Ask to Join The Journey

[The Kitsune]

Shana was not among her peers. The flames had barely begun to smolder in their makeshift campsite before she wandered away into the gathering shadows. Her smile and promise to "be right back" had been casual enough not to warrant any questions. After all, her tent had already been pitched, and the bulk of her belongings left within it made it quite clear she would return. Though dusk had long since darkened into the dead of night by the time she did.

Leaves rustling underfoot, Shana stepped from the dense foliage into the campsite clearing, casting a guarded smile around at the gathered group. Her normally braided hair hung freely now and it caught the flickering light as she pulled it forward over one shoulder. There was a faint, fumy whiff of sage and cedar as she did, a pungent aroma that hadn't been there before and seemed to radiate most stoutly from the small, animal skin pouch Shana was quickly tucking out of sight. Smudging, her people called it; a strange term to assign to an otherwise unrelated task. Smudging was the ritual burning of certain herbs, usually to cleanse or bless, a practice she'd been well versed in as a child and one she had long since distanced herself from. It was ridiculous notion honestly, thinking and fume or flame could effect the future... and here she'd done it twice. At least the brief smudging at Lake Verity had been for herself, a cleansing of the weariness of travel, but this? Why had she bothered to press the sage and cedar, line the sand and cast the smoke for a group of people she barely knew? What was it about this region that seemed to draw her logical mind back into those stagnant traditions?

Truth be told, she was a bit embarrassed about having given into the nostalgic impulse, and certainly wasn't invite questions about what she'd done by showing the bag and it's contents off. So without explanation, she settled herself down into the vacant space beside Falco, trying to put the experience from her mind.

"Surprised everyone's still up," she chimed in, trying to dispel the awkward silence that had followed her appearance. "What's everyone talking about?" Her words came out a bit slower than usual, fatigue bringing out the ethnic drawl in her voice.

 

[MelodyMay]

By the time the group had arrived at the campsite, night had fallen completely. Rhashyya stayed silent, hoping not to draw further attention to herself. She had no tent, merely a sleeping bag.

"How do I explain this?" she thought as she retrieved Absol's pokeball and released the dark type. She had never told anyone her life's story. Not even Absol and Buneary knew all the details. Laying out her sleeping bag, Absol silently took her place as the extra pillow.

Instead of laying down, the girl merely sat with her back against the pokemon's belly. Why was she so nervous? She had been an actress most of her life, needing to put on a show for her relatives. Why did this crowd make her nervous? It had to be because she wasn't lying through her teeth this time.

She idly heard the others chatting about the beauty of the night sky. She had been taken by it as well, when she had first run away. Back then, she had laid awake with Absol for hours every night trying to find the few constellations that they knew and maybe creating a few if ther own as well.

"I may as well get it over with, huh?" She asked her oldest companion as she watched the group. How she wished that she, like Riley, could sit away from the others. But she had promised answers and answers she would give.

"I, uh... I'm ready to answer whatever questions you guys have for me," she started, the statement becoming quieter and lamer as she realized how bad it sounded. "I suppose I should start by telling everyone my name," she continued. "Gabriel was my foster sister. My real name is Rhashyya Grey."

 

[Zenhu]

Gertrude already had his gear scrunched up in his rucksack, so when they'd started to set up, he had already finished. And by finished he actually plopped down a bed roll, then moved all the small rocks from underneath it. He chuckled boisterously after taking a glance at the others still setting up their tents. "Ta' be a true Ace Hiker, the only tent I need is ta' sky above me and ta' soil beneath my feet.."
Terrak had sat with its back leaned against the tree, keeping an eye out for any unwanted Pokemon. "Come on, then Terrak!" Gertrude gestured for the pensive Graveler to come closer towards the group—to which it replied with a grunt, but it still hobbled over to sit beside its trainer. The others had started to converse with one an other, but he hadn't noticed, the only thing that caught his eyes were the luminescent stars that were splurged across the dark sky.

Gertrude felt the warmth of the fire, then moved to sit on rock close enough to feel the sultriness. After his face had started to turn red from the immense heat, he sat back down on his thin bed roll beside Terrak.
After he'd moved away from the fire, it had fallen in size, and wasn't as hot anymore. Gertrude placed another fair sized log in a position to feed the fire directly, then hunched over and fiddled with the dismantled sticks engulfed in flames, to adjust the campfire. The blaze grew bit by bit, then it had been back to normal stature once more. The incandescence tendrils waved in the air, leaving bright flashes of light as it'd flickered in the faint wind.
After the girl had returned from a presumably midnight walk through the forest, another girl presented her name, then suggested that they might as well get to know each other.

