[PKMN FULL] TRAINERS (IC)

Aquacorde · Nov 23, 2021

Casey Holt

Wednesday, May 29, 2019 // Morning, Day 10
Saffron City

10-02. invisible fence

Spoiler: invisible fence - barenaked ladies

As usual, it's early for the rest of the world.

Casey jogs past several blocks of dark, locked storefronts before skidding to a halt and doubling back. Parsley and Pepper complain as he pushes past them to re-read the silver-painted name on the display window.

Silverfield Studios.

The hours on the door say eight to eight, even though there's definitely a light on in the back somewhere, so he snaps a picture of the window and sends it off before resuming his jog.

When he's halfway down the block, in the quiet chill of the morning, a bell jingles and a cheerful shout follows him. "HEY, HEY! No running away!"

"Not runnin' away, just runnin'- oof!" Casey laughs as Sorley throws themself into his arms and negates the momentum with a twirl. Only when he sets them down can he see them properly for the first time since Saturday. Rough denim overalls over a thickly knit sweater of many colors and copper hair pulled to a single puff at the back of their head- a working outfit, certainly. "Didn't think you were in. Hell, you coulda been all the way in Pallet or somethin'!"

"Nah, nah, there's a tournament on! We're all here, me and Britney and Kara Lynn and Freddie and of course Margot and Essie! All hands on deck, 'cause there's so many trainers in town! Even the students, and spectators who just want our cute accessories and not the functional ones." Sorley reaches up and tugs at his beard curiously. Casey winces at the gentle prickling. "What's new besides this? Wait, wait, no- come tell me inside, it's chilly out here."

Casey glances at his own sweat-soaked shorts and t-shirt, making a quizzical sound. "For me," Sorley insists, tugging him along. "I am small and I would just make you princess-carry me for warmth but you're kinda gross right now. From jogging? Jogging is your morning thing, yes?"

"Well, jogging until I find a place that gives me better ideas. Like a playground, or a river, or somethin'. By myself it's just jogging, but these guys- I'm lookin' for good training spots, for these guys, right?" The bell jingles as Sorley's small, wiry form pushes open the heavy shop door and holds it for Casey and his entourage. "Uh, is it okay if they're in here?"

"Sure, sure, just don't knock over displays. Or eat the displays!" they scold. Parsley's tongue slowly retracts into his mouth. "Ah, yes, don't worry, don't worry- Golurk can't be in here, he's too big, and Missy and Sableye are um, banned from the shop, so no worries for you!"

Casey had honestly been so caught up in seeing them again he'd forgotten to be wary. But the reassurance before he can even get himself worked up is nice.

The front of the shop is still dark, but the aesthetic is clear- dark, burnished wood with silver and mirrored inlays display everything from fun trinkets to high-end works of art, all in the medium of leather. Casey marvels at the variety of handcrafted pieces- at wallets and earrings and shoes and even a saddle- but hasn't the time to appreciate them properly as Sorley drags them toward the back. A propped door leads into something more like a hallway than a room, running the width of the shop with a bathroom on the left and a tiny lounge on the right. Sorley crosses their legs and perches in one high-backed armchair and invites Casey to sit in the other, clicking on the electric fireplace along the far wall. The aesthetic of an old-fashioned Galarian shop in the middle of Kanto's capital is fascinating.

"What's further back there?" Casey asks, settling Parsley onto the plush rug at his feet and Pepper onto his lap. Maybe it still is a bit chilly- his damp skin is clammy and glad for Pepper's dry heat.

"Workshop," Sorley waves dismissively, and Ginger decides against investigating and instead settles under Casey's chair. "Now for real for real- you haven't even texted me hardly, not since you were crying about being lonely." Casey's mouth falls open and he flushes bright red. Sorley's hands are immediately waving in a hold on motion. "Wait, wait, I don't mean- that's fine, it's fine that you did that, I'm a good listener! But, but, you haven't said anything. Barely an update!"

"You haven't said anything either," Casey grumbles, running his fingers along the polished wood arm of the chair and refusing to look Sorley in the face while his own burns. "You just send your emotes."

"With question marks, Casey, question marks." Sorley throws their hands in the air. "It's an invitation to talk!"

"I don't like to over text."

"Well, well, you didn't have a problem calling before!"

"Maybe I didn't wanna talk about breakin' down over stupid shit to someone I hardly know." Casey crosses his arms over Pepper, knowing full well it's a defensive and protective gesture but not willing to stop himself. "Or do it again."

Sorley drums their fingers on their folded knees. "You didn't have to," they say quietly, pulling their knees up to their chest and hugging them. "We- we don't have to. You just have to say that, Casey, say so. What were you gonna do? Not talk to me forever? I- I like to help, I like to try, but if you don't want that… I'd rather just ignore that than ignore and lose a whole friend. Okay? I want to be a good friend, but I can't if my friend won't tell me what they want."

Casey knows so many people, calls most everyone a friend within hours of meeting them. But they all fade in and out- those who only stayed in Pewter for days, weeks, summers. Those who stuck with him through a few grades then moved to different classes, different schools. Those who moved away entirely. He never stayed in contact with people for very long, once they were out of each other's physical proximity. Was that his choice? His doing? He's never been good at remembering to check in. Eventually, those friendships faded to a text on a birthday, a like on a post.

It might be a Casey problem.

But it takes two to make a relationship, doesn't it? And Vera and Jordan, in Vermilion, and now Sorley- each of them have expressed a resolve to hold onto Casey. Has anyone done that before? Maybe they had, just not so explicitly. Maybe Casey had missed it. Should he have known? Should he have done the same?

We were kids. We still ARE kids.

Casey sighs and buries his head in the crook of Pepper's neck. "Yeah, okay."

They sit there in embarrassed silence for a while, the crackle of the fake fire accentuated by the gentle wooshing of Pepper's tail as the flame fluctuates. But two talkative people will never be silent for long, and they end up talking over each other.

"So, anyway, so-"

"I s'pose-"

They both cut themselves off. Casey exhales a laugh. "Go on!"

Sorley lets their knees fall back down to a criss-cross and demands once more to know what Casey's been up to. No new Pokémon, no new friends- unless you counted Tristan from the docks, and the Braviary and Phanpy he'd hung out with on Route 11. Maybe Janice, too, but not Hana or Bridget. Sorley questions that, why his tone goes clipped and his words disregard the Vermilion Gym Leader and her second in command, and Casey contemplates telling them the whole story. But with the danger of it still fresh in mind and Hana's ultimately reasonable insistence that the fewer people involved the better, he opts for saying something about disagreeing with her methods and leaving it at that.

Sorley quirks an eyebrow and Casey knows that they know there is more to that story.

But he moves on.

Yes, he's been reunited with Vera and Jordan, and even met up again with Gwen and Arianne. Briefly. To meet Gwen's sister. Hey, does Sorley know Jennifer Alanis?

"Alanis, Alanis… Maybe back when I came to Kanto, right when I was starting tournaments, but- no, no, never knew her."

Casey's immediately sidetracked. "Oh yeah, you do tournaments! Are you in the Tomorrow Cup?"

"Yes, yes, of course! But I only have three, so I'm limited to certain formats- triples are fun, but not many people run them. Usually I'm in half teams or double. And It's hard, it's hard, I'm on the back foot a lot for typing so I gotta be quick and creative! Lots of people have Ghost counters, don't they? Oh!" Sorley slaps their thighs and leans in. "Speaking of Ghosts-"

Casey grimaces.

"But you've been with your friends!"

"Yeah, well…" Casey clears his throat and fiddles with Pepper's back claws until the Charmeleon complains. "The Ghosts… haven't been out much. Tiny's been around a little. The Pumpkaboo. But she- she's a plant, so…"

"No, she's not." Sorley's sharp tone stabs through his wavering and Casey jumps, just a fraction. They're never so aggressive, or even so serious. "She's a ghost and a plant. They're both part of her. That's what she is. You can't ignore one part just 'cause it's more convenient for you."

"My friends ignore the part o' me that's scared of Ghosts 'cause it's more convenient for them," Casey counters. Sorley narrows their big brown eyes and shakes their head furiously.

"That's not the same! Being scared of Ghosts isn't who you are, it's what you do! That's something you can change- a Ghost can't change what it is, not permanently!"

"So what if I cope by pretendin'? It ain't doin' harm!"

"Ain't it?" Sorley mimics him back.

Casey glares at them.

"Listen, listen." They soften, letting the high back of the armchair take their weight again. "I don't wanna fight you all the time, do I? I don't wanna go in circles, do I? But Casey, Casey, I'm a Ghost trainer. You can't sit here and tell me all this stuff like it's facts. You can't sit here and tell me how you don't like my friends. I wanna be friends with you! But I'm not giving up my other friends. And you, you're trying! Kind of. I think. And I wanna help, 'cause I think I can. But you can't be all stubborn and negative and dumb about it!"

That warm embarrassment floods back into Casey's cheeks and he turns his face into Pepper's warm shoulder to hide from Sorley's assessment. But out of the corner of his eye, their head shakes, and Pepper- Pepper squirms out of his lap and drapes himself over Parsley. "Wh- hey."

"Stop hiding," Sorley says, their piercing gaze hitting him like it's seeing straight into his brain. Casey can't quite acquiesce; he rests both hands on the ankle he props on his opposite knee and still feels exposed in his thin workout clothes. It feels like they know too much about him- and maybe they do, actually, despite knowing him barely more than a week. Has it really only been that long? So short of a time, and Sorley knows so many things that he's kept locked down from even Jordan. They're easy to talk to, and have been in the right place at the right time a few times now, and sure- it's easier to talk to people who have less stake in your situation.

But what happens when they become invested?

What happens when you become invested?

Casey sighs. "It's hard and I don't want to."

"Okay," Sorley says, to his acute and obvious surprise. "Hide today, then, but tomorrow! Tomorrow you come here and don't."

"What?"

Sorley taps a gentle drumbeat on the denim legs of their overalls. "Okay, okay, so- relationships take work, yes? I think normally they take work, um, later in knowing each other, normally, but, we have a thing that's getting in the way right away, yes? So we gotta try and fix it right away. So tomorrow, you come here, same time as today, and we work on it! We work really hard for- how long are you here?"

"Uh- not sure, t' be honest." Casey mentally scans the whirlwind of things he's been meaning to do in Saffron. "Maybe 'til Friday? Saturday?"

Sorley hums a single, thoughtful note. "Well, that's how journeys are, yes? It'll be okay! We'll do work so you can keep being friends with me and your other friends and be happy!"

Casey watches them bounce happily in their seat and slowly, finally, releases his grip in his shin and relaxes back into his own armchair. It's a rollercoaster, he decides, to have his own emotions and behavior dragged into the spotlight, scrutinized, and have decisions made based on them. He's certainly not used to anyone but himself doing so- even then, how much effort did he ever put toward working out core issues rather than setting up specific buffers and patterns of avoidance? How many times has he simply, for all intents and purposes, run away?

How many times has someone followed after?

This is all very new.

And for all his hesitancy and discomfort, it might be okay.

Eleanor · Nov 26, 2021

art by Aquacorde

Arianne Chandler
Saffron City
Tuesday, May 28^th, night

My own troubles

New city, new room, new mirror.
✨ Arianne's eyes look tired, but still active and rather open at the same time, as if they weren't allowed to rest. The day went by, mostly pleasant and relaxing, until that sudden burst of emotions at the end - which explains how she looks right now. Oh, not to mention Gwen woke her up earlier than she expected.
✨ Arianne's hair is in better shape luckily, it just needs some drying. She's just had a rushed shower before bed - she wrongly believed she would have had lots of time, but the way things went with Gwen and her sister changed her plans - so that even if she goes to sleep late, she's all cleaned up and ready for a new day when she gets back up.
✨ Moving down. Her body may not feel in mint shape after the Vermilion cold and the Explosion it had to take, but it looks healthy and is recovering well enough, too. Even the marks from her Honedge are a thing of the past. Obviously, staying in a big city as opposed to a more dangerous setting will help too, she just needs to get settled in- and make this a brand new start.
✨ The mirror, being on top of a sink, can't give Arianne a full body view of herself, but does reflect some of the things in the background, such as the clothes she wore for the day. She doesn't have that many items with her, and her backpack isn't even that large to allow for more… but staying in a city means she can get them washed easily and wear her city outfit in the meantime.

Wearing just her bedtime clothes, the girl closes the small bathroom's door behind her and walks on the wooden floor of her room, a yawn escaping her mouth in the meantime. What else is there to check…
✨ The city outfit she was thinking about is already where it should be, on top of one of the chairs, ready to be worn. It's just her blue skirt and blouse, nothing too fancy considering she's staying in Saffron, but she's not excessively bothered by that. She's a trainer on a journey after all, she's not living in the city permanently.
✨ Next to her clothes is a small welcome card from the Pokémon Center staff, with some information on the city as well as purely practical things like how to connect to wired internet or how to ask for help with the room. Since she'll be staying here for a few days, it's good to read through all that… but that ought to wait until tomorrow.
✨ When Arianne raises her head, she can take a good look at the entire room. Now that Gwen isn't here, the room looks a bit larger than the first time she entered, but the fact of the matter is… this room still isn't much larger than the one in Vermilion's Pokémon Center. The layout is quite similar too, making use of bunk beds and pushing lots of items against one of the walls, but it's a bit more… old style?
✨ Looking more closely at the wooden items and at the (needlessly, probably) ornate bedside lamp, it's easy to see that the basic layout is just the same in both Pokémon Centers, but the furniture has been picked either from a different time or from a different style. Then again, everything is looking sturdy enough, and that only makes Arianne more… intrigued by this room. Who knows what sort of rising stars this place could have hosted back in the day!
✨ Of course, the elephant in the room needs to be addressed: Gwen is no longer here, claiming top bunk or something. She decided to stay at Jenny's place for the night and help her out. Arianne would have 100% done the same thing if she was her, but right now, the Cinnabar girl is feeling a bit lonely because of that. Surely enough, it won't be too bad?
✨ The loneliness is definitely kept under control by the countless lights coming in from the window. The view may not be the best, with other tall buildings surrounding the Pokémon Center, but it's just what you would expect in a big, active city: billboards, lamp posts, lights coming from other flats. Arianne is not actually on the very last floor, but on the one right below it, which means she's getting a proper window and not just a roof window thingy like in Vermilion!
✨ When it's time to get under the blankets and sleep, Arianne spends a few minutes on her PokéGear too. It's right there on the bedside table, charging up, and normally she would just leave it be, but today…

She picks it up, noticing that she still has a few apps open from when she was "waiting" for Jenny the first time and, in them, a few photos and messages of her friends. After seeing the heartwarming reunion between Gwen and her sister, this hits her differently. Even if she knows Cinnabar is still far and she needs to give it some time.

Arianne indulges on one contact specifically, Serenity. Before departing for Cape College, Serenity was her best friend, and probably still is now. Because even if she misses hanging out with her and talking face to face, the dark haired girl has never had much trouble messaging or calling Serenity. The photos she uploads for her friends to see also let Arianne assume she's doing fine, unlike Jennifer…

Gwen didn't seem to have that luxury - she hasn't been able to keep in touch with her sister for a while, not until today - and Arianne knows how important that virtual connection can be. After what happened, she's definitely taken a liking for the Saffron trainer, and has definitely started to sympathise with her over this issue.

The Pokégear now beeps a few times, signaling an outgoing call. It takes a while for the person on the other side to answer, but against all odds, it happens.

"Arianne!?"

"Ren!! Yeah, it's me… how's it going?"

"Uh, you didn't actually call for a while but I figured you were busy with your graduation journey… glad to hear from you."

"Oof, yes, that's kind of true, but I got some time today! I'm in Saffron, I'll stay in the city for a bit-"

"Nice and all but there's a reason why I'm up late, uhm… I still have to finish some of my last assignments by Friday and I must…"

"Oh wow, best of luck Ren!"

"Thanks… I'd better get back to work though, see you another time."

"Aw… fine. Bye bye!"

Arianne lets go of the Pokégear and hides her face in the pillows, quickly falling asleep.

TEAM:

Eric, lv. 36 •

Espurr, lv. 19

Blitzle, lv. 23 •

Mizar, lv. 19

Lulu, lv. 30 •

Honedge, lv. 20

Aquacorde · Dec 1, 2021

Casey Holt

Feat. Jordan Springs & Vera Hill
Wednesday, May 29, 2019 // Morning, Day 10
Saffron City

10-03. play pretend

Casey knows there's a Belle Météo storefront in Saffron, though he's never visited it in person- it's the closest location to Cape, so most of his orders came from this one. Including the one that had contained the lost beanie he's aiming to finally replace.

Replacing it, however, is only achievable once they locate the store. Which, considering their unhurried wandering, may not even be today. Casey's not overly bothered by this, considering that it's not cold in Saffron and they have plenty of time to find the store. It's nice to just peruse and chat with Vera and Jordan. He's learning plenty about what they're interested in, mostly in terms of clothing.

Vera's tastes must certainly be weirder than he'd thought, considering she's led them to a costume shop. She's looking in through the window at a display of Pokémon costumes, her gaze fixed on a Pikachu costume on a Pikachu mannequin.

"That's ridiculous. This is a silly store. Let's go inside."

Casey laughs. Vera does like to pretend she doesn't like things, doesn't she? It's really not hard to see past. "Sure, why not?"

Whoever dressed the mannequin may have a silly side, but the shop itself seems to take its craft seriously. The costumes are well-crafted- sturdy, functional clothing that isn't meant to be thrown away after a single party. Especially the ones designed for Pokémon; they seem like they could be worn in battle, even, and come out not much worse for wear. It's frankly impressive. The props are well-made, too. The faux pearl choker he clasps around his neck has the right weight to it, that's for sure. Casey pops on a pair of- what's that weird historical fantasy thing? oh- steampunk-esque goggles and finds them surprisingly comfortable, even if the metal adornments are rather heavy. The various lenses warp his vision, though, which he absolutely hates as soon as he notices, so he swaps them for a beautifully wrought silver tiara.

"Am I a silver person?" he asks the world around him.

Vera looks over from where she'd been browsing, rifling through shirts and dresses looking for her size. "It kinda gets lost in your hair. Might need something that stands out more, Princess."

"Okay, but I know gold will get lost. 'S too close. I'm not platinum blonde anymore." Casey pops the tiara back onto the shelf. "Maybe if it had more jewels. Ooh, gold and turquoise is a great combination. For a necklace or something. Do you have necklaces over there? Or is it all clothes?" He takes up space on the rack opposite Vera and finds that yes, this is all clothes. "Ooh, lace is fun."

"Not for me, though." Vera turns away from this rack, looking at another. "I think this is all clothes in this area. Maybe jewelry is over- huh?" Something falls to the ground as she shifts clothes around, and she ducks out of sight to pick it up. She gasps, and pops back up with a grin. "Casey! Look! Fancy hat!"

She ducks her head, putting on a black, wide-brimmed hat. It sweeps back at the top, ending in a point that somehow keeps its shape and bobs slightly with her movements. A classic pointy witch hat. Vera grins excitedly as she looks at it. "What do you think?"

"Very fancy!" Her enthusiasm is cute, and he hates to kill it, but: "You're gonna have to wear it all the time if you get it. I don't think it'll sit nice in your bag."

"Then I will! It's light, it'll keep the sun off my head, I bet even rain will just slide right off, look how big it is! It's even a good color! I think it's the sweetest hat ever." Her smile falters, and she blushes slightly as she takes it off. "Uh, I mean… it's probably kinda lame, actually. I should just put it back, yeah?"

"Who said it's lame?" Casey takes it out of Vera's hands and pops it back on her head. "Get it if you like it, right?"

Vera brushes a strand of hair back behind her ear, laughing a little as she looks at the floor. "People are gonna laugh at me if I get this. Especially Arianne…" Notably, she doesn't take it off, though. "I came in here looking for clothes, not a hat."

"Who cares what Arianne thinks? I don't. An' just 'cause you didn't come here for a hat don't mean you can't leave with one."

"Thanks, Casey." Vera quickly gives his arm a hug, then steps back, clearing her throat. "I'm gonna go look over there, now. Um… don't follow me. I want to get something for Trixie, but… she's shy. You'll scare her."

"Trixie? Who's- well, okay." Vera scurries off to the other side of the store, the soft *pop* of a Poké Ball opening the only answer Casey gets. "Jordan, what've you found?

Jordan pokes his head out of a changing room. He's wearing a relatively plain-looking, if a bit oversized, pair of sunglasses with a red tint to them, but as he emerges from the room he also appears to be decked out in an assortment of clashing accessories. "I think I would unironically wear these," he comments, and Casey hopes he means just the sunglasses; the bushy Greedent tail he has on almost knocks over a nearby mannequin as he makes his way over.

"Not all at once, though, right?" Casey can hear a hint of begging in his own voice and clears his throat. "The tail is, uh. Prominent."

"Yeah- I know, I was just trying it on. I wouldn't wear it out or anything. It's… it's-" Jordan responds, a little too loudly and defensively, and a couple standing close by who are also browsing the Pokemon costume tails glares at him, looking slightly insulted. "Not my style." He finishes his sentence meekly.

"Be careful with the merchandise, please," says a soft voice behind them. Casey turns to find a round man, somewhat shorter than they are, fiddling with the lapels of his well-tailored jacket. "We do have a 'you break it, you buy it' policy."

Casey deliberately puts down the ornate, chunky gold necklace he was thinking of swapping for the faux pearls. "Of course, makes sense. 'Spose you get a lotta kids in here messin' around like it's a pop-up shop."

"We do! It is, frankly, offensive. We take our craft seriously here, and for parents to allow their children free reign of our store- irresponsible! Ah, but do forgive my wariness. I see you are polite young people, yes, it is simply my own frustrations rearing their ugly head. Today's not been the best day, you see."

"It's only 'bout ten, what's happened already to make it bad?"

