

His thoughts were interrupted by fur brushing past his leg as he was wading through the grass. Crouching down and scanning his nearby surroundings, he noticed a small Bidoof running away from something. He barely had time to recognize this before a jolt of lightning shot past and shocked the beaver-esque creature. Another Pokémon, a Shinx, pounced out of the grass. Before Xavier could step in, it was clear that the electrically-charged pup was simply nuzzling a friend in a playful fashion. He smiled lightly before carrying on.

He was soon cut short on traveling by Tyrunt charging forward, out into the clearing. He started to try and recall, but saw her target- a large Pinsir attacking two trainers. It, luckily, seemed weakened and was almost out. As he ran towards the group and after his Pokémon, he yelled out, "Dragon Claw!" just before the strangely athletic creature started to jump towards the larger bug-type and hit it with a claw attack. The Pinsir was still standing, but deflected from its charge, as Xavier slowed to a stop and introduced himself.

"Xavier Cross, at your service. Apologies, she's a bit over-eager."

 

[Keybored]

Esme let out a deep breath upon seeing the Hypnosis take effect. Releasing the tension she’d felt concerning herself about both of the Pokémon. Even if one of them was clearly the aggressor, she still didn’t want anyone to get severely hurt. Yet, it didn't seem like she quite finished with the ordeal. Esme watched as the Graveler knocked the passed-out Pinsir back. She was unable to get an objection out in time. “We could’ve just leeeeft.“ She whined under her breath, slightly annoyed about the turn of events.

Now the Pinsir was back to its senses, and considerably angrier. “You can go ahead en’ catch then.” The words didn’t quite register until a few seconds later. Her eyes widening in response. “Wha- no, I- hold on!” Stammering frantically, Esme dug her hand into the inner pocket of her jacket, trying to get hold of a minimized Pokéball. “Now is ta’ time to catch it!”

Gertrude’s words pulled her attention away from the elusive balls. The Pokémon was already charging at then. Forget about catching it, she had to get out of harm’s way! In a moment of haste Esme grabbed onto the nearest sturdy object and hid behind it. This object turned out to be Gertrude’s arm. Clenching it tight. A few moments went by. Multiple sounds, and an unfamiliar voice. Yet, nothing of it registered until the majority of the action had already passed.

Esme needed a moment to take in her surroundings again. Her staff had been dropped, with Lumi taking up refuge upon a tree branch. Looking as unimpressed as always. The Pinsir standing still, rooted in place from its injuries. Injuries caused by a dino-like Pokémon supposedly owned by the stranger that’d helped them out. Which left her with the final detail of the situation. Her clinging. Realizing the position she was in brought an embarrassed red hue to her cheeks. Quickly letting go of the arm she’d taken hostage and pulling up the jacket’s collar over the lower half of her face.

“Xavier Cross, at your service-“ Another man, younger though. He looked smart, but that could just be the glasses. Esme looked up at the stranger. Xavier. “I- uh- thanks. I’ll go- you know. Catch it now. Ye.” She stammered, only adding to her own embarrassment. This wasn’t exactly how she’d imagined companionship to be like. Two guys. It didn’t feel right. Uncomfortable even.

Without the immediate threat of a large brute of a Pokémon charging at her, it was significantly easier to get hold of an empty Pokéball. Enlarging it and meekly lobbing it at the Pinsir. The Pokémon was engulfed in the red light and pulled into the ball. As expected from the state of the Pinsir, it was caught within moments. Announced by the characteristic sound of the ball completing its capture. Esme moved over to the red-and-white orb laying in the grass. Picking it up along with the dropped staff. Then she turned back to face her ever increasing amount of companions. “I’m Esme. In case, you know- you wanted to know.” She muttered, still working to overcome her embarrassment.

