Hazuki
 "I like foreign people too! They traded me some of their clothes and all their stuff is interesting. I don't think any of them have bad things..."  Nika frowns.  "What bad things do you know about?" 

~

 "No...he's a Pokemon."  Waye says.  "They don't normally answer then I talk to them. He did try to paint the egg, but he paints on everything." 
Comissar
Leah hesitates, " That's, umm... He, uh, he didn't give any, uh, any indication..? " She shakes her head a little, trying a different approach, " If he, uh, if he paints, maybe it'd be worth asking him to, uh, to paint where it came from..? "
Hazuki
 "Do you think he would know that?"  Waye asks, casting a doubtful gaze sideways.  "He might have been sleeping when I was..." 
Comissar
Leah shrugs, " Well, umm, it's definitely a, uh, a Smeargle egg, so... If, uh, if he  doesn't  know where it, uh, where it came from, then we can, uh, we can start looking for other people with, uh, with Smeargle's..? "
Hazuki
 "That seems really hard."  Waye says.  "How would we do it?" 
tgva8889
Alyssa runs her hand through her hair.  "W-when things go w-wrong with their technology, s-sometimes people get r-really hurt."  She doesn't continue any further and smiles at Nika.  "If y-you like it, then I think you should keep looking into it. B-but, um, everything that can be good can be bad, too, I think. S-so, um, I guess be careful and open." 
Comissar
Leah rubs behind her neck, " Well, umm, hopefully we, uh, we wouldn't have to..? " She shrugs, " I mean, uh, unless someone is, uh, is looking for a lost Smeargle egg, it, uh, it may as well just be yours..? "
Hazuki
Nika furrows her brow at that statement.  "Everything that can be good can be bad...? How did you come up with that?" 

~

 "But...it's not mine."  Waye protests.  "I just found it in my room. It's got to be someone else's or it doesn't make any sense." 
tgva8889
Alyssa shrugs.  "J-just from what I've seen. It's, um, kinda like Pokemon, and, um, like people. Some are really good and nice and kind, and others are mean and try to hurt others. And some are more in the middle."  She looks down a bit, then back at Nika.  "I, um, I think th-that technology is more like that th-that. S-some of it can b-be good and some of it can be bad, and, um, you d-don't always know when you look at it." 
Hazuki
 "Hmm...I don't know. I think I have to see it for myself before i can say anything like that."  Nika says, scratching her head.  "And it's not bad if it's just doing the same stuff differently, right? The Pokeballs do the same thing, just different, so they're not bad." 
Comissar
Leah finds herself feeling a little exasperated at this point, " Well, uh, maybe, uh, maybe it was left for you..? I mean, I can't, uh, I can't imagine someone accidentally leaving an, uh, an egg in your room while you're asleep... "
Hazuki
 "Neither can I, that's why I'm confused."  Waye says.  "And if somebody wanted me to have it, they'd have said so, or left a note or...what do I want with a Smeargle egg? I have a Smeargle." 
tgva8889
Alyssa nods.  "Y-yeah, that stuff I think is okay. I haven't, um, seen much of their Pokeballs. I guess it depends on how it does it, but most of that stuff is okay. Like, um, I think clothes are fine, and, um, I like the Pokegear, so it's not all bad."  She smiles.  "I don't mean to say I don't like it, j-just that I don't like  all  of it." 
Comissar
Leah gives an uncertain shrug, " Maybe the egg was, uh, was left for you  because  you have a Smeargle..? Maybe it was a, uh, a Pokémon who thought you'd, uh, you'd be best for caring for it..? "
Hazuki
 "I guess...that's okay?"  Nika says.  "I like the clothes too. Hey, you've seen Leah's clothes! Do you think any would look good on me?" 

~

 "How did it get in?"  Waye peers at Leah.  "Pokemon can't just walk into my room. We have locks." 
tgva8889
Alyssa takes a moment to think. After looking Nika up and down she shrugs.  "I'm n-not sure which ones would fit you b-best. I, um, d-don't usually t-try to look that good s-since I do a lot of dirty work. Wh-what sorts of clothes do you like?" 
Comissar
Leah gives another shrug, " Well, umm, maybe I can, uh, can take a look? See if there's a way for a, uh, a pokémon to get in that you missed..? "
Hazuki
 "Foreign ones!"  Nika answers, smiling bright.  "But not those things with heels. Or the, kind of, really big shorts that look like a skirt but they're not a skirt? And I saw this one woman from Yoonover who had a dress, but it was just strips pf black across her chest, and her bellybutton. That wouldn't be practical..." 
 "Okay, if you want."  Waye says.  "We can go there after your inn." 
tgva8889
Alyssa nods, laughing at Waye's descriptions.  "Y-yeah, um, maybe the more regular stuff? I d-don't think I like any of the really strange stuff, but the more normal stuff like they wear more everyday. Like, um, I like the really rough blue stuff? They usually wear it as pants or a jacket and it's really tough? I think that's nice." 
Hazuki
 "I know that stuff! It's called jean."  Nika bobs her head excitedly.  "Maybe Leah has stuff made of jean?" 

Just as she says that, the group arrives outside of The Duelist's Rest.
tgva8889
Alyssa nods, smiling.  "Yeah, um, I think that's what Doctor Perry said. That sounds right to me at least." 

Outside their place, Alyssa looks over at Waye and Leah.  "W-well, um, should Waye and I wait out here for you and Nika, or, um, should we go in with you?"  She turns to Waye.  "Actually, um, wh-where are you staying, Waye?" 
Comissar
Leah nods her agreement to Waye's suggestion. Once at the inn, she turns to Alyssa at her question. She shrugs in response, one of her hands rising to her bag strap, " Well, uh, I don't mind if, uh, if you want to come as well, though it might, uh, it might get a bit crowded in the room if, uh, if we're all there. " She pauses a moment, glancing to the building, " Umm, I, uh, I didn't get as far as, uh, as finding Bibi, though. She, uh, she might still be here..? "
Hazuki
 "I'm in another inn, further...in."  Waye answers.  "Why?" 

Nika lingers, apparently having no particular insight on what the others do.
Comissar
Leah hesitates a moment, then looks back to the inn, " Well, umm, if you want to come, our room is, uh, is down this way. "

With that said, she makes her way to the room she and Alyssa were sharing, going slow enough that anyone wanting to follow wouldn't be left behind. Once there, she takes a moment to actually look around the room for the first time before then finding her baggages and turning to Nika, " Umm, was there, uh, was there anything in particular you might, uh, might want..? "
Hazuki
Nika follows Leah inside the Duelist's Rest and they soon find the room, which consists of a small room whose free space is roughly equivalent to the size of the double bed that sits at the center. There's just enough area in the bare wooden room to store some bags and move around. Bibi has tucked them up against the far walls, Leah's packs on one side and Alyssa's on the other. The woman herself is not present.

Maggie stays beside Alyssa.
tgva8889
Alyssa shrugs to Waye.  "Just curious. Wanna come inside?"  She heads in behind Leah inside, smiling as Maggie sticks close to her.

Once inside, she sits on her bed and takes out her sketch pad. She gestures to Maggie to join her, and prepares to do some sketching of the others.
Comissar
Leah finds her cheeks colouring a little as she notes the single bed in the room, but she quickly turns her attention back to the task at hand as the others file into the room behind her. Moving deeper in to make space, she pulls her bag up to rest on the bed. She starts to empty out the clothing within, separating the piles out into clothes she was willing to part with, and a pile that she'd prefer to keep. Once properly sorted, the pile she's willing to offer up contains a couple of jeans, a few T-shirts, and a single jacket. Straightening up a little, she tucks some hair away from her face and glances up. She offers Alyssa a smile as she sees her sketching, then glances over to Nika, " So, umm, see anything you, uh, you might want..? "
Hazuki
Waye stares for a moment, then nods and follows Alyssa, along with the much more enthusiastic Maggie. The Gothorita hops onto the bed beside Alyssa and leans against her, while Waye steps inside and gazes over the ceiling.  "Small room." 
 "I'll, uh, look away in case of delicates."  Nika says, when Leah starts to go through her bag, then turns back once the clothes are laid out. Her eyes are filled with excitement.  "You have jean things! This is great!"  She leans down to pick up a t-shirt and holds it up, barely able to keep still.  "I...I want all of it. Can I trade you stuff? I've got some stuff!" 
Comissar
Leah looks a little surprised at Nika's enthusiasm, giving her a faintly embarrassed grin. " Umm, yeah, they're, uh, they're called jeans. " She rubs behind her neck, glancing down at the clothes pile being offered out. It wasn't that she minded giving away the clothes, but it  did  mean she'd need to get some replacements if they were all going...

" Umm... " She hesitated a moment longer, then nodded slowly, more to herself than Nika, " Yeah, uh, yeah I guess that can work. Umm, what, uh, what were you looking to trade for them..? "
Hazuki
Nika freezes for a moment.  "I, uh, I have gold, and I can make Pokeballs? If you want some...you can put Pokemon you have in the new ones. The old one stops working, but I can do it. And...uh..."  She taps a finger to her chin.  "I can cook a bit. I have some clothes, too. Or...head massage?" 
Comissar
Leah grins at the suggestions, giving a half shrug, " Well, uh, it feels a bit silly saying it but, uh, but clothes would be nice. Umm, I don't mind giving you these but, uh, but if you have some stuff that, uh, that would fit, it'd save me having to go out and buy new stuff. " She gives another shrug, " And, uh, and if none of them fit right I guess, uh, I guess we can work something else out..? "
Hazuki
 "Great! I've got some stuff with me,"  Nika pats the bag at her side.  "There are cloaks for rainy weather and snowy weather, and I've got some breeches, and some tunics - they aren't as cool as these t-shirts, but they're nice, I guess. And I've got wraps! I don't think you need them, but you could accessorize. Maybe around your arms if you want to look tough or...you could wear them as a scarf!" 
Comissar
Leah again finds herself surprised, this time that Nika would be carrying around a variety of clothes with her about town. She smiles though, " Well, uh, we're, uh, we're planning on going to Vibrost once we leave here, " She glances to Alyssa with a smile, " So, uh, so something warm sounds good. Umm, can I, uh, can I take a look..? "

If Nika agrees, Leah moves her clothing to another part of the bed to create space.
tgva8889
Alyssa nods at Waye's comment.  "Y-yeah, um, not very big."  She catches Leah's small blush and smiles.  "Kinda, um, cozy though?" 

When Nika and Leah get into clothing negotiations, Alyssa giggles a bit at Nika's enthusiasm, but she's smiling and enjoying herself. As she puts her pencils to her paper, she will every so often lean over to Maggie to show her some of what she's drawn. In this case, she's drawn Nika, excited over the new clothes. Most of her attention is to her sketch pad throughout this, though she looks up every so often to get a sense of Nika's reactions. There's a few drawing of Nika in different poses holding up clothes, excitement in her face.

As the discussion turns to trading clothes, Alyssa looks up, trying to imagine Leah in some of Nika's clothes. She turns her attention back to her sketch pad, starting to draw Leah now in more Londo-style clothing. She smiles at her images, looking up just as Leah starts asking about cold-weather clothes.  "Yeah, um, m-maybe a good cloak or something w-would be good. C-can I look at some stuff?"  She sits up a bit and moves a bit to give space for Nika's clothes.
Hazuki
Maggie pays close attention to Alyssa's drawings, nodding when she's shown them and sometimes pointing to curious pieces that haven't been drawn in yet.

Nika pulls out a long green cloak made of some thick material, with white fur along the hood. It doesn't seem to have much wear. She also retrieves a yellow wool tunic that would go a little way past Leah's hips, a pair of thick stockings, and some tough brown breeches.
tgva8889
When Maggie points, Alyssa will nod and try to fill in those parts of her drawing, turning some empty lines into a shirt or pants or something, or finishing up enough of a face to make it clear that it's Leah. She makes a point to try and fill in parts that Maggie is pointing to first, to show her what they are supposed to be.

Alyssa, noticing the cloak, takes a moment to pause in her drawing and talking to Maggie to admire it.  "Wow, this is a p-pretty nice cloak. I, um, think it'd be pretty good for cold?"  She looks over at Leah to see what she thinks.
Comissar
Leah starts with the tunic, holding the neck up to herself and flattening it down against her stomach to try and get an idea of how it would fit. Moving on to the breeches, she similarly holds them against herself, doing her best to get a sense of how they would look on her without having to actually change into them. Leaving the stockings for a moment, she turns her attention to the cloak, picking it up and running the material between her fingers. She finds herself smiling at the softness of it. After a moments pause, and with a glance to Alyssa at her comment, she looks to Nika, " Umm, mind if, uh, if I try it on..? "

If given the go ahead, she does just that. Keeping the hood down, but otherwise pulling the cloak around herself. She grins a little at the strangeness of wearing a cloak, finding she almost felt like she'd taken a step back in time. She grins at Alyssa again, giving the cloak a little swish as she does, " So, uh, what do you think..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa nods to Leah, not even really registering that she was asking Nika if it was okay to try on the cloak. She turns a bit red once she realizes, turning back to her sketching for a moment. Now she has drawn Leah in a bunch of the clothes she's actually looking at trying, trying to make her look as good as she can though not trying to make anything too unrealistic.

When Leah puts on the cloak, Alyssa looks up to get an image of her and stops, not looking away for a while. She laughs a bit as she swishes the cloak, nodding at her question.  "I, um, I th-think the green is g-good for you."  Turning a bit red, she looks back down at her pad and starts trying to draw Leah in the cloak.
Comissar
Leah smiles at Alyssa's compliment, her cheeks colouring a little as she turns back to Nika. " Umm, if you're, uh, if you're happy with the trade, then, umm... I think I'm happy with it. "
Hazuki
Nika squees, her arms going up beside her before just kind of swinging at her sides.  "Can I hug you?"  She asks, her eyes shining with excitement.

Waye shoots a sideways look at the girl, while Maggie picks up the stockings and stretches them out.
Comissar
Leah gives a bit of an embarrassed smile and shrug at Nika's reaction and question, " U-umm, sure..? " She accepts the offered hug a little awkwardly, ready to release it fairly swiftly after it's started.

Once no longer being hugged, she tucks her hair behind her ear as she glances over to Waye, " Umm, right, uh, ready to, uh, to go over to where you're, uh, you're staying..? "

As she asks, she catches sight of Maggie stretching her brand new stockings, " Oh, umm, try not to, uh, to stretch them too much, please..? "
Hazuki
Nika's hug is swift and cuddly, but she doesn't linger.  "Sorry, it's just, so cool! Hey, do you mind if I get changed into them here? I bet Sass will want to see me in them."  She says, as she picks up the t-shirt.

 "Yeah."  Waye shrugs, then turns towards the door and opens it a sliver.  "My friend might be there, but...it's a bigger room. We'll be fine." 

Maggie peers up at Leah, then reluctantly puts them down.
tgva8889
Alyssa seems a bit annoyed as Leah and Nika hug, though she is mostly able to occupy herself with her sketching and looking at Maggie. When Nika pulls away Alyssa seems to turn back to normal, and she shakes her head.  "If, um, y-you wanna change here that's okay with me." 

As Waye heads out, Alyssa looks up at her.  "D'you, um, want me to come? I d-don't know much about eggs but, um, I might be able to help some if you're looking around?"  She prepares to follow, getting up off the bed and closing up her sketch book so she can carry it.

Alyssa pats Maggie as she puts down the stockings.  "It's okay. It's just, um, if you do that too much, you can rip them. Or, um, stretch them so much they don't fit."  She makes a gesture of pulling something out really wide, smiling.
Comissar
Leah shakes her head at Nika's question, " No, uh, I, uh, I don't mind either. "

She goes to follow Waye out of the room, giving her a faintly questioning look, " That's, uh, that's your friend with the Minior..? "
Hazuki
 "You can come if you want."  Waye says, stepping outside alongside the girls. Maggie goes with them, nodding at Alyssa's explanation on the nature of stockings as she does.

Various shuffling sounds can be heard from the door to their bedroom, then Nika steps out clad in a pair of t-shirt and jeans that fit her like a normal person's might.  "So! What do you th-"  She's interrupted by a small Pokemon flitting into the lobby, bumping right into Nika's head, then hovering in front of her. It's a small black, white, and red bird with a long beak and a sack clutched in its teeny talons.  "Scroungy!"  The girl exclaims, as she takes the bag from the Pokemon.  "What did I tell you about over-encumbering yourself?"  She asks, and is met with a dismissive tweet.  "No,  your  mom!"  She says, then looks to the girls and flashes an embarrassed smile.  "This is, uh, Scroungy, my Pikipek." 
tgva8889
Alyssa laughs at Nika's interactions with her Pikipek.  "Nice to meet you, Scroungy! I'm Alyssa and this is Maggie."  She gestures to Maggie with one hand.  "What'cha got there?"  She points to the sack.
Hazuki
Maggie tilts her head up at the Pikipek, who lets out a little tweet at her, then regards Alyssa.

 "It's Pokeball ingredients! Er, components."  Nika jiggles the bag.  "It's usually apricorns, wood bark, that kinda stuff. And pretty stones and shells and Pokemon bits - y'know, scales, bits of broken-off horn? Some of it's for making the Pokeballs, some for decoration." 
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles, moving closer to Scroungy to give it some pets. Turning to Nika, she says,  "Cool! Would you, um, mind showing me how you make a Pokeball? I've always b-been curious b-but never asked." 
Comissar
Leah finds herself not quite sure what to say as Nika comes out, somehow feeling that 'My clothes look good on you' would sound a bit weird. She gives Scroungy a surprised look as the pokémon haphazardly flies in, grinning at Nika's reaction to the Pikipek's chirp. It felt easy to guess where that language had been picked up. As Nika and Alyssa discuss pokéball creation, she quietly moves to lock the door. Glancing to Waye, she asks " Well, uh, ready when you are..? Let's, uh, let's try and get to the bottom of, uh, of your mystery egg. "
Hazuki
 "Yeah, we can do it at Waye's inn if you want?"  Nika offers.  "I need a flat surface and everyone is going there anyway...so let's do that."  Scroungy reluctantly allows Alyssa to pet its headfeathers, but no more!

 "What? Yeah."  Waye says to Leah.  "Let's go do that."  She starts to lead the way once they hit Diwyneb's streets, Maggie joining the quartet by Alyssa's side. With how busy the entrance to Diwyneb is, it's a good thing that the girl is wearing a bright pink jacket, or it could be quite easy to lose track. They eventually get to a building that's shaped like a horshoe, wooden and tall with a small outside garden between the wings. Painted in big letters across the building is the name "The Yawn Inn".

Waye heads inside, the group right behind her, and leads the way up a set of stairs and down a nicely-decorated hallway. She pulls a key from her pocket and opens the door to reveal a wide room, nicely decorated, with two single beds spaced apart and a partially-open door at the side. A small pink Pokemon rolls around on the floor, with five white spikes placed equidistant across its body, rolling to apparently build u speed before bouncing off of a surface, then doing it again.

 "That's her Minior."  Waye says as she steps inside.  "It does that."  The Pokemon's beady eyes turn to her briefly, then it continues with its rolling.
tgva8889
Alyssa nods in agreement with Nika, following behind the others as they head to Waye's inn. When they get into the more crowded areas she takes Maggie's hand to keep track of her as they walk, trying to stay close to Leah to keep up.

Once they make it inside, Alyssa takes a moment to look around, letting Maggie free of her hand. After a moment of looking she trails behind the group, coming into the room last. She waves to the Minior as it looks at them, smiling.  "I don't think I've ever seen one of you before. Hi!"  She keeps up her energy as she walks around the room, getting a sense of the layout.  "So, um, where did you find your egg?" 
Comissar
Leah nods at Waye's comment as they enter her room, then offers the Minior a small wave in greeting. Turning her attention back to the room, she takes a short walk around it, checking for ways that a pokémon could've come in to leave an egg. On completing her little tour, she turns her attention over to Waye, " So, uh, you said you were, uh, you were sure nothing could've come in to, uh, to leave the egg..? Umm, is there, uh, is there any chance I could speak to your Smeargle..? "
Hazuki
Maggie happily accepts Alyssa's hand to help her through the crowd.

The Minior doesn't seem to take much notice of the girls once it's returned to rolling around. Maggie watches it doing so, her head shifting to follow, while Scroungy seems quite content to stay on Nika's shoulder.

Looking over the room, the girls find a closet hatch on one wall that could be unlatched to see the open air. The only other exit seems to be the door at the side.

 "I found it here."  Waye says, as she pointed beside one of the beds There's a small table between them.  "You can take a look at my Smeargle. Be careful or he'll paint you."  She says, as she reaches into her bag and retrieves a perfectly normal Pokeball. There's a shimmer of light, and then it's standing there. A bipedal Pokemon with pale creamy fur, soft brown rings around its arms and legs, and a long tail that it quickly snatches up. Said tail has a brush-like end, covered in pink paint. He takes one long look across the room, then waves its tail at Alyssa, Leah, and Nika.
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles and waves back at Waye's Smeargle.  "Hi! I've always wanted to be friends with a Smeargle."  Remembering Waye's warning, she resists the urge to approach him. When Waye points out where she found the egg, Alyssa takes a look around for anything that might be a clue as to where the egg came from. Once she's done looking, she'll turn to Waye.  "Is there, um, anything you notice missing? Or, um, anything that's not supposed to be here?" 
Hazuki
Alyssa sees a pack tucked under the bed, with a few things beside it, including something that looks like but is not a Pokedex, a small bottle of nail polish, and a glass ball that's been painted in all the colors of the rainbow.

 "No."  Waye says, as her Smeargle climbs onto the bed to watch Alyssa search.  "I mean, you guys weren't here last night. I don't think you put the egg in here, though." 
Comissar
Leah returns the Smeargle's wave, going over to the bed to join the pokémon. " Hey. So, umm, your trainer told me that, uh, that she found you with, uh, with an egg yesterday..? I was, uh, I was hoping you could, uh, could show me where it came from..? "

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
I guess a charm roll for that? Never Leah's forté, but hey, maybe it won't be needed 😛
 (1D6)[ 1 ] 
 
Hazuki
The Smeargle turns its head to face Leah, then swishes his tail on her cheek, leaving a pink streak.
Comissar
Leah gives a surprised " Ah! " and jerks back, reaching a hand up to her cheek as she does, touching the wet paint without thinking. She pulls her hand away with a bit of a grimace at the wet feeling, looking at her fingers, then back to the Smeargle with a deflated smile, " ... Umm... Don't, uh, don't want to say..? "
Hazuki
The Smeargle shrugs his shoulders.

 "Maybe he doesn't know."  Waye says.  "I was sleeping at the time and I think he was too."  She peers at Leah's cheek.  "Want a wet towel?" 

Nika, meanwhile, has set herself up at the other bed and has unfurled the sack that Scroungy retrieved for her. Maggie peers over the edge at the collection of titbits before her.
Comissar
Leah nods at Waye's question, " If, uh, if you don't mind... "

She turns her attention back to the Smeargle, " ... " Pausing as she tried to work out what to ask, she eventually tried, " Have, uh, have you made, uh, made friends with any, uh, any other pokémon since, uh, since you got here..? "
Hazuki
The Smeargle considers the question for a moment, then points his tail at the Minior rolling about on the floor.

Waye heads over to the partially open door, then lets out a squeal and stumbles back.
Comissar
Leah closes her eyes, sags a little and sighs at the Smeargle's answer. Visions of the same conversation she'd already had with Waye playing out all over again floating in her mind. Waye's squeal snaps her attention over to her, though, and she rises off the bed and moves to join her, concern in her voice as she does so. " What? What's wrong? "
Hazuki
A face peers out of the doorway, pale with eyes covered by circular sunglasses and a head of expertly-groomed pink hair.

 "Oh, terribly sorry, Waye."  The young woman steps out of the room and giggles behind her hand.  "I was just leaving the bathroom. If only I'd known you were coming in."  She says, as she offers a hand to Waye. She's clad in suit, tailored to fit her form, much like the business-people Leah saw much more often in Kanto.

 "Scared me..."  Waye mutters, as she takes the other girl's hand and is helped to her feet.  "this is Nowa."  She says, as she looks back at Leah.  "She's my friend." 

Nowa curtsys with an imaginary skirt.
tgva8889
Alyssa, not noticing anything of any interest in the room itself, moves over to the bed near Maggie and Nika. She splits her attention between watching Leah trying to interact with Waye's Smeargle and watching Nika as she starts to do her work. Enough is happening for her to watch that she doesn't open her sketch pad, instead trying to keep track of both Leah and Nika at the same time. She giggles when Leah has less luck with the Smeargle, getting up to help.  "What I think my friend means is, did you meet any Pokemon you really got along with?" 

When Waye cries out, Alyssa jumps up, putting a hand to her chest once she realizes nothing bad has happened. She bows her head politely to Nowa when she is introduced.  "N-nice to meet you, Nowa. I'm Alyssa." 
 