The man sighs. "Oh, it's been on my mind for a few days now, truly. The only model I had for a very important photoshoot broke her arm in an extremely foolish way. I'm quite upset with her, but I would be less so if I had a second choice! Alas, few models will book catalog shots with a costumery, won't they?"

Casey wouldn't know, but the simple word model flashes him back to a conversation in a very different part of the region. "When's this photoshoot s'posed to happen?"

"Today. At two, actually. So you see why I am feeling such harsh disappointment. I searched and searched, even through the night, for anyone willing to book- but none agreed…"

"I s'pose it's too late even if she'd do it, then." That's disappointing. It would have been great to-

"You have a willing model?!"

The owner's enthusiasm rips Casey's thoughts to shreds and he grins. "Might have three, if you can use some boys, too. But my friend Vera, back there- she's cute, got those model proportions, and she likes your stuff. Uh, you might have to bribe her a bit. And maybe flatter, she likes that. She's never officially done any modeling, but if you just need someone-"

The man is already bustling right over to where Vera is being furtive on the other side of the store. "Excuse me, miss!"

Casey can't really hear exact details from where he and Jordan are. Vera jumps in surprise as the owner approaches her. They exchange a few words, but she seems doubtful. She looks toward the floor at one point, after which she seems to agree, following the owner as he comes back. Vera's arms are crossed, and she's holding her new hat over her chest, as though hiding something in her arms.

"All sorted?" Casey asks, eyeing the hat. It must be whatever shy Pokémon Vera picked up while they were apart. It isn't very big, to be able to fit inside the hat. Maybe that was why it was skittish?

"Yes indeed!" The owner claps his hands together. "And I could use all of you, if you're willing- just tell me your sizes so I can prepare some outfits." They acquiesce and the man scribbles them down on a tiny yellow notepad. "Oh! And you are trainers, yes? I'm sure you have Pokémon to accessorize- I will prepare options for them as well! This is so wonderful. Thank goodness you came by! Ah, but, let me send you ahead- hair and makeup will want you earlier, at noon, so please go have an early lunch while I sort this out!"

He shoves a scrap of paper with the address of the studio at Casey, bustles them out along with the other couple who had been in the store, and, as soon as Jordan's tail clears the threshold, the door is slammed behind them and the sign flipped to "closed".

Casey glances around at their little group, stunned and quiet on the sidewalk. He looks at the couple, holding matching Skitty tails, and Vera, clutching her hat, and Jordan, still decked out in a mess. He reaches up to brush his fingertips against the multi-layered faux pearl choker he's still wearing.

"Think we get to keep these, or…?"

Aquacorde · Dec 7, 2021

Casey Holt

Feat. Jordan Springs & Vera Hill
Wednesday, May 29, 2019 // Noonish, Day 10
Saffron City

10-04. double check for double meanings

Spoiler: my type - saint motel

A stop by the hotel, a decent lunch, and some minor navigational errors later, the three teens are ushered into a rather nondescript studio space by a rather nondescript young man. A few different backdrops, so multiple shoots could happen at once, with various fans and lights and props neatly arranged off to the sides. A heavy curtain divides the shooting space from the styling space and this is decked out- large mirrors and chairs sat near them, hair wash stations, several curtained-off dressing rooms, racks and racks of clothing, and an unidentifiable but massive range of styling products lining the counter.

And someone with wavy brown hair, dressed in yellows and pinks, lounging with their feet propped on one of the counters.

"Kel, I swear to god-" their escort begins.

"Hey, I'm retired from this business. Don't call me all in a tizzy if you don't wanna put up with me." Kel angles themself so they can see the intruders in the mirror rather than their own rosy glasses and sharp-winged eyeliner, and their face splits into a grin to match Casey's. "Well look who it is! You three must be why I had to ditch Isaac and come down here on a moment's notice, huh? Let's see ya."

Kel rises to circle them, dramatically draping shawl sweeping the floor as they make evaluative and sometimes critical noises. "Din't expect to see you! And, uh, right, this is Jordan and Vera. I told y'all about Kel, right? They're my cousin, met them in Cerulean, all o' that."

Kel, however, is focused on business. "Any allergies? Specifically to cosmetics."

"Uh… no?" Vera mutters, somewhat surprised by Kel's energy and dress.

"I-I don't think so?" Jordan responds uncertainly.

"Easy on me, then." Kel finishes their inspection by patting each of them on the head with an air of finality, which is strange for many reasons, not just that they are somewhat shorter than the teens. "Yeah, thought so. Crys!"

A Jynx bustles into the room. "Wash the gel out of this one's hair, please."

"Wait, why?!" Jordan's hands hover protectively over his head, but the Jynx ignores his protests and wrestles him into one of the hair wash stations.

"I can't style pre-styled hair, can I? Don't fuss, Crys is quick."

While Jordan is manhandled- or perhaps Poké-handled- Casey and Vera are sat down side-by-side in front of the mirrors and covered in hairdresser's capes. Kel liberally mists both of them down, though Casey suspects they do it to tease him- they don't spray nearly as much into Vera's face, and they start with her anyway. "I'm not going to do much; just gonna make you look natural and soft, but in a stylish way, you know? A quick trim is all you need, Vera, just to even out the ends- not even half an inch, I promise. Unless you want more, I s'pose- no big deal to cut it shorter if you're already here."

"No! I mean… no thanks, I like it long."

"Easy enough, then, we'll just clean it up and brush it out. Casey, you though- you're getting cleaned up, what the hell is that look?"

"'S a beard, wha'd'you mean?"

Kel tsks, manicured hands quick and precise as they take a razor comb just to the very ends of Vera's hair. "Your sides are so overgrown they're flipping up, your bangs are in your eyes even with that severe sweep, you're partway to a rat-tail, and your beard is questionable at best."

Casey sulks. "My beard's just fine. Right, Vera?" A freshly washed Jordan is guided into the chair on Casey's other side by Crys the Jynx. "Jordan, my beard's fine, right? I don't have to shave it!"

"It's… I've seen better." Vera admits rather bluntly.

"Yeah, you could probably do without it." Jordan answers nonchalantly, but quickly amends to his response when he notices the insulted expression on Casey's face. "...But, you know, it'll grow back quick if you decide you still like it after. If."

"It doesn't take very long anymore, does it?" Casey gets up to inspect himself in the mirror, but his critical evaluation quickly devolves into dramatic sighs and pouty whines.

Kel finishes with the comb and tosses it carelessly onto the counter before coming up to grab Casey's chin.

"Hey, what-"

"Look at yourself- but see through my eyes, Casey. I see a strong young man who has very likely been up a mountain with no amenities for the last two weeks. However," they say pointedly, before Casey can take that as a compliment, "we are advertising to teenagers, and we want them to see people who look like themselves. It's comin' off; we gotta use that baby face."

Casey sighs again. "Fine, fine, but- wait!" A fraction of a conversation and a passing note that never went into his phone flash through his brain. "Timeout, conference, c'mon." He drags Vera and Jordan out of their chairs despite Kel's protests and into a dressing room, yanking the curtain closed behind them.

Now huddled in the dressing room, Casey lowers his voice. "Okay, here's the thing. I was told that kissing is different with a beard, right, and I've only ever kissed people when I don't have a beard, and now the beard is going, so in the int'rest of science I'm gonna have to kiss someone now to find out. And I ain't about to kiss a stranger or my much older cousin."

"Different for you, or different for me, 'cause I'm pretty sure all that's gonna be different is how scratchy and awful it will feel-"

Vera looks at Jordan incredulously, idly brushing her hair back as she processes that. "Hang on, you've kissed Casey before? You're going to again? And I'm here because… you want to kiss me?!"

"Yeah, we had to find somethin' out. And now we have to find somethin' else out. So, who's first? Jordan thinks it'll be scratchy, but this's actually kinda soft now that it's this long, so maybe not."

"I've never, I mean, I don't know, I… you've kissed Jordan? Maybe you should again?" Vera stammers as she looks between the two boys.

"Well, sure, that's the point. Good to go?" Casey asks, tugging on Jordan's collar.

He looks a little caught off guard, but Jordan turns to face him nonetheless. "Uh, right. For science."

Kissing Jordan is automatically familiar, even though he's only done it once before; a short, soft press of lips that's surprisingly nice considering how few people Jordan has kissed. Casey wonders, now, how much practicing Jordan has done on his own hand. It's paid off, however much it was.

"Right." Casey smooths Jordan's shirt back out. "Don't say anything, I don't wanna corrupt Vera's opinion. Vera, good to go?"

Vera jumps as she is addressed, looking a little flushed. But she squares her shoulders, lets out a breath and nods. "Yeah, I'm ready. Always ready. I am good. I'm great."

Casey considers this. She looks game, sure, but maybe not… ready. "Actually- you ever kissed anyone?"

"I, well, no, but…" she blushes even harder, looking away from Casey. "I've seen kisses happen. How hard could it be?"

"Not that hard, I s'pose, but- okay, new plan. Kiss Jordan first."

Her eyes widen slightly, but she turns to Jordan, putting her hands on his shoulders. "Okay. Kiss me." She leans in for the kiss, pressing her mouth firmly against his. It doesn't look very pleasant, but they both turn entirely too red. Kel's going to have a hell of a time matching foundation.

Vera pulls away, looking at the floor. She looks distant, a little lost in her head, maybe. Jordan is also quiet still, looking a tad bewildered from how quickly that happened, but a small smile was tugging at the corner of his lips. Well, even if the kiss didn't look great, at least someone looks like he enjoyed himself.

But there's still science to be done. "Relax more, will you?" Casey says, tugging Vera in by the collar much the same as he'd done to Jordan.

Kissing Vera isn't familiar, nor is it nearly as nice; a short, firm press of lips far more stiff than they should be and extremely unresponsive. It ultimately reminds Casey of a ceramics class, many years ago, when he'd leaned too far over his pinch pot and Erica couldn't pass up the opportunity to shove his face directly into the wet clay.

But these kisses aren't meant to be exciting, they are exclusively for science.

"Right, so what's different about a beard? The hair moved on my skin in some kinda unexpected way, I think, but that's all I got."

"I didn't really feel anything." Vera mutters. "I didn't even notice the beard, I guess."

Casey suspects this has less to do with the beard being a factor and more to do with Vera being extremely distracted by the whole idea of kissing in general. He'd hoped to mitigate that by having her kiss Jordan first. Oh well; it was worth a shot.

"Hm? Yeah, it was fine, I suppose." Jordan responds, but it was clear that wasn't the kiss he was thinking about. Rude! At least one of them should have focused on the question at hand.

"Fine, if that's all you got to say. I bet Gwen woulda been more focused on the experiment," Casey sniffs. Then pauses. "Well, maybe not. If people have a crush on you they don't think about the nuances, do they?"

"Wait, Gwen?" The name shocks Vera from her thoughts. "You mean that girl has a crush on you? Since when?"

"Hey, don't be bein' rude. Prob'ly since recently, 'cause she didn't bother to know who I was 'til what, we were hangin' out on Route 9? She sent me this before we met up yesterday, look."

Casey holds up his phone, open on his text thread with Gwen.

28/05/2019 6:27PM
Hey Casey! Now that I made it to Saffron, here's the address for the meetup. I'm about to be there myself and I'd love to see you too! It's gonna be great ♡

"Like, crush, right?"

Vera frowns at the text, like it somehow insulted her. "Completely ridiculous. 'I'd love to see you!' Like you'd ever fall for her."

"Well, she's alright mostly. S'pose I wouldn't be in love with her, not with how careless she is 'bout ghosts even though I told her I didn't wanna see that Misdreavus."

Vera looks away from Casey, her mouth set firmly. "Right. Misdreavus. It would be rude to put you next to something you don't like, wouldn't it."

"It was! She deliberately used it to try'n one-up me in a battle, can you believe? Went after me with all six o' hers, too, knowin' I only had three. Beat her, though," Casey says with grim satisfaction.

Maybe he's overly quick to forgive and forget. The fear and betrayal creep in so easily, from just a memory, and Casey finds himself embittered toward Gwen again despite yesterday, despite Vermilion. Why was it so easy for her to do that to him, if she likes him? Arianne, he supposes, is simply careless, with that creepy sword of hers. But Gwen should care, right?

Well. It doesn't matter right now.

Casey flings the curtain open once more and strides over to plop down in his chair, Jordan and Vera trailing behind. "Okay. I guess it can go now."

"Now that you're done smoochin'?" Kel laughs. Casey's reflection goes a little pink. Jordan sputters for a response but shuts up when he can't find one, and Vera pauses by her chair, refusing to look at Kel, but Casey can see her face go red again.

"Was for science, thank you, now hand me a razor."

"Ahp! Nonono, I am absolutely not lettin' a teenager shave himself before a photoshoot. I bet you cut yourself half the time, still." Kel kicks the back of his chair and Casey yelps as he falls, but the feeling is short-lived; Kel gives him more to focus on than his newly-reclined position via a warm, wet towel tossed on his face.

"No talking and sit still," Kel demands, twirling a fancy electric razor between their fingers and miraculously not cutting anything by accident. Casey groans, but suffers through by twisting the hairdressing cloak in his hands and listening to Kel chatter at a distant but polite Jordan and a grumpy Vera. What's up with them?

"Y'know, it's actually convenient that you showed up. You were on my to-call list for today." Kel gives Casey a rough toweling and sits him back up once he's fully shaven. The air is cold on his now-bare skin and even colder once Kel wipes some woody-scented moisturizer on him. "Oh, I s'pose- you're not Jordan Springs, are you?"

"Ah- yup, that's me?" Jordan's tone makes it sound like he is asking a question back.

"Fantastic, checking off two and not even at the desk! Maybe I can clock twenty minutes outta this." Kel perches their tinted glasses on their head and gently turns Jordan's forearm palm-up to swatch a few foundations, choosing one and very delicately removing the swatches as soon as they had. Casey frowns. Why is he handled so much more roughly? "Shame we have to dull those freckles; I'm really going to try not to. Anyway," Kel tugs a stool over to straddle and takes Jordan's chin in one hand and a washcloth in the other, "you know those criminals you ran into back in Cerulean?"

Jordan tries to affirm even through the washcloth in his face, but Kel shushes him with a finger to his lips. "No talking while makeup doing, thank you." Casey affirms for the both of them instead.

"Right, so, there's somethin' weird going on, I'll start there. The masks look like an old cartoon character, way older'n me, from back when Isaac was little. The people who've been using them aren't criminals- or didn't used t'be- they're called the "Pokémon Liberation Group". They're the kind of wackos that believe Pokémon aren't supposed to be involved with humans at all- they go around convincing people to release their Pokémon and whatever, right?" Kel turns Jordan's face this way and that, nods, then shifts over to Vera to do the same. "But that's weird! All them in Cerulean were using their own Pokémon, remember, and capturing others. Doesn't add up with PLG modus operandi. So the question is- was it them?"

"Alright," Casey says slowly, "but what's that got to do with us?"

"Ah!" Kel snaps their fingers, making Vera jump. "They're in Saffron. The for sure real PLG. And if they are the same, you all who have seen them before should be really careful. But even if they aren't the same as the Cerulean bunch, you should be careful anyway. They've been- wait, can't talk over the dryer. Hold that thought 'til I'm done with hair."

Vera gets sprayed down again, product is worked through her evened-out hair, and the hair dryer follows the sweeping path of the round brush in Kel's hand to let the hair fall away from her face, ends flipping up and in for contrast. The crown gets tousled and Kel delicately covers her eyes when the hairspray comes out. Jordan receives much the same- his hair is tamed backwards much like his usual style, though with more of a wave than a curl. They really are much nicer to his friends- Kel comes back over to him, soaks his wavy hair, and tugs his bangs down as far as they'll go. They do, in fact, brush the tip of his nose.

"Owww," Casey whines.

"Hush." The clippers come out and Casey sighs a goodbye to long hair for now. "Anyway, what I was saying- the PLG used to be pretty peaceful, right, just recruiting and cajoling and rallying. Been a small group, too, because nobody believes that garbage, right. But last couple years, they've been gettin' into actual crime- mostly theft, some assault, some more organized raids- all focusing on getting ahold of and releasing Pokémon." Kel switches the guard to buzz closer to Casey's neck. "So trainers better be careful, 's what I'm saying! They're really kicking it in gear with all this tournament stuff going on. Heard they were down in Vermilion, too."

"Yeah, we heard too. Our classmates had a run-in, actually. But those were same as the ones from Cerulean."

Kel hums at the same pitch as the clippers. "I'll note that. Gimme their names later, yeah?"

Casey wonders, as he twists the smock in his hands and watches Vera and Jordan get dragged off for wardrobe, how much of that information they would have actually been privy to had their liaison not been Kel, or not specifically been his cousin. They have a tendency to overshare, especially when not tempered by their partner, but Casey isn't upset about it. In fact, he's glad he hadn't ended up with some cryptic phone call telling him to watch his back. He's glad to have a healthy amount of information.

Hopefully he won't have to use it.

Eleanor · Dec 8, 2021

art by Aquacorde

Arianne Chandler
Saffron City
Wednesday, May 29^th, morning

It's about the spice

Bland.

Arianne's last call to Serenity was just that, a bland and somewhat forgettable conversation - especially because of the high expectations the black haired girl had coming in. Her closest friend didn't have it in her at that time, she sounded tired and monotonous instead… but it was all for a good reason. Ren had many assignments due, and was doing her best to keep up. Arianne couldn't know, so what happened (or didn't happen) is neither girl's fault.

The morning after, Arianne thought it over with a clear mind and came to those conclusions herself. She then decided to lay that to rest for a bit and do her best to enjoy her time in Saffron instead. After a quick but sweet breakfast, she was out on the streets of the older part of the city, following a brief internet guide of the Kanto Capital in order to not miss any of the most important points of interest and not get lost entirely.

Of course, important places mean more people passing through them. Arianne easily blended in with all the trainers walking around the city in search of the closest training facility, Pokémon groomer, or free battlefield. She could also see a lot of office workers, delivery men, the usual for a city this large - but definitely not a common sight in her home of Cinnabar. But more people meant higher chances of meeting that one person again. The one that's been following her everywhere for a while, and staying inside her thoughts the remaining time.

To be fair, it's just Courtney.

Her ginger hair is picked up by Arianne's eye somewhere to her right just a few seconds before some fingers touch her left shoulder, causing her to turn around and get startled at the shorter girl standing right there. "Oh, hello?"

Courtney is quick to answer. "Hi Cinnamon Girl! So you also made it here to Saffron, uh?"

Arianne tries her hardest not to roll her eyes, but ends up looking as if this is the first time she meets the redhead. "Uhm, yeah, since yesterday. I'm exploring the city for now!"

"Since yesterday, uh?" Courtney remarks. "It means you stayed in Vermilion back when that weird cold thingy was happening, uh? How did you even survive?"

"I don't know honestly…"

"That's what I thought too. I just cut and ran when that happened though and guess what, Saffron was completely unaffected!"

Arianne stands still for a moment, putting two and two together. Surely, what Courtney's talking about checks out with the… uh, warehouse event? Yeah, whatever that was. But that buys the redhead some more time to talk.

"You know what, I have a great idea. Spare some time for a battle, Arianne?"

"Oh, right now? Well…"

"That was a trick question. You definitely do, you said you're just exploring."

"Really!?"

Courtney smirks as usual. Her face literally screams Got you.

"You know what? Yes, up for it. About time it's just you and me having a battle!"

"That's the spirit, hehe! And yeah, there's a little Trainers Club not too far from here." That sparkle in her eyes looks vaguely familiar by now.

Turns out Courtney hasn't beaten Hana yet, mostly due to that… misadventure Arianne knows very well. Knowing she uses Water types, she has picked up a new team member around Saffron, and is planning to train him up. And there it is, in front of her, bouncing around a small battlefield.

A few other trainers and kids have gathered to watch the fight, as Courtney declares the rules she's decided together with Arianne. 3 Pokémon each, and switching is fine. She then cheers for the other girl to send in her own Pokémon, which… definitely can't be Eric, given that what's in front of her is a Weepinbell.

The Pokémon she calls out first is Espurr, who immediately dashes towards her opponent for a quick Fake Out. The Grass-type is then hit by a strong Psybeam as he tries to recover, putting Arianne in a favorable situation. Courtney calls for an Acid, but Espurr is able to protect herself well enough with a Light Screen.

The redhead changes strategy right about here. If Special attacks don't work as well now, why not switch to Physical? She orders Weepinbell to use Vine Whip, and he executes the attack by extending the stem on his body - it's way faster than Lulu's Ingrain, that's for sure.

Arianne commands Espurr to do her best to dodge, and that seems to work just fine. It's almost like jumping rope, really! The issue that she's starting to see, though, is that Espurr doesn't have much time to charge her attacks properly. She hits some Confusion here and there, but it's a bit weaker than it should be.

The black haired girl may have a solution to break the stalemate though. She instructs Espurr to move closer to Weepinbell, and she does just that, moving to the side when Vine Whip is about to hit her and charging up a Covet. That's when Courtney smirks though… not a good sign.

"Show them what we learned! Bounce!"

Since when does Weepinbell learn that…?

Of course, the redhead wasn't talking about that. The Flycatcher Pokémon uses Vine Whip once again, but this time on the ground under him. This lets him dodge Covet easily and surprise Espurr with a Sleep Powder while airborne: there's no hope to dodge that.

"Yay! How do you like that? It's such a perfect strategy!" Courtney proudly boasts. Arianne's got to give it to her in this case, that was very effective… but she can't let her capitalize. As soon as she hears the other girl yell for "Wrap", her motionless Espurr turns into light and is called back inside her Pokèball.

Courtney is still smirking.

On Arianne's side now appears Honedge. Definitely the best choice here, since it's airborne to begin with and resists both Acid and Vine Whip. Oh, and Wrap. That should put the redhead back into place… but she doesn't switch out her Pokémon for some reason. She just has him use Growth.