"Pleasure, R-h-a-s-h-yya!" He phonetically said her confusing name, then practiced it in his head. Rha-shyaa, Rhashy-aa he shook his thoughts away, then smiled. "Why'd ya' come here, Rhashyaa?"

 

[MelodyMay]

"Well... I may have... ran away from home," she mumbled out, not sure if she was being loud enough. "I live further down on route 202, closer to Sandgem. I make money for food by scamming new trainers into betted battles and then bringing out Absol," she admitted, warily watching the group.

It wasn't like betted battles were uncommon. Trainers had to make enough money for food and what not somewhere, after all. But betting enough to survive on from rookies was generally frowned upon. How were they supposed to start without any money?

Still, there were... arguably worse things that Rhashyya had done. Scamming some brats out of a few hundred or thousand dollars was nothing compared to stealing a pokemon from your grandmother or conning a beloved professor for another. That was getting into the stuff she was afraid to talk about.

 

[Keybored]

“Well… I may have… ran away from home.” Those words rang a bell. Well, not really. More like a feeling in Esme’s gut that something was wrong. It was a weird, uneasy feeling. The feeling that there’s something she should recall. The certainty that she’d forgotten something, but couldn’t remember what it was. All she knew for sure was that it’s important. Esme turned herself to the girl. A more profound look in her eyes. Unlike the somewhat ditsy nature she’d adapted to. “You shouldn’t go back then.” The words came out as if involuntary. A natural response to hearing the girl speak.

“I mean- you can stay with us. Then you won’t have to be a bully no more!” Esme followed up quickly, realizing the somber undertone that came with her voice, “Heh.” She felt uneasy. A piece of her psyche falling back into place, making the mental images she’d shattered regain some of their former shape. “An- and I know you’re not a baddy! You don’t look it, and- eh- your Pokémon like you. I think that’s proof enough!” It was a naïve statement. Assuming the willingness of her Pokémon to listen was somehow directly connected to her being a good person. Yet, naïve or not, it helped Esme reassure herself that all was still right in her world.

 

[Confidentheart]

Riley ignored any sound surrounding him and his Pokemon. He would've probably attempted to sleep by now but the noise prevented any hope of that happening. Instead, Riley reflected on the events that occurred today. There's was absolutely no way he could've predicted such stressful events happening. Grace stirred and whined in her sleep. This happens every other night ever since she joined Riley's miniature party. Riley turned his attention to the egg he held in his free arm that was wrapped in a blanket. Though he did his absolute best to keep its temperature high, he just couldn't combat the elements of mother nature alone. Riley threw his head back, contemplating the offer Falco gave to him earlier. It's about time for him to swallow his pride.

Riley set Grace in the sleeping bag, making sure to cover her and not wake her up. Riley's stomach growled slightly but Riley was more focused on the task at hand. Holding the egg in his arms, Riley made his way over to Falco, rubbing it gently to create friction in a sort of desperate attempt to keep it warm. It was only until he reached her that he noticed she was accompanied by Shana. "Uh, I'm not interrupt you guys am I?"

 

[Vaporeonn]

Falco felt a presence fill the vacant spot beside her. She glanced to the side to check who it was. Oh. It was the girl she had tried to help earlier that day. Shana. Falco shifted a bit to the side so the other girl could have enough room to sit comfortably. "We're discussing... nature," Falco answered, realising half-way through that she had spaced during the previous conversation. Of course, the subject changed into something a bit more serious when Gabriel approached the party.
"I'm ready to answer whatever questions you guys have for me."

Questions. Falco wasn't the inquisitive type when it came to people - she felt asking questions would result in an interrogation of her own, and that wasn't a consequence she was ever up to face. Instead, she was going to let others do the asking. But something Gabriel had said knotted Falco's stomach up. Her real name isn't Gabriel. And she ran away from home. And the fact that Gabriel- well, Rhashyya, came clean about the whole thing sent a shot of shame through Falco's body. Maybe even a pinch of jealousy. Although Rhashyya's confession most likely wasn't a self initiative, more of a 'forced by the situation' sort of thing, she was still being truthful. If Falco was to ever face a situation like that, she'd close herself off even more, and run away. That was the exact reason she ran away from Kalos - the truth came up.