Meanwhile, Slink had been trotting along the underbrush, keeping an eye out for the runaway hat. Belonging to Esme’s friend. Or so he assumed. The Pokémon found the hat laying on the side of the road they’d started on. Slink tip-toed a few circles around the item. Supposedly checking if it would respond, before deeming it inanimate. Gently picking it up in his mouth. It was a curious item, but not as curious as what approached next. A group of people. More friends maybe. Possibly. Definitely!

Slink had convinced himself they were friendly at first sight and rushed at them like a fur-clad missile. Nails scratching against the hard road as the Pokémon adjusted his trajectory before crashing headfirst into the legs before him. At least he had made his presence known. Sitting before the group. ‘Blocking’ the road with perked up ears and a mouthful of head-wear. Curious as ever.

 

[Confidentheart]

The walk wasn't too strenuous to Riley and his Pokemon. After all. they've spent years on travelling around and were quite used to long periods of walking without rest. Riley had taken out a blanket and wrapped it around the egg in his arms. He sometimes had tendencies to be clumsy so he made extra sure to watch his step and not drop the egg. Teddiursa had hopped down from Riley's shoulders a while ago to ride on Marshtomp's back. She still was extremely uncomfortable about the group but managed to ease up somewhat. Marshtomp was still expressionless and stayed by Riley's side.

"Hey Gabriel, is there somewhere in Jubilife I can get and incubator or anything to hold this egg in?" Riley's face turned sour and he answered his question before giving Gabriel the chance to respond. "Or is that one of the many things I should avoid doing as well?" Sarcasm was natural for Riley, especially while he's tired or stressed out. All day he's dealt with bothersome strangers without much of a break and there's the altercation with that man earlier. The only silver lining was the egg and money he had received.

 

[MelodyMay]

Rhashyya had taken up steady breathing to try an calm herself down. It wasn't successful by any means but she was trying. However, Riley's question about an incubator undid all of her progress and shocked her so much she nearly tripped over thin air.

She knew where to find incubators; her grandmother ran a large pokemon breeding business. She'd even sell one if the bargin was right. But that would mean walking right into the Pyroar's den!

She whipped around, trying to maintain any composure she had left despite her now green tint and shaking hands. "Look, you can get an incubator in Jubilife. But these people aren't the kind you want to get mixed in with. You can thank me later. But as for now, all you guys need to know is they have some of the most important people in the city in their pockets and they really don't like me," she reluctantly shared.

 

[Vaporeonn]

The group had been walking for quite some time. Although Falco was used to long hikes, it was disappointing to hear that Jubilife was half a day away. She tried to calm herself, taking in a deep breath through her nose, breathing in the cool air, and the smell of pine trees. Don't be a brat, she thought to herself, breathing out. After the Dark Cave, any hike should be a breeze to you. Ah, Kanto and its many vast caverns. Falco loathed those cold, dark, slimy holes, full of Zubats who wouldn't leave her alone. Oh, how she disliked remembering them. She hoped there wouldn't be many caves in Sinnoh, but, as it was a fairly mountainous region... Falco decided not to keep her hopes up.

The growing tension between Riley and Gabriel was starting to become visible. If it was Falco in Riley's shoes, she wouldn't have thrown such a sarcastic remark at the already nervous Gabriel. How unpleasant, the older girl thought. But she recoiled, even if only the slightest bit, to Gabriel snapping at the boy. There was something serious bothering her, and Falco had a feeling she might've come to that conclusion a bit late compared to the rest. And Gabriel must have sensed that doubt in others as she explaned the reason behind her shift in attitude. Still, the egg needed to be some place warm, and even with the blanket, it was fresh outside. Falco contemplated. Should she offer any help...?

She tilted her head towards the sky, and saw Fyodor circling above. Of course. He could've flown to Jubilife twice already. No wonder he was bored. But, the Talonflame was a bit awkward when walking, and Falco didn't want to call him down and risk looking funny, not in front of anyone, especially not people like them. However, offering help seemed to be the noble thing to do... so she thought. "If it's any issue, my Talonflame can keep the egg warm until you get an incubator," Falco voiced herself. It'd be nice for Fyodor to have some company up there, too. He loved taking care of baby Pokemon and eggs, and Falco thought he'd enjoy carrying Riley's egg. She carried around the strap for eggs she used to tie to Fyodor for keeping eggs safe during flight, too. It was surprisingly sturdy. Just in case. "He's a fire type. Warmer than the average Pokemon. Or blanket," she kindly elaborated.