A perfect chance to use a better version of it: Honedge uses Swords Dance, nonchalantly levitating above its enemy. Arianne doesn't object, knowing that the advantage she's gaining will help her against Courtney's other two Pokémon as well.

The small public looks in apprehension at the two Pokémon, who are really doing their own thing seemingly without caring for each other. That is, until Arianne gives her Pokémon green light to attack. The Honedge plunges down with Aerial Ace… and hits nothing. Courtney has pulled the same trick her opponent has used, calling Weepinbell back.

This is weird though. Why let Weepinbell set up and then swap him out? No matter what comes out next, Arianne won't repeat that mistake with her Honedge. Even if what comes in is Magby or…

Oh, Luxio.

The small lion Pokémon growls, getting ready to strike, and Honedge's attention is clearly all for him as it stops moving in the air and points its unsheathed sword tip right at the opponent. Quickly, it moves forward, striking the ground in front of Luxio, its shadow spreading from where it landed until it rises up from the ground under the Electric-type.

The Shadow Sneak definitely puts a dent in Luxio, but he takes it better than expected and doesn't flinch. It roars much louder than before, and Honedge starts to lose its shape… until it goes back into its Pokéball.

An unaware Lulu makes her entrance in front of a defeated, face-palming Arianne. She should've known.

"I'm becoming a pretty good trainer, right Ari?" Courtney smiles, as if she already knows the answer. But Arianne has already moved on. She's trying to think ahead and… even if things aren't looking too good on her side - Roar has chosen her third Pokémon for her, and has given her yet another one that doesn't do well against Magby, should Courtney send her in - Luxio can't do much against Lulu.

Perhaps too overconfident, Arianne lets Lulu set herself up with Ingrain. Her mycelium slowly spreads out until Luxio is surrounded, and his Bite and Spark attacks prove to be nothing serious against the Grass-type. Courtney seems very stubborn on keeping her Pokémon in battle, though. She keeps calling out attacks.

Strength Sap and Giga Drain shut down Luxio entirely after a while. Ingrain is spread out all over the field.

"I'm not sure Hana would ever use this strategy. Or whoever is in her place now." Courtney smiles. "But did you know I have some more Pokémon left?"

Arianne raises an eyebrow, because what Courtney just said there is… strange. Something to worry about after the battle, for sure. That doesn't distract her enough to not see the situation she's dug herself in though… Weepinbell is out again now. And Lulu can't be switched out this time.

Lulu is Grass-Fairy, meaning she's extremely weak to Weepinbell's Acid. Parts of her are spread out around the whole field, which the opponent can just keep hitting with his attacks. Needless to say how that went.

"One down! Who's up now?" Courtney cheers, complacently enjoying the few claps coming from the spectators. Honedge is back out.

This is another one-sided round, mostly because Courtney lets Weepinbell stay in. She seems keen on practicing more dodging maneuvers with her Pokémon, all while Arianne is just bent on taking him down. That is what happens eventually, with an Aerial Ace knocking down an already hurt opponent, but the redhead doesn't seem too fazed by it.

This is when she calls out her third Pokémon, which Arianne hasn't seen yet. She's expecting Magby here, but - as Courtney hinted at before - it's Shuppet she sends out. Surely, she must be using the same team she wants to use against… the Vermilion Gym.

Honedge and Banette seem to nod at each other before the battle. Surely they know each other, as they were both caught in the Lavender Graveyard. To remark this, they both happen to go for a Shadow Sneak (it was actually their trainers who gave them identical commands).

This proves to be another problem for Ari though, because after just a few hits exchanged this way, her Honedge is no longer able to use Shadow Sneak. Shuppet's body has a strange purple aura around her as she grins, and hits back with a Knock Off this time: unable to counter-attack any faster than Shuppet, Honedge goes down after a few hits, literally falling on the ground for Arianne to call back inside its Pokéball.

Shuppet nods, somewhat seriously, before returning to her typical mischievous expression. Courtney already knows Arianne has no choice here - she has to send in her sleeping Espurr, an easy prey for her Pokémon… or forfeit on the spot.

That's what she ends up doing, mimicking Courtney during their first battle. The redhead nods, before walking to the battlefield's side where Arianne is.

The Cape girl has a lot of different emotions running through her as she's forced to hear the other girl's words. But… she's not as snarky as she can be.

"Thanks for showing me I improved and I'm doing stuff right," she proudly comments, before thanking Arianne for the battle and walking away. "Gotta thank Sarah for that!"

"Uh, wait!"

"Yeeees?"

Courtney turns around with the usual smirk, but it goes away once Arianne asks her question. "You said something before… uhm. Isn't Hana still the Gym Leader?"

"What?" The redhead pauses. "Oh no, she's not… don't get me started! I went to challenge her yesterday with Sarah and guess what, I found out she was getting suspended or something. Annoying…"

Arianne shakes her head.

"Well, from what I heard, she was going easy on you guys… Cape people. Or something like that. Maybe it's a good thing I ain't battling her."

"That's strange, it can't be…"

"I know nothing more than that, Ari. And now, I'd better go, Sarah's waiting for me!"

The black haired girl waves, but then looks down on the ground, her head spinning from all the thoughts inside.

TEAM:

Eric, lv. 36 •

Espurr, lv. 22 ↑

Blitzle, lv. 23 •

Mizar, lv. 19

Lulu, lv. 32 ↑ •

Honedge, lv. 22 ↑
Courtney:

QueenNothing · Dec 11, 2021

Gwen Alanis

Wednesday, May 29
Morning
Saffron City

Dear graduating trainers:
The Pokémon League Association has suspended Hana Palm from her duties as Vermilion City's Gym Leader, after substantial reports of her aiding and abetting Cape College students in her reports. The new Gym Leader will be appointed shortly after this investigation is closed.
All of Hana's reviews of graduating trainers that have already battled her in an official setting will be struck from the record, however, to not cause further inconvenience to students, there will be no obligation to visit the Gym again and battle the local leader: trainers may continue their journey as normal, and their evaluation will be based off the other seven Gym Leaders' reports.
We wish you good luck for the rest of your journey.

"What the fuck!?!?!" Gwen shouts at her Pokegear screen with her jaw gaping wide open. "This is such bullshit! Why would they suspend such an amazing gym leader!?"

"Aiding and abetting Cape students? That's concerning." Jenny worriedly raises a brow. "I mean, it would suck if Hana is dropped given just how talented she is, but if these claims are true it's probably for the best."

After spending the entirety of the previous night playing video games, the Alanis sisters decide to spend a morning taking a stroll outside. It's routine for Gwen at this point, but Jenny didn't realize just how much she needed this until now. They don't really have a destination in mind, instead opting to just see what catches their interest (something that shouldn't be hard to find in Saffron), but on their way the message Gwen had just received from the League spoils her mood.

"What the hell does aiding and abetting even mean? It can't be that bad, whatever it is- definitely can't be worth dumping a gym leader like Hana Palm!"

"It's just adult talk for encouraging and helping someone to break the law. It's surprising to hear she'd be investigated for that though… Do you know anything about this, champ?"

"If that's what it means, the closest thing I can remember is how she helped us kick some bad guy ass!"

"Uh- what?" Jenny gives a half-hearted chuckle, thinking this is some kind of over-blown claim.

"My memory of it is a little foggy honestly, but I think we fought these evil masked guys, one of them had Morgrem and I think another had Drapion. But one of them definitely had Electrode- I can't forget that after we narrowly dodged that explosion! There was some other stuff, but then there were some guard guys who had this scary looking Lycanroc we took out as well, it was so cool! You should have seen the look on the guards' face when they realized we outsmarted him!"

"I'm sorry- You're kidding, right?"

"I'm one-hundred percent serious!" Gwen shakes her head. "I mean, it's not like we got hurt or anything! Sure, it was kind of terrifying going up against those bad people, but like, with my expert detective skills and my incredible trainer skills I beat their asses! It felt good doing hero things like that!"

"I'm sorry- You WHAT!?!?!?! She stares with wide eyes, blinking a dozen or so times in disbelief. "Gwen, this isn't an anime- Hana endangered you!" She raises her voice. "Look, champ, I know you have grand aspirations of being a professional trainer and stuff, but you're 15 and haven't even graduated yet! What would have happened if you made one misstep against these shady characters? You could have been kidnapped or maybe even killed!"

"But…"

"Also, we!?!?! Who else did Hana get involved!?"

"Well, I was with Arianne for the majority of the mission, as well as this other guy, and Casey did some stuff as well though he was mostly with another group-"

"Oh dear Arceus…" Jenny massages her temples, grunting in disappointment. "Yep, that confirms it, she's been aiding and abetting Cape students. Talk about incompetence!"

"She had a reason to do what she did though! She's super short, so they could have picked her up and carried her out without us backing her up! She said so herself!"

Jennifer's forehead scrunches up. "She didn't actually say that, did she?" Seeing her younger sister nod has her driving her face into her palm. "It's no secret Hana was never the sharpest tool in the shed outside of battles, but I think that takes the cake for the absolute dumbest thing she's ever said…"

"I mean, it's true though- she is really small!"

"So a fully-developed adult- which is honestly questionable at this point- who is also the gym leader and a fierce trainer in the professional battling circuit, and has the help of gym trainers- not even to mention the option to call the police- needs the help of an ungraduated 15 year old who can't even remember to take her meds… because she's short?"

"Hey! I took them this morning!"

"Yeah, only 'cus I reminded you. When was the last time you remembered before that?"

"I dunno, like… uhh, when would I have gotten to Cerulean again?"

"Exactly." Feeling a tension headache coming on, she releases a sharp exhale and notices her younger sister starts to grow timid. Clearly not unsure how to react when Jenny goes full parent mode, as she even wipes a few tears away. "Champ, I'm sorry- I know I sound like I'm mad at you, but I'm not. I get it, you've got an active imagination and you idolized superheroes growing up, so of course you'd jump at this opportunity to play hero yourself- which is why Hana should have told you to walk away and let the adults take care of it. She's the gym leader after all, that's her job, she shouldn't enable you to get involved in something so dangerous! Honestly she deserves to be fired for endangering you, and all my respect for her as a trainer has gone completely down the drain."

Jenny takes a deep breath to calm herself. "Look, I know you really want to prove yourself and all, but please, if any other irresponsible adults ask you to get into sketchy situations, turn them down." She sighs. "Although I'm one to talk about irresponsible adults, huh?"

Before she can proceed to bask in self-pity, a screaming "LOOK OUT, LOOK OUT, LOOK OUT!!!!" is headed their way. They both turn their attention towards it, seeing a large black and purple blur flying straight towards them. Jenny, getting a grip on Gwen, jumps out of the way before it can hit them, falling back-first to make sure her younger sister takes less of the impact. Fortunately the blur passes in an instant, screeching and kicking up gusts of wind as it flies just barely overhead before making a sharp turn upwards and riding into the sunset (or sunrise?) Gwen can hear Jenny's heart racing, and she can hardly blame her.

"You okay!?" Her older sister asks. Gwen simply nods, and Jenny releases a hefty sigh of relief.

"Thank god. But with that out of the way… What the hell was that!?" She exclaims as she and her sister get back up. Neither got a good look at it, so neither of them have any solid ideas- but it doesn't seem unreasonable to Gwen it must be a Pokemon of some sort. They stand around in confusion for a bit until the voice the earlier scream belongs to sprints forward. She doesn't particularly stand out at first, but the closer she gets, the more Gwen's memory is jogged- A slightly toned but mostly thin young woman with brown hair in a bun, tan skin, pink tank top and athletic shorts- the same person she who saved her ass back in Cerulean.

"Hey! I remember you!" She points, drawing the attention of her older sister. "You're… shit, what was your name again? Hey Jenny, you know this girl, right?"

"Huh- Oh dear god, we've been off to a great start today…" She grimaces, much to Gwen's confusion.

"Shit, I think I lost her! So sorry!" The young woman frantically pants as she starts slowing down, throwing her weight on her knees as she catches her breath. "I swear, she's not like this, she's usually so well-trained! I dunno what happened but her Pokeball just- Oh!" She exclaims while briefly making eye-contact with Jenny, her face quickly flashes pink before facing away from the two. "Err… Jennifer, wow! It's, uh… been awhile, hasn't it? Aha, yeah… boy, this is awkward."

"Yeah, I'll say…"

There's a sudden presence of tension matched with complete silence. Gwen's gaze shifts between the two women, brow cocked up as she tries figuring out the issue. She knows the two were rivals, so maybe they had some ugly conflicts, but was it so bad to lead to such a moment as this?

"I don't get it, what's so awkward???"

"Guess that whole Hana talk will have to wait. In the meantime, I should properly introduce her…" Jenny sighs. "Gwen, meet Sasha Young: My ex-girlfriend!"

"What!?!?" Gwen chokes. "I mean, I still don't get how that's awkward- if you dated, that means you knew each-other, right? Don't you know how to talk with her?- but still- what!?!?"

"Ah jeez, where do I even begin..."

Spoiler:

CCS and art by Aquacorde

Eleanor · Jan 9, 2022

art by Aquacorde

Arianne Chandler
Saffron City
Wednesday, May 29^th, afternoon

Runaway Pokémon aka what did i just write

"Please stop!" A voice reaches Arianne's ears. "I need that ride…"

The girl looks around, somewhat puzzled, as she tries to climb onto the back of a Gogoat. "Can't you, like…"

The voice comes from a young man who must be just a few years older than her. He seems jittery and troubled… definitely in a hurry. But hey, there's rental bikes just one block over.

"You good? There's bikes for rent over there…"

Arianne's memory of the journey rules is not the clearest, at least when it comes to this part. She's convinced she has to go everywhere by walking or riding Pokémon - she's not sure of the exceptions though. No one told her the ride has to be hers, right? So this Gogoat is fine. A bike on the other hand? Just no. In her mind it's not allowed - heck, it's not even as fun and she's not that good at riding a bike anyways.

"A bike won't do, miss. Gogoat sounds like my only option…"

"Where do you-" The Cinnabar girl raises an eyebrow, but is interrupted by the startled Grass-type letting out a cry. The other boy had just touched her horns for an instant.

"Long story short, I lost a Pokémon. I think I know where it is but I still need Gogoat's help to get it back!"

Arianne can't help but raise the other eyebrow, opening her mouth, and… yes, that's the perfect expression to describe a bad surprise. "Ohsoyou'reatrainerjustlikemeisthereanywayIcanhelp?"

"Excuse me?"

"I just meant…" The girl clears her throat. "I'd love to help out! I'm still a graduating trainer but… I have time for this! No worries!"

"Really? It's fine, no need to… ok, maybe some help would be nice I'll confess…"

🍃🍃🍃

Gogoat seems to be doing alright even with two people on her back. After all, she's a well-trained Pokémon who has been carrying people around for a long time. Or so says Shannon, the trainer I just met. I hold onto him so I don't fall down, while he holds the Grass-type's horns. Apparently she can feel some of the rider's emotions through them, and this lets her adjust the speed, for example.

I'm reminded of the smaller, similar Pokémon that Casey has. It also has horns, leaves around its body, and the colors are similar… this must be its evolution. This would mean, even Gogoat shouldn't be too difficult to find in Kanto! And yet, this is the first time I see one live.

This particular one is from Kalos, where they're already used as a rideable Pokémon even in towns… that's probably the most interesting part. From my experience, riding a Pokémon is typical of the countryside and that's literally it… case in point, Shannon says this is an experimental service. Whoever set it up wants to see if there's interest in bringing it over from Lumiose City. Funny how small the world can be.

🍃🍃🍃

I'm not sure where we're going but it certainly looks like… we're going away from the bustling center. That's all I can really notice because Gogoat doesn't quite give me the time to focus on the details, the individual buildings, the landmarks. I do see the height of all the constructions around me getting smaller though, as well as the road going on an incline.

In the meantime, small talk ensues. Turns out Shannon lost his newest catch, a Scolipede (not sure what that even is), and is in a rush to find it before his next matches begin. Definitely something important since we're talking about the Tomorrow Cup!

Other trainers have already tried to help Shannon, but with their own schedules being quite full, the best they could do is send some of their Flying-types to track this Pokémon down. This pointed the young man towards the northern area of Saffron, bordering with Route 5: he tells me that's a lovely and quaint place for some training, and it's not a surprise his Pokémon would end up somewhere around there.

How did he lose it, I then ask myself: fortunately, he gives me the answer without any nudge from me. He was shopping for some special Pokémon Items in the morning, and had all of his Pokéballs with him - but by the time he was done, one was missing. Usually that's not a problem, because the Pokéball is registered: but in this case, that didn't seem to work out.

"So yeah…" he finishes. "I scratched my head for a while but I think someone really just… went and stole my Pokéball. And then destroyed it altogether, freeing Scolipede somewhere. That's how I knew I had to look for the Pokémon itself."

🍃🍃🍃

The neighborhood is rather open, with not a lot of houses scattered around the place and a large amount of trees, parks, and unkempt areas where vegetation grows naturally. Gogoat is currently strolling in one of said parks, and is going a bit slower on purpose… this helps Shannon notice a group of startled Ledyba and Ledian flying away from a group of trees. From that first clue, it takes just a few seconds for both of the trainers to spot what they're looking for.

Arianne grimaces at the sight of Scolipede trying to attack a group of Burmy and Wormadam, whereas Shannon just facepalms. "It ought to be hungry… and angry too. Oh, and the best part is, it seems I have to catch it all over again."

"Well, you already did it once so…"

"Of course, training it made it even stronger and harder to catch." Shannon interrupts me, causing me to end my own sentence with a disappointed "Oh."

"I have some of my other Pokémon on me but I could still use some help. I don't want to hurt it any more than necessary for it to be caught again, you know?"

"Don't you think it will recognize your Pokémon and calm down? That would be good, right?"

"Hm… don't wanna put all my eggs in one basket, you know?"

🍃🍃🍃

The final plan, if you can call it that, is another partnership between Espurr and Blitzle. And Shannon's Clefable, who is looking kind of scared about this whole ordeal… rightfully so, being a Fairy type. Yet, the strategy seems very solid!

Clefable watches carefully as I call out Espurr and tell her to use Fake Out. She hesitates and stumbles, but eventually, she runs forwards at very high speed, giving Scolipede what is basically just a small nudge. She's got its attention though, clearly. The large Bug-type turns around, hissing at… no one.

Espurr is back in her Pokéball when that happens, and I can feel her heart pounding from there… ok, maybe it's just my own heart going crazy. That's the cue for Clefable to use Follow Me: it works successfully, because those yellow eyes aren't fixed on me anymore. Blitzle steps out in the open in that moment too, knowing her own time to shine is up, and aims a Thunder Wave in Clefable's direction. Hopefully Scolipede will be hit, since it's technically in the way…

or not. The Bug-type dodges easily, moving out of the way very quickly and just enough to not be affected. I'm not so sure what to do anymore, but at least my mind jumps to what I know has been working. Espurr is out again, she runs in and gives Scolipede a boop, and then is recalled before a Poison Tail hits her.

"Can't you attack in any way?" I ask Shannon, who looks just as worried as when I met him for the first time. The result of this is Clefable moving her wings to send a gust of chill air towards Scolipede - Icy Wind, the other trainer confirms - that will at least slow it down a bit. It's something, I suppose...

I try to use Fake Out with Espurr again. Apparently I have to make sure I wait for enough time for her to stay inside her Pokéball, or else the move won't work. Blitzle charges herself up in the meantime before going for another attempt at paralyzing Scolipede. The Bug-type often blocks the attacks with Protect and moves around erratically, making all of this very hard to pull off, but at least Clefable seems able to redirect its attacks away from my Pokémon and heal herself with Wish when necessary.

It's a weird feeling, what I'm feeling. I'm strangely happy and galvanized that we're actually keeping at bay a Pokémon this strong, in one way or another. We're not without hope. But at the same time, you know things could go downhill sooner or later and, worst of all, there's no real progress being made. Why can't Shannon do anything more than this? He's not even that calm, he doesn't seem to have things under control- oh whatever, I'm too focused on letting Espurr do her thing and distract Scolipede when Clefable uses Wish.

Luckily, there's a good ending when eventually, after a while, a paralyzed Scolipede seems to understand the situation. All the wild Pokémon have already taken their chance at escaping, the only known presence is that Clefable and the trainer that gives her directions. With my breath running short, I step back and witness the new capture: as it turns out, a single Ultra Ball is enough.

TEAM:

Eric, lv. 36 •

Espurr, lv. 23 ↑

Blitzle, lv. 24 ↑ •

Mizar, lv. 19

Lulu, lv. 32 •

Honedge, lv. 22

Eleanor · Jan 24, 2022

art by Aquacorde

Arianne Chandler
Saffron City
Thursday, May 30^th, morning

The seeds have been planted

No one is stealing Gogoats this morning, and Arianne can finally get to ride one all by herself. She's the one grabbing the Grass-type's horns, she's the one feeling the connection, she's the one and only. Much like surfing on Hana's Mantine, this is giving her a special kind of feeling. She tells him to go faster, she enjoys the air running through her hair, she makes note of the cool places she can check on the way back.

She makes sure to get to her destination as quickly as she can, though. Somewhere in the Industrial Area, to the South-East, a Pokéball factory has been left without power by what - according to the help request on the Pokémon Center's board - can only be described as an act of vandalism. They need Electric-type Pokémon to get the factory running again and not lose earnings, and ironically Arianne has 2.

She, a Water-type enthusiast and a Cinnabar Island girl, has a Blitzle and a Pichu to lend the factory workers for power, and of course, she's going to do just that. It's always nice to help out, right? Especially when she's sure that her Pokémon will pull in their weight. They may be small, but both have always been eager to fight and prove their worth. And they have Lightning Rod, which is kind of important in this case.