 Spoiler: OOC 
I think if I'm using Let Me Help With That, Comissar gets to reroll with a +3 on the charm check.
 
Comissar
Leah gives Alyssa a grateful look as she steps in to help her with the Smeargle, then turns her attention over to Nowa, greeting her with a smile and bob of her head, " Umm, I'm, uh, I'm Leah. It's nice to, uh, to meet you. " She glances over to Waye, then back to Nowa, " Umm, Waye, uh, Waye asked if we could help her figure out where, uh, where her Smeargle egg came from. Umm, I don't, uh, I don't suppose you have, uh, have any ideas..? "
Hazuki
The Smeargle slowly nods its head with Alyssa's explanation, then points at Minior.

 "A pleasure."  Nowa says to the girls. When she's questioned, she taps her chin.  "Why, I don't think I know anything." 
tgva8889
Alyssa shrugs at Smeargle's response, smiling at Leah.  "Y-you, um, look kinda silly with a pink streak on your face." 

She doesn't seem surprised by Nowa's response, going back to sitting by Nika and Maggie.  "W-well, Waye, I think I'm stumped. D-do you know wh-what you want to do with the egg?" 
Hazuki
 "Oh, let me go and get that..."  Waye slips into the other room and returns with a wet, but not dripping towel, that she offers to Leah. She shrugs at the question.  "I don't know. Something, probably." 
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles.  "Well, um, I think with eggs you're supposed to keep them with you and if you treat them right they're supposed to hatch."  She looks over at Smeargle.  "I guess this must be your egg but I dunno where it came from." 

Looking over at Nowa, she says,  "S-so, um, if you d-don't mind me asking, where did you and your Minior meet?" 
Hazuki
The Smeargle apparently disregards Alyssa in favor of hopping over to the bed Nika is on. She presents him with what seems to be half of a Pokeball, which he happily starts to paint.

Nowa smiles at Alyssa and tucks her hands into her pockets.  "I met Minior during a visit to Alola. It is a terribly humid place; I hoped to learn about some of the regional variations that are particularly popular there. Like the humble Vulpix, I hoped to be carried along the Alolan winds to a form crystalline and beautiful."  She flicks her hair to the side, making her bangs bounce.  "It was not quite as dramatic a metamorphosis, but I'd hardly say I look worse for the visit." 
tgva8889
Alyssa nods.  "Oh, cool. I don't think I've ever been to Alola, b-but we did meet someone from there. But s-since you traveled there, I'm guessing you're not from there, s-so, um, where did you travel from?"  She smiles, trying to make her voice more friendly and curious.
Hazuki
 "Sinnoh, of course. Where else could you find a maiden so fair?"  Nowa grins.
tgva8889
Alyssa laughs a bit, smiling.  "I sh-should have known. T-to be honest I haven't met many people from Sinnoh. Nice to meet you."  She bows her head respectfully to Nowa. Pointing towards Minior, she asks,  "Does it, um, normally bounce around like that? I feel like rolling into the wall over and over again is bad. Is that how it moves around?" 
Comissar
Leah gratefully accepts the offered towel, giving Alyssa an embarrassed smile as she does. Wiping at her face to try and get the paint off, she looks back to the Smeargle thoughtfully. Seeing him start to paint a pokéball half, she frowns to herself. She looks back to Waye, " Umm, can, uh, can I take another look at the egg..? "
Hazuki
 "I'm still from Sinnoh."  Waye points out.

 "Hmm? Why, yes, it is."  Nowa says.  "It's rather like a bouncy ball. Don't you think that would be fun, if you could do it?" 
 "What? Uh, yeah."  Waye shifts over to Leah and takes the egg out of her pack. It looks much like it did before,
Comissar
Leah holds a hand out, hoping to take the egg this time, " Umm, do you, uh, do you mind if I take a closer look at it..? "
Hazuki
Waye digs into her pack and hands the whole egg over to Leah. It weights...probably the amount a Pokemon egg is meant to weigh, as far as she can tell.
tgva8889
Alyssa laughs a bit at Waye's response, turning a bit red.  "Y-yeah, um, I remember. Y-you two would be, um, the first two I've met, I mean."  She smiles at the two of them.  "D-did you two meet while you were traveling, or, um, do you know each other from before you left home?" 
Hazuki
 "I know her from Sinnoh."  Waye answers.  "She's always been weird, so I'm used to it." 
 "Only one of us is wearing Lopunny ears."  Nowa points out with a smirk.  "You know, she used to hop up to my house and ask to play." 
 "...she also sucks."  Waye adds.
tgva8889
Alyssa giggles at Nowa and Waye's banter.  "I n-never really had a friend like that, s-so it's nice to see some people like that."  Smiling, she points at the ears.  "Why, um, are you wearing the ears?" 
Hazuki
Waye stares at Alyssa.  "Because I'm adorable. Duh." 
Comissar
Leah turns the egg over in her hands a couple of times, then sighs to herself. She'd hoped that it'd turn out to be something  painted  to look like a Smeargle egg. But the egg in her hands stubbornly continued to be an actual egg. Setting it carefully down out of the way, she ran a hand through her hair and looked over to Waye's Smeargle again, tuning out Alyssa's conversation with the two trainers from Sinnoh for the moment. If it wasn't something that was painted, and it had appeared in a closed room overnight, then it had to have come from somewhere in the room. But the only two pokémon were the Smeargle and the Minoir...

Leah rubbed a hand against her forehead.

  The Smeargle is male and Minoir's are genderless, so how..?  

She stopped, frowning, then pulled out her pokédex. Holding it up, she tried scanning in first the Smeargle in order to confirm it as male, then the Minoir. Double checking the Smeargle was simply to make sure she wasn't being foolish, but checking the Minoir would let her test a hunch.
Hazuki
Leah's Pokedex scans the Smeargle and correctly identifies it as such. When she goes to scan the Minior, it takes a few moments before registering it as Minior's core form.
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles at Waye's response, then looks over to notice Leah using her Pokedex.  "You got an idea, Leah?"  She wanders over to her and looks at the screen.  "Minior's core form? What's that mean?" 
Comissar
Leah feels herself deflate a little at her pokédex's identifications. At hearing her name, she glances up to Alyssa, then back down to the pokédex in her hands, shaking her head with a frown. " ... No... It doesn't, uh, it doesn't make sense to me... " She contents herself with answering an easier question instead, turning her attention to the Minior, " Well, uh, the, uh, the core form is what Minior's have under their shell. They, uh, they don't stay in it for, uh, for very long. It can be dangerous for them so, uh, so they'll make a shell, or, uh, or retreat to a pokéball. " Her frown deepens as she speaks, watching the Minior apparently quite content in its core form. " ... Umm... "

Turning her attention to Nowa, she asks, " Does, uh, does your Minior not like having its, uh, its shell..? "
Hazuki
 "Uh, no."  Nowa says as she leans against the wall.  "Prefers to spend their time in their most beautiful form. I think perhaps the other Minior simply have no sense of style." 
Comissar
Leah keeps her eyes on the Minior as she continues, a faint smile starting to show as she feels like she's solving the mystery, " And, umm, did, uh, did you find it on, uh, on Mount Hokulani..? Was it, uh, was it already in its core form..? " She winces a little at the pronunciation of the mountain name, worried that she may have mangled it a little.
Hazuki
 "You know...I think that may have been the case."  Nowa twirls a lock of pink hair around her finger.  "Why ever do you ask?" 
Comissar
Leah fidgets a little, looking up to Nowa from her sitting position, " Well, uh, I, uh, I  might  know what's going on... " She rests her hands either side of herself on the bed, " So, uh, the egg must have, uh, must have come from somewhere. And, uh, and your Smeargle's not been around any, uh, any pokémon other than, uh, other than, uh, other than Nowa's Minior, " She nods over to Nowa, " Umm, and, uh, Minior's can't, uh, can't stay in their core form too long. Umm, it's, uh, it's really dangerous for them to, uh, to do it. " She glances around at the other girls in the room as she explains, " And, well, Ditto's can, uh, can be found in the, uh, the same place as Minior's... So... Umm... I think, uh, I think your Minior might, uh, might actually be a Ditto..? "
Hazuki
Waye furrows her brow. Nika looks up from her Pokeball bit-sorting. Maggie turns her head. Smeargle sits there. Minior keeps bouncing around.

 "That's...a bold suggestion!"  Nowa taps a finger to her lips.  "But, have you any way to prove it's true?" 
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles as she sees Leah putting her skills to use, listening carefully to understand the situation. She nods to Leah's final explanation, then looks at the others as she finishes to see their reactions. As they discuss the plan, Alyssa shrugs.  "W-well, um, we could try just asking."  Walking over to the Minior, Alyssa puts on her happy face.  "Hi, Minior! Or, um, are you Ditto?"  She puts cheer in her voice.  "I heard you could change into other Pokemon and I think that's really cool! D'you think you could change into Smeargle? I think Smeargle are really neat." 
 
 Spoiler: OOC 
I would guess maybe a Charm check?

 (3d6)[ 5 ][ 4 ][ 2 ](11) 
 
Hazuki
The Minior wobbles to a halt in front of Alyssa when she goes to grab its attention. Its beady eyes flick across the denizens of the room, and it wobbles a little more on the spot. Alyssa gets the sense that it's listening to her, but she'll need a little push to win the Pokemon over.
tgva8889
Alyssa tilts her head a bit, still smiling.  "Hey, um, I know y-you're maybe a but nervous. I totally get that. I'm n-nervous when I show off what I can do too. W-would it help if we looked away while you did it? Or, um, can we get you anything to help?"  She looks over at Leah, not really sure what to give a Pokemon she has never heard of before.
Comissar
Leah hesitates at Nowa's question, not sure how to prove her thoughts. Alyssa's simple strategy of 'why not ask' brings her a little relief, she hadn't considered being so direct. Her relief fades a little as the Minior simply doesn't transform. Seeing Alyssa look to her for advice, she moves over to join her, resting her hands on her knees as she drops into a crouch beside the pokémon. " Umm, we can, uh, we can get you a treat if, uh, if you do..? " She felt her ears begin to heat as she started worrying about how she'd look if she were wrong, " Umm, I'd, uh, I'd quite like to see it too..? "

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
Charm roll of my own, won't stand up to Alyssa's sadly, but hopefully the bribery will help 😛
 (1D6)[ 1 ] 
 
Hazuki
The Minior turns on one of it spikes to gaze at Leah. Her words don't seem to have had much of an effect on it.

From behind them, Maggie walks over and gently nudges Leah out of the way as she stands in front of the Minior. She lets out a few soft cries, her hands on her hips, and the Minior retorts with a few wobbles on its spikes. The conversation finally ends with Maggie crossing her arms. A few seconds pass, and then the Minior's body seems to shift in place. First its spikes retract, its body grows, and grows, various limbs extending from its form until what stands before the group is another Smeargle...that's cast entirely in shades of pink.

 "Goodness!"  Nowa exclaims.  "My baby!" 
Comissar
Leah glances at Maggie a little confused as she's nudged out of the way. She follows the conversation between the two pokémon with a measure of confusion, her sense of concern growing as she watched. As the Minior begins to shift and change, she gives out a sigh and a smile, glancing up at Waye from her position on the floor. " Well, uh, now you, uh, you know where your egg, uh, egg came from. "
tgva8889
Alyssa moves a bit to give Maggie some more space, looking at her and Minior as they talk. She tries to follow their conversation but doesn't have much of a grasp on what's happening. Her faith in Maggie seems to pay off, though, as the "Minior" transforms. She gasps as it changes shape completely, clapping when it's done.  "W-wow! That's really cool! Thank you, Minior. I, um, I mean Ditto."  She smiles and offers to pat it out of appreciation.

Turning to Maggie, she smiles and gives her some pats too.  "Thanks for your help, Maggie. Um, w-what did you say to it?" 

Looking up at Leah, she asks,  "Um, what do you mean? Is it a female Ditto?" 
Comissar
Leah hesitates at Alyssa's question, rubbing behind her neck as she turns to face her, " W-well, uh, Ditto's can, uh, can change themselves into, uh, into anything. Umm, male or, uh, or female. "
Hazuki
 "...that's so weird."  Waye says.

Maggie happily accepts Alyssa's head-pats.
tgva8889
Alyssa nods in understanding at Leah's explanation.  "Oh, okay. So I guess those two probably made it."  She looks between the pink Smeargle and the regular Smeargle.  "Wow, Ditto is a cool Pokemon." 
Hazuki
 "Well...what now?"  Waye asks.  "I don't want it and I don't think Dude or Minior want it."  She gives her Smeargle the side-eye.  "You're not getting any treats. For not telling me. Jerk." 
 "And nor am I particularly pleased."  Nowa shakes her head as she strides up to beside the former-Minior.  "But...I endeavor to make my demeanor as fair as my appearance, so, I forgive you."  She reaches down and pets the Pokemon's head. It makes a little happy burbling noise.
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles at Nowa.  "Well, Ditto can ch-change its appearance to anything, so it can still be beautiful with you." 

As Waye talks about what to do with the egg, Alyssa looks at it, then at Leah, then at Waye.  "Um, if you d-don't want it...can I have it? I r-really do want a Smeargle, and, um, you have one you don't want."  After a second, she puts up her hands and says  "I promise I'll take care of it!" 
Hazuki
Waye looks at Alyssa, then at the egg.  "But you said you don't know what to do with eggs." 
tgva8889
Alyssa shrugs.  "I know the basics. Take care of it and it'll hatch. And, um, I have Leah and Maggie to help me."  She looks at the other two as she mentions them, then turns back to Waye.  "I, um, plan on being in town for a while, s-so I can spend some time at the library and, um, make sure I know h-how to do it right." 
Comissar
Leah looks a bit surprised at the reactions of Waye and Nowa at the Ditto's reveal, then gives Alyssa an equally surprised look as she offers to take the egg. She smiles and nods at Alyssa's assertion that she and Maggie could help, though. " Yeah, umm, I'm happy to, uh, to help you out. "
Hazuki
Maggie looks at Alyssa as she's mentioned, blinking rapidly.

 "I...guess?"  Waye says.  "But it's kinda Nowa's too." 
 "Oh, though it pains me to depart with such a thing, I've no time to raise a baby Pokemon. I've still got to learn how to take care of this shapeshifting little minx."  Nowa says, as she wags a finger at the former-Minior.
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles.  "E-either way, if, um, y-you don't want it, I'd like to help you f-find someone to take care of it, and, um, I'd like to volunteer to be included."  She looks down at her feet, running a hand through her hair. After looking between Nowa and Waye, she smiles.  "A-and, um, I'd like to h-help you if I can."  She turns to Leah then, turning a bit red as she says,  "I, um, w-want it to grow up with friends and people who can take care of it well." 
Hazuki
 "Well...okay."  Waye says.  "But you'll have to get your own bag to carry it." 
tgva8889
Alyssa nods.  "I, um, I think I can find something." 
Comissar
Leah finds herself giving an embarrassed grin back to Alyssa as she sees her blush, then lays a hand on her own bag at the talk of transporting the egg, " Well, uh, we can, uh, we can just, uh, just use mine for now..? Umm, I can, uh, I can wrap it in, uh, in my hat or, uh, or something to protect it..? "
Hazuki
Waye gently rests the egg on her bed until Alyssa is ready to take it, then stands up and yawns.  "This is exhausting." 
 "...you're on my bed."  Nowa suddenly points out, as she turns to face Nika with a hand on her hip. The Minior-Turned-Ditto, starts to tumble about the room like an acrobat and Maggie watches with a tilted haed.

 "Yep, sorry. I can get off if you want, but I'm almost done with this Pokeball!"  Nika holds up a very wooden-looking Pokeball.  "...the outside, I mean, the shell, but it's cool, right? There's a little foldable hook here and if you flick it, it springs open!"  She demonstrates, and it does indeed do just that, twisting open much like other Londo Pokeballs.
tgva8889
Alyssa, who has been paying some attention to Nika, smiles when the ball flips open.  "Cool!"  Looking over at Nowa, she then points to the stuff laid out on the bed.  "We, um, sh-should probably give them some space, though. M-maybe some time to think about what happened and discuss it with their Pokemon?"  She gestures to the now-tumbling Ditto. Back to Nika, she says,  "We c-can find somewhere else for you to work?" 
Comissar
Leah rocks back onto her heels, then stands as Waye expresses her tiredness. Straightening herself out, she glances over to Nika, " Umm, we could, uh, we could head back to, uh, to the library..? Or, uh, or our room..? " She glances to Alyssa at her second suggestion, " Umm, either way it'd let Waye and, uh, and Nowa get some rest..? "
Hazuki
 "Yeah, no problem!"  Nika goes about gathering up her things, including tucking the shell into her pack, and slips off of the bed.

It turns out that Maggie has to put some serious effort into avoiding the tumbling Ditto-Smeargle, as a four foot humanoid requires much more effort to avoid.

 "Oh, I'm not sleeping."  Nowa points out.  "I was simply observing. My bed is welcome to any,"  She pauses.  "People can sit where they like. But if you're set on departing, farewell."  She once more curtseys to the group, then grabs the tumbling Ditto-Smeargle by the tail.  "Turn back this instant!"  She says, and it makes a gurgling sound before turning back into its Minior form, which sits quite comfortably in her hand.  "Now wave goodbye to our lovely guests."  A hand suddenly extends from the Minior, which waves to the group.
tgva8889
Alyssa stands as Nika picks up her things, herself collecting her sketch pad. Walking over to the egg turns into a bit of an adventure as she dodges both Ditto-Smeargle and Maggie who herself is dodging. Once there she turns to Leah.  "Um, can I b-borrow your bag, Leah?"  She gingerly picks up the egg and puts it into the bag, testing the weight a bit before she slowly slings it over her shoulder.

Once they are ready to go, she bows politely to Nowa, careful not to let the weight or size of the egg disrupt her balance.  "It's been nice to m-meet you both! If, um, y-you want any help with anything let us know. We'll be in t-town for a little while."  She waves back at Ditto, smiling. As they head out, she gestures to Maggie, pointing out the door.  "You ready to go?"  She leaves last, waving behind her as she goes.
Comissar
Leah nods, unslinging her bag from her shoulder and offering it out, " Yeah, sure. "

As she makes her way out, she gives a bob of her head to Nowa and Waye. She breaks into a grin at the Ditto's wave to, returning it with one of her own. " Umm, it was, uh, it was nice to meet you all. Umm, hope to, uh, hope to see you around town... "

Once out of the room, she turns to Alyssa and Nika, " So, umm, I think we  do , uh, do need to find Bibi. Umm, I was thinking we could, uh, we could go back to our room and, uh, and ask where she went..? "
Hazuki
 "Who's Bibi?"  Nika asks as she joins the girls outside the horseshoe-shaped building. Maggie, meanwhile, watches the egg Alyssa's carrying.
Comissar
Leah turns to Nika, " Oh, she's, uh, she's our, uh, our guide. Umm, we, uh, we need to let her know we're, uh, we're going to be staying a while. "
tgva8889
Alyssa nods.  "Oh, y-yeah, right. Um, I guess we can go back now, then look for her? We sh-should also probably go into market and find a bag for this egg."  She looks over at Maggie as she's watching the egg, smiling at the Gothorita.
Hazuki
The girls make their way back to The Duelist's Rest, where they soon find Bayla behind the desk.

 "Hello, girls!"  Greets the sleeveless woman, then waits for their purpose.  "Ah, Bibi? Said she was off to visit the Pokecenters in the foreign quarter." 
Comissar
Leah waves a greeting to Bayla and, on getting an answer on Bibi's current whereabouts, gives her a grateful nod and " Thankyou. "

On heading back outside, she hesitates a moment, looking left and right before pointing at a direction and giving Nika a questioning look, " Umm, the, uh, the foreign quarter is, uh, is this way, right..? "

On getting an answer, she follows the other girl's directions, turning to her again as they walk, " Umm, have, uh, have you had much of a chance to look around the, uh, the foreign quarter..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa politely bows to Bayla when they see her again, nodding at her directions.  "Th-thanks!"  She follows behind Leah as she heads out, making sure to check that Maggie is still with them.

When Leah asks, Alyssa also takes a moment to try to remember the path. Pointing, she says,  "Um, is it that way? I, um, haven't really g-gone anywhere here yet."  She'll probably follow Nika's directions, guessing she would know the way to the foreign quarter.

She spends a lot of her attention keeping an eye on Maggie, making sure she doesn't bump the egg into anything, and trying to keep up with Leah and Nika while doing both. Overall she doesn't have too hard a time carrying things, but with split attention plus her state of mind she is not paying as much attention to their conversation.
Hazuki
 "Yeah! There are signs and stuff."  Nika says, as she points through the crowd to one such sign. As before, Maggie sticks close to Alyssa as they make their way through. They have to walk all the way through the market district, through to the center of Diwyneb Town, then take a right to get to the Foreign Quarter.

There's a distinct change in their environment as they come up on the Foreign Quarter, as a sea of prefabricated buildings fill their view from where they stand, right up to the walls. They're all cast in vibrant colors, but boxy, and they fill the streets in an easy pattern. There's even a small sign right by where they enter, a map of the facilities, with all of the conveniences, including a Pokecenter, in the closest part, and most residences nearest to the walls, though there are apparently a few stations for Knights scattered throughout - and slightly visible, by the banners hoisted above them. The ground, though not paved, has clearly been flattened down and maintained by some means. There aren't a great deal of people hanging around here, although they do spot some groups chatting here and there, most on their way to the section marked as Foreign Culture.
tgva8889
Alyssa looks around and takes her time to observe the buildings and people as they enter the Foreign Quarter. The map catches her eye, and she wanders over to it to get a sense of the area. With her finger she runs through the map, tracing a path to the Pokemon Center from where they are. She turns to Leah without moving her finger from the map. Still pointing to the Pokemon Center, she says,  "This is the right place, right? W-we, um, take this route to get there?"  For Leah's view she retraces the path she made.
Comissar
Leah finds herself a little surprised at the lower density of people around this part of the town, though her attention is fairly quickly grabbed by a sign pointing to the 'foreign culture' section. Smiling to herself, she idly wondered what might be on display. Her musings are interrupted as Alyssa calls her attention to the map. Walking over, she gives a nod then glances up to the street in the direction they need to go. " Looks like it. " She gives the other two a smile, " Did, uh, did you guys want to take a look around once we've found her? There, uh, there might be some cool stuff round here..? "
Hazuki
 "Yeah, I wanna look!"  Nika grins.  "I mean, I've checked it out already, but I wanna look again! The nurses at the Pokecenter are so cute. This one there showed me all the nurse outfits from other Regions and everyone dyes their hair pink. It's so cool." 
tgva8889
Alyssa nods to Leah, smiling at Nika's enthusiasm.  "I, um, w-would be okay looking around after. I, um, do need to find a bag for you." 
Comissar
Leah grins at the mention of the pokécenter's, thinking back to Kanto and the nurses staffing the medical centres there. She nods along with Nika's enthusiasm at the idea, " Y-yeah, umm, that's definitely a thing in, uh, in Kanto. Umm, I didn't know for sure if, uh, if it's something you see outside of, uh, of Kanto. "

She takes a moment to idly take in the buildings around her again as they head to the pokécentre, then gives Alyssa an embarrassed smile, " Umm, thanks. I, uh, I do kinda wonder what sort of things get sold here. It, uh, it must be quite a mix..? "
Hazuki
 "I heard that it's not all foreign."  Nika says, as they walk.  "That this used to be the slums too and Lady Diwyneb is using foreigner funds to rebuild it for people to live better, who were poor and stuff like that." 
tgva8889
Alyssa nods at Nika's explanation, though she keeps her eyes on the path to make sure they don't get lost.  "Th-that, um, seems like a good idea. I'm s-sure the, um, people from Kanto would be, um, glad to help."  She glances over at Leah as she walks, then turns back to the path.
Comissar
Leah looks a little surprised at Nika's comment, " Oh! Oh wow that's, uh, that's a really nice thing to do..! " She feels herself redden a bit at Alyssa's comment, rubbing behind her neck as she continued, " Well, umm, it's not just, uh, not just Silph that, uh, that came over. Umm, Devon also has, uh, has a big presence in Londo now... "
Hazuki
 "Who's Devon?"  Nika asks innocently.  "Is she nice?" 
Comissar
Leah blinks, then gives an embarrassed smile at Nika's question, " Oh, umm, no, Devon is, uh, is a big tech company from, uh, from Hoenn. Umm, they, uh, they're funding Professor Hawthorne's lab. "
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles at Nika's comment, looking over at Leah when she explains.  "Wh-what's, um, the main difference? I know they're from, um, different places but, um, what do they do that's different?" 
Comissar
Leah rubs at her arm as she marshals her thoughts, " Well... Umm... Silph Co. are, uh, are this big manufacturing company. They, umm, they make a lot of household appliances but, uh, but they also have a big R and D department. Umm, I think, uh, I think they even made a pokéball that could, uh, could catch  anything . Without fail. " She glances to Nika as she mentions that, giving her a grin as she did. Turning her attention forward again, she continues, " Devon is, uh, is kinda similar..? I think, uh, I think they got their start as a mining company, or something... But when they got big, they switched into manufacturing as well. They, uh, they're more focused on pokémon products than Silph. Umm, they've got this huge range of pokéballs that are better for certain environments. " Feeling a bit of a need to stick up for the Kantoan company, she quickly adds, " But, uh, but they aren't 100% guarantee's like the one Silph made. "
tgva8889
Alyssa takes some of her attention from the path and turns it towards Leah, listening to her talk and trying to process everything she says. She notices Leah rub her arm and moves a bit closer to her, not taking her hand but trying to give the sense that she's supporting her.