To the distance, Falco's Misdreavus noticed a lone Pokemon running towards them. Her natural curiosity sparked up, finally, after quite a boring walk. Katya wailed, trying to get her trainer's attention. Falco sighed at her Pokemon's rude interruption. "I am in the middle of something," she tried telling the Misdreavus, but stopped halfway through, interrupted by another Pokemon, yet again. She eyed the seemingly cheery Furret. "Who might you be?"
Katya happily floated around the new arrival, trying to get a sense of the energy around it. Mostly positive, yet hints of certain negative energy tied to it. How wonderful it was, the Misdreavus thought.

 

[Zenhu]

Gertrude had been shocked to feel a small tug on his arm. He glanced quickly to see a frightened Esme clinging on to his stubby arm, then smiled and held his fist up at the raging Pinsir. "Ya' want a piece of me? I'll frisk ya' filthy codger face up!"

The clamorous man with his amusing threats was about to get rampaged by a bug with blades on the top of its head. Suddenly a rustle had gotten Gertrude's attention—but what really caught his eye was the Tyrunt that charged from bushes shortly after, slashing the Pinsir with Dragon Claw. The trainer directing the Pokemon came closely behind, introducing himself with class. Gertrude blinked twice, then was interrupted in thought when Esme had thrown her Pokéball at the Pinsir, and after multiple jiggles, the Pinsir had been caught.

Gertrude directed his focus back onto the trainer that had saved them, then laughed vociferously, hands on his grand belly. "Ye' saved my neck," without warning he'd rambunctiously galloped towards the mysterious trainer and wrapped his arms around him. "Aye was nearly shook, many thanks mate!" Gertrude smiled, a shrill look on his face. Although something was lurching at the back of his mind, he couldn't quite put a finger on it, though.
After a few seconds of awkward hugging, he pulled himself away then reached for his hat upon his head—although soon realized it was still missing. The hat had been a special gift from someone that meant dear to him, so it was important it was to be returned to him, and placed back on his head. "I've gotta' go fetch my hat!"
Gertrude ran off, patting his Graveler on the head, as a sign to tell him to follow. The two hobbled through the bushes and trees, soon getting back onto the main passage way.

His keen eyes had picked up an imprint of a rather familiar looking hat in the dusty route. Terrak pointed towards some small footprints that seemed to start at the had. They'd stand scattered in the ground, the Graveler then tugged on Gertrude to get his notice of it. "You're a genius, Terrak!" He followed down the rough route, he tried to avoid messing up the clean tracks that had soon brought him to his collectors edition hat.

 

[sgiovannii]

By now it was more than clear even to Felix that Gabriel's overall shadiness was for an important reason. Evidently it was one potentially dangerous enough that she had to supply the group with rules and vague warnings before they even got anywhere near the big city. Her slightly pallid, greenish complexion and fidgety movements should have set off warning bells for him hours ago. She seemed to get worse with Riley's barbed remark, the two appearing to be feeding off of one another's nerves to the point that Felix began to feel a little uneasy himself. At least the Misdreavus girl stepped in to ease up a bit of the other's boy's tension with her offer to have her Talonflame take care of his egg. Shielded from the sunlight with a hand, his hazel eyes turned upwards to watch the great bird Pokemon following in large circles above them in the baby blue sky.

"Why exactly wouldn't we want to get mixed in with Pokemon breeders who sell incubators? And can we get back to the part where there's about forty people we need to be on the lookout for?" He asked of Gabriel after Iskra spoke, gaze eventually coming back down to the ground. "And why don't they like you?"