Arianne has had to quickly rush a Pokémon swap with Palm over at Cape College in order to do this, though. Alice was staying over there until that morning, when the girl called up Professor Palm and sent over Mizar, her Bagon, in exchange. She's still thinking about it now and wondering if she's making the right choice, or if she'll have to call up her teacher again…

…and actually, what happened to her yesterday has to do with this.

Spending time with Shannon felt weird for a variety of reasons - from what seemed like an inability to keep his stolen Pokémon in check, to being quite… kind in his approach to catch it again. Not having to go through the same conundrums would surely be helpful, and that means not having a Pokémon run away and causing trouble once the Pokéball is broken, but also not being afraid of pummeling said Pokémon with the proper moves.

It would understand, right? It would recognize its fellow team members, its trainer, it would remember the moments and emotions they shared. And if Pokémon get into fights all the time, use their powerful moves like there's no tomorrow, and still are able to get healed up, then… they'll understand if those moves come from the same Pokémon they were friends with, and maybe they'll have some fun that way.

That's a bit too optimistic, maybe, for a trainer that has already been told, in a way or another, that she should work on bonding with her Pokémon, and hasn't been making a lot of progress in that direction - except with maybe, half of her team or so. What about the other three then, which happen to include the potentially strong but also very stubborn Mizar? The rare Dragon-type that she caught by mashing a Pokéball onto his head, the Pokémon that she'd thought she'd train up and evolve no matter what she had to go through?

It's all stuff that she'll think about later, but the seeds are there in her mind and they'll grow with time, most probably. Today though… it's fine if she thinks a bit about herself too. Two of the Pokémon in her team are not actually with her, another one is back at Cape College… plus, she just has to get over the fact that Courtney beat her and let it rest for a while, after feeling upset about it for the remainder of her Wednesday.

Gogoat helps with that too, now trotting back towards the center of Saffron without any need to hurry up.

TEAM:

Eric, lv. 36 •

Espurr, lv. 23

Blitzle, lv. 24 •

Alice, lv. 15

Lulu, lv. 32 •

Honedge, lv. 22

Groc · Jan 28, 2022

Vera Hill, Casey Holt, Jordan Springs
Chapter 10 - Photo Opportunity
Saffron City; May 29th, midday

The changing room seems bigger without Casey and Jordan in it. Vera knows she should be grateful, that she wouldn't change in front of them even if it were allowed, which it probably isn't. But she suddenly feels nervous and alone, and not at all prepared to go out in front of cameras.

She reaches for her hair, hands pausing just short of it. Kel did a good job styling it, and she doesn't want to ruin their work. Part of her brain tells her to do it anyway, that it's her hair, she can do what she wants, but that will just require more time under Kel's hands, which was harrowing enough the first time.

And did I just kiss them?!

That. That's the real sticking point right now. Vera just had her first kiss, and while she was processing it, she had her second. With Jordan and Casey, no less! From all the stories she's heard, the books she's read, those fairy tales Arianne is so fond of… a first kiss is a magical thing.

So why doesn't she feel anything?

That's not entirely true. She'd felt their lips on hers, the slightly invasive movements, physical things, but other than embarrassment at being caught in the act, she doesn't feel anything. No fireworks went off in her head, she doesn't see her boys in a new light, she just… kissed them. And apparently was bad at it, judging by Casey's reaction to her kiss with Jordan.

That alone upsets her. Casey and Jordan apparently kiss all the time, and they're probably disappointed in her inexperience. She'll need to work on that. But… that means she'll need to kiss again. Maybe she can convince Casey to go again, now that he's shaved, say it's for science or whatever, but not right now. He'd said Gwen would have been more focused. Had he kissed her, too? Was he saying Gwen was a better kisser than her? And then he mentioned Ebony, is he holding a grudge?

It's all too much, I shouldn't be here, I shouldn't have done that... She groans quietly, crossing her arms over her stomach tightly as she starts to panic.

Then she feels something tug at her pant leg. A dark claw reaching out from under her hat, which she's positive she'd left on top of her bag. The hat tips back, and Trixie peers out from under the brim.

"Trixie!" Vera hisses in alarm, scooping the little Fairy up. "What are you doing out, are you trying to get caught?"

Trixie chirps happily, her little claws forming a heart under her Disguise's chin. She's actually excited, and wants to be in the photo shoot. It's only fair, it was her idea to accept, after all.

"I can't use you, Casey will freak out." Trixie doesn't like that, crossing her arms grumpily. "I know what I said, but I didn't think he'd-"

Actually…

"No, you're right. I promised you a picture shoot, so that's what you'll get. Casey can't argue with that, right? I never promised him I'd keep you away from him, right? Come on, let's get into costume."

She quickly undresses, looking at her first outfit before she puts it on. It's pajamas, pants and a sleeveless top, made of a very light, thin material. Is this silk? It's navy blue, with small silvery-white swirls on the pants, and the shirt alone probably costs more than Vera's entire outfit. There's a small nightcap in a matching color, with a little white puffball on the end, for Trixie.

With Trixie in her arms, she steps out and quickly heads over to her stuff, putting her hat back on her bag so no one confuses it for a stage prop. She turns around just as Casey is ushered into a dressing room, and feels a little exposed when she sees Jordan, who's in a much warmer-looking outfit. His sweater and pants are made of the same soft, fuzzy cloth, and the muted teal color complements his red hair well. Kel - or whoever picked the outfit for him - must have thought so too, since Tangles is standing next to him with some red ribbons woven into her vines to match her trainer.

Kel checks her hair, moving strands and pinning her hat into place with white hairpins, then directs her to the front side of the curtains. "Head on out there, make yourselves comfy. Casey will be out in a minute."

They head out to the stage, which is currently decorated to look like a bedroom, with a plain bed in the middle, white sheets and white pillows on it. Vera stiffly sits on the edge, but the photographer urges her to relax, to look more natural. "We're selling cozy, you need to look comfortable. You need to be comfortable."

So Vera tries to relax, hard as that is with someone watching her. She picks up Trixie, who has a new costume instead of her old rag. It's cleaner, more vibrantly yellow, apparently made out of an actual Pikachu doll. Vera smiles at how happy Trixie looks, a little jealous of her confidence.

"Yes! Just like that! Keep that expression, you look beautiful!"

The photographer allows them plenty of time to acclimate to the set, really only a few minutes, before the actual posing begins. She and Jordan are asked to stay still, to hold specific poses that better show off their outfits, while assistants make minor adjustments to the set, the costumes, or the teens themselves, just to get a rapid burst of camera clicks before moving on to the next shot.

At one point, the shot has Vera lean into Jordan, his arm around her shoulders as they look at each other, which normally would have flustered her a little. But it takes so much time to set up, and they hold the pose for long enough that it starts to feel silly, and she struggles to keep a smile from her face. Once the photos are taken, she steps back from Jordan with a laugh.

At a small break for some crew members to fuss about the set, Casey bounds into the space with Ginger tucked in one arm and Pepper on his heels. "Look at this!" he says, broad grin looking almost odd not bordered by facial hair, as he twirls in front of where Vera and Jordan had been told to stand. The silky silver, short and languidly open robe spins much better than the straight-legged pants cuffed just above bare feet. "I got my lace!"

Indeed, delicate lace details adorn the fancy loungewear, leaving gaps that show plenty of skin- as if it's needed, with Casey's chest fully bared.

"That's what you're wearing?" Vera lightly flicks some of the lace. "Why did this take so long, they make it on the spot?"

"Had to take it off again so Kel could do a concealer on all my bruises." Casey points at patches of his ribcage, and upon close inspection it's clear that the texture is makeup, not skin. "They're not very happy about it, I'll say that much. Was a lot of area to cover. But!" he twirls again. "Lace! Isn't it nice? It's well-done, too, not itchy like lots of stuff- this whole thing is so so soft, feel it!"

Vera rolls her eyes as she half-heartedly touches the material over Casey's chest, but they widen slightly at the feel. It is soft! She brushes her hand along the robe, petting it like a soft animal, and Casey stays still for her assessment.

Unfortunately, there's no shutting him up for long, and his lips quirk upward in a smile that makes her feel more exposed than her bare arms. "'S nice, right? I might buy this. You want one? We would match! And could wear 'em for sleepovers!"

"Sleepovers?!" Vera removes her hand from Casey and his dangerously soft robe. She's never been to a sleepover, but she isn't about to let the boys know that. "I don't know, lace isn't really my style, and I'd rather cover up a bit more. Honestly, this top is a little light for me, why is it so cold in here?" She rubs her arms a bit to sell the illusion better, but saying it makes her realize she's not lying, she is starting to feel a chill.

Until, that is, a friendly mobile heat source winds around her legs. "I would just hug you for warmth but I don't wanna get rumpled," Casey sighs. "Pepper's gotcha though."

"And he'll be great for the shot, too!" an excitable set designer chimes in, shooing Casey toward whatever backdrop he's supposed to be against. "Really selling cozy, y'know? We should've brought him out sooner! He's good, right? Doesn't set things on fire?"

Pepper looks at the man with the largest, cutest eyes he can muster. With Casey already in front of his own backdrop, Vera kneels beside Pepper and pulls him into a hug. "Of course he is! He's a perfect gentleman, and wouldn't dream of starting any fires!"

That's apparently good enough for the director, who urges his young models back to their marks. Trixie glowers at Pepper as he rests his head in Vera's lap, where she was already sitting. He regards her coolly and shifts to place himself between her and Casey. Trixie looks away from him, merely adjusting her tail so it points away from Pepper and his fire.

They take a few more photos with Pepper in the shot. Trixie complains a little, so they get a photo of Vera lying on the bed and playing with Trixie like a doll, which seems to make her happy. But soon, the director calls for a change.

"Alright, we're good on this set. Wheel the bed out and set up the outdoor backdrop. Kids, head on back and get into your next costumes. We're doing Fall Formal, so look sharp!"

Vera heads on back, and another outfit is already waiting for her. She's surprised by the simplicity of it, being just a brown skirt, black leggings, and a long-sleeved white blouse. The fur-trimmed boots are nice and warm, and as she heads back out, she's handed a heavy gray jacket. She picks up Trixie, who now has a light gray beanie instead of the sleeping cap, as she waits for her friends.

Casey's second outfit isn't so much "sharp" as soft and padded- an open double-breasted grey greatcoat with similar-colored slacks and brown boots. Underneath, the cream cable knit sweater's turtleneck collar does little to cover the flush creeping up his neck.

"It is summer," he grouses, dropping the greatcoat off his shoulders. Vera wouldn't be surprised if steam came off of him. Just standing next to him right now is like standing next to Pepper.

"Hey, at least it isn't cold anymore. I've had enough of that." Vera holds Trixie close, who seems to be dozing while waiting for the next photos.

"I'm gonna look bright red on camera," Casey whines, and Kel appears out of nowhere to grab his chin and turn him this way and that.

"I'm not putting more makeup on you. The editors'll have to work post-production magic. Try not to sweat too much." They fluff Vera's hair and do a little more delicate placement of Jordan's as he comes out.

He walks in with a pair of fluffy, black earmuffs gently secured to his head without flattening his hair. The rest of his outfit follows a similar color scheme to Casey's and her own - he is in a grey blazer, but layered over a white hoodie and some dark grey jeans to keep it on the more youthful side.

Tangles has the same fluffy earmuffs fitted over her… head? Body? Does she even have ears? How does she hear? Are her ears under the tentacles, are they the tentacles?

Casey glances down at Trixie and tilts his head, pulling Vera from her thoughts. "They're lettin' you keep that toy from shoot to shoot? Thought you woulda brought Bonnie out or someone. I signed Ginger up and they had this cute little vest, look-!"

The grumpy Buneary herself is shoved in Vera's face, and it is cute that she's buttoned into a tiny waistcoat that matches Casey's greatcoat, but it's not cute that her eyes narrow even further as she zeroes in on Trixie.

"Bonnie wouldn't wear the hat. Neither would Sapphire, or anyone else, I-" Before she can explain further, she and Casey are pulled forward in their matching outfits. Unlike the previous shoot, they aren't given time to get comfortable. They're told to pose, have a moment to get adjusted or touched up, and then get the photos taken.

As soon as that's done, they take her jacket and replace it with something lighter and a long multicolored scarf, while Casey is given respite from quite so many layers by just being allowed to shuck the greatcoat. Vera has to set Trixie down, and the same assistant puts a new hat on her before she hops up into Vera's arms again for the next shot.

"I really thought that was a plushie," Casey laughs. He's getting into the rhythm of the shot, apparently- enough to time sentences between poses and sweater swaps, at least. "That's your shy one, then? Not so shy now!"

"Yeah… it's why I wanted her here." Vera relaxes a little, with Casey taking Trixie's presence so well. Enough that she isn't gripping her so tightly, at least. Trixie, for her part, seems to have decided Ginger is her rival, and spends the time during costume changes glaring at the bunny, while trying to look cuter than her during pictures. She even wags her tail cutely. "See? Not so scary, huh?"

"A good thing to get over that now. Gyms woulda been rough, wouldn't they?"

"She did fine against Hana. I'm just glad I can have her out around you."

The cameras click-click-click and the director pauses. "Casey, you good?"

Vera looks over at Casey when the director questions him, seeing the heat flush is gone from his face. Ginger squirms against his white-knuckled grip but he doesn't seem to notice, wide eyes fixed on Trixie, apparently truly taking in her costume for the first time. The Pikachu doll was pretty accurate, but the arms sit stiffly at her sides, the tail doesn't quite match after Trixie's stick was shoved into it, and the bottom is completely torn out, the stuffing removed so she can fit inside it, so the little feet don't sit right on the floor. She turns to Casey, turning her whole body so her real eyes on the doll's torso can see him.

"No. I mean. Yes. I just think-" his confidence comes back as he talks, overexplains his vision for some individual shots, strides away from Vera and behind the camera to consult with the photographers. But the blood hardly returns to his face, and his eyes still dart to the Mimikyu in her arms.

The shoot grinds to a halt around them, and Vera feels a slight twinge of guilt. "Casey, I…" When he doesn't look at her, her guilt is buried under anger. She just knows he's going to blame her for this somehow.

She doesn't have time to think on it, though, as the assistant comes up beside her again. "Quick change, put these on." She glares at him for sneaking up on her, but takes off her skirt and changes into the jeans he gives her, pulling them up over the leggings. When she tries putting on the flannel shirt he's holding, he pulls back, tying it around her waist and giving her a new scarf.

He directs her to the other set, where Jordan is waiting after some solo shoots. The photographer snaps his fingers twice, grabbing Vera's attention. "Okay, Fall Casual, now with female model. Just like before, okay Vera? Let's have some fun."

That's sounding like a tall order now, and more than once Vera has to be told to focus or not to frown. Being close to Jordan helps, though, and she leans into him as much as she can get away with.

Even through the next few costume changes, Vera isn't really feeling it anymore. She keeps looking over to where Casey is, but they're keeping him separate from her. She even has to get coaxed out of the dressing room for the last shot.

Afterwards, she waits outside for Jordan and Casey to come out. They can deal with the photographers, with Kel, with whoever else wants to talk. She holds Trixie's ball in her hand, while the Mimikyu herself struts around at her feet, clearly having enjoyed herself. She's back to her old rag, but Vera has the ravaged doll that had allowed Trixie to get close to Casey in her backpack.

When the door opens, Vera returns Trixie to her ball, recognizing the voice that comes out.

"--erwork? Uh, Jordan, give them your address."

Jordan scrunches up his face. "What? Why?"

"We'll be in Celadon soonest, and your parents gotta sign off 'cause you're a baby, look at those squishy cheeks-"

The door falls wide, giving her full view of Casey pinching Jordan's cheeks as the latter tries to fight him off. Kel stands bemusedly behind them, posture far more languid than they have been all afternoon. Their pen idly click-clicks for a while before Jordan manages to get his address out, which they scribble down with a flourish.

"Right. Good to see ya, good to meet ya, now get out." Kel shoves the boys through the door and the last thing they see is a smirk and a jaunty wave.

The lobby is empty but for the three of them, and silent but for the low hum of a TV someone had left on.

"Well." Vera pushes off from the wall, coming to stand by her boys. She has no idea what to say next. "That was fun, right? I'm glad we did this."

"Yeah! You liked the clothes, right? Hope so- I bought them all, they're going to Jordan's. They're sending the paperwork there too, we have to sign releases, so- we'll make sure to meet up at Jordan's when we get out there, right?"

"Sure… Celadon is big on shopping, maybe I'll pick up more plushies. Trixie liked the one she was wearing." Vera stares directly at Casey as she says this, trying to see his reaction for herself for once.

He flinched, didn't he?

But his mouth keeps moving. "Yeah, shopping, sure. Speaking of- I never found what I was looking for, so, I think I should keep looking. You don't have to come with, y'all can just go rest at the hotel or train or- whatever you need to do, I'll just, head out…" By the time he finishes that thought he's at the exterior door, pushing it open even as he walks backwards.

"Casey, don't you walk away from me!" Vera angrily stomps her foot. "I knew it, you have a problem with my Pokémon, don't you? Just because she's a Ghost?"

Casey freezes in the half-open door. "Did you think I wouldn't?" he growls. "Did you think I would be fine with you rollin' up with another ghost? I know you didn't- you hid her from me earlier, in the store. So what the fuck, Vera?!"

Vera finches. She doesn't mean to, it really undercuts her whole "righteous anger" stance, but she looks away from Casey. She hasn't known him long, but she doesn't see him get mad like this often. The aggressive tone, the strong language, the harsh truths… and they're all directed at her.

"I just… I kinda knew when I caught her, but I thought… or maybe I didn't think, I'm not sure." She feels very small all of a sudden, and without a justifiable stance to take. This isn't working, change tactics...

She stands up straight, brushing her hair out of her face. "But it wouldn't be fair to her to just ignore her, right? This was her idea, after all. After Lavender I figured you'd work on this."

"This photoshoot that I set up was her idea somehow? Bullshit," Casey spits, hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. "And I have been working, thank you very much! But guess what, Vera? It's been five days! People don't get over lifelong issues in five days. 'Specially when half of those were spent tryna figure out who I can trust enough to help me!"

His chest heaves as he wrestles back his next words, but they slip out anyway. "It clearly ain't you."

The words hit Vera not like a truck, but like a knife, sliding past her facade and leaving her unable to speak. She looks away from Casey, down to the floor. She's not crying, but it's taking a lot of effort not to.

The door shutters shut, and even without looking- Casey's absence is obvious.

"Wait!" Vera calls out, but too late. Thoughts of Lavender rush through her head, and dread settles in her heart at the thought of another bad break-up. She grabs Jordan's arm tightly. "One of us should go talk to him. And it clearly ain't me…" She lets go of Jordan, feeling bitter and hating it.

"Sure ain't." Kel swishes around them, meeting Vera's eyes with a critical stare. "I'll be gettin' him this time. You two run along to whatever else you got goin' on."

The dumbfounded expression finally leaves Jordan's face as he closes his gaping jaw. He clears his throat. "I think- yeah, maybe we should give him some time and just let Kel talk to him for now." He gives her a small smile that was probably meant to be reassuring. "I mean, he has to come back, right? All our awesome new outfits are going to my house, after all."

"But… yeah, okay." Vera ducks her head again as she clutches Trixie's Poké Ball to her chest. She's glad Jordan's here, she's less likely to run away this time. They'll work things out, in time.

A joint post between Groc, Aquacorde, and Juno.

Aquacorde · Jan 31, 2022

Casey Holt

Wednesday, May 29, 2019 // Afternoon, Day 10
Saffron City

10-06. did my best but it wasn't enough

Spoiler: you run away - barenaked ladies

Casey rounds a corner and skids to a halt, barely two blocks from the building they'd been shooting in. Not even far. He could go back. No! He can't go back, not to Vera, not to ghosts. To Jordan, he wants to, he desperately wants to, wants comfort and trust and safety- but Jordan's still with Vera, and Casey can't be.

He presses his palms to his cheeks and inhales a shuddering breath. He tried, he tried, he really tried and he was doing okay, for a moment, even knowing the ghosts were there and around and could come out any time but wouldn't, because his friends were understanding and kind and trustworthy-

But apparently not.

Clicking footfalls make him scuttle backwards, praying that it isn't Vera. "You coulda run back inside rather'n making me come out here," Kel says, bopping him on the head with a makeup brush.

And for some reason, that gentle tap is too much for Casey, and he bites his lip hard to suppress a shuddering sob as tears drop from his wide eyes.

"Aw, hey, no-" Kel's clearly thrown off, but there's nothing Casey can do to quell this outburst of emotion, so his cousin eventually settles for a rather awkward hug, allowing Casey to clutch at them and cry into their silky shawl. His newly-shorn hair is patted vaguely in some attempt at consoling, and after a few moments Casey realizes Kel is talking- mostly to themself, mostly narrating their own options in the situation, very clearly confused and unsure of how to calm any distressed teenager, let alone one who is clutching at them in the street like a lifeline.

And eventually, Casey calms enough to listen more and the nervous, aimless chatter becomes funny enough to giggle at, though a few hitched sobs still work their way through.

"Ah, there we go." Casey lifts his head at the light words, actually directed at him now. Kel's scrunched brow doesn't suit them, nor does the strained smile they've plastered on. "Brain functioning again?"

Casey nods. His head feels heavy and gross, but yes- mostly regulated again.

"Good. Have a handkerchief. And keep it. Can we sit?"

There's a wooden bench nestled in an alcove a few buildings down. Casey sits heavily, still not quite through all the adrenaline, and Kel perches on the armrest.

"You're real good at hiding it, y'know? I didn't even notice 'til about halfway through. Thought you just wanted to show off on solo shoots- which you also did well at, by the way." Casey's not sure if Kel thinks this is a good thing or not. Well, clearly it's a good thing that he did well at the modeling aspect, especially because he put a lot of effort into it, but being able to hide his emotions even from Mx. Socialite-and-Police-Officer Kel?