She nods a bit once Leah finishes her explanation, thinking.  "I, um, d-didn't really know all that. Are there a lot of companies that, um, are making lots of technology? Or, um, is it mostly just those two?" 
Comissar
Leah relaxes a little more without even realising as Alyssa moves closer to her. She looks to her with a smile and shrug, " Well, uh, there's a bunch of other tech companies that exist, but most of them are a lot smaller. Silph and Devon are probably the two biggest ones. "
tgva8889
Alyssa listens to Leah's explanation, nodding once she's done.  "So, um, wh-what is your favorite thing Silph made? And, um, Devon? I d-don't have a lot of things from either of them."  She takes out her Pokegear.  "B-basically just this." 
Comissar
Leah tilts her head to one side at Alyssa's question, " Well... There's, uh, there's a lot of stuff to choose from! " After a few moments more consideration, she comments, " Well, umm, Silp have made some really cool things. Umm, the Master Ball, the Silph scope, umm, a few other things. But, uh, but Devon made something that can bring fossil pokémon back to life. " She grins, " So, uh, so I think they win. "
tgva8889
Alyssa looks over at Leah as she thinks out her answer, smiling when she finally decides.  "Wow. S-so, um, you c-could actually bring back the Pokemon that was that f-fossil that you have?"  She looks out into the distance.  "T-that's pretty cool."  Back to Leah, she asks,  "Wh-what would a fossil Pokemon even look like?" 
Comissar
Leah nods with a grin at Alyssa's query, " Mhm! "

She gives an uncertain shrug as Alyssa asks what fossil pokémon look like, " Well... It really depends on the fossil..? If I'm right with, uh, with what mine is, it's a four-legged pokémon with a really long neck. Umm, an ice and rock type. "
tgva8889
Alyssa traces what Leah describes in the air with her left hand. Despite just a verbal description, she actually does a decent job getting the basic shape.  "Cool. I, um, I hope I get to meet the Pokemon you bring back."  She looks over at Leah with a smile.
Comissar
Leah returns the smile with an embarrassed grin, rubbing behind her neck, " Well, uh, that's assuming, uh, assuming we find somewhere that'd, uh, that'd be  able  to, uh, to bring it back. Umm, and assuming, uh, assuming they'd even, uh, even  want  to. "
tgva8889
Alyssa looks at Leah with confusion.  "What place with a thing that can make a fossil Pokemon come to life wouldn't want to use it? What's even the point of making something like that if you aren't going to use it for what it's made for?" 
Comissar
Leah blinks, then breaks into a giggle at Alyssa's indignation, " I just meant they might be too busy with their own projects. They might not have the time to even see me, and there's no guarantee my fossil is even good enough quality to work. "
tgva8889
Alyssa looks at Leah with some surprise.  "Oh. Um, th-that makes sense."  She giggles along with her, smiling.  "I g-guess it might be the same if we, um, found someone to look at this egg."  She points with her thumb over her shoulder.
Comissar
Leah nods, reaching up to move some stray hair from her face as she does, " Yeah. Umm, I'm pretty sure a lab would be willing to do it, but that doesn't mean they'd necessarily be able to. "

She reddens a little as she realises she'd been monopolising the conversation with Alyssa. Turning to Nika, she asks, " Umm, I, uh, I don't suppose you, uh, you know if there's any labs apart from, uh, apart from Professor Hawthorne's around..? "
Hazuki
 "What's a lab?"  Nika asks, smiling innocently.
Comissar
Leah looks a little surprised, then apologetic as she replies, " O-oh! Umm, a, uh, a place where people carry, uh, carry out research. Or, umm, or study things. Usually, uh, usually Pokémon..? Like, uh, like Professor Hawthorne does, uh, does a lot on Pokémon psychology..? "
Hazuki
 "Oh. I don't know."  Nika shrugs.  "Maybe they'll know at the center?" 
tgva8889
Alyssa shrugs.  "We should ask, I guess." 
Hazuki
 "Let's go!"  Nika says, and Maggie peers at the older girl for a moment.  "...what?"  She asks, and the Pokemon shrugs her shoulders. They stare at one another for a moment, then Scroungy pecks the girl's head.  "Ow! You b-...bird." 

The group soon finds themselves in front of what's clearly a Pokecenter, at least to Leah. It's made of white panels on the outside, with a red ceiling and a white Pokeball symbol at the top - with a love heart in the center. There are a handful of people just leaving, each equipped with belts and Pokeballs, although there's no consistent age among the group of obvious non-natives. They quickly disappear into the background noise, with people either heading to stalls covered in various forieng goods, or sitting at one of the benches at the center of the plaza, which surrounds a tower that bears one Knight standing sentinel on the top. Many of them seem to have snacks, few of which Alyssa recognizes.

The interior of the center greets them with cool air, and a similarly pristine environment. The amber accents lend it a comfortable air, with one corner dedicated to comfortable seating and one wall bearing a counter with shelf upon shelf of Pokemon medicine, along with some small plush toys and Pokeballs. But dominating the room is a counter, behind which sit various machines, plus one snoozing Lilligant and a nurse. She seems quite young, with pale skin and pink hair tied up in circular pigtails. She wears a white tunic, with a pink shawl hanging off of her shoulders, and a bright smile.
tgva8889
Alyssa giggles at Maggie and Nika's short interaction, laughing when Scroungy takes matters into its own beak. Once they finally reach their destination, she takes a moment to appreciate the Pokemon Center from the outside before she heads in after the others. She has enough time to glance at the stalls as she heads in, but not much time to appreciate them.

When the cool air hits them, Alyssa shivers a bit, but her cold blood makes her comfortable quickly and she heads up to the counter.  "H-hi! We were, um, looking for a friend of ours named Bibi. She's pretty strong and, um, has a floating bluish Pokemon with tentacles that blinks and floats around her."  Alyssa gesture a bit with her hands to try to make the picture of Bibi and Ibib more clear.
Comissar
Leah feels a pang of homesickness on seeing the pokécenter, the familiar sight of it reminding her of both Sorland and Saffron. She nevertheless finds herself feeling upbeat as they head in, the clinical look inside helping her feel at home. She joins Alyssa in heading over to speak to the nurse, nodding at the description then adding, " Umm, she's also got a, uh, a lot of scars..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa looks over at Leah when she comes over, and adds,  "I, um, I think her Pokemon maybe sits on her head mostly?"  She looks back at Leah.  "Ibib is a Psychic Pokemon, right?" 
Hazuki
 "Hello!"  The nurse bows her head to the two girls as they approach, then listens through their questions with an impassive expression.  "I think I did see that woman in here, yes. What would you like to know?"  She asks, as Nika starts leaning over the counter.
tgva8889
Alyssa looks back to the attendant when she answers. Smiling, she asks,  "Um, d'you know where she went?" 
Comissar
" She's, uh, she's our guide. " Leah adds, " We, uh, we just needed to, uh, to speak to her. "
Hazuki
 "She didn't talk very much, but I think she left with the woman who runs the...maid cafe, I think it's called?"  Nurse Joy smiled.  "Where the boys and girls dress up as maids to serve tea and things." 
tgva8889
Alyssa bows respectfully to the Nurse Joy and smiles.  "Th-thank you, um, miss!"  Realizing, she bows again and says,  "I'm, um, sorry f-for being rude. My name is Alyssa and this is Leah and, um, Nika.   She gestures over to each of her friends in turn as she says their names.  "Um, w-where would we go to get there?" 
Hazuki
 "Nurse Joy."  The nurse beams.  "You can take one right, past the next turn, then a left." 
Comissar
Leah bobs her head in greeting as Alyssa introduces her. She nods again at the directions, then adds, " Umm, I've, uh, I've got a question as well if you, uh, if you don't mind..? " She glances briefly to Nika, then back to Nurse Joy, " Umm, I was wondering if you, uh, you might know about any fossil labs..? Not, uh, not necessarily around here, just, uh, just in Londo..? "
Hazuki
Nika seems to have achieved whatever it was as she stops leaning over the counter.

 "A fossil...yes, I know there's one in Whitebeam City,"  Nurse Joy says.  "And I think I heard about a ship carrying a laboratory, too." 
tgva8889
Alyssa bows her head to Nurse Joy.  "Th-thank you."  She looks over at Leah as she speaks, looking back at Nurse Joy for her response. She jumps up a bit at the news, and grabs Leah's hand.  "W-we wanted to go to W-Whitebeam, right? M-maybe we can head there first, instead of going to Vibrost?"  She leaves the option open, smiling at her friend.
Comissar
Leah can't help but grin at Alyssa's abrupt display of excitement, squeezing her hand a bit and giving an embarrassed giggle, " Umm, yeah. That sounds good to me! If, uh, if you're sure you don't mind delaying Vibrost..? "
Hazuki
 "So...do you like Pokeballs?"  Nika asks Nurse Joy.

 "I suppose I do, yes."  The Nurse smiles back at her.

 "I make 'em."  Nika grins.

 "Oh, how wonderful! And so young, too." 
 "Yeah."  Nika scratches the back of her head.  "I'm pretty good. That's not bragging, is it?" 
 "Not at all. It's good to have pride in your work." 
 "Do you want to see some of my Pokeballs?" 
 "Oh, I'm quite busy at the moment. I haven't been on my shift for long." 
 "Darn."  Nika frowns, but it is fleeting.  "Oh, I have one with me!"  She says, as she brings out the shell she'd made in Waye's room.

 "How pretty! May I?"  Nurse Joy holds out her hands and Nika hesitates for a moment, then places it in her grip. The Nurse flicks the switch and it twists open, earning a gasp.  "I love how these Londo Pokeballs open. They're so much prettier than the floppy ones." 
 "I think so too! The designs are cool, but they could be much prettier. I'm gonna fix that - or try to!" 
 "You have a good start, Miss..."  Nurse Joy pauses.  "I'm afraid I didn't get your name! I'm so sorry!" 
 "No, it's fine. I'm Nika."  Nika beams.  "I should have introduced myself." 
 "You did seem busy..."  Nurse Joy looks down at the counter for a moment.  "I did wonder what you were trying to accomplish." 
 "Oh."  Nika laughs nervously.  "I was looking at your shoes. I like foreign clothes."  She tugs on her recently-traded t-shirt.

Nurse Joy giggles.  "What a silly thing to do. You could have asked! We spend so much time getting this outfit just right, but nobody ever sees us below the waist!" 
 "No way! It's so cute, though!"  Nika gasps.  "They should install a glass counter instead." 
 "Oh, I don't know about that."  Nurse Joy smiles conspiratorially.  "This way, I can read books, keep snacks under the counter, with the guests none-the-wiser." 
 "That's sneaky,"  Nika says.  "But I'd probably do it too. I can't just sit in one place, even when I'm making Pokeballs. When I was in Lancer Town, I'd go to the beach, the plains, the top of a building..." 
 "I know some good places around here. You wouldn't think of a swamp as beautiful, but there really are some lovely places!"  Nurse Joy smiles.  "Maybe I could show you some?" 
 "That would be so great! Thank you!"  Nika rapidly nods her head.

 "It's settled, then. Why don't you come back here at about six?" 
 "I will!" 
 "And...bring snacks."  Nurse Joy adds.

 "Su- Wait! You'd better not just be trying to get a food delivery service, here."  Nika warns, good-humoredly.

 "Me?"  Nurse Joy flutters her eyelashes.

 "Hng. Too cute...to get mad at..."  Nika groans, then laughs with the Nurse.
tgva8889
Alyssa shakes her head at Leah, smiling.  "N-not at all."  She squeezes Leah's hand, then turns back to Nika only to catch her charming Nurse Joy. More interested in learning than actually leaving, she watches them talk with interest. Her eyes get a bit wide when Joy asks Nika to come back, giggling a bit and turning to Leah when they near completion.  "Sh-should we go find Bibi, then? We wanna make sure Nika makes it back on time."  She winks at Nika and gives her a thumbs up beneath the counter.
Comissar
Leah finds herself not quite sure what she ought to be doing as Nika and Nurse Joy converse, not wanting to intrude on their conversation, but also not wanting to simply up and leave Nika while she was talking. Fortunately, neither the Nurse nor Nika seem to be aiming to make any demands of her, leaving her free to nod and smile at Alyssa's suggestion of finding Bibi. Gently pulling her hand free of Alyssa's, she clasps them both in front of her as she gives the Nurse a brief bow of her head. " Umm, thankyou for your help. It was, uh, it was nice meeting you! "

Farewell given, she turned to head for the exit once the other two were ready, looking to find the maid cafe.
Hazuki
Nika notices Alyssa's thumbs-up and wink, though her reaction is little more than a tilt of her head.

 "You're welcome! We hope to see you again!"  Nurse Joy says, with a brief glance at the sleeping Lilligant.

With that, the group departs through the chatty streets, with Maggie having a little more freedom to reign with their relative lack of crowdedness. It isn't long until they spot the cafe, which has been painted with softer creams and pinks compared to its surroundings. It bears a sign that reads "Super Cute Maids From All Over! Can You Handle The Kawaii? The Adorability? The Sheer Sweetness?!.

Once inside, they're greeted by the scent of sweet treats and warm brews, along with an impeccably-polished black-and-white tile floor accompanied by the same soft tones as the exterior. Warm lighting compliments the whole place, which is filled with tables and chairs of pale wood. But the most eye-catching thing are the people moving between them, the feminine beauties clad in maid attires of all varieties, from the steroetypical Kalosian ones, reserved Galar affairs, to the simpler but no less elegant serving kimonos of Johto. All of them are young and beautiful, and look to be from different regions, including Londo locals, and some seem almost clumsy as they serve, while others are as graceful as anything, and yet others borderline on the cold.

Bibi is easy to spot in contrast to the sweetness all around her, as she sits at one table to the side, with one scarred hand being held by a young woman dressed in a longcoat and pants, her black hair cut close to her head and a warm smile on her lips.
tgva8889
Alyssa seems utterly overwhelmed by the maid cafe, trying to take everything in and not interrupt or interact with any of the maids at first, but she doesn't seem like she ever gets over that and instead sticks very close to Leah.  "W-what, um, what is this place?"  She watches each maid who passes in front of her, absorbing her style and mannerisms, but she's quiet and contained and doesn't try to interact with them. She spots Bibi and points her out to the others, but doesn't go up to her until Leah starts to head there.  "D'you, um, th-think we should wait for them to be d-done?" 
Comissar
Leah hadn't been to maid cafe's herself back in Kanto, but she had seen them about. The inside, then, was less of a culture shock for her, but the level of cutseyness on display was still somewhat of a surprise for her. She glances to Alyssa as she realises how close her friend was staying by her. Hoping to steady her, she reaches to take her hand and gives a gentle squeeze. " Well, uh, maid cafe's are, uh, are a kind of, uh, kind of themed cafe. " She pauses in her explanation, making space for one of the waitresses to bustle past, " And, uh, and a lot of people like the, uh, the cuteness of a maid cafe. "

As Alyssa points to Bibi, she nods at her question, " Y-yeah, umm, it looks like she's, uh, she's busy. Umm... " She gives the others a questioning look, " I guess, uh, I guess we could grab a table while, uh, while we wait..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa nods tentatively to Leah, then turns her attention back to the crowd, waiting until it looks like one of the maids might be able to help them. When she sees someone who looks available, she composes herself a bit and asks,  "Um, m-my friends and I were wondering if we could get a t-table?"  She holds Leah's hand for comfort, squeezing back to show she's doing okay.
Hazuki
The group flags a maid in a typical black and white affair, with her to match and barely a color on her.  "If that's what you want."  She says coolly, then guides the trio (And Maggie) over to a table with some menus already there.  "I'll be back in a minute."  She says, before departing. Nika is staring after all of the maids, clearly quite enraptured by their outfits.
tgva8889
Alyssa nods and follows the maid through the crowd, keeping hold of Leah's hand but watching out for Maggie to make sure she doesn't get lost or knock into anything. Once they're at the table she pads for Maggie to sit next to her, letting go of Leah's hand out of necessity. She nudges Nika once they've sat down. She keeps her voice low, but the excitement creeps in.  "It's r-really a lot, isn't it? I've never  seen  this many girls this dressed up."  She looks around
Hazuki
Maggie seems able to maneuver quite easily through the relatively calm cafe, with most of the activity coming from the paths of the handful of maids moving around. She hops up beside alyssa when invited, while Nika slots herself into the opposite side.

 "I've changed my mind about making Pokeballs. I want to own one of these."  Nika replies.
tgva8889
Alyssa giggles at Nika's reply.  "M-maybe you can do both? A Pokeball maid cafe?" 
Comissar
Leah gives Alyssa's hand a final squeeze before letting it go as they sit at the table. Once seated, she picks up a menu, scanning through it for a moment before catching Alyssa's question. Glancing up, she looked around the café. Though busy, it didn't seem overwhelming to her, instead reminding her once again of the café's back in Saffron during lunch rushes. She gives Alyssa a grin and small shrug, " I guess it can be, uh, be a bit much at first. "

She gives a small giggle as Nika professes her desire to change career paths, nodding at Alyssa's suggestion, " You could, uh, you could just add some red to the uniform. You know, there are battle café's in some parts of the world. You can, uh, you can choose to duel the staff between courses. Maybe you could do something like that..? "
Hazuki
 "Wouldn't I have to train them?"  Nika asks.  "I'd have to train and dress them up and find them, too!" 
tgva8889
Alyssa nods at Nika, though in looking around she muses  "I, um, th-think you'd have to train people to work at one of these, too."  She points out a few of the different maids, adding,  "Th-those two are different than th-that one, and, um, th-they all act a certain but different way." 
Comissar
Leah nods, " It does seem odd that, uh, that they're all serving people differently. I, uh, I wonder if that's deliberate..? "
Hazuki
 "Maybe we can ask?"  Nika suggests.
Comissar
Leah hesitates at the thought, giving an embarrassed grin " Might, uh, might be best not to if, uh, if we get the same person who bought us to, uh, to this table..? "
Hazuki
 "Well...I can't answer you and I don't think Alyssa can,"  Nika says.
tgva8889
Alyssa shrugs. She smiles at Leah, noticing her nerves.  "I, um, I guess probably? Is this different from the places like it back home?" 
Comissar
Leah gives an embarrassed laugh, " I-I just can't, uh, can't think of a way to ask that's not, uh, not really rude! " She folds her arms on the table in front of her, giving a shrug as she does, " I, uh, I never really went into a  maid  café back in Kanto. I just knew  of  them. "
Hazuki
It's at this point that the maid returns.

 "Hey, Miss!"  Nika says.  "How come you're acting different from all the other maids?" 
 "Different maids appeal to different customers."  The maid explains, with perfect pronunciation.  "If you would prefer another, you need only ask, although you should be aware there is a flat fee to be tended to by your preferred server." 
tgva8889
Alyssa looks at Leah and Nika across the table to gauge her thoughts.  "If you t-two are okay with it, I'm okay with what we have."  She smiles at the maid who is serving them, giving a small nod of her head.
Hazuki
 "You needn't spare my feelings."  The maid comments, impassive.

 "Can i buy your outfit?"  Nika asks.

 "You can not." 
 "Oh..."  Nika frowns.  "Please? Leah let me buy some of her clothes." 

The flicker of the maid's eyes is just barely perceptible.  "That's not a service we offer." 
Comissar
Leah's eyes widen in alarm as Nika asks the maid about her behaviour, attention flicking over to the maid with a worried expression. An expression that turns to relief as the maid takes the question in her stride. She gives a small smile to the maid and shakes her head, " I've, uh, I've not got a, uh, a problem being served by, uh, by you. "
Hazuki
The maid nods.  "What would you like to drink?" 

At the other table, it seems like Bibi is in for the long haul. It will be some time before she's without company.
Comissar
Leah throws a brief glance over to Bibi and, seeing her still looking fully engaged with whoever she was seated with, turns her attention back to the menu. " Umm... Could, uh, could I have a tea..? Umm, black, please..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa looks down the menu.  "U-um, what w-would you recommend?" 
Hazuki
TIME PASSES.

All three girls get to enjoy a warm or cold beverage of their choice, along with some sweet or savory snack, and it's all of excellent quality served by a maid to whom elegance is a second nature. Nika spends much of the time watching the maids in their outfits, while Maggie enjoys the remnants of whatever food the girls don't want to finish, and Scroungy crawls into Nika's pack to rest.

Fortunately, by the time they're done, Bibi is standing up to leave the maid cafe.
tgva8889
Noticing Bibi getting up, Alyssa looks to Leah and points toward her, then gets up without a word and heads over to Bibi.

As politely as she can, she stammers  "U-um, Bibi?"  hoping the woman will turn around. When she does she bows her head slightly and says,  "L-Leah and I, um, wanted to find you t-to tell you...um, I w-wanted to, um, get s-some help. For my f-fears. So I'm s-seeing some of the h-healers here to b-better control it. W-which may take s-some time off o-our journey."  She bows again, though partially to hide her face which has turned quite red.
Hazuki
 "Okay,"  Bibi says, turning as she's addressed.  "Will the healers investigate your stutter?" 
tgva8889
Alyssa laughs, tension leaving her body.  "I'll ask." 
Hazuki
Bibi nods, apparently content with the contents of that conversation.

Nika and Maggie have both followed Alyssa over. Maggie gives a little wave to the woman, who nods at her, while Nika stares.
Comissar
Leah follows Alyssa over to Bibi, letting her take the lead on talking once she starts. As Alyssa starts to struggle, she gently lays a hand on her arm to offer silent support. When Alyssa and Bibi's exchange appears to be over, Leah adds, " Umm, the, uh, the treatment Alyssa's going to get isn't something that'll, uh, that'll be done in a few days. If, uh, if you didn't want to hang around here until she finishes it, we would understand. " She gives an embarrassed rub behind her neck, " But, uh, but if you've not got anywhere else to be, it'd be nice to still, uh, still have you as our guide when we're, uh, we're ready to leave..? "
Hazuki
 "I can take jobs in the area,"  Bibi says.  "It's fine." 
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles at Bibi. She speaks slowly, which helps her avoid stuttering.  "Thanks, Bibi. I, um, I really appreciate it."  Turning to Leah, she smiles, small but considerate.
Comissar
Leah lets out a relieved sigh, giving Bibi a grateful nod and smile, " Thanks, Bibi... I don't know if, uh, if we'd even be able to find someone as helpful as you... " She finds herself not quite sure what to say next, glancing between the other three for a moment before settling on Alyssa and Nika, " I guess, uh, I guess if you guys wanted to, uh, to look around the market part of, uh, of the quarter we could do that now..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa nods at Leah's suggestion.  "Yeah, um, that'd be fun."  She shifts Leah's bag into a more comfortable position and looks at Nika.  "D'you wanna come with us?" 
Hazuki
Bibi nods at Leah's statement.