No sooner had he asked the words that he was distracted by Katya, Iskra's Misdreavus, gleefully floating off to meet a furry brown blur approaching from behind Gabriel. "Aww, it's a fluffy Furret baby!" Felix said in excitement upon recognizing the distinctive Normal-type. He'd always been a fan, but he had never really bothered to catch one - though seeing as he would be doing nothing but walking and talking for the next couple miles anyway... A flash of light came from one of his Pokeballs and in less than a moment stood a small Aron before him, blinking in the sun. But he hesitated.

"I kinda wanna catch it, but... what's that in its mouth? A hat?"

 

[Zenhu]

Gertrude followed the fainted footprints with his head fixed downward, not moving and eye from the tracks. He turned a sharp corner, which had trees and brush covering his view from the rest of the route. Gertrude hadn't noticed a small jagged rock that sat upon the path—and to his lack of knowledge it was in the direction he was walking. After a few more steps, his foot slammed into the rock, making his face fill up with an expression of pain.
The hiker stumbled over the jagged rock, then face-planted onto the dusty ground, his butt high in the air and his face buried in the rough dirt. He slowly heaved himself upwards, then brushed the pebbles and chunks of earth off his clothes. He shook his head, then noticed a group of presumably trainers standing before him, with the same Furret from earlier along with them. Gertrude cleared his throat, then stood with his hand on his neck. "Aye there," he chuckled with a grin of embarrassment painted upon his face.

His eyes floated over to the Furret, then back up to the group, then back to slink. "Golly, Slink mate! Ye' nearly gave me a panic, thanks for grabbing me' hat." Gertrude smiled, then reached down slowly to grasp hold of his hats rim. He patted the Pokemon's head gently, then placed the Ace Hiking hat upon his head.

"Ye' folks can call me Gertrude!"
His Graveler finally caught up with him, then took a moment to rest on the comforting soil.
He chuckled and dusted off his hat, the sun blared into his face.

 

[The Kitsune]

Slipping the proffered envelope into her bag without comment, Shana trekked on in silence as the group conversed. She felt slightly at odds with the chumminess developing between the others. It was pretty clear her initial assumption about their friendship had been overestimated. Far from friends, their guarded expressions suggested these people were little more than strangers...and yet that was quickly changing. They conversed naturally, openly. Was it youth or naiveté? Or maybe they just didn't have anything to hide.

Well...except the Absol girl. Gabriel, had they called her? Her evasive comments made it clear there was more to her being in Jubilife than she was letting on. Which raised the question...

"Sounds like you'd be better off avoiding Jubilife altogether," Shana observed, letting her curious gaze linger on Gabriel. She didn't press the issue, choosing to change the subject instead, casting a kind smile around the group. "If we're not going to get in until midnight, we might be better off camping out for the night. Unless we plan on staying-"

The rest of her sentence faded away as the bubbly furret approached, greeted by Iskra and her Misdreavus. Glancing around the other girl, Shana's eyes trained on the curious object in the pokemon's mouth.

 

[MelodyMay]

Half turning herself to face the group, Rhashyya clutched her arms. If she was going to use them as shields, they did have a right to know what was going on. But would they believe her? Would they turn her in? Or worse, what if they took her to Lilith themselves because she was a runaway? Yet they were already suspicious and the walk was just a little more than halfway through. If she didn't tell them, would they desert her?

"Traveling through the city by day would be better," she answered as memories of almost unbearable, stifling crowds floated to the surface. "I'll... it's not easy to talk about but I'll tell you guys everything when we have a camp set up," she reluctantly muttered. She figured her chances of getting through Jubilife was higher if she had some form of group. And Felix had said she could talk to him, right?

She had been about to go ahead and tell them her real name when everyone became distracted by something on the hill. Tensed and prepared to run, the dark haired teen let out an audible sigh of relief when all that revealed itself was a Furret.