Esme spoke up with a cutesy little pep talk. It may have been the juvenile way she expressed herself, but it seemed genuine to Falco. "Tricking rookies for some change is quite the ignoble thing to do," Falco spoke up, putting a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "I don't agree with it but... Everyone must survive somehow. At least you were... honest with us."

Just as she had finished her sentence, Riley approached her. Falco turned her body so she could look at him. The boy was holding an egg, so she assumed he came near the fire to keep it warm. Then she glanced towards the direction he came from. It was far from the rest of the camp, she estimated. Falco set her tent near others, not to socialize, but for safety measures. "Are you sure you want to stay so far from us?" she asked, not bothering to answer what Riley had asked prior. "I realise you aren't a high profile person, but the kidnappings don't worry you one bit?" Her speech was as calm and clear as it always was.
High profile people. Falco herself probably had more to worry about when it came to that situation. If her identity ever came up, it would ruin the career she had been building for five years. Being kidnapped wasn't the problem - Falco was safe as long as Fyodor was near her; But to think anyone could figure out who she actually was was unsettling. Still, she was quite the distance from Kalos. As rich as her family was, it should have no impact on anything happening in Sinnoh, at least she hoped.

 

[The Kitsune]

Ran away. The term resonated in Shana's center, drawing her eyes unwillingly over to Gabriel/Rhashyya. It was remarkably close to her own, and Shana found herself hanging on every word. Though she had never personally had to resort to trickery to make ends meet, she could certainly understand the compulsion. It was a terrifying feeling, striking out on your own. With no one to fall back on and no place to truly call home, desperation hovered on the edge of every decision you made. And if a decision made meant the difference between feeding yourself and a being kind, empathy took a backseat. She could understand that. She'd been there herself.

Chewing on her tongue, Shana studied this 'run away' across the crackling flames. She saw herself in the younger girl; they were alike in more ways than hair color it seemed. Her downcast eyes, the way she hugged herself and wavered in speech screamed of the insecurities of new independence, fears Shana herself had faced a couple years ago. But Rhashyya'd done well for herself so far. She had all the tools she needed to survive and the drive to use them. She would be fine. Only her proximity to her former home threatened that stability. She hadn't confirmed it yet, but it was becoming clear Jubilife was what she had run from. So why, with so many people in the city that she needed to avoid, was she still in the vicinity? She should have left this area behind her long ago.

"These people you're looking to avoid... They your family?" It was more of a statement than a question, as Shana was already fairly sure of the answer already.

 

[sgiovannii]

Running away from home? Lying about her name? Scamming new trainers? Truth be told, all of these qualities sounded like they would belong to the sort of people Felix's mother had always urged him to avoid at all costs. 'You're better than that!' She would say, or something else along those lines. Not that he ever would truly follow after such examples, but seeing all those people do it on TV, or reading about them in his books, or hearing stories from classmates about such ventures... needless to say he had always had a relatively sheltered, calm life. Save for one glaring absence of a father figure, but he didn't like to think about that much.

The lack of 'excitement', as he called it, was one of the major reasons as for why he wanted to leave Celadon City in the first place. Felix wanted to meet the people he was always kept from, learn more about them and why they took such paths, and now he was getting that chance. Though now that someone he had actually come to newly know, Gabriel, or rather Rhashyya, was explaining her behavior... it sounded a lot less glamorous than Felix had initially assumed it would be. In fact, he began to understand why he was meant to keep away from such people. But he didn't want to do that, at least not with Rhashyya. She was still leading them to Jubilife City, after all, and they had battled together. Who was he to judge her?

The boy remained silent, choosing instead to nod along to Esme, Falco, and Shana's words or questions. They were bringing up all the right points, and he had no need to interject on the girls speaking. Bal was interrupted in his mostly eaten meal when the Charmeleon was scooped up in Felix's arms with a small grunt and sat sideways on his trainers lap, to leave room for his fiery tail as he was hugged to the young man's chest. The great lizard seemed to huff, but ease into the hold. He was used to this from time to time.

 

[MelodyMay]

Fighting down a flinch at how easy that part was to guess, Rhashyya sighed and muttered, "Yeah. My mother's family, to be exact. Mother Lilith, my grandmother, her remaining nine children, and my twenty-nine cousins. Although, it's been damn near a year; there might be more of them by now..."

Still, what would any of this mean without context? These were a bunch of foreigners. They would hear Lilith's sweet little lies and be drawn in Teddiursas to honey. "Since you're all foreign, or at least most of you are, I'll give you a family history lesson so you know the kind of people we're dealing with. They're not as nice and generous as they seem. Oh, they'll keep their end of a bargin like their life depends on it but you basically belong to them the instant you sign your name. And that goes for both of the families I'm going to tell you about; although, my family is much worse about it than the other.