 "Hm?"  Nika blinks.  "Oh, yeah! I can buy some stuff. Probably. Are you guys looking for anything?" 
tgva8889
Alyssa points over her shoulder with her thumb.  "I gotta find a bag for this egg, or a bag for Leah."  She smiles at Leah as she mentions her.  "But, um, I wouldn't mind looking for some other stuff." 
Comissar
Leah gives an uncertain shrug, " It'd be, uh, it'd be interesting to see what kind of tech is, uh, is on sale but, umm, but other than that I think just bags. " She gives a faintly embarrassed grin, " And, uh, and maybe some new t-shirts in case the clothes you swapped with me don't fit quite right. But, uh, but we'll be here a while. I can just window shop this time round. "
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles at Leah.  "Oh! You want help finding some clothes?"  She looks over at Bibi.  "Th-thanks. Um, I mean, thanks again."  Bowing her head, she takes Leah's hand and heads for the door, though she doesn't do so with much haste to give everyone time to walk with them.
Comissar
Leah reddens a bit at Alyssa's question, giving a smile and nod, " Yeah, umm, if you don't mind. I, uh, I liked the stuff you picked out last time we went looking for, uh, for clothes. " She then offers Bibi a quick bob of her head as well before heading out the door after Alyssa. Once outside, she glances around to re-orient herself before heading toward the market.
Hazuki
The girls and Maggie go visit the market and find that it rather resembles the kind of thing Leah's used to, with clearly-marked buildings separated with signs advertising what they're selling, whether it's clothes or food or even gaming things. There are smaller stalls set out, rather like an open market, where visiting foreigners are obviously selling their wares, and it sits just outside a larger prefab building that advertises more of them inside - and higher quality, as well. It's reasonably active, with most of the customers obviously being foreigners, although there are a handful of locals working, carrying boxes or else cleaning up stands or helping people with their purchases.
tgva8889
Once they arrive, Alyssa takes some time to wander around the market, not stopping at any stalls but standing far away and looking at them from a distance. She keeps an eye out for anything that might be interesting to her or Leah, as well as for a bag to carry her new egg.
Comissar
Leah finds herself grinning as she looks around the stalls, gaze flitting between various bits of technology, familiar clothing, and the odd food vendor. Finding herself drawn to one of the more technology oriented stalls, her smile unexpectedly falters a little as she looks over the various pokéballs and pokégear accessories on display, her mind casting back to the times she'd go through Saffron's malls with her friends. Giving Alyssa's hand a gentle squeeze in response to the faint sinking in her chest, she glances up at the big building behind the stall. Turning her attention to Alyssa, she points to the busy prefab building, " I think there's more stuff inside, mind if, uh, if we go take a look..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa looks over at Leah when she speaks, then follows her pointing to the building. Nodding, she turns back.  "Yeah, let's go see what's in there."  Looking at Leah, her smile fades a bit She takes her other hand so she's holding both of Leah's hands and turns her head a bit to the side.  "You doing okay?" 
Comissar
Leah nods, glancing down then back up, " Y-yeah, just, uh, just a bit homesick. " She gives an embarrassed smile, " I, uh, I used to go to places like this a lot with, uh, with my friends. It just, uh, it just makes me miss them a bit. But I'm ok. "

She gives Alyssa's hands a grateful squeeze, then releases one of them so that they can head inside.
Hazuki
The interior of the larger building greets the girls with controlled temperature and a considerably more organized shopping space, with a circle of stalls at the center and an array of storefronts to either side. There are some brands that Leah recognizes, even, although their prices are increased to go along with it. There's a collection of Unovan model wear, with advertisements featuring the ultra-slender Elesa herself. A small shop that seemed to make customizable Pokeballs, which Nika gives the side-eye as they walk past. And one in particular is marked with the sign "Bargains From Beyond The Sea", which currently seems to have a surplus of Team Flare-themed gear, with crimson suits and sunglasses, tracksuits, skirts, all finely made and no doubt cheap thanks to the group's forced disbandment in Kalos.

When it comes to bags, Alyssa spots one at the Bargains from Beyond the Sea storefront, which has purses and courier bags either red with a white flame symbol or white with a red flame symbol. There's a selection of cute Pokemon-themed bags especially for carrying eggs, with special heating components, in the image of Pokemon such as Slugma and Miltank. And there's one that seems to be selling replicas of bags carried by renowned trainers, including Champions like Cynthia and Regional Heroes like Leaf.
tgva8889
Alyssa nods to Leah and smiles.  "Okay." 

Once they make it inside, Alyssa takes a moment to absorb her surroundings before she moves forward. She takes things slow, looking at products from afar and trying not to look too interested until she decides that she might want it. The host of goods and advertising makes her nervous at first, but when she gets to the bags she gets a bit closer and looks more in detail. Looking over at Leah, she points to the egg-holding bags.  "How much d'you think this helps?" 
Comissar
Seeing the other two taking their time walking around, Leah also takes a slower pace. Her gaze doesn't linger on the higher end products as she automatically dismisses them as being outside her price range. Instead, she takes an interest in the more mundane items of clothing. The cheapness of the Team Flare clothing in particular caught her by surprise. While in Kanto she'd been vaguely aware of their existence, and Officer Nepole had spoken a little about them from time to time, but she hadn't quite realised they were a big enough group to warrant their own fashion designs. Nor that they were apparently as infamous as Team Rocket to require enforced disbanding.

As Alyssa draws her attention to the egg carriers, she smiles, " I hear they're pretty good. I'm pretty sure at least one of the gym leader's back home used one to, uh, to raise a Togepi. " She gently frees her hand from Alyssa's, moving over to the stall to pick up one of the Slugma-emblazoned bags. Turning it over in her hands, she noted the heating elements carefully woven inside. Glancing up to Alyssa, she adds, " You, uh, you don't really have to worry about wind chill or cold days with them. So it's, uh, it's not just useful for keeping your hands free. "
tgva8889
Alyssa looks up in surprise as Leah frees herself, following near her so she can look at the same bag she's looking at. She nods at Leah's explanation, leaning over the girl's shoulder and pointing a bit at the inside of the bag.  "So, um, that part would keep the egg warm even if it's cold out? That's cool."  Settling back down, she smiles.  "D'you think I should get one? I, um, don't know a lot about eggs but I would guess it needs to be warm." 
Comissar
Leah finds herself smiling a little as Alyssa leans over her shoulder, giving a confirmatory nod at her question, " Yeah. Umm, even Ice type eggs need a little bit of warmth. "

She turns the bag in her hands over to look at the design again, glances to the table, then to Alyssa with a grin, " Up to you which design you want though. "
tgva8889
Alyssa looks over the designs again, trying to look for something she finds familiar. After sifting through a few she looks at Leah.  "I don't know what to pick! I, um, don't think I know most of these Pokemon."  She points at a few of the designs, then points at some of the other ones.  "So, um, I guess one of these?"  She picks up one of the Miltank ones and shrugs.  "I'm not good at making choices like this."  Sticking her tongue out, she laughs a bit and smiles at Leah.  "How do you pick something like this?" 
Comissar
Leah stifles a giggle as Alyssa admits her difficulties in choosing. " I mean, if, uh, if you're wanting my opinion on it..? " She looks over the options available, scanning the various designs for a few moments before picking up a baby Kangaskhan patterned holder, " This one's cute. And the egg even goes where the pokémon's pouch would be! " She demonstrates, opening the front pouch slightly.
tgva8889
Alyssa nods at Leah's suggestion. She slings the bag holding the egg off her shoulders and gingerly places it on the table, then shifts the egg out and carefully fits it into the bag slot. With it safely in place, she smiles.  "I think it works well!"  With one hand on the egg to keep it in place on the table, Alyssa looks to find the person she needs to pay for the bag.
Hazuki
Fortunately for Alyssa, the woman to pay is not far away. She's a lean woman, clad in a pleather jacket over a plaid shirt, with her hair tied up behind her head.

 "'Ello."  She looks over Alyssa with piercing eyes, tempered only slightly by a smile.  "Twenty gold for the bag. You a first time egger?" 
tgva8889
Alyssa nods her head at the woman, digging in her pouch for the proper amount of gold.  "Y-yeah, um, it kinda happened by surprise."  She counts out the money onto the table, then scoops it up and hands it over to the woman.  "But I kinda feel like it was meant to be, y'know?"  Turning to Leah, she smiles.  "Did you ever feel that way about something?" 
Comissar
Leah reddens a bit as Alyssa turns to her, rubbing behind her neck as she grins back, " I guess, uh, I guess sometimes..? " She gives a small shrug, " I'm, uh, I'm not usually the biggest believer in fate. " She turns to the vendor, bobbing her head in gratitude once the payment was made before asking, " Umm, do you, uh, do you have any advice on what we should and, uh, and shouldn't do..? "
Hazuki
 "Easy enough to take care of, basically indestructible, but if you want it to go quickly, always keep it warm, and make sure you've always got an eye on it, especially when it starts to rattle,"  the vendor says.  "Don't carry more than one, just for convenience, and don't keep it around Pokemon of the same kind that's not its parent, or they might decide it's theirs." 
tgva8889
Alyssa nods and takes mental note as the vendor goes into their advice, bowing slightly when she's done.  "Thank you! I'll make sure to do that, thanks."  She smiles, carefully shifting the egg back onto her back with the egg safely inside. Turning to Leah, she smiles.  "What do you think?" 
Comissar
Leah grins and nods at Alyssa's question, " Looks good though, uh, though I thought it was one of those ones you wear round your front. " She reaches out to Alyssa's shoulder, gently turning her so that she could see the egg on her back, " I was wondering if we ought to cover it over but, uh, but it looks pretty secure in there. "
Hazuki
 "No, it sucks! They're not real Pokeballs!"  Nika's voice suddenly cuts through the crowd and the girls can see that she's standing just beside the storefront airbrushing Pokeballs.

 "What are you talking about?"  The woman behind the counter has her hands on her hips and her voice is a little more level, but just as loud.  "They're standard Pokeballs, rigth out of the factory. They work as well as any other." 
 "There's no art to them!"  Nika says.  "It's just pictures painted by a machine. I can make better Pokeballs than this with my feet!" 
 "Wh... Young lady, you're making a scene!" 
 "You're making bad Pokeballs! Shame on you!"  Nika points an accusing finger at the woman, her volume not at all reduced, which has drawn quite a few eyes from the other customers.  "Shame!" 
tgva8889
Alyssa blushes when Leah mentions that she should wear it on the front, and pulls the bag off her shoulders to put it on the other way.  "Um, like this?" 

She doesn't wait for an answer before Nika's voice carries over the crowd. Meeting eyes with Leah, she sighs but puts on her smile.  "Um, we better go over there before it gets too bad."  Heading to where Nika is pointing at the woman, Alyssa puts a hand on Nika's outstretched arm to lower it.  "What's going on?" 
Hazuki
 "Alyssa!"  Nika lets her arm be lowered, but she doesn't take her eyes off of the vendor for a second.  "This woman is just copying things onto Pokeballs! With a machine!" 
tgva8889
Alyssa looks at the store front and to where Nika is looking, then turns her gaze back to her.  "I, um, get that."  She takes out one of her own Pokeballs, looking at the rather bland outside.  "Is that, um, bad?" 
Comissar
Leah grins as Alyssa fixes the bag's position, then turns in surprise at Nika's raised voice. Giving the bag vevndor a final, hurried bob of her head, she follows after Alyssa. A quick glance at the pokéball vendor's stall clues her in to Nika's objection. " Umm, Nika..? It's, uh, it's really common to do that. It's quicker than, uh, than hand painting. With, uh, with how many pokéballs get used, it's kinda important that there's a way to, uh, to mass produce them... "
Hazuki
 "But then why do they have to act like they're giving a service by painting them?"  Nika asks Leah, turning to her with a frown.  "It's not a service. They're just letting a machine throw paint at it. That's not art." 
Comissar
Leah rubs behind her neck, " Well... It  is  a service, though... Umm, the kind of pokéballs found, uh, found outside of Londo are basically all just red and, uh, and white. " She gives a shrug, " Not everyone's good enough to paint their own pokéballs. Umm, and, uh, and not everyone can afford a, uh, a bespoke service... "
Hazuki
 "So they should use regular ones!"  Nika says.  "If people want special ones, they should get real artists to do it. Not machines." 
tgva8889
Alyssa shrugs.  "Not everyone can get people like you and me to do good work on these kinds of things."  She smiles.  "You and I are special like that I guess."  She shifts the Pokeball in her hand and then puts it away.  "I think there's a place for less special ones like these. Like, something between what you make and just regular Pokeballs." 
Hazuki
 "I don't know..."  Nika shoots a glare at the machine.  "It feels like the machines will just get better and then I won't be able to do it any more." 
tgva8889
Alyssa shakes her head.  "I don't think machines will ever be as good as you and I am at what we do."  She smiles at Nika, trying to assuage her.  "The machine will never have our special spark." 
Comissar
Leah gives the vendor a brief look mixed with worry and embarrassment as both Nika and Alyssa disparage the machine printed designs, before glancing back to Nika, " I think it's, uh, it's just a different market. There's always going to, uh, going to be a market for, uh, for bespoke things. "
Hazuki
 "But what if they make a machine Nika?"  Nika tugs at the neck of her shirt.  "Then there won't be a need for me!" 
tgva8889
Alyssa giggles and hugs Nika.  "No machine will replace you." 
Hazuki
Nika is a bit of a saggy hug-reciprocator at first, but she manages to hug back within a couple of seconds. Maggie also hops in on the hug train.
Comissar
Leah gives a soft laugh at the impromptu group hug, reaching up to tuck a few stray strands of hair away from her face as she turns to the vendor. Clasping her hands in front of herself, she offers the vendor a bow. " Umm, sorry we, uh, we made a scene. I hope, uh, I hope your day goes well. "
tgva8889
Alyssa pulls away from the rather awkward hug given the egg in the way, though she's all smiles. She pats Maggie and looks at Nika.  "You doing okay? Sorry for the, um, big egg here."  Turning to the vendor, she bows.  "Sorry as well!"  She is a bit red as she returns to upright position, though she smiles at Leah.

Turning back to Nika, she points down the hall.  "D'you wanna look at some more foreign clothes and things? There's a lot of stuff here that looks pretty cool." 
Hazuki
 "Fine. Just get her out of my hair."  The vendor says, with a dismissive wave of her hand.

Nika is quite happy to be led away from that small area and the burgeoning crowd seems to have died down.

At Alyssa's words, Nika frowns.  "I'm not sure... Leah, do they make bespoke foreign clothes? I want to buy those if I can, or I'll be a hypocrite." 
tgva8889
Alyssa, thinking, says,  "What if you got some plain one and we bespoked them? I can do some drawing and painting." 
Comissar
Leah follows after the other two, giving a complicated shrug at Nika's question, " You  can  get bespoke clothes, but they tend to be really expensive. Fashion tends to, uh, to be mass produced for more general sizes. " She grins at Alyssa's suggestion, " That sounds like it could be fun, you'd want to, uh, to make sure you got fabric paint though. Just so, uh, just so it doesn't wash out. "
Hazuki
 "You know foreign styles?"  Nika asks Alyssa, her eyes wide.  "Like what they put on clothes?" 
tgva8889
Alyssa shakes her head at Nika's question.  "Not really. I've seen some stuff but, um, I don't know a lot about it. But we can look or ask around here for things that inspire us."  She points to a few clothes that she sees.  "We can take something more, um, mass-produced and use it as a starting point?"  Shrugging, she smiles at Nika.  "What do you think?" 

Nodding at Leah's suggestion, Alyssa puts a hand to her chin.  "We can probably find some good paint for clothes if we look. Maybe something from around here, to be more, um, foreign."  She smiles at Leah.  "Maybe we can, um, get your thoughts on some things? I know fashion isn't a big interest of yours but you know more about Kanto than we do." 
Comissar
Leah nods, " Yeah, sure. I'm, uh, I'm not sure how much help I'll be..? " She gives a grin, " But, umm, but I don't mind being fashion adviser. "
Hazuki
 "Will they have any blank ones?"  Nika asks, as she adjusts her pack.  "If... I don't want to copy someone else's design from the start." 
Comissar
Leah glances around the stalls at Nika's question, frowning slightly as she scanned the merchandise available, " I'm sure there's, uh, there's someone selling plain clothing. I mean, jeans usually are, uh, are just blue, and I never found it  too  hard to find T-shirts without any designs on them. "
tgva8889
Alyssa shrugs.  "We can look! I, um, kinda like the feel of the cloth on some of these anyways."  She points at Leah's shirt.  "Maybe not in here, though? I'm not sure we can find something like that in here." 
Hazuki
The girls' search for plain clothing leads them out of the comparably more luxurious warehouse and out to one of the smaller prefab buildings marked as Generic Clothing. As they enter, they're struck by a particular sense of unoriginality, as clothes are displayed in boxes, with simple pictures of the plain attire taped to the side of the box, along with a price written beneath it in marker pen. Shelf upon shelf is filled with the boxes, ranging from t-shirts to jackets to jeans to pantyhose. If it weren't for the counter on the far side of the room, one might be able to get lost in the dullness of it.

Fortunately, the counter does plenty to hold at least Maggie's attention, as the person standing behind it is distinctly not a person. In fact, it seems to be a Mawile dressed in what Leah might recognize as the most standard school uniform in Kanto, serafuku from collarbone to toe.
tgva8889
Alyssa, initially excited by their idea, seems a bit lower in spirits once they start walking through aisles of boxes with no real imagery. Bending down to look at various pictures, she scratches her head a bit as she tries to parse all the boxes and boxes of clothes to find what they're looking for. Shrugging to Nika and Leah, she says  "I, um, I guess we'll have to use our imaginations?"  She walks up to the counter with Maggie, starting to speak to ask for help but stopping when she notices the Pokemon there. Smiling, she waves at the Mawile.  "Hi! Um, we were looking for some clothes that we could, um, paint on?" 
Comissar
On entering the smaller warehouse, Leah's first impression was surprise at the uniform the Mawile manning the desk happened to be wearing, the clothing feeling out of place for the setting to her. Blinking her confusion away, she looks over to Alyssa, giving her a shrug in response to her comment, " I mean, uh, the idea is to just find some plain clothes, right..? I'd, uh, I'd just worry about finding some in the right size. " She turns her attention to Nika as they search through the boxes, " Umm, was there specific clothing you were, uh, you were looking for..? "
Hazuki
The Mawile jabs a finger at the shelves, then some more shelves, then some of the other shelves.

 "Um, no,"  Nika says.  "I don't really like skirts or dresses for traveling, so, not those? I need skin covering things." 
tgva8889
Alyssa follows the Mawile's pointing, then bows.  "Thanks!"  Turning back to the others, she pauses to hear Nika's explanation then nods to her and heads off into the corridors of shelves. Once she finds some shirts and blouses she calls out.  "Nika, down here! We gotta find things in the right size."  She starts bending down to check all the boxes for size measurements, trying to find her own.
Comissar
Leah nods at Nika's request, " That's fine, I'm sure we can, uh, we can find some jeans here too. Or if not jeans, some trousers or shorts at least. "

She sets off down a different aisle to Alyssa, hunting through the boxes for legwear in approximately Nika's size. She glances briefly up at Alyssa's call, then turns her attention back to her own search. When she does find what she's looking for, she makes a mental note of its location and returns to the other two. " When, uh, when you're ready, I've found some legwear too. "
Hazuki
Both girls manage to find an assortment of clothes that suit the needs of Nika (And Alyssa finds plenty that fit herself).

 "I..."  Nika frowns as she looks at the various blouses, jeans, t-shirts, shorts, and things that they've discovered.  "We need to think of what to do with these!" 
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles.  "Well, we can try and find some designs we like and, um, kind of make them our own?"  She shrugs, sorting out the clothes they've found so she has all the things in her size and Nika has all the things in hers.  "I guess we'd need to go look for things we like on the foreign clothes, then."  With things properly divided, she heads up to the counter and counts out money for the Mawile.
Hazuki
The Mawile happily collects Alyssa's money and hands over a few generic paper bags for her and Nika to carry their things out in.

 "Will there be room in your room for us to do it there?"  Nika asks.  "I mean... There's only one bed."  She says, as Maggie peers into Alyssa's bag.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
We'll figure out the cost depending on how much stuff the pair end up using, when that's figured out.
 
Comissar
Leah tilts her head a little as she looks at the clothes being bought. " You can, uh, you can always try and come up with something unique, too..? But, uh, but I'm sure I can find some designs you might like in, uh, in my old photos from Kanto. "

As the group leaves, Leah gives Nika a shrug, " I mean we, uh, we don't have to do it indoors..? As long as the weather holds, we can, uh, we can just find somewhere dry to paint..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles at Maggie, holding the bag open so she can look.  "D'you wanna help us, Maggie?" 

She lags a bit behind to thank the Mawile as they head out of the store, pausing to consider Nika's question before Leah answers. Alyssa likes Leah's response, and smiles brightly.  "Yeah, we can do it all outside! I dunno where exactly, but it might be fun to do it more outdoors. But we gotta get the paints first."  She turns around, looking for the map sign to see if it might helpfully lead to some foreign paints.
Hazuki
 "Like a park?"  Nika asks, as Maggie eagerly nods at Alyssa's question.  "'Cause the ground around here is all swamp-y." 

Alyssa does spot a small arts and crafts store set up in one of the prefabs on a corner. It contains various art tools, pencils, brushes, paints, stands, and even a shelf containing mysterious devices only identified as "art tablets". A young woman sits behind the counter, her hair pulled into a braid with each set of strands dyed a different color of the rainbow.
tgva8889
Alyssa nods at Nika's comment, patting Maggie.  "Yeah, maybe we'd have to find something like that. The ground is probably not the best place to do painting, anyways."  Spying the shop, she points slightly and heads off that way.

Once she's there she takes a moment to look over the various supplies, checking their quality against what she's familiar with before asking,  "Um, d'you have any fabric paints? We wanna paint some clothes but we don't want it to come out in the rain."  She turns a bit red as she realizes that second sentence might be completely unnecessary, but smiles through the thought.
Comissar
Leah smiles as her idea is well received, " A park sounds like a good idea. Umm, any idea where, uh, where the nearest one would be..? "
Hazuki
 "I don't think Diwyneb has one,"  Nika says.  "There's the Diwnyneb Dusk! But that's for Knights and stuff." 

Alyssa finds that the quality is only decent, but it does have more variety than she's used to - including particularly shiny paint, or glitter paint, and all that would work on fabric, once the storekeep points the way.

 "Need anything else, let me know,"  she says.
Comissar
Leah sags a little as Nika comments on the lack of parks. " Oh... That's a shame... How, uh, how strict are they about letting non-Knights in at, uh, at the Dusk..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa steers away from any novelty paints that she might find interesting, sticking instead to just the fabric paints they were looking for. She picks out a couple basic colors that could be used for mixing and then a couple of the more common mixed colors, making sure to budget her choices so as to not spend too much money. She smiles at the storekeep and nods.  "We might have to come back!" 

Once she's made the proper exchange of money for goods, she turns back to the others discussing where to go.  "Maybe we can find somewhere with, like, an outside table we can use?" 
Hazuki
 "Well.. It's full of powerful Pokemon you're meant to fight,"  Nika scratches her neck.  "I don't think we'd get any art done." 
Comissar
Leah hesitated, a sheepish look on her face. " That's, uh, that's a very good point. Umm, maybe, uh, maybe we don't go there, then. " She rubs behind her neck, giving a shrug, " Well, uh, maybe an inn..? If we can't find somewhere outdoors, we could go at a, uh, a quiet time and use a table..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa shrugs, waving Maggie over to look at the paints she got.  "I think we'd want somewhere we could get a bit messy with paint, but anywhere with enough open space would work."  She shows the Gothorita a few of the different colors.  "I don't think we'd need that much. 
Hazuki
 "This is getting too hard."  Nika frowns.  "Let's just go to the inn I'm staying at." 

Maggie takes a look over the paints and points at the purple one.
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles and giggles a bit to Maggie, nodding.  "That's a good one."  She makes sure to put it away carefully.

Looking up, she nods to Nika.  "Yeah, that's a good idea. Sorry for, um, taking so long."  She looks around a bit then heads in hopefully the right direction, turning around to wait for Leah and Nika to come with her.
Hazuki
Nika leads the girls to her inn room with such vigor that the girls are incapable of noticing any particularly interesting features about the location before they're inside! They soon find themselves in Nika and Sass' room, which is generally neat and tidy, more spacious than their own, and it even has a table for the group to sit on.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Lazy post, but I am creatively drained today. T.T
 
tgva8889
Alyssa puts her things down on the table, looking around the room.  "Wow, you guys do have a much bigger room. Ours is kinda small."  She looks at Leah and smiles.  "This should work I think, as long as Sass doesn't mind." 
Comissar
Leah returns Alyssa's smile with one of her own, " I'm sure she'll be fine with it. " Moving to take a seat beside Alyssa, she gives her a questioning look, " Want me to, uh, to look after the egg while you paint..? "
Hazuki
 "Oh!"  Nika suddenly exclaims, then darts over to Alyssa's side.  "Do you think you could paint on my bindings? It would be fun to be able to take off my outer layers when I got hot and still wear something cool." 
tgva8889
Alyssa nods to Leah, carefully slipping off her egg carrying bag and putting it on the table. She slides it towards Leah gingerly.  "Be careful." 