"It's a useful skill." Ah, okay. "Good to use on people you don't trust." Oh. "Prob'ly not as great to use on your friends."

"Can't trust 'em though, can I?" Casey says, bitterness clear even through the clogged sinuses. "Goin' around pickin' up Ghost-types."

"You can't dictate their choices, you know."

"Course I know!" Casey thumps his own leg for emphasis. "Known that the whole time- Bruno got a ghost right off the bat, didn't he? But that was okay, it was almost okay, 'cause he kept it put away mostly, and it never did much except make faces and laugh. I even battled it! I was doing okay!" Despite instructing Ginger to activate the thing's PokéBall when it got to be too much, anyway. "And I was doin' okay with Tiny, actually, and maybe I woulda started lookin' at Vera's Misdreavus, but- she had to go an' pull out a surprise fuckin' Mimikyu and I–" Casey inhales, deep and shuddering, "I can't, I can't deal with that."

"Clearly." Kel crosses and uncrosses their legs restlessly beside him. They're wearing fancy flats, embroidered in a gold threads that flash with every shift.

It's funny, what his brain tries to seize hold of in its quest to not think about what comes next.

"So, now what?" Kel asks, and Casey is already filling in the next question. "D'you just stop being friends with them?"

And that's the choice he has to make, isn't it?

Every instinct he has screams yes, leave them, stop getting hurt! and those words claw their way up his throat but he bites them back because then what? He's never broken off any kind of relationship before, or been broken off with. Usually people just left the area and physical distance equated emotional distance and things… fell apart. But to intentionally say no, I don't want to be friends anymore?

How do you do that?

And what happens if you do?

What happens to Casey if he doesn't hang out with Vera ever again?

"I don't know," he says miserably.

"You gotta make some kinda choice, kiddo." Kel reaches over to fix his short fringe. "You been trying to get over this ghost deal, but that takes time. It isn't working to have these two pulling stunts while you're actively struggling, huh? And you can't be friends with them without fixing your issues. So what do you do?"

None of them are easy solutions. None of them are things he wants to do.

But there's only one that speaks of hope, isn't there?

Casey holds back tears again. It's a decision that will hurt so, so much. But maybe, if it works, it'll only hurt for a while.

Aquacorde · Feb 5, 2022

Casey Holt

Wednesday, May 29, 2019 // Evening, Day 10
Saffron City

10-07. still a chance I had to take

Spoiler: another heartbreak - barenaked ladies

There are Gogoat available to ride around the city, and Casey takes one aimlessly. Where usually he would be exploring, he now just wants to escape- running is freeing, even through the gentle psychic link the Gogoat provides. Parsley canters alongside, keeping pace with his evolution if only for the fact that the bigger Pokémon is carrying a nearly-grown human. They skirt along the northern edge of the city, up and down hills dotted with single-family homes until the Gogoat trots to a halt.

"This as far as you go?" Casey asks. His voice is rough, unstable- he hasn't spoken at all for the better part of two hours. It doesn't matter. The Gogoat nods and Casey slides off, stumbling slightly. He's not used to riding. But he doesn't let the Gogoat wander off quite yet- rehydrating at the fountain in a nearby park is what both Pokémon need. And the Gogoat certainly appreciates the brush that runs through its leafy pelt as Casey methodically grooms it, taking in the differences and similarities to what Parsley is now.

When will he change into this?

It is no doubt a matter of when- Parsley prances around, enamored by what he can become, thrilled to be shown his future. But when will that desire take hold of him at a cellular level and change him entirely? What will that do to Casey's rambunctious little goat? All the Gogoat at the Pokémon Center seemed docile and calm, and this one is no exception- is that just the way Gogoat are? Will Parsley become quiet and patient and stoic?

Casey lets the Gogoat head off with a pat and pulls his Skiddo into him, brushing through the much softer fuzz and nuzzling his face into Parsley's shoulder. He doesn't want such drastic change to his little boy.

But he has to allow him to grow, doesn't he? Everyone has to be allowed room to reach their goals and become what they want to be.

Casey has to be allowed, too.

It was too early, he thinks, as he stands fully and stretches properly. It was too much, too soon. Barely time to breathe before diving back in. He needs to rest, to process, to figure it out. And he can't do it by sticking so close to his friends.

That sucks.

But he has his Pokémon, Pepper and Ginger and Parsley- his lively baby boy that bounds and begs Casey to play tag. A grin creeps back onto Casey's face as he settles into the quick steps of dodging and lunging, and he remembers- this is why he's here. To enjoy his journey, to enjoy his time with Pokémon, to play and learn and experience alongside them. To grow and change and evolve.

But as the sky fades to sunset, as the light flickers and whirls, he can't help but wish it was as easy for himself to change as it is for Pokémon.

Aquacorde · Feb 8, 2022

Casey Holt

Thursday, May 30, 2019 // Early Morning, Day 11
Saffron City

10-08. putting on a brave face

Spoiler: here before - barenaked ladies

Casey's not looking forward to this.

He never was, really, but especially after Vera's stunt with that Mimikyu yesterday- he's already on edge. Despite knowing he needs this, needs to do this, needs to get a grip on it-

He jogs past Silverfield Studios.

No, you have to go-

He doesn't break stride, just turns right at the corner and circles the block. This time, he'll just-

Jog past again.

He wants to see Sorley. He wants to investigate the workshop, see if they'll teach him how they make leather so glossy, hang out in front of that little fake fire and talk about whatever. He wants to ask about the rest of the studio's artists, about Sorley's family, about why they all picked up and moved from Johto. He wants to-

Jog past again.

Stop it!

He doesn't want to see another Misdreavus. He doesn't want to face down a hulking Golurk. He doesn't want to be snuck up on by a Sableye. He just wants to run, Parsley and Pepper at his heels, away from this issue entirely. Move on. Past Sorley, past Vera, past Jordan. Leave Arianne and Gwen and Bruno in the dust. Never visit Lavender Town ever again in his life. Never climb Mount Pyre, never ring Celestial Tower's bell, never wander through Galar's Wild Area…

"So, so, how long are you gonna be at this?"

Casey almost trips as his thoughts slam back to earth. Sorley perches on the steps outside the studio, cup of tea cradled in their hands against the morning chill, springy hair corralled with a neon green scrunchie.

But he doesn't change his pace.

"Almost done!" Casey flashes them a grin, hoping the strain showing around the corners of his mouth is taken for exertion and not the discomfort that it truly is. "One- two more rounds, yeah?"

"Sure, sure!"

He took the long way here. He doesn't actually need to jog more.

Pepper agrees with that internal sentiment and drops with a huff at Sorley's feet as they pass by the stoop. Parsley is confused for a moment, but Casey knows he'll run forever if he's allowed, even through the fumbling adjustments to his new form.

Unfortunately, the allotted two circuits are over before he knows it.

Sorley hands him a glass of water when he resignedly drops onto the step next to them, which he immediately drains. "Thanks."

"Let's go back and get more, yeah? I'm surprised you don't run with any, that's a…" Sorley's voice fades out as they skip into the building, trailed by Parsley's heavy, clattering hooves and Pepper's tapping claws.

Casey makes no move to follow.

There is a purpose in being here, one he needs to address, something he needs to overcome. He has to get up. He has to follow Sorley, he has to find out what they've planned, he has to try! He has to face it!

The morning chill rolls over the empty, silent street, and even that isn't motivation to move. He turns the glass in his hands, over and over, looking straight at it but seeing nothing. He has to stand up. He has to go inside.

"Right, right, let's push him, then?"

That's all the warning Casey gets before several things happen in tandem: Parsley wedges his large horns under his knees, Pepper shoves his skull into his right armpit and pushes him up and towards the building, and Sorley makes a valiant attempt to wrap arms fully around his ribcage and pull him in that same direction.

This all inevitably results in Casey flailing and crashing back down, lower back in a stair, not even any closer to the building than he had been. The collection of groans and whines miraculously don't involve complaints of embedded glass shards, as Casey's reflexes apparently decided to fling his empty cup fully across the street instead of doing anything else to help the situation.

"What-" he huffs, rearranging his legs to let Parsley stand and shake himself, "was that s'posed to accomplish?" Casey rolls to his left, to release Pepper and his tirade of complaints.

"Wanted you to go inside." Sorley's pout is very clear from three inches away. It's actually pretty funny, that they thought they'd be able to move him at all. Their hands barely meet around his torso- how were they ever going to get leverage like that?

"Coulda asked."

"I did!" Their untrapped hand bops him on the nose. "You were out here for like, like, ten whole minutes and didn't answer when I said stuff, so-!"

"Huh." He didn't think he'd been spacing out that badly.

"And now you're all cold and clammy, aren't you, so come on!" They pat his cheek. "Let's go inside. Where's your beard? And the rest of your hair?"

It's Casey's turn to pout. "Left on the floor of a modelling studio."

He recounts yesterday's adventures and atrocities even through Sorley's shrieks at being scooped up in one fairly fluid motion. Pepper and Parsley open doors and the group finds the staff kitchen, just on the other side of the little den they spent yesterday morning in. It's a tight fit with Casey and Parsley taking up so much space, and Pepper and Sorley both end up perched atop the counter as Casey gets to the more emotionally charged part of his recap.

What does he want to say? How much does he want to reveal?

"I mean, it went well. I could be a model for real. I'm hot." He sips his water, more to put off saying something than to hydrate. "Vera brought a ghost in, though, and I didn't know it was a ghost. They prettied up a Mimikyu and I thought it was just a toy they gave her and I- I don't like that kind of surprise. I didn't even know she had it, I knew she had a Misdreavus, and I didn't even actually see that since Lavender, and I- I thought I was doing okay." Tears skim his lower lashes and he breathes deep to will them away. "So I told her I couldn't trust her to help me figure it out. And I don't- I can't travel with either of them for a while. Or anyone, really. 'Cause it's too much, to always be knowing there's a ghost around. I'm tryin' really hard, but that's not helping."

Sorley bites their lip for a moment and their fingers tap restlessly at the side of their mug. "So, so, what's different about hanging out with me?"

Casey considers. There are reasons, aren't there, that he feels safer with Sorley, a legitimate mono-Ghost trainer, than with his classmates. What are they? What information has he filed away?

"You have three and you don't want more," Casey decides, pulling a conversation from Cerulean out of his memory. "No surprises- just Golurk, Sableye, Misdreavus."

"True, true! But what if… what if Missy evolved? And I just showed up with a Mismagius, like you showed up today with a Gogoat?" Parsley nuzzles at their pocket, and Sorley empties loose trail mix out onto the counter for said Gogoat's enjoyment.

And Casey shakes his head. It's not relevant, because- "You wouldn't show 'em to me. They keep away while you're doin' work, for one, but also- you keep them away from me. Missy came to help us in that fight in Lavender but- you sent him away, right away, 'cause I couldn't deal. You're considerate."

"Okay, okay, but- Sableye isn't, and neither is Missy really. Missy likes to follow you around anyway! And I don't keep any of them in their PokéBalls much."

Sableye and Missy, but not- "Golurk is considerate." Sorley hides their smile behind their mug but Casey's lips curl up to match. "Golurk is considerate, and they all stick together mostly. You had him keeping Sableye out of trouble during the festival, didn't you? That's why they were at the graveyard. And Missy, well- if he's still following me around he's been polite enough to keep outta sight." He doesn't like the idea of being followed by a ghost but- Missy's… under control. Theoretically. And Casey has Ginger to yank him out of the air if it turns out he's not.

"Did you notice?" Sorley bounces in place, grin fully visible without the mug in front of their face.

"Notice… Missy following me? Only in Cerulean, and I sure hope he's not-"

"No, no, did you notice- you just had a whole talk about ghosts without flinching! Good job!" Sorley pats him on the head, which is still a reach despite their perch on the counter. Casey blinks, mouth slightly open as no counter appears.

He did, didn't he?

"Well- I mean, that's not-"

"That's good," Sorley insists, and Casey allows it.

But he has to be even better than that, doesn't he?

"I gotta be able to hang out with a ghost." The tightening of his chest and fists don't stop the words from flowing out. That's good. "I gotta be able to see them, and stay with them, and trust them." But that's where he falters. "I- I don't know how."

"Same as you trust anybody, I think? Same as you trust me? It might be… it might be just getting to know them?"

He's started this train of thought before, hasn't he? Back when he was sent off to a Mimikyu-infested factory with yet another inconsiderate companion. Back when he cautiously inspected Tiny, asking halting questions of Jordan. There was just always something that redirected him, that tripped him up, that sent him off the path.

He'll stick with it this time.

"I want to get to know Golurk first." And that's a bold, bold statement that makes both Parsley and Pepper snap their heads in his direction and Sorley's already-big eyes go wide. But they swap parted lips for a wide grin quickly.

"Good choice, good choice! I'll go- I'll get him, hold on-" And they're off toward the back of the workshop before Casey can really take in what he's signed himself up for. He places his glass down, carefully, deliberately, and reaches for Pepper with unseeing eyes, scooping up the Charmeleon and sinking to the floor, back to the cupboards, Parsley scooting as close as he can to join the huddle.

Too much, too fast. Pumped the brakes on one thing but turned around and accelerated another, what is he doing? Is this self-improvement or self-sabotage? He still hasn't found a consistent outlet for Pepper's fire, Parsley just evolved and isn't used to his body yet, Ginger threw an absolute fit last night about said evolution, he still hasn't told his friends he's not going to be with them for a while- and instead of dealing with all of that he's decided to do a meet and greet with a Golurk, a ghost, what is he doing?!

Moving forward.

As always.

By the time Sorley swings their tiny frame back around the corner, Casey's back on his feet, firm in his stance, steeled for battle.

"Did you hurt yourself? You look weird."

"Uh." Casey consciously relaxes his posture. "Just haven't stretched yet. Y'know."

"Not really. Hey, hey, Golurk's gonna be a minute, but there's something in the workshop you should see anyway. Not one of the others! A project, a cool project, a project you could use!"

Intrigued enough to override the stiff wariness still stringing through him, he lets himself be towed into the workshop. Various workstations with a myriad of neatly arranged but unfamiliar tools take up the majority of the space, but shelves closer to the big roll-up alley door seem to be stocked with raw materials. It smells- like leather, really, more intensely than his jacket. Like the front of the shop, but with a tinge of industry, of chemicals that he doesn't have an association for. It would probably be more pronounced if the place was warmer, busier, in active use by more than one person- but right now it's just Sorley, and Sorley leads him to one area in particular to rifle around underneath a workbench and come up with an armful of soft, light-colored leather that they excitedly dump onto the counter.

"Take a look, go on!"

Casey unfolds the thing. It looks unfinished, with edges unbound and hardly any stitching at all, but the general shape is there and the idea- he picks it up and the idea of it comes to life, so he throws it over Parsley's back. "A saddle?"

Sorley smoothes it on the Gogoat's back and draws it together underneath his belly. The soft leather conforms to his shape pretty well, but the fastenings don't close. "You've seen the Gogoats around the city, yes? We've been in talks to make simple saddles for them, 'cause they're easy to handle and all but! Some people need stirrups, even for short distances. This's a start on the… third or fourth design, I don't remember! Parsley's big for a Gogoat, though, did you know?"

"Huh. I didn't." He also hadn't thought about the logistics of riding a Gogoat yesterday when he'd done so. He somehow hadn't thought about riding Parsley at all, not between getting him used to his body and Ginger throwing a tantrum and having to sleep with emotions running high through everyone and then getting here and doing this-

Focus. Sorley's talking again.

"This one won't work, but- I think the first design was sized on a bigger Gogoat! Let's see, let's see, where did it go?"

Sorley scampers off again. Parsley sniffs at the saddle, and Casey's hand shoots out to grab the goat's tongue before he licks a stripe up the side. "It's not yours, don't do that. Actually, don't do that to the one we get, either."

Oh. He's decided to buy a saddle. Okay.

Is it weird that he hasn't thought much about riding Pokémon when he owns two commonly used for transit? Sure, a passing thought or two, and some talk surrounding riding that Lapras in Vermilion, but- did he not think he'd get this far?

Sorley presents a more finished saddle that fits Parsley much better and Casey nods along, asks questions, figures out how to use the thing- but his mind is halfway elsewhere. He really assumed there wouldn't be much change, didn't he? This had become the new norm so quickly- a Skiddo, a Buneary, and a Charmeleon. After Pepper evolved he hadn't thought anyone would be ready for a long time, even though he knows Ginger wants to be powerful. Parsley is still young, after all.

But that's not how Pokémon work all the time.

There's something about bonding and growth and change that he remembers vaguely, some phenomenon that implies people and Pokémon can change much more in a much shorter amount of time than expected while on journeys or adventures. The concentration of new experiences and active decisions does something to a brain. Maybe. He'll have to find that study analysis again.

It makes sense, though, a lot of sense, and he can see it happening now that he's in it. It's been less than two weeks since he set out from Cape College with a Charmander at his heels and now look at where they are! A Charmeleon, a Gogoat, a Buneary learning to love, and a near-adult facing down a deep-rooted issue.

Casey forces himself to breathe steadily as the alley door rolls creakily up into the ceiling.

Moving forward.

Eleanor · Feb 11, 2022

art by Aquacorde

Arianne Chandler
Saffron City
Thursday, May 30^th, morning

Perched high up

Here's a few facts about Serenity! Her family is originally from Snowbelle, in Kalos, but her parents have been visiting many different places before finally settling in Cinnabar Island (of all places). They still own a penthouse in Lumiose City, one of the largest and most modern cities Arianne has even heard of, and that's where Serenity has spent her childhood. Even now, she still travels back to Kalos and visits her extended family at least twice a year, and that lets her preserve that special Kalosian charm she has.

She may not feel right at home in good old Kanto, but she'd fit just as well in this city.

Saffron City, the city that Arianne is overlooking right now, would have probably felt easier and more interesting to explore if she could share her experiences with Serenity and get back tips, suggestions, or comments of any kind. What happened on Tuesday evening - Gwen and Jennifer's reunion - made her miss "Ren" even more! Accepting the fact that she's better off not bothering her friend any further before her assignments are completed is hard, and so is admitting that to anyone for that matter. On Wednesday evening, Arianne did send some pictures and quick messages to other friends of hers - and was greeted with a few cheerful replies the morning after - but it was just not the same thing.

Saffron City won't accept being remembered in a negative way because of this though. She surprises Arianne with a stunning, panoramic view over the entire Central district and beyond, visible through a marvel of glass, metal and precise engineering. The Cinnabar girl had to do her part and get up there in the first place, but luring her in was easy enough. At least, once she cleared her mind a bit and made that mental note of checking out the Broadcasting Tower's lookout.

The tall and thin building on Saffron's Eastern side is a perfect place to notice the rather geometrical, grid-like plan of the city center, occasionally interrupted by the river flowing through or the railroads bridging across it. Further away there's the new Stadium, another impressive building, but surrounded by much more greenery. And then Vermilion City, Celadon - most likely - and the sea between them. The weather isn't perfect, the horizon isn't a clear line between the sea and the sky, and that is probably why Fuchsia City or Cinnabar Island can't be seen. But with how high up Arianne is, she's sure that her home would be visible on certain days.

That's when she connects the dots.

This is what she's always dreamed of for as long as she's been alive! Traveling, seeing the world beyond her island, and having fun through it all. And this is her first real chance to do so, courtesy of Cape College.

Now, Saffron is herself kind of intimidating. So big, so bustling with activity, but also so… dignified in a way. Saffron can be a rather serious city, full of government offices, busy adults in suits and ties, and it's easy to feel out of place in certain spots. Arianne already noticed this on Wednesday and it's undeniable that someone like Serenity would be more at ease in those places, compared to her. But… isn't it more important to just be yourself? Now that the Cinnabar girl is getting used to the atmosphere of Saffron and has explored it on the back of a Gogoat, she can definitely see that. Up here, with the various tourists from who knows where, she also happens to fit right in.

Arianne looks outside one more time, mesmerized by the view, and grins. She imagines herself jumping off from this lookout and… gliding in the air on the back of a Pokémon, breathing in the wind that blows on her face, enjoying the view changing beneath her. That's all she needs to enjoy herself, after all…

Now, doesn't she have a Pokémon that evolves into a large flying Dragon?

TEAM:

Eric, lv. 36 •

Espurr, lv. 23

Blitzle, lv. 24 •

Alice, lv. 15

Lulu, lv. 32 •

Honedge, lv. 22

Eleanor · Feb 15, 2022

art by Aquacorde

Arianne Chandler
Saffron City, Western district
Thursday, May 30^th, early afternoon

The dragon's rage

Honedge is out, and Mizar is in. Arianne has to thank Professor Palm for that, but he didn't seem too upset about having to arrange another trade so fast - if anything, he was just surprised at how quickly the girl changed her mind. But hey, the visit to that tower touched her heart strings.

She hasn't trained with Mizar for a while now. The last time the little dragon has been actually fighting was somewhere near Vermilion, uh? But she has to give it another try if she wants to unleash his potential, even if she's not sure how. So far, only Eric has evolved while traveling with her.

Mizar appears in the middle of a rather large grass field, all the way towards the western end of Saffron, somewhere close to the new Tomorrow Stadium. There's a few professional trainers practicing with their much more powerful Pokémon, or so Ari thinks, but there's still plenty of space for everyone and the area is very open. Hopefully this means Mizar won't get himself in trouble with other trainers, and only focus on the Cinnabar girl… who in turn can let her Pokémon put on their best show.

Somewhat unsure how to start the training section with a Pokémon that's looking back at her with a pout, Arianne just sends out Espurr to battle against him. Mizar raises an eyebrow as the face of mercy stares back, all while the girl takes some time to ready herself up, PokéGear in hand. She's not sure what to do, but if there's something that the journey has proven true, is that Pokémon get stronger by fighting. If all else fails, you just put two of your own Pokémon against each other and see what happens.