 

[Confidentheart]

Gabriel's response caught Riley completely off guard. His question was merely a joke, he didn't actually think there'd be an issue finding an incubator. Just who was this Gabriel girl and what was she hiding? Riley was ready to press her but Iskra interrupted him before he got the chance. Riley listened to her explanation of her Talonflame carrying around the egg to keep it warm. Wait, was that up there the entire time? The idea of it flying so high above the ground, being carried by a bird didn't really sit well with Riley, especially since there was no real way to keep it safe. However, Iskra seemed fairly confident in her suggestion.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? I mean, that's kind of high up." Riley mentally measured the distance from the ground to Fyodor. Anxiety squeezed its grip around Riley as he imagined the egg dropping from the sky and shattering on the ground below. Before he could receive an answer, once again there was an interruption. This time, it was from a presumably wild Furret. Everyone had turned their attention which gave Riley a chance to think to himself. Had he gone too far with Gabriel? Maybe the sarcasm wasn't necessary. He Contemplated apologizing but quickly came to the conclusion to just move on and drop it.

 

[sgiovannii]

While they were all enraptured by the seemingly random Furret, a flurry of movement and a large thud sounded just ahead of them. Felix looked up, tapping his thigh so his Aron would prance back to him. Face-first in the dusty trail was a very rugged looking traveler, who in but a moment easily hopped up to a standing position and dusted himself off, looking as cheerful as the day was bright. Felix had to give him props - if he ever fell like that in front of anyone he didn't know, he wouldn't bother getting up again. Ever.

Hesitating while the man interacted with the Furret and retrieved his hat, Felix asked a bit disappointingly. "That's your, uh... Slink?" And it didn't seen to be his only Pokemon, either. A large waddling boulder of a Pokemon approached them soon enough, plopping down next to the man - Gertrude, apparently - and kicking up dust as it did so.

"Um, cool. Nice to meet you, Gertrude. I'm Felix. We're all on our way to the city, but we were just about to find a spot to camp for the rest of the evening. Do you, um, know any good spots around here?" He asked, because if there was anything he knew about traveling, it was to always take the advice of people that looked like him.

 

[Zenhu]

The sun had fallen a reasonable amount since Gertrude started his trek to find his hat, and along with Felix and his companions, needed a place to take camp.
Then a light-bulb had brightened in his head, which shown through his blissful eyes. "Why of course, I've gotta' great place for the night chum!" He chuckled, patting his stomach. Terrak had closed its eyes, leaning against a small branch, which eventually didn't support its weight, crumbling to the ground along with the shocked Graveler. "That's me' pal Terrak," he announced to the group, "Slink here is anotha' trainers Pokemon though."
Gertrude thought about how odd that last sentence he said, then quickly followed it up with, "Wait, wait wait! Slink was retrieving me' hat, that's all."
He pointed in the direction that he'd came from, "Ova' here there's a great place ta' stay for the night." Not once had he thought of the feral Pinsir that attempted to behead him and Esme, and even when it had showed up in his brain, Gertrude shrugged and kept his smile wide. "Alright, mates!" He turned around, then strutted forward, his other foot hitting the same rock as before. The capacious man crashed down into the dirt again, after he'd got up and muttered cursed words to himself, Gertrude moved the small rock aside, then continued on. "Be careful, there's a rock there."

Terrak hadn't noticed the his trainer had started to leave, so it'd rolled after him, muttering the Pokemon-equivalent of human gibberish.
"Golly, mates, let's head on then!" He hummed one of his classic miners tunes, his arms had swung with joy, along with Terrak who had cheered up and gotten into the chant Gertrude serenaded. Listening to its trainers voice usually made Terrak happy, something that's fairly hard to do, considering the Pokemon is literally and figuratively as heavy-hearted as a rock

 

[Vaporeonn]