She shrugs at Nika's suggestion.  "Sure. We have to figure out what you want to do, though."  Her first task is to arrange all the paints and brushes.  "Is there something we can use for water?" 
Hazuki
 "Yeah! Let me get it,"  Nika says, as she walks into the en-suite and lets out a little whistle. A few moments pass, followed by a rumbling sound, and then she comes back into the room with a Staryu clutched to her chest.
Comissar
Leah gently takes the egg off of Alyssa, settling it into a hug on her lap. She looks a little surprised as Nika retrieves a Staryu from another room. " Do, uh, do you keep your Staryu in the, uh, the en suite normally..? "
Hazuki
 "No, it's the inn's!"  Nika says, as she holds it out with both arms.  "There's a little tunnel thing, and you can use it to make water for the bath and things!" 
tgva8889
Alyssa, not really sure how best to approach Staryu, takes to patting it on the most upward-facing of its prongs.  "Um, hi, Staryu. Can you please give us a little bit of water into a bowl?"  She gestures towards one that has been setup on the table.
Comissar
Leah looks a little surprised at Nika's comment, " Like, uh, like a hose..? Or a tap..? " More to herself, she adds, " I mean, I guess, uh, I guess it's quicker to put in than full plumbing..? "
Hazuki
 "What's plumbing?"  Nika asks, as the Staryu squirts a spout of crystal clear water into the bowl.
Comissar
Leah blinks at Nika's question, first in surprise, then again as she thinks of how to explain the world of plumbing, " Umm, well, it's pipes that, uh, that get put into a building to move water around. So, uh, you'd have a water supply to, uh, to your sinks, or shower, or bath, or, uh, or toilet. And it can be hot or cold, too. "
Hazuki
 "Oh, like the waste chutes!"  Nika nods as she starts shuffling back to the bathroom, Staryu in her arms.  "But... In reverse, for baths." 
tgva8889
Alyssa waves a small wave as Staryu is taken away, still arranging everything they'll need for the painting. Her mind is elsewhere, and she seems completely unaware of the conversation occurring as she says,  "So, um, what should we do first? Shirts? Pants? Some of the maybe nicer things? D'you wanna, like, dye them first and then paint designs on them or, um, just on white?" 
Hazuki
 "Um, I don't know,"  Nika pulls up a seat when she returns.  "Maybe you can sketch some things and then we can see what works best?" 
Comissar
Leah nods at Nika's suggestion, a smile on her face, " That, uh, that makes sense. Better to, uh, to make sure you're happy with the design first. " She shuffles her chair a little closer to Alyssa's and, egg still hugged to her chest, leans against her gently. " Umm... Just, uh, just let me know if, uh, if y-you need me to move. "
tgva8889
Alyssa nods, taking out her sketchbook and flipping until she finds a clean page. She quickly draws the outline of the front of one of the shirts, then the back.  "Okay, um, what kind of foreign design do you wanna try first?"  She looks at Nika then turns to Leah, blushing a bit as she realizes how close Leah is. Looking at her, she smiles.  "Okay, um, I will. You're, um, good now."  She smiles, leaning a bit into her and moving the pad so Leah can see more easily.
Hazuki
 "I like the ones with a lot of colors, and things happening in them,"  Nika says.  "Kind of like... Boom, you know? All over them." 
tgva8889
Alyssa nods and starts sketching, trying to put good combinations of explosive shapes together on the shirts with some shading to show they are different colors. Since she's using pencil it's all black and white, but there's still clear differences in tone where the colors change. Not looking up, she says,  "Leah, what sorts of designs would be right for Kanto style?" 
Comissar
Leah is quiet for a few moments as she thinks, " Well, there's kinda all sorts of popular designs. Umm, when I left though, it was popular to have floral designs that looked like they'd, uh, they'd been taken straight from an old painting. Or, umm, or waves in the same kinda style. Umm, but spotty patterns were, uh, were also common. "
Hazuki
 "Old paintings?"  Nika asks, as she takes a seat on the opposite side of the table and plants her chin on her upturned palms.  "What kind of paintings do you have?" 
Comissar
Leah shifts a little, looking over to Nika, " Umm, so the paintings I mean were done with ink on, uh, on rice paper..? It's not really a common style anymore, but it's got a really distinctive look to it. The, uh, the paintings I've got at home are more modern. And, uh, " She gives a faintly apologetic smile, " And to be honest we have more photos than paintings. "
Hazuki
 "Oh, I know about photos."  Nika puffs up her chest.  "Sass told me about them. Is it true you can take a picture of anything you want?" 
Comissar
Leah breaks into a grin, nodding as she shifts to sit more upright for a moment. " Yeah, umm, give me a sec. " Maneuvering the egg so that she could hold it one handed, she dug into her pocket to find her pokégear. Turning it on and activating the camera, she passed it over to Nika. " Give it a try if you want. Just, uh, just point it at something so that it shows on the screen, then tap the little button at the bottom, in the middle. " She leans into Alyssa again, " It's pretty straight forward. Umm, you can check photos taken earlier too by pressing the little button on the bottom left. "
Hazuki
 "Got it!"  Nika says, as she takes the Pokegear.  "Um, I think I do."  She furrows her brow as she points the camera straight ahead.  "Now... No?"  She furrows her brow, fidgets a bit, then it makes the picture-taking sound.  "Done it! You two look super cute!"  She says, as she shows them the picture of the pair of girls cuddled up on the other side of the table.
tgva8889
Alyssa, who has mostly occupied herself with drawing some of the designs kind of like how Leah described, looks up at Sass's picture and blushes.  "Oh, um, th-thanks."  She looks over at Leah and smiles. Looking back at her sketch, she says,  "What do you think?"  One of the new shirts has a bunch of native Londo flowers arranged in a pattern along a bright background, and another has some stylized waves. Next to the others they look much more specifically Kanto; the first shirt is a bit more geometric, starburst-type shapes that don't evoke anything in particular.
Comissar
Leah finds her cheeks heating a little as she realises what the subject of Nika's photo was going to be. She made sure to give a smile for the camera all the same, leaning in a little closer to Alyssa as she did so. Her blush deepens as Nika comments on how cute they look, returning Alyssa's smile with a grin of her own. When her attention is drawn to the t-shirts that have been sketched out, she nods toward the floral patterned design. " I, uh, I like the look of that one. "
Hazuki
 "Ooh, I like that one!"  Nika points at the geometric design.  "I think that would look... Well, I'd like it on my bindings, but there's no point in that if nobody's going to see them anyway, huh?"  She asks, then glances down at the pokegear she's holding.  "Um, it says: picture sending, zero point zero one percent done." 
Comissar
Leah abruptly sits up straighter, " Wh-what? Wh-who's it sending to? " She leans forward a bit, trying to see the screen.
Hazuki
Leah sees that the photo is apparently being sent to her mother, and has reached 0.02% completion.
Comissar
Leah hesitates as she sees who the message is sending to. After a long moment's deliberation, she closes her eyes and sighs. Opening them again, she gives Nika a smile, " That's fine. Umm, it'll, uh, it'll be doing that for a while but... Yeah, that's fine. "
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles and nods at Leah's choice.  "I like that one too."  She laughs at Nika's comment on the drawing, looking over at her.  "If you know it's there and you like wearing it, that's good enough isn't it?" 

She shifts a bit as Leah sits up, putting a hand on her back when she sits back down.  "How does that work?"  Pointing over at the Pokegear, she looks at Leah.  "Like, with the sending?" 
Comissar
Leah's quiet for a moment as she thinks on the best way to describe it. " So... Each pokégear can be connected... Umm, and they can communicate with each other. Sort of like sending letters..? But it makes a copy of whatever's going to, uh, going to be sent, and sends that. So I'll still have the photo, but my Mum will too... " She gives an uncertain look to the other two, " Does that, uh, does that make sense..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa looks up from her drawings at Leah.  "So, uh, it's kind of like if I make another drawing and then make it go really fast to someone far away?"  She kind of draws in the air to show something going far away.  "That's cool."  Realizing she's been starting at Leah a bit, she turns a bit red and goes back to her sketch book, trying to finish out some other possible designs with different flowers, different geometric shapes, different waves, and then combinations of flowers, shapes, and waves. Most of them end up being very simple and quickly made, but all of them still have the spark of creativity.
Hazuki
 "What about that one?"  Nika asks, as she points to a particularly bold combination of yellows and greens.  "Will you be able to paint bindings so they look okay even if I don't align them all right?" 

Maggie, meanwhile, seems to have gotten bored of exploring and pulls up a seat.
Comissar
Leah gives a smile and shrug in response to Alyssa, " Sort of..? It's not always, uh, not always really fast. If, uh... " She hesitates, realising her analogy of sending a painting breaks down at file sizes and connection speeds. She gives Alyssa an apologetic look, " It, uh, it gets kinda complicated though... Umm, if, uh, if a photo's really... Big, it can take a while to send. Or, umm, or if there's a poor connection. Like... Uh... " She nods to her pokégear on the table, " Back in Kanto that would've sent already. But, umm, but there's not as much coverage here so, uh, so it takes a lot longer to find a connection. "

She looks over at Nika's choice of pattern and smiles, " It looks very summery. I think if it's a, uh, a repeating pattern it should be fine..? " Her voice takes on a more thoughtful note, " We could, uh, we could mark out roughly where on the fabric you'd need to match up the colours..? Just to help make sure it works for you..? "
Hazuki
Nika gets up to go to one of the drawers and retrieves a long white sarashi, which looks to Leah a lot like an exceptionally long bandage, and places its folded form on the table.

 "Maybe it can be done in sections, so the reds and yellows overlap...?" 
tgva8889
Alyssa nods at Leah's explanation, though she turns her head a bit.  "So, like, it has to find a good road to send it on? And, um, 'cause we just got those here we don't have that many roads?"  She turns towards Maggie as she comes up and holds the sketch pad so she can see.

She smiles at Nika's question.  "Yeah, I'm pretty sure I can make it work for you. Just give me a bit."  As Nika places the bindings on the table, Alyssa starts sketching them twice, once completely flat and stretched out and once sort of bunched up and circular, like it would be wrapped around Nika's chest. Then she starts filling in the pattern Nika pointed out on each one, making adjustments as she tries to see what it would look like scrunched up.
Comissar
Leah gives the sarashi a surprised look as it's retrieved. More to herself than anyone else, she comments, " I, uh, I didn't realise they were that long. I guess, uh, I guess I just thought they were kinda like tube tops... "

She looks over to Alyssa at her question and gives a hesitant nod, " Y-yeah... Yeah, that's not a bad way of putting it. "
Hazuki
Maggie peers at the sketchpad for a few seconds, gives a nod, then tries to sit on Alyssa's lap.

 "Tube tops..."  Nika stares off to the side.  "How do they work?" 
Comissar
Leah's ears heat a little at Nika's question as she sits up straighter again. " Oh, umm... They're, uh, they're tops that, uh that go from, uh, from below the shoulders, " She draws a line across herself with her finger, a little way below her collarbone, " And, uh, and they can vary how far they, uh, they go down. Umm, a lot of them show, uh, show your stomach, " She draws another line, " But, uh, but some are, uh, are smaller than that. And, uh, and they just cover your chest. " She draws a third line, " Umm, they, uh, they don't have straps, which is, uh, which is why they get called 'tube tops'. They, uh, they stay up because the fabric's held tight. Umm, usually it's a bit, uh, a bit stretchier than normal clothes to, uh, to help with that. "
Hazuki
 "Oh... Wouldn't that get so tight that it's uncomfortable?"  Nika asks.  "And are they made out of thick things? The sarashi works so well because it's thick, too, so you've got your modesty, althoughit is a pain to wrap sometimes." 
Comissar
" I, uh, I don't know, " Leah admits, " I've never, uh, never actually worn one. And they get made of, uh, of a lot of different things. Umm, some look kinda thin, others can be pretty thick. Umm, like I say I, uh, I don't really know what they're like to wear, though. " She hesitates, reddening a little, " Although, uh, I, uh, I have to admit I thought the, uh, the same thing about sarashi's..? Umm, I thought you'd have to, uh, to tie them tight..? I guess, uh, I guess they're not as restrictive as I, uh, as I thought..? " She looks uncertainly between Alyssa and Nika.
Hazuki
 "They're tight, but, like, that's what they're meant to be?"  Nika says.  "Like... I want mine tight for binding and I can do it comfortably. But if something's tight and it's not meant to be tight, or it's not tight in the right way?"  She pauses.  "It's complicated." 
Comissar
Leah gives Nika a faintly confused look following her explanation, " Umm, it, uh, it sounds it... " She smiles, giving a shrug, " I guess, uh, I guess they're easy to buy, though..? Umm, they, uh, they look like they'd all be the same size for, uh, for everyone..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles, making a bit of space so Maggie can sit on her lap. Looking up as Leah looks at her, she shrugs.  "I, um, have only worn one a few times, but, um, yeah, if you do it right I can wear a really big one. Harder to, um, tie it right, though."  She makes a few motions around her body like she is tying the sarashi, her motions big enough to go around Maggie.  "I, um, haven't really had much reason to wear one since, um, I mostly wear working clothes."  She gestures at her dress, shrugging.  "I, um, guess I wouldn't mind wearing something nice again."  Her attention turns back to trying to finish the designs for the sarashi.
Hazuki
Maggie lets out a happy little cry as she's allowed to sit on Alyssa's lap and eagerly watches her finish off her sketch.

 "Sass says she wants to wear one, but it's too much work to look tough,"  Nika says.  "Like she doesn't spend ten minutes every morning getting her hair ruffled  just right ." 
Comissar
Leah can't help but grin at Nika's comment, " I've, uh, I've never thought that Sass had a, uh, a problem being tough. But I didn't know she took the time to ruffle her hair, either. That's, uh, that's pretty cute, actually. "
Hazuki
 "You should see her when she gets home and has to take that armor thing off of her head."  Nika giggles.  "It's all fluffy but for this one strip that's been flattened down. She glared at me when I laughed the first time..." 
tgva8889
Alyssa giggles at Nika's description. She looks over at Leah as she comments on ruffled hair, and smiles at her.  "Have you ever tried wearing your hair differently? I, um, tried doing it up but it's a lot of work. Mostly I just want it out of my face and my paints."  She gestures to her ponytail and giggles.
Comissar
Leah finds herself also breaking into giggles as Nika describes Sass' difficulties with headgear. Turning her attention to Alyssa, she shakes her head, " Uh, not really, no... I mean, I, uh, I put it back in a ponytail when I work, but that's about it. I mean, I've, uh, I've thought about having it shorter..? About to here..? " She holds a hand just at her shoulder, " I think it'd be easier to handle, but, uh, but it also takes forever to grow out. So, umm, if I don't like it, I'm stuck with it for ages. "
tgva8889
Alyssa turns her head at Leah as she responds, nodding.  "W-well, I could try drawing it and, um, you could, um, see if you like it."  She gestures down with her pencil and smiles.  "That way, you could see if you like it and, um, if you don't then you don't have to do it."  Looking up and down, Alyssa smiles.  "Um, I don't think I'd ever cut my hair." 
Comissar
Leah's cheeks heat a little at Alyssa's offer, " Well, umm, yeah. If you don't mind doing it it, uh, it'd be nice to know how I'd look before I commit to it. " She breaks into a grin at her other comment, " Well, uh, the nice thing about hair is that any changes you make aren't, uh, aren't there forever. So if you regret it, you can, uh, you can wait it out. That said... " Her grin broadens, and she leans back into Alyssa, " I, uh, I like yours how it is. "
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles, turning a bit red as Leah leans in.  "Thanks."  Alyssa looks down at her sketch, doing some small touches, then picks it up a bit so Nika can more easily see.  "What do you think of that, Nika?"  She points with the tip of the pen at sarashi, one image with it fully stretched out and one with it tied, so Nika can tell how it would look to wear. The patterns are setup so when folded, the pattern still looks like it should.
Hazuki
 "It looks so nice!"  Nike claps her hands together.  "Do you think you'll really be able to do it that good?" 
tgva8889
Alyssa shrugs.  "I've, um, done a lot of painting and drawing but never on clothes, so, um, maybe? We can work together."  She shifts a bit in her seat, then looks down at Maggie in her lap.  "Can I put you down so I can get up, Maggie? You can watch me do some painting."  She looks up at Leah with a sort of embarrassed smile.
Hazuki
Maggie lets out a long sigh and slips off of Alyssa's lap.
Comissar
Leah shuffles her chair back a little as Alyssa stands. " You can, uh, you can sit with me if you want, Maggie..? I, uh, I don't mind. "
Hazuki
Maggie looks at Leah for a moment and thoughtfully tilts her head. She reaches out and squeezes Leah's thighs, gazes of thoughtfully, then hops up on her lap.

 "Where'd you meet Maggie?"  Nika asks as she stands.
Comissar
Leah shifts the egg in her arms so that it's held in just one arm, propped slightly against the table, in order to make space for Maggie. She jumps a bit as Maggie squeezes her thighs, having expected her to simply jump up, but she settles again once the Gothorita is seated. She looks over to Nika at her question, " Well, uh, we ran into her on, uh, on the way here, actually. It wasn't all that long after, uh, after we left Thundercrag. Umm, she, uh, she came into our cave to, uh, to try and steal food. We, uh, we ended up making friends with her and, well, she came with us. "
Hazuki
Maggie spends a few seconds shifting about to get comfortable on Leah's lap, then leans back and yawns.

 "How did you know she was trying to steal food?"  Nika asks, as she scratches her head.  "Did she just try to run out with it while you weren't looking?" 
tgva8889
Alyssa bows slightly to Maggie and Leah.  "Thanks."  She looks Leah in the eyes and smiles, then turns her attention to painting the design onto the sarashi.

In response to Nika's question, Alyssa nods.  "She kinda kept us down with her psychic powers while she picked up our stew and tried to get away with it. So, um, pretty sure."  She looks up at Maggie, giving her a meaningful but playful look.  "I've been, um, watching over her since then, though." 
Hazuki
Maggie looks innocently away when Alyssa slings her accusation.

 "Oh, that's cool! You don't hear a lot of tales about people befriending wild Pokemon without a Pokeball,"  Nika says.  "Well, I don't, but I'm in the Pokeball craft, so maybe there's a secret way or something." 
tgva8889
Alyssa laughs at Maggie's reaction, looking over at Nika when she comments.  "Yeah, um, I guess. I, um, I never thought of it that way I guess."  Looking back at Maggie and Leah, she tilts her head a bit.  "Do Pokeballs do anything special or, um, d'you think it's mostly what happens between a person and a Pokemon? Like, um, would my Pokemon and I be friends if I didn't put them in a Pokeball? I, um, made friends with one of them before I caught it but, um, there's one I caught that I still haven't talked to yet."  Her face gets a bit shadowed as she puts her head back down, focused on painting.
Comissar
Leah returns Alyssa's smile, nodding along as she elaborates on how they came across Maggie. She gives a careful shrug when asked about how pokéballs influence friendships between trainer and pokémon, making sure the movement wasn't great enough to disturb Maggie too much. " I, uh, I don't know, to be honest. And, uh, and we'll find time for you to speak to them properly. It's ok. "
Hazuki
 "I think it's kind of a ceremony, you know? Like getting married? You can get everything it does either way, but it's a way of making it official!"  Nika says.  "And it convinces stubborn Pokemon who wouldn't believe you beat 'em that you did." 
Comissar
Leah grins and nods, " Heh, that, uh, that sounds like a good way to put it. And, uh, and not all pokémon will need that, uh, that 'official' catching. "
tgva8889
Alyssa looks up at Leah, nodding at Nika's thought.  "Like, um, I know a lot about how to catch a Pokemon, and, um, I've made friends with a lot of Pokemon, but I guess I never thought about what catching a Pokemon meant, y'know?"  She shrugs as she paints.  "Maybe it'd be better if I didn't try to catch Maggie and, um, was just her friend."  Looking over, she smiles at Maggie sitting in Leah's lap.  "What do you think, Maggie?" 
Hazuki
Maggie's head perks up at the mention of her name. She looks at Alyssa, then holds her arms out for a hug.

 "Um, how much do you know about Pokemon catching?"  Nika asks, her head tilted.  "I thought you were just an artist!" 
tgva8889
Alyssa giggles and holds out an arm to Maggie, as if to invite her over.

Looking over to Nika, she shrugs.  "I, um, used to practice and, um, read a lot of books. And, um, I learned a bunch of special stuff? So I guess more than most?"  She shrugs.  "I, um, never really knew how much was weird to know?" 
Hazuki
Maggie sees Alyssa's invite, then looks down at her seat, then grabs Leah's top in one hand, points at Alyssa with the other, and makes a little cry up at Leah.

 "Huh... Weird! I know all about how Pokeballs help capturing, not a lot about actually... Doing it? The fighting part seems hard. That's why we have Knights anyway, right? To do the fighting for us,"  Nika says.
tgva8889
Alyssa shakes her head.  "Oh, no, I, um, don't really know how to fight. But, um, I know some tricks to catch Pokemon a bit easier, I guess?"  She shrugs again.  "It's, um, harder to explain." 
Comissar
Leah looks between the other two, " I guess, uh, I guess there's not as much of a trainer culture here, then..? If knights do most of the fighting, I mean... "

She glances down as Maggie pulls on her clothing, following her pointing to Alyssa. Shifting carefully in her seat to give Maggie space, she added " You can jump down if you want..? "

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
Not sure if Maggie is wanting to be carried over, or if she wants to walk over on her own. If she's angling to be carried over, Leah will oblige.
 
Hazuki
 "Well... Most of them do something useful eventually,"  Nika says.  "Or they did, anyway. Trainers used to be good for, you know, the wars..." 

Maggie nods as Leah carries her over, then gives Alyssa a hug once she's beside her.
Comissar
Leah's careful as she stands to bring Maggie over, holding the egg firmly in the crook of her right arm, and supporting Maggie with her left. Moving to stand close enough to allow Maggie to hug Alyssa, she finds herself wishing she had a spare hand to join in. Instead, she contents herself with simply being beside her.

Her eyes fall a bit at Nika's comment about the wars. After a moments quiet, she looks up at her with an uncertain expression, " ... Does it, uh, does it worry people here..? That the, uh, that the companies are trying to encourage more trainers..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa shrugs, then looks   "I, um, I grew up with a brother who really wanted to be a knight, so, um, I was around people fighting. There's people doing fighting around but, um, not as many Pokemon battles I think? People fight because they need to, I guess."  She hugs Maggie, smiling over her shoulder at Leah, pulling away after a reasonable amount of time.

When she pulls apart from Maggie, she tilts her head a bit at Leah's question.  "Um, I dunno. I haven't really talked to anyone about what the League has done. Some people were really happy about it, but I think there might be some people who weren't so happy? Letting anyone become a Trainer might be, um, not something everyone wants." 
Hazuki
 "I dunno."  Nika shrugs.  "I don't think many people think of the trainers as soldiers like the old ones. Not after long, anyway. I mean, most of them are kids, right? ... Don't tell Sass I said that!" 
Comissar
Leah nods at the pairs responses, " Yeah, I guess, uh, I guess the situation's pretty different, right..? " She backs away from Alyssa a little once Maggie's had her fill of hugs, bobbing slightly as she supports the Gothorita one handed and egg in the crook of her other arm. She can't help but grin at Nika, " Don't worry, your secret's safe. " She glances to the door, then back to Nika, " Speaking of Sass, she must, uh, she must be taking her studying pretty seriously. I'm surprised she's, uh, she's not here yet. Think she's still at, uh, at the library..? "
Hazuki
Just as Leah asks the question, the door is shoved open and Sass comes shuffling in. Her head is hung, her limbs hang dramatically at her side, and she trudges all the way over to her bed. She faceplants on it and lets out a groan.
tgva8889
Alyssa looks as Sass comes in, giggling a bit as she falls down. She doesn't say anything to her, instead looking at Leah with a question in her eyes before turning back to her work on the sarashi.
Comissar
Leah can't help but giggle at Sass's over the top entrance to the room. " Hi Sass. How's the, uh, the studying going..? "
Hazuki
Sass groans as she's addressed and rolls over onto her back, just barely craning her neck enough to see the other occupants of the room.

 "Oh... You guys are here..."  she mumbles.  "I'm dead..." 
Comissar
Leah's grin broadens, " ... Going well, then..? "
Hazuki
 "I read a lot and thought a lot and wrote a lot and now I can't do a lot,"  Sass explains.  "And I'm sore. From thinking." 
tgva8889
Alyssa looks over at Sass.  "Maybe you need a good break from studying, then? Seems good to rest some. Can't do it all at once."  She shrugs and turns back to her painting.
Comissar
Leah nods her agreement with Alyssa, " And, uh, and if you want I can try and help you out with some of it..? Umm, we're, uh, we're going to be in town a while. "
Hazuki
 "Um... Okay,"  Sass says.  "My back's pretty sore and some dinner would be nice." 
tgva8889
Alyssa looks up.  "Is it dinner time already?"  Looking down at her work, she shrugs.  "I, um, guess we could go get food now if it's that late. I got caught up in all the art I guess."  She cleans off her brush in the water and turns to get up, smiling toward Leah a bit of a half-smile.
Comissar
Leah blinks, then giggles, " Well, I was more meaning help with studying when you go back to it, but I guess I can try helping with food. "
Hazuki
 "Mm, okay,"  Sass says.  "Nika, rub my back!" 
 "Huh?"  Nika looks away from the sarashi-painting she'd been admiring and at the prone trainer.  "I did it yesterday already!" 
 "But yesterday isn't today!" 
 "So?"  Nika folds her arms over her chest.