What happens is, in this case, is the two creatures trading their strongest attacks, but failing to hit each other. Espurr takes the initiative and charges up a Psybeam, which Bagon is able to dodge before lunging at the Psychic-type with Headbutt… a move that Espurr dodges very easily with the help of her Confusion, which throws off her opponent. That's something that Arianne can work from, because she tells Mizar to use Ember a few times. All hits that Espurr can dodge rather easily, but… when she finds herself surrounded by all the scorched grass and the kindled stems, it's harder to dodge the Bite that's coming towards her.

Bagon walks through the area he's set on fire without many issues, whereas Espurr wants nothing to do with it. She scuttles away with a Covet and, from far enough, screeches at her opponent with Disarming Voice. That makes Mizar flinch, being a super-effective hit, and prompts him to retaliate with even more Ember. Espurr sets up a Light Screen to counter that.

This is when Mizar tries Dragon Rage. Tries because it ends up being a large cloud of blue energy and smoke that Espurr is able to dodge, backpedaling further away from Bagon. He attacks again, trying to put more strength in his second Dragon Rage, and this time, Espurr is engulfed by it. It's not quite like smoke but it lingers for a while around the Psychic-type… until it's blown away with a strong Psybeam that also hits the target.

Arianne has been giving commands and watching the battle unfold but that last attack was definitely an exception. She didn't plan for Espurr to take the Dragon Rage head-on and retaliate, she rather hoped for the Psychic-type to try and dodge again. Given that now both Pokémon are rather hurt, that sounds like a good moment to stop the battle.

So far, so good.

Arianne is clearly enthusiastic to see Mizar battle again with such spirit. He may not be that strong at this stage but he's surely proud of his power and ready for sparring, which is always nice. But things get a bit more complicated when, in place of Espurr, appear Lulu and Eric. The latter of which is there just for a quick Heal Pulse, to be fair.

This is not a fight, in theory. It's target practice, because Lulu just bounces in place - as instructed - while Mizar has to track her down and hit her with Dragon Rage. It makes sense, right? If that battle is any indication of what Bagon needs to improve on, focusing and aiming his ranged attacks is surely on the list. And it looks close enough to what one of the other people who are training their Pokémon in the park is doing.

One could see it in his eyes though… Mizar is candidly bored by that. He's not really able to whip up a Dragon Rage that effortlessly anyways, and seeing that even in that occasion where he fires a strong, thick stream of blue energy, Lulu is completely unscathed causes him to build up a whole other kind of rage.

Eventually the Dragon Rage turns into… plain old Ember again. Mizar lets out a battle cry in the face of a confused Lulu, who doesn't think twice and hits back with a Strength Sap. It's a funny feeling for the Bagon, and not in a good way… those strange crawling roots come back to haunt him again as soon as his Ember hits Lulu again, and he can feel his muscles tremble and lose strength. He's not taking damage, sure, but… he's feeling weaker. Which is possibly an even worse sign in his mind.

At that point, Mizar Leers a few times, and Lulu doesn't hit back in any way. She rather looks for Arianne, who is trying to give Bagon some instructions and encouraging him to keep practicing like before. It can't be that hard, right?

The way the situation changes from there is… interesting.

Eventually Bagon hits Arianne and runs away. Not with an attack or anything, but just tackling her is clearly enough to make even her lose her balance and fall, when you're a Bagon. Mizar then runs across the open field, trying to go faster and faster, with Arianne trying to catch up to him… Pokéball in hand. But it doesn't activate, he's too far! And even when the right range is almost reached…

Bagon runs straight into someone's Donphan, who's practicing Rollout on the grass. He's launched far up in the air, not without taking considerable damage, and… ironically, it's after the hit that his now red, glowing eyes start to sparkle. That's Rage!

Non-Dragon, but still Rage.

That's one way to do it…

To be fair, he's on the ground again in the blink of an eye. But he's given himself momentum. He's trying to swoop in right on Lulu, who's struggling to bounce past her trainer. And he gets very close to hitting her too - in fact, he leaves a sizable crater on the grass right next to her. When the dust and the spores (courtesy of Morelull's Sleep Powder) finally settle, a hurt Lulu is standing next to a hurt - but sleeping - Bagon.

Arianne and Eric look at the scene and, at first, just facepalm internally and try to laugh it off. But the girl soon starts to doubt herself again when the silence gives way to some chirping from way above her. Just a flock of Flying-types passing by, probably.

Why was training her Pokémon so hard? She thought she was doing at least a decent job putting what she'd learned at Cape College into practice… even if they were mostly blanket methods to get to know each Pokémon, she knew they were supposed to work. Did she maybe get the wrong Pokémon to try this with? She was a fledgling trainer after all- could she really work with a rare, headstrong Pokémon like Bagon? Or would she… would she end up like Shannon and his Scolipede anyways?

Thinking about it, not all of her Pokémon were that easy to train either. Mizar and Honedge especially, she was… almost afraid of them, the ruckus they could cause, the fact that they may not want to listen to her. She'd tried using them in a few battles but that was it, right? And that was easy enough to do, possibly because if you, Pokémon, are already up against an enemy who's eager to battle you, you don't ask yourself that many questions. You just act.

Thinking about it, Blitzle was pretty reckless too. Espurr could provide dangerous headaches if her power were to be unleashed. Only Lulu and Eric felt properly "safe" to use - no wonder Arianne liked them! Could that be why Courtney was able to beat her on Wednesday, when she didn't use Eric in battle?

TEAM:

Eric, lv. 36 •

Espurr, lv. 25 ↑

Blitzle, lv. 24 •

Alice, lv. 15

Lulu, lv. 33 ↑ •

Mizar, lv. 22 ↑

Aquacorde · Feb 16, 2022

Casey Holt

Thursday, May 30, 2019 // Morning, Day 11
Saffron City

10-09. Aurelia

Aurelia still hasn't answered his text.

But, Casey figures, she's busy with preparations for and participation in the tournament. The Tomorrow Cup. That is being held in Saffron. Where he currently is. Exactly where he currently is, in fact, because he's wormed his way into the competitors' lounge with a cheerful confidence that he doesn't actually feel. He doesn't actually know what he's doing here, but giving the impression that he does staves off a lot of questions.

What is he doing here? What does he expect will happen? He hasn't spoken to Aurelia in- he doesn't even know how long. It can't have been the whole seven years since her graduation, right? That would be insane. But he genuinely can't think of-

Oh.

He remembers now.

The clouds break just as thirteen-year-old Casey slips inside the building, past the movers he definitely would have talked to if he didn't have groceries that needed refrigeration. Thunder rattles the stairwell's windows as he climbs, but the rolls are nearly imperceptible when he gives up and takes the elevator. Twenty floors is hard on its own, but trying to take them quickly and with groceries? Yikes.

The movers are there in the elevator as well, when it opens to Casey on the eighth floor. He reaches out to smack the button for the twentieth floor, but his hand stalls and slowly lowers when he realizes it's already lit.

The twentieth floor is the penthouse. There's only one unit up there.

It's his.

Before he can figure out what to ask, the elevator dings and the movers spill out into the entryway- his entryway- and track wet footsteps through the hall and into the living room. All the lights are on, keeping the dark sky at bay and catching the shine of gold accessories decorating the tall sandy-haired woman commanding the movers like an army.

"Aurelia?" Casey asks, almost too quietly for her to hear. She does, though, and spares him only an irritated glance before snapping again at one of the movers.

Casey gives her a wide berth, but his eyes keep flicking back to his sister as he puts his groceries away quietly. When the elevator doors close on the movers once more, she finally trains her piercing hazel eyes on him, trapping him wide-eyed against the kitchen counter with the empty cloth shopping bag in hand.

"Why are you here?"

"What?" Casey almost drops the bag. "Uh, I live here, what do you-"

"Mother and Father are in Sinnoh. Why are you here?"

They never take me with them. "Uh, school, I guess? It's not break yet."

Aurelia lets her exasperation be known through a sharp sigh. "Go to your room until I'm done."

Casey's halfway there before he thinks to push back. It's his house, she hasn't actually lived here for five years, she can't come in and order him around anymore-

"Are you moving out?" he blurts, which is not in any way pushing back.

"Clearly," Aurelia snaps. The lights flicker to the flash of the storm. Casey goes to his room.

He's still holding the shopping bag. He twists and crumples it as he sits on the edge of his bed and stares at nothing, listening to the rumble of the storm, the squeak of shoes, the thud of boxes and screech of packing tape. He doesn't know how long he listens. The storm rages on outside his bedroom window, spattering the glass with heavy raindrops. Aurelia's curt instructions are the clearest thing in his mind.

Eventually, his cracked door is pushed wide and his eyes flick up to meet Aurelia's. "I'm done," she says. Casey blinks. Why does she need to tell him?

"This is my phone number," she says, and places a precisely folded piece of paper on the shelf next to the door. "You will text me if I get mail here."

Casey nods.

"Good." And she strides away, heels clicking across the hardwood floors until the chime of the elevator seals her away.

Casey stands, saves the phone number, and starts cleaning up after the movers in silence.

He'd texted her for her mail, for a while, but less than a year later he'd finally started at Cape. She'd never responded, but the mail always disappeared eventually.

He doesn't know what she did about it after he left.

It doesn't matter anymore, though. He's got so many other things to ask.

If she'll listen.

If she'll answer.

Casey moves easily through the space. There are people milling about, sure, but there are plenty of occupied seats in this open lobby and he doesn't see Aurelia in any of them. She's probably the type to hang out in one of the quieter greenrooms anyway.

Then again, he has no idea what she's like with other people.

"'Scuse me," he says to a person with a lanyard that denotes them as staff. "I'm lookin' for someone, can you help me out?"

The woman looks him up and down. "Aurelia Holt?"

"How-?"

"You look like her," the woman laughs. "Brother?"

"Uh, yeah, I…" Casey knows, of course. He knows his hair has darkened from the white-blonde of childhood to the same sandy color Aurelia has always had. He's held pictures of Aurelia next to his own reflection and seen their mother's straight nose and their father's hazel eyes on both of them. He knows he's tall now, like she's been for a while.

He didn't think anyone else would notice.

"I came to check in before she starts for the day," he hears himself say. It's a good thing he can run a conversation on autopilot. The woman doesn't ask any questions, though she does raise an eyebrow before directing him to the small room Aurelia has claimed as her own. All the way down the hall, the last one on the right.

The door is closed.

And then it is open, because Casey has known from the moment he set foot in this place that he just has to keep moving forward.

His eyes are tracking movement before anything else- Aurelia is out of her chair in a flash, striding towards him with cold fury. "What are you doing," she hisses, crowding him back toward the doorframe. Casey falters, just slightly, but refuses to let himself be pushed back out of the room.

"I'm here to see my sister, wish her good luck with her matches!" His cheer and volume stop her in her tracks, and disgust flashes across her face when she notices her competitors in the room across the hall staring unashamedly. Aurelia grabs him by the wrist, nails catching his skin, and yanks him into the room- or tries. She can't move him anymore, not like that. Casey flashes a bright grin to the other competitors and steps inside under his own power, swinging the door closed behind him.

Aurelia studies him, and he lets her, bouncing on the balls of his feet to calm his nerves. He's sure she knows he's studying her right back- her wavy sandy hair that parts in the same place as his but hits the small of her back, now, and the gold heels that are the only reason she still stands above him. He's taller than her now, isn't he? For the first time in their lives.

But still, he can't take her hard stare for long, and glances around the dressing room instead. It's furnished in much the same style as the rest of this area, and there are few things that stand out as Aurelia's. A fine wool sweater, a purse, a makeup case, and five PokéBalls neatly lining the vanity.

Five?

"Why do-"

"Again." Aurelia cuts him off. "What are you doing?"

"I'm on my graduation journey now," Casey says, "and I just so happen to be in town durin' a tournament my sister is taking part in. Crazy, right? So I figured I'd come see how you were doin'. And maybe ask some questions in person, since you didn't answer the one I texted."

Aurelia clicks her tongue. "I don't have time for this."

"Why not?" Casey asks, but her eyes have already flicked to the five PokéBalls on the vanity, so he pounces. "Why d'you only have five PokéBalls?"

"None of your business."

"Could be." Casey shrugs. "If you let it be."

"I don't need your help," she spat.

"But you do need help?"

Aurelia seethes. Casey automatically shifts his stance wider before realizing he's preparing for a hit, and forces himself to breathe, deep and slow.

But she turns away, striding to the vanity and clicking her nails against its surface as she stares down at the five PokéBalls.

"Pokémon are being stolen," she says, voice clear as day and sharp as a knife. "All over the city. But these thieves aren't playing for ransom like the ones that run around with cages and nets. These are stealing PokéBalls and, as soon as they can, they are destroying them."

Casey sucks in a breath. Destroying a PokéBall trips a safety mechanism that releases whatever Pokémon it has registered within it. Fully releases- meaning that the Pokémon is not even registered to its trainer anymore. It's legally wild, and anyone can catch it. Is this what Kel warned them about? Was this the Pokémon Liberation Group?

"I haven't chosen who I want to use as a backup yet," Aurelia muses.

"Wh- is that all that matters?" Casey's shock reverberates around the small room. His sister throws a glare over her shoulder.

"I have a match in forty minutes and I will not be losing." Aurelia strides toward him, and Casey takes an instinctive step back. Dammit. "There are not enough police to handle this situation, and I will not withdraw. If you want to be useful, go find my Beedrill. Then I might answer your questions."

She's in his face now, that extra inch of height just enough to remind him of all the times he's been in this position before, and Casey breaks. His wide eyes don't leave Aurelia's narrowed ones as he fumbles for the door handle and escapes down the hall, through the lobby, and out of the building completely.

Aquacorde · Feb 24, 2022

Casey Holt

Thursday, May 30, 2019 // Noonish, Day 11
Saffron City

10-10. agency

He comes to an abrupt halt several blocks away, shoes skidding on the pavement. Shit. Still running. Still scared. Why? She's not scary anymore. She shouldn't be, anyway. He's bigger than her, she can't push him around anymore. He's even got proof, in the red welts where her nails dug into his skin. She'd tried, and she couldn't move him at all. He's fine.

But instinct is a hard thing to fight, in the moment.

Casey sighs, leaning against a building and shoving his hands in his pockets. The motion activates one of his PokéBalls, and Pepper materializes at his side. "Oh. Hi, buddy."

Casey says nothing else, just stares blankly at the few fluffy clouds in the blue sky above them. What else can he say right now, when his head is full of memories and he feels like he's thirteen again? Where does he even start- and why should he, when Pepper won't understand half of what he might say?

Pepper leans against the wall and stares at the sky as well.

"We have to find a Beedrill," Casey sighs, eventually. Pepper quizzical exhale prompts more, as it always does. "Not just any one. My sister's is gone. She- said she didn't want help, but. There's nobody else."

No. That was never a reason he did anything.

Casey knows he's never been altruistic.

"I wanna prove…"

Prove what?

To who? Aurelia?

"Uh, I…"

Why?

Casey glances down at the tug on his sleeve. His hand slips from his pocket and Pepper secures it in his scaly, dry digits.

"It doesn't matter right now, huh? We gotta find that Pokémon!"

Even if she doesn't think it's a priority.

• • • • •

He doesn't know where to start. Aurelia had given him no clues as to where this could have happened, no hints as to where she had been. But, he supposes, even a Pokémon used to cities and the company of humans might aim for something that seems instinctively familiar. The PokéDex reminds him that Beedrill make their homes in forests, so…

The parks he's been passing by are city parks- plenty of trees for an urban space but not even enough to call a grove, really. To the south are the open wetlands, which bleed into the Celadon Plains to the west. Neither are known for their treelines, are they? Maybe ten years ago he would have headed east, but industrial expansion of Lavender and Saffron together have changed the landscape significantly.

North, in the hills between Saffron and Cerulean- that's the best idea he has.

It's crazy to think he's not allowed to hop on a bus to move around the city. He's gotten here under his own power, and he's already been up to the north district anyway on a Gogoat- he's not using the bus system to explore new areas, nor is he chartering a vehicle for personal use.

Now that he thinks about it- how would Palm know if he did any of those things? They don't have trackers on them. Maybe if he used his college card to buy bus fare he would notice, but- he doesn't need to do that. Short of someone tattling on him, there's no way, right? And even if they did, he could talk his way out of it.

So he takes a bus- which Pepper is fascinated by- at least up to the park Parsley evolved in, and is content with his choices.

From there, he aims for the closest forested hillside. He doesn't have much of a plan besides trying to lay eyes on the missing Beedrill, he realizes.

"There's no way we fight it," Casey tells Pepper. "Even without Aurelia tellin' it what to do it would still kick our ass before we even landed a hit." He's seen Aurelia's matches. He's absolutely confident in that assessment.

What he's not confident in is how the Beedrill will act.

"If it attacks us, you can fight back enough to get away, but, uh. Try not to light the forest."

Pepper makes a flat noise. "We haven't hardly trained, have we? Fire control is still a problem. Don't be mad at it, work on it."

Pepper grumbles to himself and kicks pebbles until they come out the other side of the small grove. Casey talks at him anyway, and the Charmeleon eventually comes around to conversation again.

Grove number two is bigger than the first, which is both promising and daunting. But walking a tree-lined path with Pepper at his side brings Casey back to their first day of this journey, and as Pepper scampers on all fours to investigate different corners of the woods Casey laughs delightedly, because as much as things keep moving and changing- not much is different at all.

Except the buzzing sound that seems to be getting louder.

Casey's head snaps up as a shadow passes over him, and the bright yellow stripes tell him he's found what he's looking for. "Beedrill!" he calls, but the thing ignores him completely. It's not in any hurry, though, so he and Pepper can match pace even on the questionable terrain if they watch their feet. "Wait, Beedrill, hey- HEY!" What does he say? Wait, what if this isn't even the right Beedrill? "HEY! Are you Aurelia's?"

The sudden halt is all he needs as confirmation, but the slow rotation is… ominous. The Beedrill swoops suddenly, and Pepper's flame flares. "Nope, no, don't-"

He's face to face with angry red eyes, and he holds his breath when needles prod him gently. "I'm Casey, I'm her- I'm Aurelia's brother," he tells it. It nods once. "Uh, I wish I could ask you what happened- she says someone stole your PokéBall and smashed it, or something. That- that releases you, y'know, makes you wild again technically."

Beedrill tilts its head in sharp motions. "She uh, wanted you to fight in the tournament today." A nod. "I guess she was gonna come look for you after her matches."

This, the Beedrill seems to dislike, with a snap of its head to the side and a flat hissing buzz. "I ain't about to defend that, not gonna lie. But she still wants you back."

A low, flat buzz seems like a negative. "You don't think so? Or- you don't want to?" A needle taps him twice on the shoulder. "You don't want to."

Uh.

What does he do about that?

"D'you wanna... stay here?"

Beedrill looks around. They're basically on the edge of this grove, and while it's bigger than the last- it's still not a large forest. A jerk of its head says no, it doesn't.

"So what're you gonna do?"

Even its wingbeats go quiet and still as it perches on a fallen log. Casey leans against a tree and waits, rolling a stick under one shoe for something to do.

Nothing happens for a while.

"Well, uh, if you're gonna have to think about it for a while, I'll just… come back later. Don't go too far."

What else can he do? Dragging it back to Aurelia would obviously not go well even if he was capable of doing so. It has to make a decision on its own- but Casey doesn't know it, or Aurelia, well enough to help it come to a conclusion. So all he can do is take Pepper's claws in hand and follow the narrow trail out from dappled light and into the bright midday sun. A last glance at the Beedrill, concealed mostly by plant life, and they're off to find a late lunch.

A gentle buzz falls into rhythm behind them eventually.

QueenNothing · Feb 26, 2022

Gwen Alanis

Wednesday, May 29
Noon
Saffron City

Jenny's explanation of her and Sasha's relationship just seems to go through one ear and come out the other. Even after all that, she still doesn't quite get it. Relationships are hard to understand for her considering she didn't have any people she called friends until last week. "I guess it makes sense now…" Gwen lies.

"So uhhh, looks like you got a new sense of style…?" Sasha, still blushing, speaks up. "It uh… hey, y'know the longer hair doesn't look bad on you!"

"Weren't you just chasing down a runaway Pokemon?" Jenny crosses her arms and raises a brow.

"Huh? Oh, right! Yeah, err, I was saying- Some hooded man had bumped into me while I was headed towards the park and he pickpocketed all my Pokeballs right under my nose! He just proceeded to crush them all before I could even register what just happened, releasing all my Pokemon! Before I knew it, I was chasing Noivern down the streets and here we are!"

"Hooded people? You don't mean those assholes from Cerulean and Vermillion, do you?" Gwen asks, heating up as she recalls her encounters with Morgrem Guy.

"Who else wears hoods in public and steals Pokeballs from people? Unfortunately though I couldn't keep track of where he went, not when I had to run after Noivern like that.."

"That's not good…" Jenny raises her index finger and thumb to her chin. "You have more at the Cerulean gym, don't you? Why can't you just withdraw them to help you?"

"I do, but I lent them to someone for training purposes…" Sasha groans. "Had I known in hindsight… well, I wouldn't be so hopeless. And now that the gym has moved, it's not like there are any nearby gym trainers who can handle it either! Argh!"

Jenny sighs. "I guess it'd be rude not to lend a hand… I'm not a gym trainer, but I know your Pokemon are about on par with mine, so it shouldn't be too hard. Just know they might be a bit rusty."

"I'll help out!!" Gwen cries. "It's not right that these awful people did such a thing! We can split up! While you guys recapture your Pokemon, I'll go track those assholes down and-"

"Absolutely not." Jenny interrupts. "We just had this conversation. You are not going to chase down someone whose name or face you don't know who disappeared amongst the crowds in the biggest city in Ransei."