A huge man had approached the group, stopping right behind the silky Furret. Falco stared up at him, her cold, blue eyes losing their stern look for a moment, now holding child-like wonder. In a way, she was intimidated. She wasn't used to such men - her father was tall, but scrawny, pale, and emtpy-looking, so he seemed tiny. Standing in the stranger's shadow, she wondered if such a tiny Furret was his own. After all, the Pokemon was holding a hat - perhaps it belonged to him. Falco wasn't sure what she expected to hear when the man opened his mouth, but it certainly wasn't what she heard. "Golly, Slink mate!..." Falco was so taken a back by the contrast between the hiker's mighty exterior, and his silly, yet endearing manner of speech, that she couldn't manage to hold in the soft chuckle which slipped her mouth. The man introduced himself as Gertrude, and the Furret as Slink. Shortly after, a Graveler joined them - obviously belonging to Gertrude.

Felix asked him for a good place to take camp at. That was a smart move. Gertrude was seemingly an Ace Hiker, as his dusty hat suggested, so he was their best shot at finding a comfortable place to spend the night at. Gertrude held a cheery exterior the whole time he talked, and even offered to take them to the place they could settle in. How convenient of them to run into him, Falco thought. She followed along with the group, listening to the song Gertrude had started to hum.

 

[sgiovannii]

Felix watched the Graveler as he kneeled for a second to pick up Titan, his Aron, in his arms. The boulder-like Pokemon had fallen back into a woody bush it had tried to lean against, nearly looking akin to its trainer just a minute or two earlier. Titan tilted her head at it curiously, while Felix did the same to the older man. He had an interesting way of speaking, and both he and his Graveler seemed as if they had just hopped out of some sort of television show.

The young man began to second guess his decision to ask the hiker for help when the man fell again just as he was leading them to their soon-to-be campsite. A clumsy hiker wasn't the best oxymoron in the world - maybe they all should have kept walking instead. But after a tentative cursory glance at everyone else and seeing that Falco had taken the lead in following this Gertrude, he decided not to voice his very slight concern. The man seemed very friendly, at least, and Felix had never actually done any significant outdoor camping like this before. It'd be fun.

 

[The Kitsune]

Their group seemed to be growing. As if five hadn't been enough to crowd this provincial little road, this hiker - Gertrude, was it?- looked big enough to take up a lane all on his own. And from the sound of it, there was at least one more trainer imminent, the owner of this 'Slink' pokemon. Midnight or midday, their arrival in Jubilife City was sure to turn a few heads at this rate. Tucking a stray strand of hair back into place, Shana cast a cursory glance in Gabriel's direction to see how she would take this rather sizable addition to their group.

What did it matter to her though? Shifting her bag to a more comfortable position on her shoulder, Shana shrugged off the irrelevant concern. Matching the pace of the group, she followed along Gertrude's chosen path as her mind continued to worked, planning out her own road ahead. Whatever this girl's problem with Jubilife was, it wasn't hers. She'd part ways with the lot of them once they were within the city limits anyway. Their company had been a nice deterrent for random battles along the way, and their conversation was at least entertaining, but her only interest in the city was a mechanic. Then, once the bike was in good hands, she would keep heading north and... Shana counted in her head all the towns and routes between her and the next lake, and a frowned creased her brow. It would be a very long journey if she had to continue on foot. Weeks probably. And alone would mean more casual battles, inviting curiosities and...exposure.

Dart didn't need to be hidden, strictly speaking. After all, she highly doubted the tribe had any lingering concerns about their long-missing daughter, much less enough to have people searching for her in this far flung region. But the unknown did tend to draw attention from the scientific community, and the last thing she needed on this trip was some scientist trying to make a name for themselves at the her expense. That kind of exposure would put more than just Dart under a microscope; the origin of the species, the tribe and it's traditions, would be shoved into the spotlight. Their treasured anonymity would be destroyed because of her. ...She couldn't let that happen.

A quiet tune whisked her out of her desolate thoughts, carried back from Gertrude's joyous crooning at the head of their group. Shana watched the hiker and his jubilant pokemon wobble and found herself smiling in spite of herself.