 "So my back hurts!" 
 "But your back can't hurt from reading!"  Nika says.  "Or training Pokemon; I don't even know why you try to build up your muscles when they won't help you train better." 
 "Because! I'm! Tough!" 
 "Yeah?"  Nika exhales.  "Yeah, well..."  She marches up to Sass, then sits on her back. Sass immediately starts scrambling to get away.  "Not so tough now, huh?" 
 "I... Will... Destroy you!"  Sass barks at the other girl, as she grabs a pillow from the top of the bed and tries to hit Nika with it. This proves rather difficult, considering she can't bend her arms very far backwards.
Comissar
Watching the devolving situation, Leah breaks into another fit of giggles. " Well, while Sass is recovering, and you two are painting, shall I, uh, shall I go get some food for us all..? " She glances between the other three, " Have you got any special preferences..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa's gaze turns to Sass and Nika, her hand covering her mouth to try and hide her giggles. When Leah suggests going on her own, Alyssa looks to her and tilts her head.  "I can go with you. Gotta take a break!"  She stretches a bit, pulling her arms behind her back and groaning a bit.  "I feel like taking a bit of a walk, too." 
Hazuki
 A knuckle sandwich for Nika!"  Sass yells out, as she tries her best to buck the other girl off of her.

 "I like sweet berries!"  Nika announces, as she's suddenly shunted off and falls on the bed beside Sass, who immediately throws herself over the other girl's torso to pin her in place.
tgva8889
Alyssa jumps back a bit as the two start to get a bit more rough, and she laughs a bit more fully.  "Okay, don't kill each other before we come back!"  She gets up from her seat  and goes over to Leah.  "You ready? I can take one of those two if you'd like."  She motions to Maggie and the egg.
Comissar
Leah nods her agreement to Nika's request, a grin on her lips at the continued rough housing. She nods again at Alyssa's question, offering Maggie out to her before strapping the egg into its new heated bag and making for the door. Once outside, she glances around to confirm the direction they needed to go, then looks to Alyssa with a smile, " Think we'll come back to an intact room..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa picks up Maggie, taking a moment to make sure she has a good grip on her before they head out. She laughs and shakes her head at Leah.  "I don't think so."  Giggling, she holds out a hand for Leah as they head off to find someplace to get food. Glancing back at her, she smiles.  "You okay with the egg?" 
Comissar
Taking Alyssa's hand, Leah returned her smile and nodded, " Yeah. Umm, I'm pretty sure Maggie prefers to, uh, to be with you. "

She's quiet for a while as they walk, content to simply enjoy the journey. She does eventually break the silence, though, as she asks " Do you, uh, do you think the inn they're staying at would mind if we put something together in the room..? Maybe we should try and get something pre-made..? "
Hazuki
Maggie wraps her arms around Alyssa's neck to help with supporting her, letting out a little happy cry as she's transferred.
tgva8889
Alyssa shifts to hold Maggie, looking at her with a smile. She keeps her eyes out for someplace to get some food that will satisfy both her desire for spicy food and Nika's request for sweet berries. When Leah makes some suggestions, she shakes her head.  "I think we should get something, um, pre-made. I don't wanna make food around all the paints and white clothes." 
Comissar
Leah nods her agreement, " Yeah, I guess that makes sense. " Turning her attention back to the market, she starts looking through the different options on display. After a moment, her face lights up, " Oh! I bet we could find some food from outside Londo in the foreign quarter..! Want to try something new..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa looks at Leah when she poses her question and nods.  "Yeah, um, sure! Maybe something from where you're from? Do you have anything spicy?" 
Comissar
Leah grins, " They might have Shichimi! Oh, or Tantanmen! Those are both kind've spicy. And if Nika likes sweet stuff maybe, uh, maybe she'd like some Daifuku too! "
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles.  "I have no idea what you're talking about, but let's go find some." 
Hazuki
The girls and Maggie make their way back to the foreign quarter. The day seems to be winding down around them, as the streets are a little less full and those who are wandering are clearly walking with purpose. They find a small to-go restuarant with a sign that reads "Authentic Kanto Food", manned by an obviously Kantoan woman woman with her pink hair tied back in low pigtails. She's clad in a very Kantoan outfit, with Kanto characters all over her t-shirt and a jacket that, for some reason, has various glowing bands all over it.

 "Konnichiwa!"  The girl bows to the two as they walk in.  "Gomenasai for visiting Authentic Kanto Food! My name is Nya-chan! So kawaii!"  She throws up a peace sign, and this is when she spots Leah and a blush comes to her cheeks.  "Um."  She giggles nervously.  "I mean, hello, everyone. How are you? What would you like to eat?"  She grabs a notepad and her pen hovers over it with just a little tremor.
tgva8889
Alyssa walks close to Leah, keeping Maggie comfortable with her other hand. When they find the restaurant, she gives a look around the place, bowing slightly at the woman. She has to be careful to not make Maggie fall too much when she bends, and comes up quickly to keep her in place. When the host's demeanor changes, she gives Leah a look and smiles.  "Um, d'you wanna order? You know the food better than me."  Her eyes shift back to the host and she gives a genuine smile.  "Is that, um, how you greet people in Kanto, or is that just, um, what you want people to think?" 
Comissar
Leah gives a bemused look to the vendor at her initial introduction, finding herself feeling almost a little embarrassed at the over-the-topness of it all. When the vendor catches her look, she trades a nervous smile with her, then looks to Alyssa briefly. " Uh, sure. " Looking back to the woman, she asks, " I, uh, I wanted to, uh, to show my friends some Kantoan food... Um... " She spends a moment rubbing behind her neck as she tries to decide what might be best, " Can you make Tantanmen..? Or, uh, or Okonomiyaki? And, uh, and do you have any Daifuku..? "
Hazuki
Nya-chan stares at Alyssa with her last question.  "To be honest, I'm feeling kind of attacked right now?"  Then she looks to Leah.

 "Do we have all the best Kanto stuff, she asks! Duh, of course we do! If it's from Kanto, you can to-tally trust us to have it! Prices are up there."  She flicks her finger at several wooden boards that have been hung up above the counter.  "And there!"  She points at a stack of menus that are, apparently, free to take. They seem reasonably priced, as far as Leah can tell.

 "Alyssa?"  A soft voice comes from one of the chairs opposite the counter. The person sitting there is clad in a maroon robe, flowers patterned onto it with silver thread, that gracefully wraps around her body. One of her arms is in a medical sling, held across her chest. Her un-slinged arm is wearing a lacy fingerless glove, one that disappears along with her arm up the baggy sleeve of her robe. She pulls down her hood to reveal an angular face, lightly accentuated with burgundy makeup that compliments her dark skin.  "It  is  you,"  she says, as a wide smile covers her lips. She bows low, making her bouncy burgundy locks sway..  "My name is Utha. We met in Lancer Town, at sunset in traveling woman's gallery." 
 
 Spoiler: Alyssa 
Alyssa recognizes her as the warrior she met in Lancer Town, who was originally from Diwnybe. She has an Espurr who doesn't like Alyssa much.
 
tgva8889
Alyssa bows and shakes her head.  "Sorry, I, um, was just curious!"  As Leah takes a look at the menu, Alyssa stays back, not sure what to look for.

She thus has space to turn to Utha as she calls her name. Taking a moment, Alyssa smiles.  "Oh, um, right! Hi, Utha. What are you doing here?"  As soon as she says that, she shakes her head and puts a hand to her forehead.  "Oh, um, you're from here aren't you?"  Recovering, she smiles and waves.  "I, um, guess I should ask, um, did you find what you were looking for in Lancer?"  After waiting a moment for her to respond, Alyssa looks down at Maggie and then quickly back up and laughs.  "Oh! Um, this is Maggie. Maggie, this is Utha. We, um, met in Lancer Town when I was studying to be an artist."  She holds her free arm out as if to invite Maggie and Utha together, her other arm cradling Maggie as she hands on.
Hazuki
Utha smiles at Alyssa's initial confusion and nods at her conclusion.

 "Yes. I found a sponsor. They purchased all of these lovely clothes for me,"  Utha says, as she adjusts her robe.  "And equipment too, of course. But..."  She glances at her sling-clad arm.  "I shan't be wearing any of that for a little while." 

Maggie tilts her head curiously at Utha, then bows to her. Utha bows back.

 "I see you're a Psychic type, Maggie. I hope you don't go around playing naughty tricks on people." 

Maggie puts both of her hands on her hips and lets out a little cry. Utha giggles.

 "You're right; that's terribly rude of me to say on our first meeting. I apologize." 
tgva8889
Alyssa nods, pointing at Utha's arm.  "What happened?"  She looks at the sling, trying to get a sense of what might have happened to her arm without Utha telling her.  "I, um, hope it wasn't anything too dangerous?" 

She giggles at Maggie and Utha's interaction, smiling at Utha.  "Glad you two get along. Hey, um, didn't you have a Psychic-type as your partner?"  She looks around quickly, her eyes darting into the shadows.  "I, um, remember it  did  play a lot of tricks." 
Hazuki
 "It was the Diwyneb Dusk. My first time in there and I got injured in the first few minutes,"  Utha explains with a smile that's only slightly forced.  "Everything's fine, fortunately. My sponsor understood." 
 "She's resting,"  Utha answers.  "Since I can't train, she decided to train extra hard. The poor thing is completely exhausted, so I'm picking some treats up for us."  She gestures at the counter where Nya-chan and Leah are.  "Is that your friend, over there?" 
Comissar
Leah gives a bit of a blank look, then a small laugh as 'Nya-Chan' comments on feeling attacked. " Sorry, umm, it's been a while since I talked to someone else from Kanto. It's funny hearing those kind of phrases again. "

She smiles more broadly as she looks over the proffered menu, " I've not had some of this in  years ... I almost want to have some of everything... " She spends a few moments longer scanning her options, caught between a mix of nostalgia and hunger. Realising how quiet she was being, she looks up to the vendor, " Umm, what, uh, what part of Kanto did you come from..? And when did you come over, if, uh, if you don't mind me asking? "
Hazuki
Nya-chan occupies herself with looking at her nails while Leah reads, then perks up when she's addressed.

 "Huh, me? I'm from Lavender Town. Y'know, the place that was spooky until it wasn't and they put a radio tower in? I used to have sooo much fun hanging around outside the Pokemon Tower and spooking tourists."  Nya-chan sighs.  "But nobody's scared of radios, so I'm a model now! Or, I was. Then they discovered this Londo place and that's, like,  I want to go see the spooky people ! It's kind of familiar and nice, you know? But, I gotta admit, I kind of hoped i'd be somewhere other than a takeaway restaurant."  She sticks her tongue out and droops her head.  "Like a lady's maiden, just hanging around court all day and looking pretty? But Lady Diwyneb doesn't do that kind of thing, and, like, Skybloom doesn't like foreigners much for now? So I'm stuck here until they can appreciate how Kanto-cute I am!" 
Comissar
Leah nods at Nya-Chan's explanation of where she was from, finding herself looking a bit sheepish at her description of her mischievous behaviour in Lavender town. " I mean... I, uh, I always found Lavender town to be kind've, uh, kind've creepy... "

She looks a little surprised as she carries on, " You, uh, you really want to just spend all day hanging around..? That, uh, that seems like it'd get dull. " A look of embarrassment crosses her face as she continues, " Also, is, uh, is 'Kanto Cute' a thing..? "
Hazuki
 "I wouldn't just hang around. I'd get new outfits, and new styles, and meet new people..."  Nya-chan lists off the benefits with a finger raised for each point.  "If Kanto-cute isn't a thing, it should be. I'm cute, and I'm from Kanto, so it makes sense, right?"  she asks, as she leans across the counter and flutters her eyelashes and tilts her head in ways that do, indeed, accentuate her cuteness.  "This face is Kanto-cute, riiiight~?" 
tgva8889
Alyssa nods and breathes a small sigh of relief before Utha asks about Leah. Looking over, Alyssa turns a bit red and nods.  "Yeah, um, we met when I was working in Bastille Town and, um, we've been traveling together."  She shakes her head a bit and turns back to Utha.  "Sorry to, um, hear about the Dusk. Do you, um, think you're gonna try the Dusk again when your arm is better?" 

Looking over at Leah interaction with Nya-chan, Alyssa looks up at the menu.  "Utha, d'you, um, have anything in particular I should get here? I've never had this kind of food before." 
Comissar
Leah gives an uncertain shrug and smile, " I, uh, I don't know. I think I'd still find that kind've dull. "

She finds her smile turning embarrassed, her ears heating as she finds that Nya-Chan is, in fact, doing her best to look cute. Nodding, she replies, " Y-yeah, uh, I, uh, I guess so. "
Hazuki
 "Yes, I think I will. It would be a shame to surrender after just on try."  Usha nods gently, her eyes lingering on the conversation between Nya-chan and Leah.  "The ramen is quite delicious here. Any of it; we've tried a different kind each day. And omurice for breakfast." 
 "Y-You guess so?"  Nya-chan holds a hand to her heart.  "Y-You don't really think I'm cute..."  She turns her head away from Leah, rubbing her eyes with both hands as a whining little cry escapes her lips.
tgva8889
Alyssa turns to Utha and nods.  "I'll have to try it. I, um, think Leah is getting food for us here?"  She speaks a bit louder so Leah can hear the slight urgency in her voice, and she tilts her head at her should she look her direction. Turning back to Utha, she smiles brightly.  "I hope you have a good recovery, then! The Dusk seems really scary to me, but, um, I hope you do well at it. Is your, um, sponsor here in town, or are you getting help from somewhere else?" 
Comissar
Leah looks bewildered as she, apparently, severely wounds Nya-Chan's pride. She holds her hands up in a placating gesture, feeling her face heat further, " N-no! I-I... I  do  think you're cute! I-I just... I wasn't expecting the question! "

She glances briefly to Alyssa as she hears her comment on food. Turning back to Nya-Chan with a worried look, she adds, " Umm... Can, uh, can I order..? "
Hazuki
 "They're in Lancer Town, but we're maintaining contact. I received my last letter a couple of days ago,"  Utha answers.  "And thank you very much. May I meet this Leah?" 
 "Now you're only saying I'm cute because you want food!!  Nya-chan sniffles.  "... Buuuuut I do gotta take orders, so,"  She turns back around, pen and pad in hand and a smile on her face.  "Tell me what you want, Leah-san~" 
tgva8889
Alyssa's eyes go a bit wide at Utha's comment, and she nods.  "Oh, um, I thought they might be here. So are you, um, staying in town for a while?"  She smiles at Utha's question about Leah, nodding.  "Yeah, if she doesn't mind. Probably when she's done with ordering the food, though?"  She laughs a bit to herself nervously glances over at her, the sides of her mouth turning down as she sees Nya-chan making her face.
Comissar
Leah starts to protest against the claim she was only trying to get food, almost getting her first word out, before deciding that it perhaps was a fruitless line of conversation. Instead, she glances down at the menu in her hands again. " U-umm... Can, uh, can I get, uh, a Tantanmen. Umm, sorry,  two  Tantanmen. Umm, a, uh, an Okonomiyaki... " She rubs behind her neck, " And, uh, and I guess some Sesame Ramen..? And, uh, if I could have some Daifuku as well..? "

She looks up a little uncertainly.
Hazuki
 "That's what I'm planning on. Once I'm rested, and have defeated the Dusk, I'm going to return to Lancer Town to tell my sponsor about it. I'll officially consider myself a warrior,"  Utha explains with a fond smile.

 "Yepyepyep."  Nya-chan nods at Leah.  "Take a seat and it'll be ready... Soon!"  She opens a nearby door and her head disappears behind it, followed by the sound of indistinct talking.
Comissar
Leah gives a relieved nod, moving to take a chair closer to Alyssa. Offering her a smile, she comments " Umm, it should, uh, it should be ready soon. I ordered you Tantanmen. It's a, uh, a type of spicy noodles. I think you'll like it. "
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles.  "I'm here for a little bit for, um, medical stuff too, so, um, maybe I'll see you some?"  She doesn't get an answer before Leah comes over and sits down. Realizing she's been standing this whole time, Alyssa also finds a chair and sits close to Leah. She returns her smile and says,  "Thanks, I'll look forward to it."  Looking back to Utha, she says,  "Leah, this is Utha. We, um, met in Lancer town while I was studying." 
Comissar
Leah bobs her head in greeting toward Utha, " It's, umm, it's a pleasure to meet you. Were, uh, were you studying art as well..? "
Hazuki
Utha shakes her head as she looks over Leah.  "I can only appreciate art. I'm a warrior, when i'm not healing."  She places a hand over her sling-clad arm.  "So I suppose you could call me a healer."  She giggles.
tgva8889
Alyssa giggles along with Utha.  "Well don't keep yourself from healing by doing anything too rough."  She points at her arm and gives her a kind of scolding look, though smiling along with her joking tone.
Hazuki
 "That almost sounded like an order,"  Utha teases back.  "Am I allowed to carry my food home, at least?"  She wiggles the fingers of her free hand.
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles, then pouts slightly, scrunching her face a bit and putting her free hand on her hip.  "As long as you don't put too much weight on it."  She releases all the tension, laughing. After a moment, she asks,  "So, um, how did you meet your sponsor?"  She shifts a bit in the chair, moving Maggie to a slightly more comfortable position in her free arm.
Hazuki
 "Through hard work and good manners."  Utha's smile refuses to leave.  "And with the help of a lovely Knight who was willing to help train with me. We sparred for my sponsor's delight and I did well enough that they decided to take me on,"  she explains with no lack of pride.  "And bought me lots of lovely things." 
Comissar
Leah listens along, her eyes travelling to the cast on Utha's arm as she mentions she was healing. Tilting her head a little, she asks, " Are, uh, are you planning on trying to challenge the League..? "
Hazuki
Utha blinks as Leah addresses her, then she frowns thoughtfully.  "I'm not sure, to be honest with you, Leah. The Diwyneb Dusk has always been what I wanted to beat. I suppose I could challenge the League, but it would feel... Like making the biggest cake, then making the second biggest cake?" 
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles, leaning into the conversation a bit.  "Well, um, what are you going to do after you defeat the Dusk? You'd need something to test yourself, right?"  She sits back in her chair again.
Hazuki
 "I think I'd like to become a mercenary,"  Utha says, as Maggie peers at her sling.  "Perhaps I can escort people one day, then be hired by a trainer or Knight-in-training for sparring or tutoring, and perhaps tackle a Pokemon outbreak alongside the Knights. It would be freeing, I think, and I could invest the coin I make into fine things, like more fancy armor." 
tgva8889
Alyssa lets Maggie look a little bit, holding her carefully so she doesn't fall out and trying to keep her from invading Utha's personal space.  "That all sounds really dangerous to me, but, um, I think if you wanna do it then you should go for it." 
Hazuki
As soon as Maggie notices Alyssa trying to keep her from wiggling away, she starts to test Alyssa's restrictions by wiggling about.

 "It is dangerous, but that's what I've trained for."  Utha holds her baggy sleeve up so it slides down her arm. Her toned arm is revealed, though it's still partially shrouded by the long lace glove she wears.  "I didn't make these to look pretty, although I think they do..."  She flexes her bicep.
tgva8889
Alyssa nods at Utha, then tilts her head.  "You made that glove?"  She looks down at Maggie struggling and says,  "You keep doing that and I'm putting you down."  She gives the psychic Pokemon a stern look.
Hazuki
Utha giggles.  "I mean my muscles, Alyssa. A lovely seamstress in Lancer made my gloves." 

Maggie peers up at Alyssa as she's chastised and seems to be weighing her options.
Comissar
Leah hesitates, " Umm... What, uh, what did you mean by a pokémon outbreak..? Is that a common problem for, uh, for travellers? "
Hazuki
 "Sometimes wild Pokemon spread too close to safe roads, or settlements, or a powerful one wanders into them. That's what I mean,"  Utha explains.  "I don't think it happens all the time, but it does sometimes, and that's what we need warriors for." 
Comissar
Leah's eyes widen a bit at Utha's description, " That, uh, that never really happened back in Kanto... Are there, uh, are there a lot of people that take up that kind of work..? "
Hazuki
 "Not now, no. Not unless they're a Knight,"  Utha says.  "There's not as much call for warriors." 
tgva8889
Alyssa nods.  "But, um, good for some people to do it, so, um, people will be safe."  She looks over at Leah.  "Is that not, um, what trainers do in Kanto?" 
Comissar
" It, uh, it sounds like knights have a lot of work on, uh, on their shoulders... I never really thought about how much they'd have to do. " Leah admits. She tilts her head at Alyssa's question, " Well... We, uh, we have Rangers that keep an eye on things in, uh, in areas away from the towns and cities, but, uh... But most trainers aren't that involved with that kind of work. "
tgva8889
Alyssa nods at Leah's explanation, glancing over at Maggie.  "Oh. So, um, you don't have to worry much about wild Pokemon attacking people?"  She looks at Utha, then to Leah for her answer.
Comissar
Leah shakes her head, " No, umm, it's pretty rare for it to happen. It, uh, it usually makes the news when it does. " She looks a little embarrassed, " To, uh, to be honest. When I first started travelling, I found it kinda scary thinking I could get attacked here. It felt, uh, a lot less, uh, less safe than Kanto... "
tgva8889
Alyssa puts a hand on Leah's.  "We've been okay so far. And, um, you have me and Saura. Plus we get Bibi to keep coming with us."  She smiles at her.  "I found it really scary when I first did it too, but sometimes you can't get everything you want staying in once place." 
Comissar
Leah nods with a smile, " Yeah, umm, it's definitely felt a lot safer with you and Bibi around. " She hesitates, her mind involuntarily going to her unnerving encounter with Inoir, and she feels her chest twist with a mix of guilt and worry, " I, uh, I don't think, uh, I don't think I'd do very well if I was journeying on, uh, on my own... "
tgva8889
Alyssa, noticing Leah's shifting emotions, squeezes Leah's hand.  "Me neither. It's really hard to travel on your own. That's, um, a big reason we all try to have partners to travel with."  She smiles and looks at Leah, tilting her head a bit.
Hazuki
Utha softly clears her throat.
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles at Utha.  "Sorry, Utha. Say, um, did you ever consider becoming a Knight? Or, um, trying to? I know it's pretty hard to do." 
Hazuki
 "I've never thought that serving as a Knight would be for me,"  Utha says.  "There's none of the freedom I'd prefer." 
tgva8889
Alyssa shrugs.  "I guess you don't get to do as much of what you want when you're a Knight."  She looks over at Leah, then back to Utha.
Hazuki
 "You can't get up on a whim and decide to go somewhere. You need to organize any time away with your Lord or Lady, and... What if I get wanderlust? I might have to wait a whole year before I can go here or there,"  Utha explains.
tgva8889
Alyssa nods with Utha's explanation, then tilts her head a bit.  "But, um, is your patron gonna ask the same things? Like, um, maybe not letting you go someplace or something?" 
Hazuki
 "Well... For now, they are."  Utha nods.  "But i'm only sticking with them while I haven't proved myself. I'll be able to pay for my own things as soon as I can say that I beat the Dusk." 
Comissar
Leah accepts Alyssa's hand squeeze with an embarrassed smile, then settles in to simply listen again for a little bit. As Utha talks about the freedom she currently enjoys, a faint frown of confusion settles on her face, " Who, umm, who's sponsoring you at the moment..? If, umm, if you don't mind my asking..? "
Hazuki
 "Her name Mistress Tsel,"  Utha answers.  "She lives in Lancer Town and has a lot of money." 
Comissar
" Do, uh, do you think she'll be bothered if and, uh, and when you decide to go your own way..? "
Hazuki
 "Oh... I hope not."  Utha looks away for a moment.  "I don't know whether that's the way these things are meant to go. I don't think she would get a great deal of use out of me once I've beaten the dusk. It would be like sponsoring... A mount or a farmer, wouldn't it?" 
Comissar
Leah grins and shrugs, " I, uh, I don't know. Maybe your, uh, your sponsor will have grown attached to you..? Umm, I don't really know how, uh, how it works... " She looks to the woman's injured arm, a thoughtful look on her face for a few moments, " ... Do, uh, do you have any tips on how to beat tough opponents..? I've, uh, I've got a friend looking to challenge Lady Diwyneb. I, uh, I want to try and help her, but battling's never, uh, never been a strong point for me so... I don't really know what to suggest..? "
Hazuki
 "Oh."  Utha's eyes go wide.  "I really have no idea. This kind of thing is very difficult to give advice for, without knowing the person and what they're good at and... So on. I suppose I could say to study and train, but those are obvious..." 
tgva8889
Alyssa starts to say the obvious question, but pauses and decides better of it as Leah starts speaking. After the conversation has moved on, she nods.  "Yeah, um, maybe she won't want to let go of you after that, because you'd be all proven and stuff." 
Comissar
Leah rubs behind her neck, " Well, uh, she's kinda tired at the moment. She's been, uh, been studying all day. But, uh, if she's up for it could I, uh, could I get you to speak with her..? "
Hazuki
 "FOOD! Food here!"  comes the declaration from the counter, as Nya-chan emerges with several bags.
Comissar
Leah blinks, glancing away from the conversation to Nya-Chan. " Oh! " Standing, she turns her attention back to Utha briefly, bobbing her head, " It was, uh, it was nice meeting you. If I don't see you again then, uh, then good luck with the Dusk. "

Walking the short distance back to Nya-Chan, she again gave a bob of her head, reaching out to accept the food bags, " Thankyou very much! "
Hazuki
As Leah gets up to go grab the food, so does Utha. They arrive at the same time and each find a bag pushed towards them.