"Anyway, Jubilife has two prominent families of pokemon breeders. The Hova's who specialize in pokemon that are pillars of beauty and strength. What the superstitious or religious would describe as "holy" pokemon or pokemon that come close enough to that label. The other family is the Medon's; they specialize in pokemon that are darker, traditionally associated with bad luck or devils or evil deeds or similar pokemon," she explained, jesturing to Absol before petting her horn.

"No one ever told me why, even they all seemed to know, but the two families are practically at war and have been since before I was born. Sometimes, members of each family even go missing... and the things I was was completely in the loop on were barely legal. By barely, I mean they only get away with it because each family has members of the Jubilife justice system in their back pocket.

"The Hova's run their family like an army. No one questions Father Joe, their patriarch, and Joe appoints his favorite children and grandchildren to keep all the others organized and in line. On the other hand, the Medon's are much more like a family. Lilith rules with an iron fist, sure, but she loves each of her family. You mess with one of them and she will bring down the wrath of the whole family on your head. The rest with gladly follow her. No one can say she isn't a good mother... unless you make yourself the black Mareep of the family."

At this point, Absol pressed her face against her human's. Buneary clambered into the girl's lap and attempted to wrap her arms around the trainer's waist. Yet they listened raptly, their own questions being answered.

"My mother vanished. Just out of the blue, without warning. The family thought the Hova's had killed her. They saw no other reason why she wouldn't come home or why her phone no longer worked or why she would send them letters. They worried sick and they mourned. So imagine their shock and anger when my mother reappears, married to some fisherman they've never met, carrying a newborn baby, and trying to overthrow Mother Lilith as head of the business if not matriarch of the family. They were rightfully furious," the girl admitted.

"Mother Lilith bet everything she had built on a single pokemon battle with my mother. She then promptly beat my mother into the ground, if the stories are to be believed. My mother then took myself and her husband back to Sunnyshore so they could continue my father's fishing business. My father was an only child with no living family at that point.

"Everything went fine for a few years. At least until my parents were in a car accident. I ended up in foster care. And was taken in by Father Joe... he thought my mother would have told me things about the family or their business. That I may be able to give him useful information. But I had nothing!" she told them. Despite having nothing to prove to these people, she still found herself almost pleading that they believe her.

"Having a useless member of the enemy in their home didn't sit well with any Hova. Well, except for Gabriel. She was the only nice one in that entire house. The rest expressed very physically how much they hated me for basically existing. I was eventually given back to the system; Joe said I was a problem child keeping his children from their work. Now, I'm not saying I was an angel but, yeah, he tried to make me sound particularly bad.

"My agent managed to "convince" Lilith to take in her own grandchild. Considering my mother, my family had wanted nothing to do with me. Only threat of a scandal convinced them otherwise. While they rarely hit me, the Medon's have other ways of making someone's life hell. Not only was I the child of a traitor, I have taken the kindness of the family that had made several family members they actually loved "disappear" and they were always letting me know it. If anything, Lilith encouraged them.

"Sometime last year, I overheard Lilith talking with Aunt Scarlet. Scar was wanting to know what they were going to do with me. Grandmother told her that it wasn't a problem; that I would be gone the instant I turned eighteen. I knew there was no way they would let me having anything to start out; Lilth hadn't even let me try to help the family business so I didn't even have job skills! So I weasled my way into coming along on Lilith's next business meeting- in Sandgem- stole an Absol frim the breeding rooms, and ran as soon as she was out of sight. Buneary was a pokemon I conned from Professor Rowan. There, now you guys know all you need to..." she almost spat out, reverting to anger as she refused to look them in the eye. Absol and Buneary glared openly at the group, as though daring them to call her out for her acts of theft.

 

[Sciencewars]

"I thought you were giving us a history lesson, not a total semester," Xavier remarked. "But still. Even if you did bad things, it was for a cause. Plus, you're honest with people you don't really know." He was sitting quite close to the fire, watching the sparks fly off and dissipate. He was slowly eating a pecha-jam sandwich along side his partner, who was enjoying some raw berries mixed in with her feed.

He thought about Rhassyya's story. It was easy for him, growing up. Family had a good income and cared for him, but didn't care what he did in his time. They supported him. Of course, everybody had flaws, but... he was lucky. He always knew that. He had helped people in situations like that. He couldn't do much, but tried anyway. This was clearly not his place for input.