 

[Sciencewars]

A slight yet firm nudge woke Xavier up from daydreaming. Tyrunt, moving her head to point, was showing him that he had unconsciously began to follow the now-formed larger group. Trailing the back, he began to wake from his trance by studying his new companions. The two he helped earlier and were following since were there, but they seemed to have been joined by 5 more. Judging on looks from the back alone, no details could really be gained.

Sinnoh was one of the best places for semi-experienced trainers looking to prove themselves. Although he really didn't like leaving behind Metang and the others, it was for the best. I mean, there was a whole underground cave system under the region! There must be so many fossils down there. And with that thought, he silently drifted back into daydream.

 

[sgiovannii]

The dancing flames of the campfire cast shadows along the flat, hard-packed ground, highlighting the shrubbery moving ever so gently with the night breeze and rustles of tiny animals and Pokemon, tents, and figures surrounding it. Up above in the deep, dark blue sky seemed to be millions upon millions of campfires stretching to the distant mountainous horizon.

A young man exhaled contentedly as he stared up at the sight, foggy breath drifting off from his mouth. In his lap was a still-hot, half-eaten cup of instant ramen; beside him sat his Charmeleon, steadily munching away at its own meal, and beside Balerion was Titan doing the same. Their tent was set up and ready behind them, and in the back of Felix's mind all he could think of was climbing into his warm sleeping bag and finally knocking out. Today had been... quite a day.

But this was nice, too. All around the campfire was everyone else he had met today with some of their Pokemon, and the night sky was absolutely beautiful. He wanted to enjoy it for just a bit longer. "You know," he said suddenly, voice breaking the moment of peaceful silence. "I've never seen the sky like this before. I'm from the biggest city in Kanto - Celadon - and from what I've heard it's basically Jubilife. Except better, of course. Always busy and loud and shining with lights even at all hours of the night... I never got to see until now what the night sky actually looks like. It's incredible. It's part of the reason why I wanted to finally go out, see the world," he said softly, hazel eyes shining with the light of the fire as he glanced upwards once more - but then they scrunched up in annoyance, the young man giving his neck a slap. "But I hate these damn mosquitoes."

 

[Keybored]

Esme had been wearing a dumb little smile on her face ever since laying eyes on the group. Smiling away, even when the task of setting up a tent became far more of an undertaking due to Slink. The Furret had been having a hard time controlling impulse as it was, but with this many people around? She’d been more occupied with pulling the curious Pokémon away from people’s possessions than getting her own sleeping spot ready. All in good fun though. She wasn’t going to blame Slink for any of it, in fact; she’d been feeling a similar eagerness to get to know them all.

As a final touch to setting up her camp, she dragged the large backpack into the tent. Disappearing from sight with it. Then, the noises started. The sounds of Esme searching through her backpack repeatedly, occasionally interrupted by clanging metal. Yet, it didn’t take too long before the reason for the ruckus was revealed. Stepping out of her tent she held a small tin pot. The faint sound of water sloshing inside as she brought it to the fire. Taking a few tries to carefully settle it by the flames. It was fragrant to say the least. A sweet, herbal scent being carried by the chilly air.

She’d spend many evenings like this, huddled up with a pot of tea. Enjoying the freedom and adventure of living on the road. Yet, never with so much company. This company actually talked a language she could fully understand! Esme smiled to herself, amused by her own thoughts as well as the story one of her new companions had started. Compelling her to look up at the night sky when the young man spoke about it. “Mhm-“ Esme muttered in response. She agreed with every last word.