 "Domo... Dom--"  Nya-chan is facing Utha, but glances at Leah from the corner of her eye.  "Thanks, uh, valued customer! And you too!"  she tells Leah.
Comissar
Leah accepts the bag gratefully, taking care to keep it upright as she does so. She can't help but give a bemused grin as Nya-Chan starts to give her 'Kanto-Cute' act again, finding herself feeling a little embarrassed as her presence is apparently enough to keep her from doing so. Bobbing her head once more in gratitude for the food, she looked over to Alyssa.

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
Leah figures Alyssa might want to say a few more words to Utha before heading back, and she also has the money pouch 😛
 
tgva8889
Alyssa catches Leah's glance and sits up, holding Maggie as she heads over to the counter to drop off her money. After she counts out everything, she places it on the counter and smiles at Nya-chan.  "Thank you!" 

Helping to pick up some of the food, Alyssa tries to maneuver Maggie in her arms so she can carry something. Turning to Utha, she smiles.  "Well, um, I'm gonna be in town for a while, so, um, maybe we'll see you again sometime?" 
Hazuki
Maggie opts to carry one of the bags via psychic powers, as evidenced by the pink glow that surrounds it.

 "Yes, certainly."  Utha bobs her head at Alyssa's question, smiling as she does.  "I'm staying at The Broken Bunk, room three. I'd love to see you again." 
Comissar
Leah waits at a polite distance for Alyssa to finish her goodbyes, clasping her bag of food with both hands and swaying slightly as she does. Once Alyssa's ready to go, she offers her a smile and starts to walk back to the inn. " I guess, uh, I guess it's a while since you last spoke to, uh, to Utha..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa, appreciative of Maggie's help, carries a bag of her own. To Utha, she nods.  "Okay. Um, take care!"  She bows slightly, trying not to dislodge Maggie or drop her food, and ends up sort of just nodding her head again.

As they head back, Alyssa smiles at Leah's question.  "Yeah, um, we met when I was studying in Lancer Town to be an artist. I guess that wasn't as long ago as it feels like it was?"  She shrugs, or at least makes a motion similar that doesn't bother Maggie so much.  "I never thought I would see her again." 
Comissar
Leah smiles and shrugs, " It's, uh, it's a small world. I think you'd be surprised who you could end up running into while we travel. " Her smile broadens, " I mean, Londo's only so big, right..? If we travel it, we're bound to meet some people you already know! "
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles and laughs a bit nervously.  "I, um, d-don't think I know that many people."  Her hands full of food and Maggie, she doesn't testure as much as she would.
Hazuki
When the girts get back to Sass and Nika's place, they find that the rough-housing has apparently paused. Sass sits at the head of the bed, resting her back against a throne of pillows as she idly pets the Sylveon that has made its way to her lap. Nika sits at the table, components all over it, apparently organizing them into several spaces with a clear place for her to work in front of her. Scroungy sits on her shoulder and notices the girls' arrival with a little cry.
Comissar
Leah gives Scroungy a wave, then announces her return with " I hope you're both hungry, we, uh, we've got a lot of different things! "

She sets her bag down on the table opposite Nika, careful to not disturb her assorted tools. She then starts fishing out the various food packages, double checking labels as she does so. Pausing mid-way through, she hesitates and glances up, " Oh, umm, I'm assuming you're both ready to, uh, to eat..? "
Hazuki
 "Bring it to me,"  Sass invites, beckoning Leah with a hand.

 "Sass, you are not eating in bed again!"  Nika turns over her shoulder to look at the girl.

Sass glances between Nika and Leah, then huffs and oozes off of the bed to a standing position.  "Is it good food?"  she asks, as she plops onto one of the seats.
Comissar
Leah raises an eyebrow and grins at Sass' demand to have food in bed, her grin broadening as Nika all but confirms that it wouldn't be the first time she'd tried to do so. She nods at Sass' question, " Yeah. Or, uh, or at least I think it is. It's traditional Kantoan food. I picked Tantanmen for you and Alyssa. It's, uh, it's a ramen dish that's a bit spicier than normal, " She gives Sass a questioning look, " I figured that, uh, that might be something you'd enjoy..? " She shrugs, turning to help Alyssa and Maggie decant the other dishes, " If you don't like it, I don't mind swapping. I've, uh, I've got Okonomiyaki. It's a savoury pancake. Umm, one of my favourites when it's made right... " She finds herself smiling a bit in anticipation, looking up to Nika as she continues, " And, uh, and I got you some Sesame Ramen. It's a little sweeter than normal ramen but, uh, but I also got some Daifuku for us all to share as a dessert so, uh, so if it's not sweet enough for you then there'll be that for after. "
tgva8889
Alyssa busies herself with unloading the bags as she enters the room, grateful for Leah's help when she comes over to read the labels. She gives Maggie a small  "thanks"  when she takes the psychically-floating bag out of the air to unload.

As Leah starts to explain the food, Alyssa tries to follow, noting each thing as she mentions it.  "How many things did you get, um, exactly?"  She smiles at Leah, happy at her enthusiasm.
Comissar
Leah gives Alyssa a slightly worried look, " Umm, one thing each. With, uh, with a dessert we can all share. I, uh, I didn't think that'd be too much..? "
Hazuki
Maggie pats Alyssa's shoulder at the thanks, as she slips out of her arms and strolls over to the bed where Yrael the Sylveon sits.

Sass' eyes seem to glaze over as Leah explains everything that's been brought, but nods nonetheless.  "I'll eat whatever you put in front of me." 
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles and laughs, putting a hand on Leah's arm.  "I think it'll be just enough. Should we, um, share some of these things?"  She points at the various food items set out on the table, leaning into Leah a little bit.
Hazuki
Sass' eyes slowly shift as Alyssa leans into Leah.

 "Hey, what's with all the  touchy-feely  stuff?" 
Comissar
Leah gives a relieved grin as she's reassured that the food she's picked up will be fine. She nods at Alyssa's question, leaning back into her a little, " Yeah, umm, I'm fine letting mine be shared. It'll, uh, it'll give you guys a chance to try more different things. "

She's just happily finishing the plating up when Sass speaks up. She looks around to the young trainer, a little surprised, then to Alyssa, and finally back to Sass again. " Oh, umm, right. I guess, uh, I guess you wouldn't know... " Her cheeks colour a bit as she speaks, " Umm, Alyssa and, uh, and I are, uh, are together. "
Hazuki
Sass' brow furrows.

 "Why?" 
tgva8889
Alyssa, who is mid-plating her own food, trying a larger portion of what Leah suggested but taking a little bit of everything, shrugs at Sass's question, her smile fading into a more neutral expression.  "Because she makes me happy." 
Hazuki
Sass' nose wrinkles.  "Gross." 

Nika shoots her a look, then smiles at the girls.  "I think you look cute together,"  she says sweetly.

 "Wh- Yo-"  Sass' head swivels to face Nika.  "Traitor! Why didn't you tell me you're a romance person?" 
 "Because it's normal?"  Nika suggests.

Sass lets her tongue hang out of her mouth, showing just what she thinks of that statement.
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles at Nika and Sass, giving a nod of thanks to Nika. She goes about collecting her food and sits down at the table, taking her time to savor the flavors of the new dish as she eats.
Comissar
Leah looks confused for a moment at Sass' question, having not expected to need to defend her relationship choices. She feels her cheeks heat at Alyssa's explanation, a smile forming on her face, then heat further at both Nika's and Sass' reactions. She rubs behind her neck, looking embarrassed at the discussion topic, " It's, umm, it's tricky to describe the, uh, the feeling, Sass... Umm... I guess, uh, I guess I just, uh, just feel really happy and, uh, and comfortable around Alyssa. "

As she speaks, she plates some food and passes it over to the young trainer, before plating some for Nika as well.
Hazuki
Sass takes her plate with a noncommittal grumble.

 "Thanks!"  Nika says as she accepts her food.  "It's a good thing we've got plenty of seats here, huh?" 
tgva8889
Alyssa nods between bites, swallowing before she speaks.  "Yeah. Um, sorry if we're taking up a lot of space in your room."  She looks between Sass and Nika and smiles.
Comissar
Leah starts eating her meal with no small amount of enthusiasm, finding herself in good spirits at getting to eat Kantoan cooking again. As she eats, she finds her focus shifting over to Sass. " So, umm, Sass. What, uh, what kind of stuff were you looking up in the library..? 'Cause, uh, 'cause I can try and help you with it if you wanted..? "
Hazuki
 "You know... Stuff?"  Sass answers, as she nibbles away at her meal.  "I wanted to look at what Lady Diwyneb is like, but there's not a lot in there from before she was the Lady, so I can't know what she likes from that. I found stuff about her battles, but it wasn't that helpful, because they're, like, stories and not tactics? Not the ones I found, I mean. So I was looking for tactics for my Pokemon and sy...synerrr..synergies!"  She slams her fist on the table.  "Synergies! Especially for Mosrael, since she's so slow and she's not gonna evolve for a long time!" 
Comissar
Leah nods along with Sass' thought processes, then tilts her head with a faint frown, " I'm, uh, I'm not sure I've gotten to meet Mosrael yet. What, uh, what kind of pokémon is she..? "
Hazuki
 "You haven... Oh, right!"  Sass reaches for her belt and retrieves a blue and white Londo-style Pokeball with yellow trim. She tosses it into the air and a Pokemon emerges from the puff of smoke. Namely, a thigh-height crustacean with black ringed around its long blue shell, a pair of yellow antennae, and one massive claw.  "Hey, Mosreal. It's Leah! And her girlfriend!"  she tells the Pokemon.

Mosreael's eye slowly rolls up to look at Leah and it gives two quick snaps of its claw.

 
 Spoiler: Who's that Pokemon? 
It's... Clauncher!
 
Comissar
Leah leans down to Mosrael as she's released, finding herself reddening a bit as Sass describes Alyssa. " Hi Mosrael, I'm told you're going to, uh, to help Sass beat Lady Diwyneb? "

On getting a reply, she straightens up just a little, folding her arms to rest her elbows on her knees. Glancing up to Sass, she asks, " Do, uh, do you know what kind of pokémon Lady Diwyneb uses? And, uh, and is there anywhere you could watch her battle in person..? "
Hazuki
Mosrael somehow manages to shrug with one claw.

 "I hear that she uses a few types, but she uses Poison for her League battles,"  Sass says as Mosreael glances about, unsure what to do with herself.  "Which sucks, because Yrael is Fairy! Astarael is fine, Mosreael too, but I can't fight that how my team is now! And I need to get a Pokemon who hits hard, like, bam."  She slams a fist on the table.

 "Sass, stop that!"  Nika complains.

 "I'm showing what I mean!"  Sass huffs.  "And I don't think there are many Psychic Pokemon who do that kind of thing, so Ground would be good, but she's expecting that!" 
tgva8889
When Mosrael is brought out, Alyssa smiles and waves, turning a bit red at Sass's description.  "Hi! I'm Alyssa."  She looks at Leah and lightheartedly laughs a bit at their predicament.

Alyssa, who is mostly out of her depth in this conversation, sticks to listening and eating for the moment, glad to have a chance to listen to Sass talk about battling for a bit. After a bit her mind wanders and she looks down, closing her eyes, then looks back up at the conversation. Coming back about when Sass is talking about catching something else, Alyssa nods.  "I, um, can help you catch something if there's something, um, nearby? I'm, um, not an expert on finding Pokemon, but I can help catch them!" 
Hazuki
After Alyssa has greeted her, Mosrael looks around, sees that there's nothing for her to do, then reaches up and taps Sass' Pokeball with her claw. She's sucked in via a cloud of smoke.

 "That's great,"  Sass says, as she points her fork at Alssa,  "But I need to know what to catch before I can catch it. There are some golem things that guard the Dusk, but you can only get one of those if Lady Diwyneb really likes you, so I can't get one. It sucks!" 
tgva8889
Alyssa shrugs.  "Maybe something in the library can tell you what Pokemon are around here? Or you can go look and see if there's any ground-types outside?"  She takes a bite of her food, taking the time to chew and swallow.
Hazuki
 "Why do I have to do it? Can't you two help?"  Sass asks.
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles.  "Don't you want to be the better trainer here? I think finding Pokemon to help you win is part of that."  She looks at Leah, and then smiles.  "Besides, I have no idea what I'm looking for, so I probably wouldn't be much help. All I can say is I can probably help you catch it when you find it." 
Comissar
Leah shrugs, " I'm, uh, I'm happy to help. It might be useful to, uh, to not just think about what's strong against Poison, but, uh, but also what Poison struggles against..? So, umm, maybe look at, uh, at types that are resistant..? Like, uh, like Rock or Ghost types..? "
Hazuki
 "Or Steel!"  Sass snaps her fingers.

 "Aren't they kinda rare, Sass?"  Nika asks.

Sass scowls in her direction.  "They're immune! It would totally mess up her strategy!" 
Comissar
Leah rubs behind her neck, a frown on her face as she thinks. " ... Nika's right, Steel types are, uh, are kinda rare around Londo... Umm... You, uh, you can find Honedges..? They're kinda rare, though. Umm, but I can help you try to, uh, to find them if you want..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa looks between Leah and Sass as they talk, smiling between bites of her food. She checks her memory for what Pokemon they might be talking about and comes up with a blank.  "What's a Honedge? I mean, um, besides a steel-type Pokemon." 
Hazuki
 "Yeah, okay."  Sass nods at Leah, then stares at Alyssa.  "How do you not know Honedge?! It's a Pokemon that's a sword. A sword." 
tgva8889
Alyssa looks up into the air a bit, thinking, then nods.  "Oh, that one is Honedge? I, um, I'm not really good with that kind of stuff."  She shrugs.
Comissar
Leah grins at Sass' agreement, " Cool, sounds like a plan. Want to, uh, to go looking tomorrow morning..? "

Her grin broadens as Alyssa admits to her lack of certainty around Honedge's. She softly bounces her shoulder into her, " That's ok. There's, uh, there's a lot to keep track of. "
Hazuki
 "Yeah, okay,"  Sass says.

Nika suddenly stands up.  "Oh! I've got to go and meet the nurse!" 
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles at Leah.  "Thanks, Leah."  She turns a bit red in her cheeks, and but covers it a bit by eating and looking down at her food to busy herself.
Comissar
Leah grins, giving Nika a wave as she leaves, " Good luck! I hope it goes well! "

With a quick glance to her pokégear to double check the time, Leah looks up to the other two, " What did you guys want to do after, uh, after we've eaten. I don't mind if you just want to rest, Sass..? Alyssa and I could, uh, could leave you to it..? " She looks over to Alyssa for confirmation.

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
I'm happy to skip ahead a bit from here unless either of you have something specific in mind for the scene..?
 
tgva8889
Alyssa waves to Nika as she goes, smiling to herself one she's gone. She nods to Leah when she looks to her, cleaning up some of the used eating supplies and packing up what food remains if any. After a bit she looks at Sass.  "Yeah, um, if you don't mind me leaving these paint things here? Nika and I were doing art stuff."  She looks
Hazuki
Nika spends a few moments getting ready, bustling about the room and picking up Scoungy before she departs.

 "What?"  Sass asks at the questions, after running a hand through her hair.  "Sure, whatever. Just don't leave so much crap I can't move." 

Once dinner is finished, the girls start to make their way home with Maggie, who had spent much of her time chatting with Yrael the Sylveon at the bed. She has a spring in her step as they head back to their inn room. They notice Bibi sitting with the innkeep as they do so. She acknowledges them with a brief nod.
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles and waves her hands.  "No, it's, um, just this stuff on the table. I'll be back for it sometime tomorrow!" 

With things finished, Alyssa hoists Maggie up into a comfortable carrying position and heads out with Leah, waiting for all the pleasantries to be said before she walks, her free hand carrying a bag with some leftover food. She will let Maggie down if she'd prefer to walk, but otherwise will take her bag, smiling at the Gothorita's happiness.  "Did you make a new friend?"  She glances at Leah briefly, but otherwise occupies herself with watching out for Maggie and trying to make sure they don't get lost.

Once back, she acknowledges Bibi with her own small nod and turns to Leah.  "I'm pretty sleepy, so, um, I think I might just go to bed?" 
Comissar
Leah offers Sass a final wave as she leaves the room, " See you tomorrow, Sass! "

She's contentedly quiet on the walk back, simply enjoying the company of Alyssa and Maggie as they return to their own inn. She gives Bibi a bob of her head in greeting as they pass her. Looking to Alyssa at her comment of weariness, Leah reddens a little. " Oh, uh, sure. D-do, uh, d-do you want me to, uh, to wait o-outside while, uh, while you get ready..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa tilts her head looking at Leah, then turns a bit red and laughs.  "Um, I, uh, don't want to keep you out of the room? Maybe there's a screen or something?"  She looks away a bit, turning a brighter shade as she grabs her arm.  "D'you, um, wanna help me look? I mean, um, for the screen?"  Smiling, she turns back to Leah.
Comissar
Leah rubs behind her neck, an embarrassed smile on her face, " Sure. I'll, uh, I'll help you look. Umm, I guess, uh... I-I guess even I-if we don't find something I, uh, I can just look the other way. "
Hazuki
Maggie hops onto the bed.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
No, there's not a screen! It's a small room!
 
tgva8889
After quickly glancing around, Alyssa sighs.  "Well, um, do you mind looking the other way while I, um, get ready?"  She turns a shade of red and then looks over at the bed.   "Or, um, w-would it be better for you to be outside?" 
Comissar
Leah nods, " I can, uh, I can just, uh, just face away. It's ok. "

She sits herself on one edge of the bed, quite deliberately staring toward the wall. She then hesitates, " U-unless you meant, uh, you meant you want me to, uh, to wait outside..? "

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
Given how small you described the room to be, I did imagine that'd be the case
 
tgva8889
Alyssa shakes her head, then remembering the situation says out loud  "No, um, it's okay if you stay. I, um, I feel better when you're around? But, um, also nervous. But I, um, know you know what I mean."  She laughs and kneels down to her bag, digging through it to find her sleepwear and as a result throwing things haphazardly onto the floor. After a few minutes she stands up.  "Found it."  Glancing over her shoulder to make sure Leah isn't looking, she takes a deep breath or two, talking to herself under her breath. After another glance, she takes a deep, audible breath and changes clothes as quickly as possible, glancing again at Leah at every opportunity.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Alyssa can hope!
 
Comissar
Leah nods along as Alyssa reassures her that she can stay in the room. She finds her ears heating, and herself growing increasingly fidgety as the minutes stretch by and she hears Alyssa moving about and rifling around in their room. When she hears the exclamation of " Found it. " she finds she has to stifle a giggle.

" I, uh, I-I thought you were, uh, were already changing. "

She returns to an awkward silence again as she continues to wait, doing her best to fight the urge to turn toward the sounds behind her as she did and simply waiting for the all clear.
tgva8889
Once she's changed, Alyssa remains quiet. Seeing Leah dutifully looking away, she puts a finger to her mouth at Maggie and then quietly sneaks over to the bed. She slowly climbs into it from behind Leah, trying not to shift it too much, and puts her hands over Leah's eyes. Leaning in, she whispers in Leah's ear,  "Are you ready?" 
Comissar
Leah frowns a little as she feels the mattress shift under her, and again she finds herself quelling the impulse to turn and look around. She stiffens in surprise a bit as her vision is abruptly blocked by Alyssa's hands. An uncertain grin breaks out on her face at the question whispered into her ear, " U-umm, I, uh... Yes..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa takes a moment to breathe, then says  "Okay. I'm, um, I'm ready." 

She's not wearing anything especially fancy or interesting, just a comfortable nightgown, but her face is red when Leah turns to look at her nevertheless.  "I, um, haven't really let anyone see me in my sleeping clothes."  She turns to Maggie and says,  "Um, are you gonna sleep on the bed, too? It's gonna be crowded." 
Hazuki
Maggie peers up when Alyssa addresses her. She looks at the bed, leans over to look at the floor, then nods.
Comissar
Leah gently pries Alyssa's hands from her eyes, twisting round to look over to her. Her cheeks redden in sympathy to Alyssa's, but she smiles nonetheless. She gives a small shrug as she tries to figure out what to say, " W-well, uh, they, uh, they suit you. " She finds herself giving an embarrassed smile as she gives the compliment.

As Alyssa turns to Maggie and talks about sharing the bed, Leah rubs behind her neck, " I guess, uh, I-I guess I ought to get changed too then if, uh, if you're wanting to, uh, to settle. "

Standing from the bed, she makes her way to her own bag, rifling through until she recovered her pyjama's. Reddening a bit as she retrieves them, she gives Alyssa another anxious smile, " U-umm, sorry, uh... Could, uh, could I get you to, uh, to do the same..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa laughs nervously herself, not really sure what else to do, and smiles at Leah in appreciation.

She shrugs at Maggie's reply, smiling.  "Well if you don't mind being a bit smushed. I guess it's probably better than the floor."  Looking at Leah as she responds, Alyssa nods.  "Yeah, um, unless you were gonna stay up. It's been a long day for me." 

As Leah gets her pyjamas, Alyssa distracts herself by watching Maggie. Leah's comment gets her attraction, and she turns a bit red too at Leah's smile.  "Oh, um, yeah, of course."  She turns herself around and looks the other way, twiddling her thumbs as she sits. Though she continues to respect Leah and deliberately does not look her way, she is a bit more fidgetty than she was and shifts on the bed a few times while she's sitting. Mostly she looks at her hands, her cheeks a nice crimson shade the whole time.
Comissar
Leah tries to change as quickly as she's able to once Alyssa turns around. Though her attempts at speed are, perhaps, a bit counterproductive at points, she's soon left standing in her matching blue pyjama top and bottoms. Laying her day clothes in a pile in one corner of the room, she turns back toward the bed. Brushing her hair clear of her top, she spoke up, " U-um, you can, uh, you can turn round. "

Once Alyssa does so, she finds herself giving an embarrassed grin, face slightly red as she makes a pose. " T-ta-da. "

She lets the pose fall, rubbing at one of her arms as her cheeks redden further, " Umm, i-it's, uh, i-it's just pyjamas... "
tgva8889
Alyssa turns around almost as Leah is finished speaking, letting out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. She laughs at Leah's pose, finding herself relaxing a bit as she does.  "I think you look good! For, um, sleeping clothes, I mean. What do you say? Pyjamas?"  Smiling, she holds out a hand for Leah to take, pulling her friend to sit next to her on the bed.  "I never thought you'd have something different than what we have here." 

She turns a bit red when Leah does sit closer to her, and smiles.  "But, um, really. I think the blue suits you."  Absently, she lifts up her other hand to shift her hair out of her face.
Comissar
Leah grins as she allows herself to be pulled down to sit beside Alyssa. She gives a little shrug as she does, " Well, uh, we, uh, we have things that are, uh, are similar to what you're wearing too... " She trails off at Alyssa's compliment, glancing down with an embarrassed smile as her hair is moved away, " Th-thanks. "

She looks up again, cheeks red, " You, uh, y-you look nice too. "
tgva8889
Alyssa, realizing what she's doing, pulls her hand back, turns a bit red and smiles.  "Th-thanks."  After looking for Leah for a bit too long, she turns her eyes down to her feet.  "So, um, how are we gonna sleep? There's, um, not really much to do besides share the bed?"  She looks around the room at the floor.
Comissar
Leah looks down as Alyssa does, giving a small shrug, " U-umm... I'm, uh, I-I'm ok trying to, uh, to share. U-umm, if, uh, i-if you're not o-ok with it then, uh, then I'll, uh, I'll take the floor. "
tgva8889
Alyssa looks up and shakes her head.  "N-no, um, I would rather you stay in the bed. I mean, um, if you want to. I mean, um, I'm okay with it."  She turns red and looks away from Leah.  "If, um, you're not uncomfortable, I mean. I don't want you to sleep on the floor if there's space on the bed." 
Comissar
Leah reaches over to give Alyssa's hand a squeeze, " I'm fine with trying sharing. I-If it doesn't work, we'll, uh, we'll figure something else out tomorrow. "
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles, returning Leah's squeeze.  "O-okay."  Looking up, she smiles at Leah, then yawns.  "Oh, um. I guess I should sleep?"  She moves a bit closer to Leah to lean a bit into her, letting a bit of the tension out of her body but not resting all her weight on Leah.
Comissar
Leah grins, wrapping an arm around Alyssa's shoulder as she leans into her, giving her a one armed hug, " Yup. "

Slowly, she gently maneuvers so that they were both lying on the bed rather than sitting at the edge, making sure to leave space for Maggie on the bed with them. " Umm, sleep, uh, sleep well. "
tgva8889
Alyssa makes no attempts to resist, moving to lying down, though at first not especially close to Leah and facing the other way. She looks over her shoulder at Leah as she speaks and smiles. Still with her normal cheer, she says  "You too,"  before turning back to go to sleep.
Hazuki
Maggie crawls up to sleep between the two and they drift off to sleep.