"But what if he releases more Pokemon while you guys look for dragon lady's Pokemon? We can't just have him roam the streets, we gotta bring him to justice! That's what people like him deserve! And with my detective skills that should be easy as pie!"

"...Dragon lady? I have a name you kno-"

"Gwen…" Jenny groans. "Obviously that's not good, but how are we gonna find him? It's impossible. Besides, we already have six fully evolved, tournament level, potentially dangerous Pokemon rampaging around the streets that take priority. Also- detective skills? Don't be silly."

"Are you calling me dumb!?" The young trainer growls.

"No, of course not, you know I don't think that. You're smart and all, but this is out of your league. I can't allow you to put yourself at risk like this."

Gwen concedes, crossing her arms and pouting. "Fiiiiine. I guess helping you find Sasha's Pokemon won't be so bad at least."

"Did.. did you not just hear what I said about? About her six fully evolved, tournament level, potentially dangerous Pokemon?" Jenny's hands are placed on her hips. She's clearly taken a hard stance on this, and just like her younger sister, she's not the type to be easily moved once she's formed an opinion. "I don't do this often, but after that whole Hana incident, I'm putting my foot down and forbidding you from getting involved for your own safety. This is a job for experienced adults."

"WHAT!?!?" Gwen cries in utter disbelief. "But, but… that's stupid! I've dealt with tough Pokemon before!"

"Sure, but you shouldn't have in the first place." Sasha butts in. "We had a similar talk back in Cerulean with that Hydreigon, remember? But that hooded man's Morgrem, while dangerous to a rookie trainer, is nothing compared to what my Pokemon can do. It's something professionals like us should deal with."

Gwen stands in silence, tightening her fists as she feels a mass of various emotions welling up inside her, all culminating into an ugly outburst. "Screw you guys!" She shouts. "I don't need either of you to tell me what to do! I'm a Pokemon trainer after all! I don't need your help anyways, I- I'll do it myself!"

"Gwen, that's ridiculous-"

"It's ridiculous that you're treating me like a little kid! You know I've dealt with worse, so why is it a big deal now!"

"Come on, we've been over this like ten times already!" Jenny's having a hard time not turning this into a shouting match, as indicated by her twitching brow, but she hangs in there.

"Yeah, but it's a dumb reason! Fine, I'll admit that maybe I do put myself in danger but you know what? Who cares!? Isn't being a Pokemon trainer all about taking risks? Besides, aren't I almost an adult anyways? I can do whatever the hell I want!"

"Come on- Hey, wait! What are you doing!? Gwen, get back here!"

Gwen ignores the cries of her sister and the gym trainer as she bolts far, far away. Aimlessly, she storms through the bustling city, sprinting at a record-pace for her, earning furious barks from the many strangers she carelessly bumps into. She can hear Jenny and Sasha calling her name from behind her, but that slowly blends into the sounds of railroads and pedestrians going about their day.

Damnit, I'm not just some kid, I'm a Pokemon trainer for Arceus' sake! I'll show them what I can do!

To say running away to go find Sasha's Pokemon when she doesn't even know what most of them are was a dumb idea is an understatement. She's seen first-hand Sasha has a Noivern and Dragonite, but… well, how would she even begin to find them? Finding part flying-type Pokemon in such a massive city might as well be impossible.

At this point though she's completely lost, being in a part of the city she's never laid eyes on. Lots of tall buildings surround her, and the only people really commuting through here are people in suits and ties, and not very many Pokemon. Probably not her best bet for finding Sasha's missing Pokemon. She turns corner after corner, and soon finds herself on another street, this one decorated with lots of vibrant signs and flashing lights that advertise video games and anime. While certainly cool, it's not what she's looking for, so she looks elsewhere. She finds herself a residential neighborhood, and then a street lined with stores selling the hottest new fashion trends, and then one with traditional buildings, and before she knows it, it feels like she's walked through all of Saffron and hasn't even found a single clue that might lead her to any rampaging Pokemon.

Eventually she finds herself at the relatively peaceful Central River District, where she falls onto her back on the grass. The only sounds here are Pidgeys chirping, park-goes chatting, and water running. She's going to ruin that.

"Dammit all to hell!" She swears as she crashes onto the ground, enough commotion to catch the attention of everyone close by (not that she really cares). Giving into frustration, she gazes into the sky while on her back, ignoring Bead's pleading for her to pull herself together, no matter how loud he bleats. It does get on her nerves at some point, but when that happens she just returns him to his ball. Serves him right.

To think, she snapped on the same person she spent all these months wanting little more than to just talk with. But well, that's what she gets! She waited her entire graduation journey to show off how far she's come, how much Pokemon she has, and how strong they all are, and Jenny basically just gave her the finger by saying none of that mattered! How dare she! And how dare Dragon Lady for trying to butt in too when she has no business doing so! They should be grateful that Gwen is willing to lend them a hand!

Ah, whatever.. All this running has made her tired, and right now all she wants is a nap…

A ferocious roar rudely wakes Gwen up from her little snooze, even if it takes her a bit to register what that noise actually was. Having just woken up, she's not sure why so many people are fleeing from the area, but she thinks they're annoying since they make it hard to go back to sleep.

"Ugh, what's going on…?" She rubs her eyes and yawns as her eyes water, making it hard to see what everyone's problem is. Once her vision is clear though that becomes apparent- a furious Gyarados rushes up and down the river, chasing after other aquatic Pokemon. The look in its eyes doesn't give the impression this Gyarados has the best intent. If Gwen were any wiser, she'd know to call the authorities to let them handle the situation and leave. But after that argument with her sister? No, of course not. If anything, it's a ripe opportunity for her to prove herself to Jenny. Hell, compared to what she's faced on her journey, an average sized Gyarados is nothing to her. Why should she run away now?

"Just what I needed! Hey dumbass!" She smirks, running up to the bank of the river to start taunting the serpentine Pokemon, hurling insults at… well, based on the color of its whiskers, she knows it's a "her". Gyarados turns to her, and Gwen takes that as her signal to continue. "Yeah, you heard me, fish face! What are you doing out here anyways, bothering random people? That's pretty sad, y'know? Got nothing better to do? Hah, what a loser!"

Gwen's antics are successful in stealing the attention of the water-type, and sends her Pokemon out one-by-one. Gyrados snarls at them all, only visibly frightening Talon, King, and Custard. Even though they don't show it, the other half of her team is intimidated as well.

"Custard, use Thunder Wave!" Gwen commands, and although Custard hesitates, she's dealt with worse. She jumps into the air to quickly launch rings of electricity from her tail to paralyze the beast. After her not so graceful landing, Talon rapidly flaps his wings forward to create a Tailwind, and a Flamethrower, Dragon Rage, and Psywave all hit Gyarados in quick succession. As this happens, King jumps into the water to circle the ferocious Pokemon and bombard her with bubbles.

Unsurprisingly though, all this does little more than slow down the beast. Gyarados retaliates by slamming her tail into the river bank and drags it across the ground, heading right for Gwen. For a second she swears her life flashes before her eyes, but a Psywave from Bead pushes her into the river and out of the way of Gyarados' attack. Because of how sudden that was, Gwen takes a second to register what just happened and makes her way to the surface of the river, coughing and snorting up the fresh water that made its way into her orifices. Luckily for her, King was already out in the river, and comes over to her rescue, allowing his dorsal fin to be grabbed onto.

"Alright, we're back in the game! Now then, Pix, Custard, Tusk, I want you guys to use the strongest ranged attack you all know… guys?" Looking back to the riverbank shows the three Pokemon she called out for have all been knocked out by the earlier tail-swipe. Her gapes wide open upon this sight, figuring it's time to change strategies.

"Well alright then, Bead, use Hex, Talon use, uh, I dunno, Peck or something!"

As usual, Talon refuses to attack for some reason, leaving him open to be mawed on by a pair of fangs coated in a thick icy layer, instantly taking him out of the air and into the ground by his fallen companions. Gwen grows increasingly anxious, so she's glad to see a shadowy ball of fire float from Bead's mouth to Gyarados, expanding into a blitz of ghastly energy that surrounds and damages her, as indicated by her pained screeches. It's definitely a powerful attack, but not enough to keep her at bay for a full minute. Gyarados retaliates, lunging forward at Bead and biting him, dropping him when releasing her from her jaw with a thud.

That just leaves King. And boy, does the Gyarados look thrilled at the idea of attacking her pre-evolved form.

Gyarados doesn't even take time to pity the pathetic fish and just goes for the kill, forcefully arching her tail downward at the trainer and Pokemon duo. At this point there isn't really anything they can do, especially given King only knows Splash, Tackle, Flail, and Bubble. Gwen, thinking this could be the end of the line, squeezes her eyes shut, praying the darkness that greets her will be at least somewhat comforting.

Shit, maybe Jenny had a point. Hrngh, what's this bright light? Is that- Oh. I see what's going on. I'm dead, aren't I? That's gotta be it, huh. You ever hear of a person getting bitten by a Gyarados and living? Yeah, didn't think so. At least I had a cool death. Hm, it feels like I'm… being lifted? Is that my spirit leaving my body or something? I can't feel King's scales anymore, so that might be it- no wait, I can now? What the hell? Did he die too or…

… Hey, wait!

Opening her eyes, she sees she's still in the Central River District facing off against the foe Gyarados, just now at eye-level. She is indeed still alive. So is King- just in a drastically different form than he was before. This certainly took a turn for the better.

"Oh, fuck yeah! King evolved into Gyarados!!" She announces, swinging her arms out while her newly evolved Pokemon lets out a mighty roar. Once his presence is heard, King flings his head forward and sinks his fangs into his opponent, gnawing on her neck while her paralysis takes effect, leaving her further vulnerable.

"Aw yeah, this is awesome! Bow before me, peasant!" She cackles, basking in glory. "Now then King, finish her off with… uh, what other moves do you know? I can see you learned Bite, which is cool, but that actually might not be enough to save us. Damnit, uhhh…" As the pressure to call out a move weighs on her it feels as though her brain has stopped working. This isn't atypical of her during battles, but even with the threat of a rampaging Gyarados freeing itself from King's jaw she still can't help but fall into this behavior it seems.

That's why she should be grateful when, out of nowhere, a metallic Pokemon suddenly swoops in, swinging its crackling fist right into the jaw of the Gyarados with full force, knocking over her entire upper body to crash into the riverbank, creating a crater in the ground as tremors are felt throughout, even causing King to wobble a little. The Pokemon then gracefully lands next to her victim, revealing itself to be a Metagross. Its pupils methodically scan the area until they lock onto Gwen, looking at her expectantly. Under most circumstances, Gwen would be absolutely ecstatic to have such a rare Pokemon in her presence, but this isn't the first time she's met this specific Metagross, and she knows what seeing it at this moment means.

"Shit… uh, hey Clash? Long time no see, huh?" She nervously giggles with a hint of familiarity as the steel-type continues to stare blankly at her. "Sooooo I guess if you're here, then that means…"

"Clash, return." From across the river, a laser is pointed at Clash that converts his body into a white light which is absorbed into a Heavy Ball. And of course, that Heavy Ball belongs none other than to Jennifer, who doesn't even look up towards her younger sister. That stings more than any harsh words could.

"Goddamnit… yeah, I thought so. Uh… Jenny!" She shouts as King lowers his head. She almost forgot how absolutely soaked she was until she set foot on land, the constant dripping of her clothes against the dirt serving as a reminder. This probably looks bad for her, being saved by her older sister when earlier she was throwing a fit about how she doesn't need any help.

"I, uhh, so like…" Gosh, how embarrassing. As her waterlogged sneakers begin sinking into the ground, she anticipates a harsh scolding from Jenny, and who would blame her after Gwen's rash decision? That thought alone is enough to punch a hole in her stomach.

That's why it comes as a surprise when instead of reprimanding her, Jenny throws her arms around her younger sister, either not noticing or not caring how wet Gwen. With one arm she cradles her head while the other caresses her back, and she continues this for a few minutes without saying so much as a word.

"Jenny…" Gwen apprehensively speaks up. "I'm… I'm really sorry about earlier. That was pretty stupid of me."

"I can't lie," She replies, "I was a little disappointed at first, but honestly I'm just glad you're okay now."

Spoiler:

CCS and art by Aquacorde

Eleanor · Feb 26, 2022

art by Aquacorde

Arianne Chandler
Saffron City, Western district
Thursday, May 30^th, afternoon

with Aquacorde as Casey Holt

Dragon Tamer

At first, she just places herself inside his field of view. Then she tries waving at him a few times. Only after some time, she walks closer to the boy, making a mental list of the things she needs to say.

And then she swoops in for a quick nudge on the shoulder. "Hello, Casey?"

"Ah. Arianne." The Beedrill hovering at his shoulder makes an interested noise as Casey calls back his Gogoat, who has been doing sprints. "She's uh, from school. Cape. What's up?" he asks, grabbing the goat by a horn as it comes in a little too fast and getting dragged a foot for his troubles.

"Oh well, I had some news to share…" the girl pulls out her PokéGear, grimacing slightly, "but I've only been able to find you now, you know?"

With everyone else's eyes on her, now that she's made a move, she looks around briefly before her eyes fix onto Casey once again… but makes a mental note of the Pokémon that are there with him. Gogoat and Beedrill… looks like he has some news to share as well.

"Huh? News for t' share with me specifically?" Casey looks both baffled and curious in equal measure. "Well, I'll bite. Whatcha got?"

"Oh, you probably know about this stuff anyways but… right. Did you also get some strange messages these past few days? Because I got two- one about Hana, and one about… the Cerulean criminals or something like that." Arianne fiddles with her device, trying to find the messages in question. "And the Pokémon Liberation Group… thing."

"Did Kel really decide to be lazy and just message everyone? Jeez." Casey taps on Parsley's horns until the Gogoat headbutts him in protest. "I didn't get a text but I talked to 'em directly 'bout the whole Liberation Group thing. It's weird, right? But the Hana thing is also weird. Serves her right to be kicked out, but…"

"Oh right, here's the interesting part!" Arianne's voice tone becomes lower and somehow more excited at the same time. "I don't know much about the Liberation stuff and I'd hope you'd know more, but I feel like it's the opposite for Hana…"

She takes a deep breath to focus. "So. They mentioned the reason of the suspension in that text. Don't you think… don't you think it's weird?"

"Well, yeah. She weren't aiding and abetting any of us- the opposite, really! Tryna get us killed. Huh!" Casey's clearly still irritated about what happened at the docks. "Somethin' ain't right, but I ain't about to go to bat for Hana Palm of all people."

"Well yes, that's… valid. But you know when she got suspended? Precisely the day after… that happened. Courtney went to challenge her and found out on the spot! And maybe my mind is just racing but…" Arianne runs a hand through her ponytail. "I very much believe she got suspended for the warehouse thing." She then whispers in Casey's ear.

Casey considers this with his arms folded. "Maybe. Don't know why they'd say it was for helpin' Cape kids, though, if they knew she was endangerin' us. Not even sayin' for "illegal activities" or anything, 'cause all that was def'nitly illegal." He blanches, suddenly. "Arianne. We did somethin' illegal. So what's 'bout to happen to us if people know what Hana was doin'?"

Arianne wraps one arm around him- it's almost instinctive for her to do so in such a situation. "Ok look. After getting that message, I wanted to try and find more of 'us' and see if they had more information on this but I haven't had that much luck. Glad I found you though. That said…"

Arianne smiles. Sort of. "I'm thinking. If these authorities know what's gone down - and I'm nearly sure they know everything - but only decided to punish Hana so far… that means they already decided to spare us or something. We just have less reviews for our graduation journey and that's it, right?"

Casey hums. "Still don't make sense that nobody's said a word to us. Not even tellin' us to keep quiet. If it was about the warehouse, they'd find us and tell us to keep it on the down low, right?" He finally uncrosses his arms and casually throws one across Arianne's shoulder. "It don't make any amount of sense, Arianne."

"Yeah…" She sighs. "None of this made any sense in the first place…"

She speaks up again after a pause, during which she tries to clear her thoughts and take some time to appreciate Casey's gesture. "Maybe they already think we'll stay quiet, maybe they're just blaming it on the adults… not sure. But, so far so good!"

"I ain't lookin' to try my luck with it, so I guess they get what they want." Casey agrees, in a way, and pats her on the head before wiggling out of her embrace. "Hopefully that don't come back to bite us in the ass. You talked to anyone else about it? Gwen? You were with her the other day."

"Well sort of? Tried texting her real quick, hoping to meet up again, but haven't got a proper answer yet. But yeah I wouldn't tell people who weren't already involved…" the girl stops to think. "You're right though, let's not try our luck. I'm still not sure what we got into but it doesn't sound like something to be proud of…"

"Don't know if it's better or worse that y'all volunteered to do all o' that. I just got caught up in that shit. Sure ain't anything to be proud of, doing crimes for some crazy lady who needs students to stand up to people for her. That's no accomplishment. Better to be proud of your own training and journey and stuff, right?"

Arianne backs off slightly, but a smile comes back to grace her face in the matter of seconds. "Well yes, I vibe with that! Even the simple fact I and my Pokémon traveled all the way to Saffron and got to enjoy some time here… it's nice. Did you visit the TV tower lookout by the way? It's totally gorgeous…"

"Yeah, I was up there just today! I think it'd be even cooler at sunset. Or sunrise, but they don't open early enough for that. This one didn't like it much, though," and interestingly enough he gestures to the Beedrill perched primly on Parsley's back. "I said what's that about? You got wings, don'tcha? but it wasn't havin' it."

"Oh right… may as well ask, is that a new friend of yours? And the Gogoat is… what's his name… well, it's your Skiddo but evolved, right?"

"Uh, Beedrill's not mine. Just hangin' out. But yeah the Gogoat's just Parsley." Parsley huffs at him. "I mean- not just Parsley- you know what I mean." Casey rolls his eyes and the Gogoat butts him in the arm playfully. "He evolved yesterday and it's been a capital-T Thing."

"Haha, I get it yes! Well, I've tried riding the Gogoats for rent in the city but… riding your own Pokémon must be a totally different thing."

"Worse, I'll tell you." Parsley butts Casey again, less than playfully this time. "Stop that, baby boy, I said it t' you already. Them Gogoats are trained to be good an' to carry people an' pace themselves an' have practised for a long time. A just-evolved one's gotta find footing in its own body and then adding a rider on top? I am more sensitive right now than I'd like to be, and I'll keep it at that."

"Well, Parsley… when your trainer gets out of this city he'll have no choice regardless and you'll have your time to shine!" Arianne smiles, seemingly talking directly to the Gogoat but wondering what his trainer would think about that.

"Gettin' that saddle first," Casey grumbles under his breath, then raises his voice to speaking level once again. "We're trainin' for it, don't you worry. He's been doin' mobility drills, and Beedrill been helpin' out too. 'Spose you came out here for trainin' too, didn't ya?"

"Oh yeah!" The girl nods. Mobility drills? What even… "Been trying out some attacks out here in the open. I've been enjoying the abundance of space…" She chuckles.

Casey tilts his head. "Were all the routes not open enough for ya?"

"What? If anything, being in Saffron just made me appreciate the space more than usual! You know how it works…" Arianne smiles. "The moment you miss something, you start appreciating it more…"

"I 'spose," Casey says, somewhat forlorn for a moment. He shakes it off quickly with a jerk of his head. "What attacks you been tryin'?"

"Oh… mostly Dragon Rage." The girl chuckles nervously. "From Bagon. It's a powerful move, it looks great, it's just a matter of… aiming it, I think…"

"Oh, target practise. Wanna aim for a moving target?" Casey pats Parsley. "This guy needs to do more agility drills anyway."

"Let's try, sure! But… first of all I'd better check if Bagon has recovered." Arianne doesn't really give Casey enough time to reply before her… sleeping Bagon is sent out. Seconds after, Eric appears looking over at him, as the girl tells him to try healing her other companion. "Just… a moment. Please?"

"Oh, you wore him out that much? Must have been good training."

Arianne is… torn, hearing those words. Her training was good in a way and that was definitely one of her most interesting sessions but the ending was just as disastrous. If Casey knew…

"It sure was! We even ended it with a mock battle which probably explains… this." The girl nervously plays along while Eric is now nudging Mizar and really trying to wake him up more than anything. If he's still got it… why not continue training?

"Well if he ain't up to doin' more then that's alright. Pacing it is good, right, baby boy?" Casey feeds his Gogoat a piece of granola bar. The Beedrill also demands some, but throws it on the ground after a hesitant taste test. "Don't like it? That's fine. Hey, did your Bagon eat enough after training? If you didn't really overdo it, maybe he just don't have enough fuel in him."

"It hasn't been much since we ended the training act- oh goodness!"

Arianne turns around to see Eric trying to calm Mizar down, Protect up against the small dragon's Headbutt. The Bagon looks around, somewhat confused, pouting at his trainer who is also trying to calm him down. Not like that kind of intervention ever worked, uh?

"Fightin' right out the gate, huh?" Casey laughs, crouching down next to Mizar. "Chill out, buddy, ain't nobody tryna start anything. Want a snack?" The remaining half of the granola bar is offered to Mizar while Casey stoically ignores Parsley's puppy-dog eyes behind him.

Mizar shakes his head though, still angrily looking around the place. At the first sign of an Ember in his mouth, Eric moves in front of him, readying up a Water Pulse in response, and… the two start a staring contest as they charge their attacks without firing them, while Arianne once again tries to calm them down. "He can be… headstrong, uh?" She says out loud, while trying to reassure her Pokémon that Lulu is not there anymore and that things are fine. Sort of.

"Headstrong about what? Nothin's even happenin'." Casey gives in and lets Parsley have the rest of the granola bar as he sits fully in the grass. The Beedrill hovers at his shoulder, humming curiously at the newcomers.

And… that's something it could regret.

