Valorie found a light blush coming to her cheeks. Mark had... suggested that she was one of the best trainers in the school. She honestly... hadn't really thought of that. Yeah, she'd managed to beat Lance at the dance, but she and everyone else knew he had been holding back by quite a margin. Before the dance she'd been humiliated by bullies and after it she'd been struggling with N. She... honestly didn't think she was strong enough. POWER! I NEED MORE POWER ...But in all seriousness. She really did have a strong desire for more power. She wouldn't be satisfied until nothing could stand up to her, and let's face it, she was right to be a bit modest.
"T-Thanks.... I was thinking of--"
Valorie vaguely noticed a Zorua running around near her and had her attention drawn. This was not remotely surprising because this was one of the apparently many on the island. xP The offered handshake was lost on her though... Dominique would notice that she was wearing a dratini costume a boy had just helped her finish putting on and no longer had accessible arms or legs.
Valorie couldn't help but wonder what the boy meant. A pokemon running around outside hardly seemed like a prank to her. She decided not to pay it much mind though. Rather, she deigned to acknowledge him, after briefly glancing at Mark. Huh, he hadn't asked for Mark's name. She did not immediately think anything of this.
"I'm Valorie!--That's Charizard."
Charizard abruptly turned her head at the mention of her name, looking a bit tired. Belly drum took a lot out of it's user. She snorted, releasing a puff of black smoke from her nose before returning her attention to what was apparently intensely interesting grass.
Meanwhile, Valorie once again had her attention drawn, this time by another girl. This one's name was apparently Alice!
"Hey. I'm Valorie--This is Mark."
She gestured with her gaze towards Mark.
"I guess we were about to go exploring..."
She seemed rather uncomfortable all of a sudden. She hadn't really wanted anyone to come with her. Technically speaking, the dead forest, like Lugia Dorm, was a place forbidden by students. Only Dead Forest was forbidden not just by staff, but by the /actual police/. She was not unaware of this. Supposedly someone dangerous was hiding in the forest? She hadn't heard about how Gary Oak had flushed said person out recently. But then again... she also hadn't heard about the escape, which had occurred in almost no time at all as evidenced by it's presence in the news.
Olivia just sort of glanced at Kenshin, somewhat confused, since they'd been there earlier. It didn't take them long to reach the pokemon center... Screw rewriting my post.