The words he spoke were so sincere and heartfelt, it caught her off guard when the comment about mosquitoes came along. Resulting in a soft giggle as she cast her twinkling eyes on the flames. “It’s nice out on the road – or off the road. Any way you go is a road, technically? Maybe- I dunno, but! I guess I’ve- we’ve been on the road for a while. Came all the way from Cherrygrove City. Or a little ways out of Cherrygrove? We were kind of on the edge of town, next to the woods. Ancient woods! Do you guys know it? Oh! Also, I think there were less mosquitoes there, not sure.” Esme rambled on about the mosquito population of the area around Cherrygrove for a few more excitable run-on sentences before losing her train of thought. “Anyway, the ancient woods brought me here! Not literally, but I love nature. So, more nature is better!” In the end it wasn’t all that clear why Esme chose to embark on her cross-region journey, but the excitement for traveling was nearly tangible.

 

[Confidentheart]

Riley had set up camp more or less isolated away from the rest of the group. The growth of his company had made him rather uncomfortable, especially considering he was going to be sleeping near them. Riley's miniature camp consisted of a sleeping bag, a mini cooler, and a few snacks.

Riley laid atop his sleeping bag with Teddiursa laid unconscious on his chest. Today was an exhausting experience for her so falling asleep wasn't a difficult task for her. "I really wish I could teach you to defend yourself..." Riley talked to himself silently while eating an energy bar and scratching the back of Teddiursa. Ever since Teddiursa joined Riley in his adventures, she'd either relied on him or Marshtomp for any sort of protection. Riley tried many of times to help her get over her fears and teach her to defend herself but each attempt ended in failure. No matter what he tried, Riley couldn't get Teddiursa to train. She was always too timid to train. At this point, Riley believed there wasn't much hope and planned on just giving up on it.

Marshtomp was a mere few feet away, laying on his back while staring up at the stars in the sky, no expression or emotion on his face as usual. He wasn't always like this. As a Mudkip, Milk Dud was lively and energetic, often tiring Riley out on a daily basis. Often times, Milk Dud would mess with Grace by playing mini pranks and stealing some of her honey. Though he did bother her many times, he deeply cared and protected her. Milk Dud was very much like a bigger brother to Grace. That all changed when he evolved though. He still protected Riley and Grace like before, but he doesn't play at all like he did when he was a Mudkip.

 

[Vaporeonn]

The night had fallen before Falco had realised it. She was so occupied by setting up her tent, she didn't pay any attention to her surroundings. The tent was new, recently bought and never used, so Falco took some time to examine the instructions before doing any work. It seemed sturdy enough by the time she was finished. Her sleeping bag was inside, as well as her backpack - there was no reason for Fyodor to carry it around anymore, after all. On the subject of the Talonfoame, he obediently lay next to the tent, his silhouette looking a bit menacing in the dark. Fyodor was tired, so Falco let him rest. Katya was in her Pokeball. Bothersome little Pokenon. The girl then made her way toward the rest of the group - she wasn't the mosr sociable person around, but it would've been rude had she avoided them.

Falco sat next to the camp fire. Warm flames heated up her face, and the crackling of the fire pleased her ears. The rest were in the middle of a conversation. Felix mentioned the night sky. A bit absent mindedly, Falco raised her eyes upwards. Huh. As much time as she spent journeying across the world, she couldn't remember a moment when she stopped to appreciate the stars. Had she been taking it for granted the whole time? Falco didn't have a home home, not anymore, so her home was wherever she was at the moment; And more often than not, it was beneath the night sky. It was an odd feeling, sort of like a revelation. It was grand, made her feel small - Falco hated that feeling. Before she had the chance to lose herself to her thoughts, she took her eyes off the sky and back to the fire. The funnily dressed girl spoke up next, the Furret's actual trainer. Falco didn't remember catching her name - must've missed her introduction.

Falco felt uneasy, sort of ungrateful. She didn't set out on an 'adventure' because the night sky or forest inspired her, or anything among those lines. She just wanted to spite her parents. Well, it boiled down to that, she thought. Falco was sick of them, her life, her name. Was that too egotistical of a reason? She had a life deserving of envy, yet, she left it behind without second-guessing. Falco left because she didn't want to grow up, or be viewed as, an ungrateful brat, but, had she become one anyway?

Bad time for introspection, she thought, and focused on the rest of the conversation.