Bagon's attention shifts towards the Bug-type and his eyes start tracking it down accurately, every movement being impressed in Mizar's mind. With some sort of battle cry, he runs past Eric and charges at Parsley, trying to climb onto him and from there, presumably, catch the Beedrill mid-air. Presumably because he never manages to get on top of the Gogoat anyways, as Parsley hops out of the way without much trouble.

This is when Arianne loses her last remaining part of her cool and tries to tackle down her own Pokémon. It sure brings back memories but it's not the best display in front of Casey… not when what she has to say to her own Pokémon is "what's got into you now?"

Beedrill clashes its needles against each other in challenge but Casey catches them one-handed and holds them together briefly. "He ain't nowhere near your level."

The Beedrill buzzes, irritated, but gives a sharp nod. Casey releases its needles and turns his attention to Arianne's valiant attempt to pin Mizar. "He's still doin' this shit?"

"Yes," the girl answers how she can. "Looks like it."

And that isn't even the biggest issue here, thinking about it. "I'm sorry, Parsley, Beedrill…" Arianne continues, before deciding to just call Mizar back into his Pokéball. "Look, I'm still hoping that in time we will…" she says, while still sitting on the ground, some dumb smile on her face. A tear lining her face interrupts her.

Casey drops down next to her, leaning shoulder to shoulder. "Clearly hoping ain't gettin' you anywhere," he says, and even though his tone is gentle, the words are still harsh. "We gotta figure somethin' out."

After the first tear, here's another. Arianne tries to dry it by hand before looking slightly up to the side, towards Casey. "You said we?"

His shrug jostles her. "Well I'm here, ain't I?"

At least to Arianne, this feels sort of like their previous contact when they were still talking about Hana. "I guess so!" She says after some hesitation, snuggling slightly against his shoulder.

"So, what's his deal?"

"Well, as you can see he doesn't listen to me much." Arianne recalls. "In battles he could follow my orders for a bit and then pick his own moves, and outside… this can always happen."

"Okay. Then maybe he don't think you're worth listening to." Another harsh sentence that contrasts with gentle patience. "Why's that?"

"Don't know… Eric and Lulu sure listen to me. Maybe he doesn't because he's a Bagon and Bagon are well known for being stubborn…?" Arianne is the one who shrugs this time. "As in, it takes way longer to get them to trust you anyways?"

"So what're you doin' to teach him that you are good to listen to?" Casey asks, picking at the grass absentmindedly. "Like, Ginger didn't listen. She's a Buneary, they hate people, y'know? But I proved that she'd get what she wanted by listenin'. So now she does. Mostly. But that didn't even take long. And she's a Buneary. So why's your Bagon still actin' crazy?"

"I'm training him up, trying to make him stronger, until he can finally evolve and be able to fly… That's what all Bagon want, right?" Arianne thinks over it for a while. "Why wouldn't Pokémon want to be stronger…?"

"D'you know that for a fact?" Casey challenges. "And even if it's true, that can't be all he wants, either."

That's all she knows he wants, though.

"Clearly not…" is what she mutters to Casey, as she slowly seems to understand where he's going. "But it's not easy to find out if he keeps causing trouble!" She clenches her fist.

"You gotta be in better control," Casey says matter-of-factly, and stands up. "Let 'im out again."

And so Bagon is out again, looking warily around the field and seemingly preparing for battle. Eric is keeping an eye on him again, while Arianne is focusing more on Casey. "Mizar… it's fine, you can calm down…"

Casey watches Mizar's eyes dart around the area. "Y'know… I don't think he can."

Eyes not leaving Mizar, he jabs a finger behind himself. "Parsley, lay down for a bit. Beedrill- just stand on him, I guess. Arianne- put Eric away, actually."

"Ooh?" The girl is surprised but does as she's told. Meanwhile, Mizar is once again looking at Beedrill… which his trainer picks up.

"Look at that. No threats." Casey watches Mizar, thumbs in his pockets and posture relaxed. "Now what, guy? What're we gonna do today?"

Mizar shrugs and looks away from Casey, still trying to keep an eye on Beedrill despite the boy standing in between. But eventually, he just points at the sky and growls. He still seems determined.

"You do wanna fly, huh? Cool. How're you gonna make it there?"

After his eyes scan his surroundings, the Bagon shrugs again. And then points towards Parsley and Beedrill's general direction. "Going from memory… he will want a launching point, I guess?" Arianne chimes in.

"Bagon usually go for the jump-an'-fall method, huh? There're some hills up on the north side of town that might be good for that. But we can practise the falling part easy enough." Casey addresses Mizar directly again. "Parsley's pretty good at throwing my Buneary with his vines. He can throw you as high as he can and then you can practise your falls and rolls. How's that sound?"

While Arianne is busy listening to Casey, Bagon nods a few times. His expression doesn't change, still looking determined and serious, but that's something. Only at 'falls and rolls' he tilts his head, pouting at Casey, but finally, he walks closer to Parsley, like the boy suggested.

"Cool. Beedrill, c'mere and watch, they're gonna need room. Parsley- he's heavier'n Ginger, but you're bigger now. Throw him kinda, mostly straight up but not so that he comes down on top o' you."

A few wonky throws as Parsley gets used to Mizar's weight smooth out into a pattern of fling, fall, and roll. Casey grins, mentioning that it's good for Parsley to practice with weight, but also-

"You can't be treatin' him like a threat all the time," he tells Arianne.

The girl was watching Bagon closely, her eyes following his moves, almost in awe at how well the training was going, when Casey's words hit her. Straight to the point.

"Uh… yeah, I was about to say, he's doing well!" She smiles. "He wasn't like that when I was training before…"

"'Course he weren't, not if you handled him like that the whole time. Everyone bein' ready for a fight all the time made him lash out. And then everyone felt like they had to be ready for a fight, and it's, uh- self-perpetuating, right?"

"Hm… yeah. But he can still be a threat anyways and sometimes he doesn't even mean it… and it's not like my other Pokémon are all without their own uh… you know, right?"

"No?" Casey tilts his head. "I don't know much 'bout your team." His face suddenly goes blank and neutral. "Uh, you don't happen to have that, uh, Honedge with you still, do you?"

"Oh… no actually. It's with Palm right now." Arianne smiles. "But… Espurr is here! You remember her right? You remember what she did? I feel bad for her ever since I've learned it's usually an unintentional reaction but… that was a dangerous headache!"

"Yeah, 's why you train 'em to control themselves. If you got an Espurr you train it to keep its powers level. If you got a Charmeleon you train it to keep its tail away from things." Casey shrugs. "We're their trainers. We gotta be responsible for teachin' 'em right."

"And how do I-" Arianne nearly doesn't let him finish, but stops in her tracks just as suddenly as she started speaking. "Like, I have to find what's the best training for them but also make it so that they're… happy being trained by me, uh?"

"Well, yeah. That's how bein' a trainer goes." Casey doesn't seem to see an issue with this.

"Heh… alright. I'll have my fun figuring that out for all my Pokémon…" the girl smiles.

"Yeah, there's a reason I'm focusing on only three," Casey says. "Easier to learn about only a few at a time."

"Learn about…" Arianne echoes the boy. That's another interesting choice of words, mostly because it reminds Arianne of one of the original goals she wanted to set for herself. When she was still a proper Cinnabar girl hoping to get enrolled in Cape College. Getting to know as many Pokémon as she could, of different types and personalities alike.

"I guess it would really be easier if I had less Pokémon and they'd get along with me right away but… yeah, there's no fun in that, is there?"

"I'm havin' plenty of fun with a small team, thank you very much," Casey sniffs. "An' let me tell you, just havin' fewer don't mean they'll get on. It's just easier to focus in on 'em when they have trouble because you don't gotta split your attention so many ways."

This… this is a harder thing to admit Casey is right about, but the Cinnabar girl has got to give it to him. There is absolutely no doubt he's doing better than her at training his Pokémon. "It's not like I can go back now, like… I'd rather train all my Pokémon properly if I can. And with how much you helped me today, I'm sure I'll get it right!" She nods a few times.

"Always gotta be movin' forward." Casey nods sagely in turn. "Put the work in and it'll turn out alright."

"Of course!" Arianne grins. She's not really as happy inside as she seems to be - in fact, it's fair to say...

Truth hurts. Especially in large doses.

TEAM:

Eric, lv. 36 •

Espurr, lv. 25

Blitzle, lv. 24 •

Alice, lv. 15

Lulu, lv. 33 •

Mizar, lv. 23 ↑

QueenNothing · Mar 1, 2022

Gwen Alanis

Wednesday, May 29
Afternoon
Saffron City

Now that Sasha and Jenny had tracked down both the raging beast that had gotten lost in the city and Sasha's Gyarados, the two older trainers made it very clear to Gwen that they alone would track down the five remaining Pokemon.

"I'm not sending you to your room or anything, hell, I don't really care what you do. We can talk about this all later. Just leave it to us this time champ, please?" Were the words Jenny parted with before she and Sasha rode her Volcarona off into the sunset. And to make sure she didn't do anything crazy again, she even instructed Clash to keep a close eye on Gwen- as if she wasn't already being babied enough. But after her little stunt, she kinda had what was coming for her.

"I guess it looks like we're gonna have to find something to do." Gwen says aloud as Pix, Custard, and Bead follow her through the sliding glass doors of the Pokemon Center. As soon as she set foot inside the building about an hour ago, the nurse directed her to the nearest shower she could use while her Pokemon would all be restored to full health. But because all her other clothes were left at Jenny's place tall she had to change into was whatever was left to rot in the lost and found bin. Just her luck though, the only outfit she could pull together from that was an oversized red and black striped sweater, a black skirt with white lace on the hemline and some chunky brown sandals that hugged her feet. And to make matters worse, the collar of her top is wide enough that her bra straps are visible "Man, this is the swimsuit shit all over again!"

She releases a heavy exhale and scratches the back of her head. She scans the area and sees Clash waiting patiently. Gwen just grimaces. "Buuuut," Her body faces away from the Metagross to get him out of her sight. "Maybe we should head home first so I can change into something better. "

"Thank God they didn't follow me inside." Gwen chuckles as she walks over the door still laying in the foyer of Jenny's apartment while neglecting to remove her sandals. She flicks the lightswitch in her just slightly messy bedroom and unbuckles her backpack, yanking out the first pair of jeans that fall into her field of view.

"Much better…" She wheezes, throwing herself onto her unmade bed back first, ready to just kick back for a few minutes- until she can feel something in-between her back pocket and the mattress. She's not sure if she should be surprised that she left something in her pocket or that these pockets can fit anything into them. She throws herself forward, squeezing her fingers into the narrow and shallow pouch and finds herself a two thousand Pokedollar bill.

"What the…" She frowns and shoots up a brow. "When did I get this?? I mean, I ain't complaining, but like… no wait, I remember!" She snaps. "Dragon Lady! These were supposed to buy those Charmeleon cookies! That's where! Those can makeup for what I did!" She guns for the living room but freezes once realizing what'll entail. "Ugh, that's right, Clash is gonna be following us." She rolls her eyes. Not that she plans on endangering herself or anything but… well, she doesn't like being watched. Especially not on her graduation journey!

That's when she notices the balcony door and a plot comes to mind. From the terrace she can release King onto the ground and climb down his long body to exit the building without meeting Clash at the entrance! Feeling like a genius, she snickers, raising a brow and smirking before sliding the door open. She yanks King's Lure Ball from her belt, mere seconds away from acting out her plan but…

"Arghh, I can't do that…" She mutters. "Jenny would be pissed. I don't think cookies would make up for something if I just do it again…"

"Hey champ!" Jenny, forgetting to remove her slippers, announces her presence, ignoring the unhinged door beneath her feet. Sasha, who was still tagging along with her ex-girlfriend, stares in bewilderment at how Jenny can so casually dismiss the damage before leaving her brown leather boots at the entrance. "I noticed Clash was still waiting by the entrance, so I figured I'd find you here."

"Oh finally!" Gwen shoots up from the couch, tightly grasping a brown bag with a decorative fire pattern. She doesn't really get what Dragon Lady is doing here, but whatever. "Jenny! I know you said you forgive me, but I still feel really bad about what I did earlier. So to make it up for you I bought these!"

"Oh, really? Well… you really didn't need to, but thanks! I appreciate it." Jenny chuckles, taking and unfolding the bag. "Man, it's been awhile since I last had these." She takes a bite from one and smiles, gently moaning in pleasure. "Dear lord, I forgot how good these are! Mmm!"

"Hey, you know who gave her the money to buy those?" Sasha leans her back against the wall, crossing her arms and shoots Jenny a sly grin.

"… you did?"

"That's right." She finger guns, clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "Remember how I said we met back in Cerulean? Well, when I put together she was your sister I gave her enough cash to buy those for you. Thought you might like that."

"Aww, still thinking about me all those years later?" Jenny raises her eyebrows and holds her hands together near her face as a gesture of performative yet genuine endearment before bursting into laughter. "You never change. C'mere," She reaches a hand towards Sasha's chin to pull her closer and leans in for a quick smooch on the lips.

"Wow, I definitely needed that." Sasha tries to keep her cool, but judging from her bright red face and goofy looking smile, the act doesn't really hold up. Not that Jenny seems to mind, if anything she finds it charming.

Gwen, meanwhile, watches the entire interaction with her eyes and jaws wide open and has a single eyebrow raised. Jenny didn't really seem to enjoy Sasha's company when they bumped into each other in the Saffron streets, but now they're suddenly all lovey-dovey?

"....What the HELL is going on!?!?"

The two women, who were just about to go for a second kiss, alarmedley twirl their heads towards Gwen and look back towards each other before they share an awkward giggle. "Long story short," Jenny detaches her arms from Sasha, much to her dismay, and takes a few steps towards her younger sister. "You see, while we were out battling her runaway Pokemon, naturally facing off against Pokemon of that caliber wasn't easy. But being in the heat of the moment in battle like that, well… It reminded us of what we liked about each other and why we got together in the first place."

"You should have seen her when we were fighting Charizard." Sasha guffaws. "It was pretty hot how passionate she got… err, no pun intended."

Jenny's cheeks flash pink before she shakes her head to refocus. "Uh, anyways… yeah, all I can really say is our love for Pokemon battling is what brought us together way back when, and it was nice to be reminded of that."

"Sooo, you two started going out because you both like battling? That's cool!" The way her older sister explained it to her seems to click with Gwen, even if she's not sure she 100% understands. "So does that mean you two are girlfr-"

"Iiiiiii don't know if I'd go that far just yet." Sasha interrupts, scratching the back of her head. "It's not that we don't like each other as much as we used to, it's just, well…"

"We haven't fully resolved the reasons why we broke up back then." Jenny finishes.

"Oh. Why did you break up?"

There's a sudden moment of silence as the two women exchange glances and communicate exclusively through facial expressions, unsure of how to breach the subject. Gwen being Gwen though can't pick up on what they're implying at all and just grows frustrated. "What? What's with all the funny looks, damnit!"

"I… I think we might need a moment alone together to talk about this." Jenny sighs. "Sorry Sash."

"I thought this might happen." She frowns. "But that's fine. We can catch up some more tomorrow, yeah? Know any good coffee shops?"

"You never forget these things, do you?" Jenny chuckles.

"How could I? Oh, and one more thing- I wanted to give this to you, Gwen."

"Huh?" Gwen's head perks up, and a disc case is presented right to her face. "Woah! Cool! A TM!" She snatches the case straight from Sasha's hand and admires it with bright eyes. "Ooo, what move could it be!? Dragon Rush? Outrage? Draco Meteor??"

"More useful than any of those." The dragon trainer proudly beams as Gwen hastily slides the disc out. "It's…"

"...Protect? This is a joke… right?"

"No, I'm serious when I say it's more useful. You're a ways off from anything like Outrage or Draco Meteor, moves that take tolls on the user by the way. A move like this can teach you some patience- and possibly save your life. You'll definitely need that after a near-death experience at 15."

"But now that I've left you with that I think it's time I take my leave. It was nice seeing you again Gwen. And as for you Jenny, don't think that because of all this that means I'll be going easy on you at the Tomorrow Cup."

"Of course not babe." Jenny chuckles under her breath and extends her upper body out to give Sasha a peck on the cheek. "Naturally, I won't be going easy on you either. See you tomorrow." She throws Sasha a slow flirty wave as Sasha wobbles on out to the doorway. It's certainly a new sight to Gwen after having zero romantic experiences herself.

"So, you gonna tell me what you were gonna tell me or what?" She crosses her arms, impatiently tapping her foot.

Jenny slides her glasses up. "Right, it's just kinda a lot, y'know? We can talk about it over dinner, it'd be good to get some food in our stomachs. Although- ah shit, it's that late already? Uhh, you wanna order some pizza or something champ?"

Spoiler:

CCS and art by Aquacorde

Aquacorde · Mar 6, 2022

Casey Holt

Thursday, May 30, 2019 // Night, Day 11
Saffron City

10-12. hindsight's crystal clear

Spoiler: sunshine - barenaked ladies

Casey's still shaken, from Golurk, from Aurelia. Still not quite used to having a Gogoat, nor having a Beedrill hovering curiously at his shoulder. The latter makes it difficult to talk to his Pokémon the way he usually does- how can he, when someone else is hanging on to every word? Watching his Pokémon wrestle with their own development in nothing but studious silence? That's been his excuse all day, at least. His excuse to train only Parsley, his excuse to put off the more difficult work Pepper will need to do.

His excuse to leave Ginger in her ball.

His throat tightens as he even thinks that, and she's out in the dim hallway outside his hotel room before he thinks anything else and in his arms before she can start anything.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry-" Ginger hisses and pushes at his face, but he refuses to let her go. "I shouldn't've left you in there, that's not okay, you need t' be out like everyone else-"

Tears are falling now, into her fur, and she thumps him in the forehead with her little paw. Repeatedly. "I didn't wanna bring you out, not with Parsley bein' a problem for you an' then not with Beedrill just listening all the time-" Ginger tenses at the mention of Parsley, and even more at a reference to Beedrill. "You know I don't talk personal when someone else can hear, an'- I'm sorry, I shoulda made time, it's not okay…"

Ginger decides she's had enough, and on Casey's next shaky breath chooses to shove her whole paw into the back of his throat. Casey gags, coughs, and finally lets her go in favor of getting fur out of his tonsils.

"Wha' t' hell," he splutters at the Buneary, settled in his lap with her arms crossed. She shrugs, and Casey knows: You wouldn't shut up.

"No reason t' choke me," Casey huffs. He scrubs away the wetness pricking the corners of his eyes, unsure at this point if they are tears from emotions or just watering from gagging. Either way, they're gone, and he lets a sigh fall from his lungs as his head thumps back against the wall. "Where do I start?" he asks the ceiling quietly.

Ginger tugs at his collar and mimes throwing something, then positions her paws about an inch apart and pulls them away from each other. "Parsley evolving. Okay."

She hadn't listened last night when he'd tried to tell her about it. He hadn't known a Buneary could scream that loudly.

"We met a Gogoat out in the city, part of a transit service or something. Parsley was interested in it, really excited to see what he could be, I 'spose. I rode it up north, he ran alongside, and after I let the Gogoat go back where it was s'posed to be we played a bit. Tag, y'know? Footwork training, if you wanna put it that way. And I guess- he just decided he wanted to be bigger. Faster. I dunno. He must have been ready to do it for a while, just never thought about it." Casey's veering into speculation territory, but it seems about right. "He was happy about it. And, you know-" He holds Ginger's gaze firmly. "He was sad when you went an' rejected him."

Ginger freezes.

"Uh-huh. That's what he felt like, when you were screamin' about change. 'Specially since you didn't even do this when Pepper evolved."

Ginger gives a dismissive wave. "Why?" Casey challenges. "Why wasn't Pepper a problem?"

She hesitates. It's difficult, on both sides of the conversation, for multiple reasons. Not only does Ginger have to express complex ideas without many tools to do so, she also has to fight through her closed-off nature to even express them at all. And Casey has to facilitate that, and bare his own heart while maintaining authority and control over the situation…

Ginger touches Casey's thumb, then his index finger, and shrugs.

"Pepper is the same but bigger?" She nods. Casey looks down at his hand, touching the tips of both examples together. "That's not right," he murmurs, mostly about the idea of a thumb and index finger being interchangeable, but- "No, wait, it's not. Pepper's not the same."

"He's bigger, yeah. But he's less flexible. He's more powerful and quicker to attack, but clumsier and slower to maneuver. He can use those heavy tanbō now. He gets tired easier. He's sad more often. He can't go as many places without worryin'." Casey feels tears prick at the corner of his eyes, this time for the freedom Pepper lost. "He's not the same an' you know it."

Ginger sits in silence.

"Change is really hard," Casey sighs. "But we're all changin' a lot."

Ginger stiffens. Points to herself. Makes an "X" with her little arms.

What?

"You won't, or you aren't?" Two smacks to his broad chest. The second option. "You aren't. You aren't, and everyone else is."

Oh.

She squeaks and hisses as he scoops her up again. "Don't feel like that! Just 'cause you haven't evolved yet, that don't mean you're not changing! You're gettin' so strong an' you learned how to skate really fast an' you took on a gym leader an' you're making friends- you haven't even tried to bite Jordan recently!" Not that he knows, anyway. "Change isn't just evolving, right? I can't evolve, but I change. I get stronger with trainin' same as you. And there are plenty of Pokémon that can't evolve, either. Did you know that? They still grow and change, though, so- it's not all there is."

Ginger pushes at his cheek halfheartedly. "I like you just fine the way you are," Casey mumbles into her fur. "I like my feisty little bunny that can outmaneuver almost anything. I like that I can bring you around with me to see stuff and never have to keep you put away. You're doin' great, okay?"

Ginger is silent, but a faint little sigh puffs onto his neck and a paw curls into his shirt.

[PKMN FULL] TRAINERS (IC)

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