"I haven't introduced myself fully yet. I'm Xavier, studying to become a professor-not the 'gives out Pokémon' kind-specializing in Fossils. I'm from Unova. I'd be glad to be of service for anything I could do." After this introduction, Tyrunt moved her head to his lap and fell asleep. "Say, I've heard a rumor that this place has a large underground cave network. Is that true?"

 

[Confidentheart]

Riley glanced back at his camp. All that was there was a Teddiursa unconscious in his sleeping bag and a Marshtomp leaning against a tree while staring up at the stars in the sky. "I'll be fine. I'm just more comfortable with less bodies around me, especially while I'm sleeping. It really doesn't help with some are....." Riley cut himself off before finishing his sentence. "And the kidnappings... This might sound stupid but I'm not all that worried about them. We've dealt with plenty of crooks and thieves throughout our journey. I think we'll be alright if anyone tries to ambush us or anything."

"Anyway, back to why I originally came over here. I..." Riley took a quick glance at Gabriel as she spoke to the crowd, attempting to absorb the information she's giving while engaging with Falco. "I thought about your offer, about the egg. While I'm not to keen on letting someone else take care of this, It'd be terribly irresponsible of me to watch it myself, knowing that whatever's inside could freeze to death." Riley frequently paused in between sentences, constantly trying to find the right words to say. "Look, what I'm trying to say is, if you truly trust your Pokemon to take care it, then I'll rely on your trust." Riley unwrapped the blanket around the egg and held it out in front of him, indicting for Falco to take it.

 

[Vaporeonn]

Falco nodded. She was completely unfocused, part of her attention on Rhashyya's story, and another part on what Riley was saying. The boy was decent enough not to talk too much over the girl who was talking, which helped Falco gain some sort of grip on reality. Multiple people talking usually held her head in a dissociative state, as there was nothing to keep her attention. Rhashyya's little history lesson, as interesting as it was to listen to familial problems other than her own, came at a wrong time - Falco was half asleep, and feared she would forget half the story by the morning. The important details should stick, she hoped.

Falco took the egg Riley had handed her. "He'll keep it safe and warm," she told him, getting up from her spot. She successfully suppressed a yawn, but it didn't make her any less tired. "I will call it a night now." Falco glanced to the side, feeling awkward for announcing it. It was polite though, wasn't it? "...Goodnight."

The girl held the egg in her arms as she made her way towards her tent. Her Talonflame woke up from its rest to greet her with a soft coo. "Look," Falco said, showing off the egg. "You have company." Fyodor perked up at the sight of it. Falco smiled, and set the so the Talonflame could keep it warm on all sides. "Now, let's get some rest."

 

[sgiovannii]

"What do you mean there's only one room left?!"

The young man's discontented voice rang clear for a moment throughout the lower level of the large, bustling Jubilife City Pokemon Center. Groups of trainers wrapped in coats and scarves laughing happily on their way to and from the outside, where the grey cloudy sky had been sending down drizzles of rain to soak the tall skyscrapers and multitude of cars and cement; cheerful music echoed down from the speakers in the ceiling; holiday lights, mistletoe, and wreaths were hung all along the building's walls and carefully surrounded an incredibly large, roaring fireplace in the recreational area near the rear of the center, right next to an immense Christmas tree shining with decorations that brushed the ceiling - it was more than clear that the holiday season was well in full swing.

But one young man wasn't exactly feeling the holiday cheer.

It turned out camping the night before was a lot dirtier than Felix had initially thought, and the mosquito bites did little to help. At least he had been able to get some actual rest, and brush his teeth and put on deodorant, but still he was dying for a nice bed and a shower. It had been his job to secure rooms for everyone after Rhashyya had lead them through the fast-paced city to the Pokemon Center, but the moment he saw how many people were already carrying on inside Felix just knew it was going to be a challenge - he was right.

The group had somehow managed to secure themselves a large table in the center's buffet-style cafeteria, and Felix was returning with a small pout and a single room key held in his hand. Bal was behind him, approaching the group's Pokemon in excitement to show them some lost toy he'd found on the floor. With a little disappointed sigh, Felix spoke to everyone.

"So I tried to get us all rooms, as we discussed, and, like... well, apparently they said they're just too busy nowadays because of the holiday season-" he rolled his eyes and made quotes in the air with his fingers. "- so they're pretty low on vacancies. I was only able to get one room. For all of us," he huffed, just waiting for their reactions for a moment. "But I was able to talk Nurse Joy into giving us, like, one of the best rooms, according to her. It's supposed to be huge, like a suite!"

 

[Confidentheart]

Riley examined the hall as he and the group entered the Pokemon Center. The decorations and trainers chattering to each other made him feel uneasy. Holidays events were meant to bring families and friends together but Riley didn't have any friends and he hadn't spoken to his family sine he'd left home a few years ago. The only real family he had were his two Pokemon by his side. The group Riley was apart of had grown significantly in the past day. He still couldn't describe most of them beyond their name, however, which may or may not cause complications in the near future.

Milk Dud remained by Riley's side along with Grace riding on his back. She was still tense from the size of the group but her anxiety had noticeably reduced from yesterday. There was one thing that bothered Riley to no end. Gabriel approached him in Sandgem looking for an escort Jubilife. So basically, he was her next target at the time. That idea annoyed him a bit, the idea that he looked vulnerable enough for a young girl to attempt to scam him. However, with more thought, it wasn't very difficult to imagine why. In the Pokemon Center in Sandgem Town, Grace was crying and basically begging for honey from him. And like spineless idiot, he'd given in to her whining, despite the shortage he had. He was practically a free meal ticket at the time.

Felix returned to the group, pushing that thought out of Riley's mind. Milk Dud stared meekly at the Charmeleon, completely uninterested in the object he was holding. Grace's eyes, however, shined with curiousity. She was still young so such a thing appealed to her immensely. She was still too shy to approach him though and stayed planted on Milk Dud's dome.

"So they're pretty low on vacancies. I was only able to get one room. For all of us." Right. Definitely won't be cramped with all these people in one room. Riley took a deep sigh before letting Felix continue. "But I was able to talk Nurse Joy into giving us, like, one of the best rooms, according to her. It's supposed to be huge, like a suite!" That did sound a bit better but it definitely could've been a whole lot worse for sure. "'Tis the seasons I suppose. But, good job getting us a suite at least."

 

[The Kitsune]

Peppermint tea had never been one of choice for Shana. She'd always preferred the light, subtle flavors of more natural teas; white and sencha being at the top of that list. But, as it 'twas the season', and since it was the only option available, Shana sat nursing a steaming, sugary cup between two hands. At least it was warm, she conceded. A nice distraction from the surprising chill that hung in the air. It should have been cozy in their at their table, nestled in the back as they were, but the revolving door of patrons coming in and out left little difference between here and the outside.

The topic of what lay ahead of them today had been circulating through the group as Felix approached. Relieved to have been sparred providing her own input, Shana took a long draft of tea as Felix delivered his news. Dubious looks flickered among her companions, but she had a hard time feeling the weight of the dilemma. Sure, the warm, candied smell wafting from her tea would have been enough to lessen any disappointment, but as this one didn't affect her at all... Shana had no plans of being in the city come nightfall, with any luck she be halfway to Oreburgh City by then. The only reason she was still with the group now was due of the early hour. According to the receptionist, Jubilife Auto, the city's only mechanic shop, didn't open until noon today and she much preferred to spend that time indoors and...well, mostly warm. But as the group was probably laboring under the assumption they had to house seven people in that room tonight, she decided she might as well set them straight now.

"Well, you'll have one less occupied bed in there," Shana announced, placing her now drained cup on the table top. "Once I get things settled with the mechanic, I'll be done here. No reason for me to stay the night."

 

[Sciencewars]

After a sip of steaming hot chocolate (and the following attempt to smother his burnt tongue with buttered toast), Xavier joined the conversation. "I would gladly follow along the group. I intended to travel the region anyway, and I'd be surrounded by better trainers than myself." Maybe he could even get a gym badge or two. He had mostly come to visit the professor and study the local fossil distribution, but one of those two goals was taken away quite literally and the other required travel deeper into the region.

Of course, he did want to travel. Sinnoh was both one of the greatest challenges for travelers and also one of the best sightseeing areas. Most of the wild population was unseen by him except for in pictures. Of course, he had studied and memorized them; he knew most of the names, types, and appearances of Pokémon. One of the advantages of being a biology student.

Of course, there were disadvantages to group travel. It was easy to earn most of his trust, but he barely truly trusted anybody. How did he know this wasn't some scheme by half of the group to rob the other? It's most likely anything would have happened last night. It was fine, he said to himself. Loosen up. You have a dragon-type right next to you, and if anything happened, Metang could be sent over at any moment. "So, other than Shana, anybody else planning on going out today?"