When they wake, it's to a particularly intense heat bearing down on their room.
tgva8889
Alyssa wakes up slowly, wiping sweat off her brow. She looks over at Leah to check if she's awake, then looks around. The heat bearing down on her, she pants a bit and tries to figure out what could be causing such heat.
Hazuki
Alyssa finds a frame she can slide open. Turns out, it's the sun.
tgva8889
Sticking her tongue out at her discovery, Alyssa checks the shadows and the light to try and guess what time it is before turning back to their room. Smiling at Leah and Maggie still asleep, she looks through her bag for her sketchpad, tossing out her belongings haphazardly to make space. Once she has her sketchpad in hand, she finds a good vantage point and starts sketching the bed.
Hazuki
The stretching of the shadows implies that it's still the early morning, before most people would be up for breakfast, though she can see a few individuals starting their days in the distance, Pokemon going about their business, and a few Knights on their patrols. Nobody seems particularly pleased by the heat, most apparently going for either lighter clothes or airy cloaks that shield them from it.
Comissar
Leah stirs gradually, a frown slowly forming on her face as she registers the steadily increasing light and temperature. She slowly pulls herself into a ball as she regains consciousness, letting out an undignified "  Hrrnngghh...  " in protest. As her senses return to her, she glances about the still unfamiliar room, blinking to clear the bleariness from her eyes.

As she notices Alyssa, she scoots into a sitting position, abruptly and uncomfortably aware of how the heat in the room was making her hair stick to her skin. She reddens further as she notices that she's the subject of a sketch. Feeling faintly embarrassed, Leah rubs behind her neck, " U-umm, good morning. "
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles as Leah sits up.  "Morning. You looked so nice asleep so I wanted to get the moment on paper."  Looking up, she notices Leah's red cheeks and turns a bit red herself.  "D'you, um, know if it's supposed to be this hot?"  She walks over to the bed and sits down, fanning herself with the now closed sketchbook.  "Maybe we should get food?" 
Comissar
Giving an embarrassed grin, Leah shakes her head, shifting the bed covers so that she was on top of them in an effort to stay a bit cooler. " U-umm, no idea. It, uh, it didn't feel this hot yesterday. " She nods at the suggestion of breakfast, then leans into Alyssa a bit, resting her head on her shoulder. " That, uh, that sounds good. "

A soft smile forms as she does, and she finds herself repeating herself, " ... Morning... "
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles, almost unbidden, as Leah puts her head on her shoulder. She laughs a bit at Leah's turn of phrase.  "Morning."  Leaning her head on Leah's, she takes in the moment, letting things linger. After a bit of time, she weaves her hand into Leah's.  "What d'you wanna eat?" 
Comissar
Leah leans a little more into Alyssa as her hand is taken, giving a soft squeeze of her hand as she does. " Mmm... Not sure... " Her smile broadens a little as she answers, " I know it's really warm, but, uh, but hot breakfast's are, uh, are always nice. "
tgva8889
Alyssa doesn't respond for a little bit, squeezing Leah's hand back but otherwise quiet as she lets Leah lean into her. For a little while she's quiet, moving her fingers ever so often and squeezing Leah's hand or moving her thumb on the back of Leah's hand every so often. She relaxes into Leah, a lot of the tension in her body going away. Then she says,  "Yeah, um, I think I can think of something. Might have to look for it somewhere, though?"  She leans into Leah.
Comissar
Leah gives a positive hum of acknowledgement, her eyes on their held hands and Alyssa's irregular movements, " Mhmm... What've you got in mind. "
tgva8889
Alyssa tilts her head back and forth.  "Not sure."  She smiles, drawing circles with her thumb.  "We, um, can stay like this if you'd like, though?" 
Comissar
Leah gives another hum of contentment, " Mmm... " She gives a soft sigh and gently extricates herself from Alyssa, " That, uh, that sounds nice. But, umm... But it's really hot in here. " She gives Alyssa an apologetic smile, " And, umm, and I'm kinda hungry, too. " She gives Alyssa's hand a final squeeze before letting go and getting to her feet.
tgva8889
Alyssa doesn't resist as Leah pulls away, though she does pout a little. As soon as Leah notices, she smiles and laughs to show she's joking. Her stomach grumbles.  "Yeah, um, you're probably right."  She gets up and looks around the room. Blushing, she smiles awkwardly at Leah.  "Um, can you look away while I change?" 
Comissar
Leah gives a small nod and smile, rubbing behind her neck as she replies, " Yeah, of course. " Turning away, she sits herself back down on the edge of the bed again, pulling one leg underneath her whilst the other dangles off of the side.
tgva8889
Alyssa waits for Leah to turn around, then gets to work finding what clothes she wants to wear today. After some time looking through things, she settles on a comfortable light shirt and skirt. She changes quickly, blushing as she does, and says  ”Um, I’m done.”  She stands smiling, her hair a complete mess from sleeping but her clothes at least presentable.
Comissar
Leah smiles as she turns, " You, uh, you look good. " She unfolds her legs, getting to her feet again as she makes her way round to her own clothes. She takes a moment to look through, then looks to Alyssa with a questioning look, " I was thinking I could try, uh, try wearing one of the tops Nika gave me..? " She holds the yellow tunic she'd been traded up against herself, " What, uh, what do you think? "
tgva8889
Alyssa turns a bit red and stammers a  "Th-thanks."  She eyes Leah as she looks for her own clothes. When she pulls up Nika's tunic, Alyssa tilts her head.  "I think I'd like to see you in it."  She smiles. Then turning red, she points over her shoulder.  "Should I, um, turn around?" 
Comissar
Leah reddens along with Alyssa, giving an embarrassed nod, " Umm, yeah, if, uh, if you don't mind. " She gathers up the rest of her clothing for the day, briefly considering the breeches before settling on her more familiar jeans. With a furtive glance toward Alyssa's back, she turns her back as well, doing her best to change as quickly as she can. Once fully dressed, she reaches for a hair tie and begins to pull her hair back into a pony tail. As she does, she speaks up, " Umm, you can, uh, you can turn back now. "
tgva8889
Alyssa nods and promptly turns around, standing where she is. She takes the time to busy herself with trying to fix her hair, trying to tie things together so that it comes out in a ponytail. Her hair is still frizzy, unused to the heat. After a few attempts she settles for a sort of braided ponytail which she's still finishing up when Leah calls out. Turning back, she smiles.  "Hi."  She empties a few things from her bag, puts a few things back in, then picks it up.  "Ready to go?" 
Comissar
Leah picks up the Smeargle egg, hooking the straps over her shoulders as she moves over to Alyssa. A grin on her face, she leans in to give her a brief kiss. Moving back a step, she nods, " Ready. "

Reaching out to take Alyssa's hand, she glances over to Maggie, " Are you coming..? Or, uh, or did you want to rest a bit longer..? "
Hazuki
Leah finds that Maggie is still sleeping.
tgva8889
Alyssa turns a bit red at Leah's kiss. Smiling at Maggie's sleeping form on the bed, she goes over and scoops Maggie into her arms.  "I'm not sure I wanna leave her alone in my room."  She carries her with them in one arm, holding Leah's hand with the other.
Comissar
Leah nods, lowering her voice to try not to disturb the sleeping pokémon, " That makes sense. "

Opening the room door, she steps out into the corridor, allowing Alyssa past before locking the door behind them. " Any, uh, any thoughts on where to go for food..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa moves carefully, trying not to wake Maggie with any sudden moves. She smiles at Leah's question.  "Well, yesterday we had something from your home, so, um, tday I thought we could try to find something from mine?" 
Comissar
Leah nods with a grin, " That, uh, that sounds like a good idea. I'm curious too, it's, uh, it's always interesting trying something new. "
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles.  ”Then let’s go!”  She heads out in front, looking for a place serving local Vibrost foods, preferably their hot breakfast.
Hazuki
The girls hit the streets and are hit by the sun. An occasional cool breeze seems to be their only solace as they head out in search of a hot breakfast on a day where everyone seems to be sweating, their movements a little sluggish. Well, everyone except for the Knights, who patrol just as easily as they do on any other day.

In the relatively subdued market, they manage to find a stall that has been set-up with the name "Vibrost Vood", where a sweaty woman seems to have found no solace in the icy mural depicted on her stall and has had to resort to a Murkrow flapping its wings at her head.

 "You want hot food?"  she asks, her eyes wide and her vest clinging to her torso.  "Hot food. Now? I could start a soup, I suppose, but...wouldn't you like something..."  She gestured at what she was actually cooking, which was a set of sweet Vibrost treatsb like cookies and and icing-less cakes.
Comissar
Leah finds herself wishing she owned something a bit more airy as she walks through the market. The vain hope that she might adapt to the heat after the initial wash from stepping out of the inn had vanished now, all that was left was the oppressive mugginess. She finds she's already rethinking her initial request by the time they reach 'Vibrost Vood', and the chef's reaction serves to cement her change of heart.

Giving Alyssa's hand a squeeze, and throwing her an apologetic look, she looks back to the vendor, " I-I think, uh, I think you're right. U-umm, I didn't really realise quite, uh, quite  how  hot it was out here. " Giving Alyssa another apologetic smile, she asks, " U-umm, what, uh, what would you recommend..? "
Hazuki
 "I don't know; what's your flavor?"  the woman asks.  "We've got sickly sweet to tantalizing tang. It's not quite as good as the soup, but it's tasty and filling."  She gestures over her assorted cookies and cakes.  "And half of them are Vibrost recipes." 
tgva8889
Alyssa is utterly drenched in sweat by the time they get to the market, but she is a good sport and tries to keep up her chipper demeanor as they scout for her home food. She jumps excitedly as she spots the stall and wanders over, looking over the cakes before she asks about the hot food.

She lets out a breath she didn't realize she was holding when Leah asks about something else and she nods emphatically.  "Um, do you have some of the sour cakes? What were they, um, kinda like, um, Aspear jelly?"  Looking over at Leah, she asks,  "The sweet stuff's really good, too!"  She looks over everything, shifting on her feet and speaking really fast.  "I don't remember the ones I used to like when I was really little, but those ones look really good, and, um, I don't know what kind of flavors you really like so, um, I'm not really sure what'd be best for you? I guess in the morning you wanna eat something to make you ready for the day, right?" 
Hazuki
The woman nods at Alyssa's question.  "We do have those, but just a handful. They're a favorite of mine too."  She winks.

Maggie starts to stir in Alyssa's arms.
Comissar
Leah nods slowly to herself, " Well... Umm... If, uh, if you both like the, uh, the Aspear one... I guess, uh, I guess I'd like to try that one too..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa nods at Leah's response. Back to the shopkeeper, she puts up two fingers and asks,   "Can we get two of the Aspear ones?"  Looking down at what's currently out, she also points at four different things and says,  "And, um, one of each of those?"  She briefly glances at Leah.
Hazuki
The woman at the stall nods as she gathers the requested sweet things.  "That will be four for everything, five if you want them wrapped in something." 
tgva8889
Alyssa nods, then realizes that's not a satisfactory response to the comment and says,  "Um, wrapped please!"  Noticing Maggie stirring, Alyssa keeps her motions from being to jarring. She counts out the five necessary coins and then hands them over, smiling.  "Thank you!" 

With breakfast sweets in hand, she offers Leah the wrapped goodies, letting her take first pick. She starts on a sour one, then smiles to Maggie beginning to wake.  "You wanna try some food from my hometown, Maggie?" 
Hazuki
The woman provides Alyssa with a bundle of her ordered treats wrapped in some cream-ish material, bundled together with a bite of twine.  "Have a nice day, and hopefully a cooler one." 

Maggey blinks as she wakes and is immediately offered a treat. She glances around first, then nods slowly.
Comissar
When offered first pick, Leah tentatively takes one of the Aspear treats, giving Alyssa a smile as she does. Giving the vendor a bob of her head and a " Thanks, you too! "

Hesitantly, not quite sure what to expect from a 'sour cake', she half-turns to Alyssa and raises the Aspear cake to her mouth. Biting into it, she chews once or twice before the sourness hits and she has to fight the urge to pull a face at the unfamiliar flavour. Abruptly feeling foolish, she grins while simultaneously trying not to spit out the bite she'd taken. She forces herself to finish the bite before commenting, " I, uh, I wasn't sure, uh, how, uh, how sour it'd be. "
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles and bows her head slightly, not wanting to tip Maggie onto the ground.  "Thank you! I, um, hope you get cooler too!" 

Holding Maggie and unwrapping a small cookie to give to Maggie is a bit difficult, but she figures it out and gives Maggie a cookie to hold.  "Don't swallow that all at once!" 

Alyssa giggles a bit at Leah's reaction.  "Do they not have Aspear jelly where you're from?"  Looking between Leah and Maggie, she then smiles.  "Think we can find anywhere to sit? Maybe somewhere in the shade? I, um, don't have many hands."  She looks at an arm holding Maggie and two hands with a pouch of sweets and a delicious sour pastry she hasn't eaten much of yet.
Hazuki
Alyssa can see some spots just inside the walls where there are benches she can take cover in. It's not entirely private due to quite some people having had the same idea about shelter with their food, but it's present.

Maggey takes the cookie and nibbles on it quietly, her eyes drifting over the people around them.
tgva8889
Her need for a reprieve from the heat more important than her desire for more private time, Alyssa turns the group towards the benches and starts heading over that way.
Hazuki
The shade proves shady.
Comissar
Leah grins and shakes her head, " We, uh, we do I, uh, I just don't normally have it. But, uh, but I thought I'd, uh, I'd give it a go. " She nods at Alyssa's suggestion, " Yeah, uh, shade sounds good. "

Following her over to the not-so-private seating, she unslings her bag and seats herself. Looking out into the baking heat of the morning, she wonders aloud, " Is it this hot every morning here..? "
Hazuki
Maggey sits up properly once they get to the benches, holding her cookie in one hand and looking at Leah. She gestures to the girl's bag and makes a grabby motion.
Comissar
Leah doesn't immediately notice Maggie's silent demand, her attention out on the street as she watches the world go past. A glance in Alyssa's direction brings the psychic-type to her attention, though. Blinking, she reaches down for her bag, " O-oh, um, sure. Just, uh, just make sure you don't drop anything..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa puts Maggie down once they get to shade, taking some attention off her to enjoy her own sour pastry. While the shade helps, Alyssa still tries to fan herself with a free hand to little reprieve.  "I don't think I'm made for hot weather."  She looks over when Leah speaks to Maggie, watching but not interfering with her at all.
Hazuki
Maggie nods at Leah's words as she hops up to sit on the bench, then ruffles through the bag until she finds Saura's Pokeball and releases her.
tgva8889
Alyssa, noticing Maggie's actions, reaches into her own bag and pulls out Luna's ball, letting her out to enjoy the heat as well.

Luna is much less happy to be thrust into the heat, but she smiles and waves at Alyssa and Leah and Saura and Maggie.
Comissar
Leah keeps a careful eye on Maggie as she rifles through her belongings, making sure everything stayed where it needed to. She grins at Alyssa's comment, glancing to her, " Y-yeah, umm, it's pretty, uh, pretty stifling. We didn't get  many  summers like this back in, uh, in Kanto but, uh, but we sometimes got summers that were this hot. "

At the sound of a pokémon being released, she looked back down to see Saura materialising in a flash of red light. She leans forward, giving her Bulbasaur a scratch at her neck, a slightly guilty weight in her chest as she speaks, " Hey Saura, it's really hot out today. You gonna be ok with the temperature..? "
Hazuki
Saura nuzzles against Leah's hand as she goes to scratch her scaly neck and peers up at her. She lets out a happy cry and shakes her head, her bulb twitching slightly in the sun as the tips unfurl to take in a little more of the golden light. Since her body is stocky and her head not particularly flexible, she returns Luna's wave with one of her vines.

Maggie peers at Luna from the bench, then pulls a few nearby sticks towards herself with a pink tendril of energy. She grabs the wrapping from the baked goods and fiddles about with both for a few seconds, then leans down and plants the makeshift sun hat on Luna's head.
tgva8889
Luna cheers at her new sunhat, moving around a bit to make sure that waddling is not too difficult with this new object on her head. Satisifed, she gives a slight bow to Maggie in thanks, trying not to let the hat fall off her head. Her short arms don't do much to help, but she does try to keep it from falling too far.

Alyssa watches, smiling at the Maggie and Luna getting along.  "Where I'm from it's never this hot. Always really cold."  She sighs but then smiles at Leah.  "It wasn't this hot before, was it?" 
Comissar
Leah continues to lean forward and give Saura attention as she glances over to Alyssa with a smile, " I've never been somewhere that's  always  cold before, something to look forward to... " She gives a small shrug, " And I guess, uh, I guess we can ask Sass when we see her if it's always this hot in the mornings. She's been here a few days now. "
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles.  "Yeah, something to, um, look forward to."  At mention of Sass, Alyssa looks away from Luna and Maggie to Leah.  "When were you and Sass supposed to meet up?" 
Hazuki
Maggie watches Luna totter about with the hat for a few seconds, then nods at her bow once she finally seems to have it in place. Then she eats the rest of her cookie.

Saura, meanwhile, finds a relatively dry and dustless part of the ground to lay down on and stretched out under the sun.
Comissar
Putting her bun in her mouth for a moment, and holding it with her teeth, Leah leans forward to rifle through her bag and recover her pokégear. Double checking the time on it, she finishes her bite and chews thoughtfully a moment. " Soonish, I think. Umm, I'm sure she won't mind me getting, uh, getting some breakfast first but, uh, but I don't want to keep her waiting  too  too long. " A memory of the previous night resurfacing, she checks on the progress of the photo upload to her mother. " Do, uh, do you know what you're gonna do..? "
Hazuki
Leah finds that the photo has, in fact, been sent and probably arrived sometime while she was sleeping. A couple of seconds pass before her Pokegear makes a noise, alerting her to a message. Maggie uses the back of the bench to help her to her feet and peers over at the device.

 
 Spoiler: Message From Mom 
What an adorable picture! What are the two of you up to?
 
Comissar
Leah smiles to herself at the sight of the message, feeling a brief pang of homesickness as she reads it. She takes a few moments to think of how to reply, before tapping back,  We're in Diwyneb at the moment, going to be helping Sass out. She's doing really well in her challenge, wants to take on the Lady here. 

She smiles softly at her device for a few moments before hitting send, then glances up at Alyssa, " Umm, my, uh, my mum likes the picture from last night. "
Hazuki
Maggie starts trying to push at some of the buttons on Leah's Pokegear.
tgva8889
Alyssa shrugs, watching Maggie and Luna.  "Not sure. I might go on a walk or something. It's so hot out though, I dunno. I feel pretty tired and it's still early."  Finally taking a moment to enjoy her pastry, she sighs in contentment. After a moment of thinking, she turns back to Leah.  "If you two were gonna go find Pokemon, though, I'd wanna come." 

Luna tries to follow Maggie. She has a bit more trouble getting up to look at Leah's Pokegear due to her small stature and small limbs, but tries her very best to be involved.

At about this point Alyssa smiles at Leah's comment on the picture.  "I liked it too, so I'm happy she liked it."  She leans a bit into Leah.  "You telling her about all the stuff we've done?" 
Hazuki
Maggie spots Luna doing her best to peer too, so she leans down and offers both hands to Luna to help hoist her onto the bench.
Comissar
Leah lifts her pokégear up a little as Maggie tries to push at the buttons on it, " Hey hey... You can look but, uh, but don't hit the buttons. "

She glances over to Alyssa as she starts to speak, her pokégear dropping back into her lap, " Yeah, uh, I think the, uh, the plan is to go looking for, uh, for pokémon. " She grins, " I'm sure she'd be, uh, be happy to have you along too. "

As Alyssa calls attention back to her pokégear, Leah glances down at her lap, " I've only said a little. She, uh, she asked what we were up to, though. "
tgva8889
Alyssa shakes her head at Leah's assessment of Sass.  "I, um, don't know if Sass likes me that much."  She fans herself and looks out into the distance.  "I, um, don't think I ever did anything she really liked." 

Luna graciously accepts Maggie's assistance in getting up onto the bench, cheering happily once she's in place. She's still short, so not much peering over people, but she does wander over to Alyssa's lap and sits on it, eliciting a smile from Alyssa.

Alyssa looks at the Pokegear in Leah's lap.  "What did you tell her about? If, um, it's okay for me to ask." 
Comissar
Leah tilts her head a little, a twinge of guilt in her chest, " Well, uh... I'm, uh, I'm sure she'll be friendlier once, uh, once she's gotten to know you better. " She glances back down at her pokégear again, " A-and, uh, I really, uh, really haven't said that much... Umm... Just that, uh, that we were gonna help Sass with her challenge... "
Hazuki
Leah's Pokegear goes off again and Maggie peers over at it once more.

 
 Spoiler: Message From Mum 
Diwyneb? My, how far you've traveled. It's lovely to hear about Sass, but I meant what were you doing in that picture. Something arty?
 
tgva8889
Alyssa shakes her head and smiles apolegetically.  "It's not your fault. I, um, haven't really spent much time with Sass and I don't really know that much about Pokemon, which seems to be a big thing with her."  She shrugs.  "S'okay. I'm used to not getting along with everyone." 

She nods as Leah talks about her message to her mom, smiling.  "I hope we can help!" 

Luna also peers over at the Pokegear, though Alyssa doesn't to give Leah some privacy in her messages. She takes a moment to enjoy her breakfast pastry.
Comissar
Leah gives Alyssa a bit of a sad look at her comment, then leans over to kiss her cheek, " Well... Umm...  I'd  like it if, uh, if you came along... "

As her pokégear pings again, she looks back to it, a smile returning to her face. She tilts the pokégear a little so that Alyssa can look if she wants, " My mum's asking what, uh, what we were doing in the picture. "

 Alyssa and I were painting some blank clothes to wear. Trying to make custom designs. She's a really good artist. 
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles as Leah kisses her cheek.  "Thanks."  She beams at her.

Her attention shifts when the Pokegear pings again, and she leans over a bit to see what Leah's mom has written. She tilts her head a bit as Leah puts in her response. She smiles at Leah's last words, pulling back to sit more upright. After a second, she says,  "I, um, I guess you did see that one painting of mine but not much of my other stuff, right?" 
Comissar
Leah shrugs at Alyssa's question, " I mean, uh, I've seen you sketch plenty of stuff. If, uh, if you mean finished stuff? No, I've not seen that much. Just, uh... " She reddens a little, an embarrassed smile forming, " Just the, uh, the painting you made of me... "
Hazuki
Leah's phone beeps with another message.

 
 Spoiler: Message From Mom 
Custom clothes designs? Is she running a business already?
 
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles at Leah.  "Yeah, w-well, the sketches aren't really  finished , so those don't really count. The painting does, though."  She turns a bit red remembering that moment, but it fades into her smile.  "I haven't really finished that many pieces. The shirts when they're done will probably be some of the few I actually do for myself. Though some of them aren't for me so I dunno?"  She shrugs.

She looks over as Leah's Pokegear beeps and points at it, still fanning herself with her other hand.  "What'd she say?" 
Comissar
Leah shrugs, " I, uh, I don't know. Sketches are, uh, are a pretty good insight into how someone thinks I think. Umm, it's like looking at a train of thought, all laid out at once. "

She glances back down at the pokégear, abruptly smiling at her mother's comments, " Heh, uh, she's asking if, uh, if you're starting up a business. " She starts to tap back

 No, haha. Just something that she can wear, and for a friend too. 
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles at Leah.  "I've never heard that phrase before. What's your, um, 'train of thought' look like?" 

Alyssa laughs at the message.  "I guess, um, technically it is my business, since my business is doing art, but I'm not planning to sell any of the shirts so they're not really that. But, um, maybe I should?"  She thinks about it for a moment, then shrugs.  "It's not really what I wanna do, though." 
Comissar
Leah blinks, then giggles, " Umm, it's just, uh, just a figure of speech. It, uh, it means the direction your thoughts go in. Umm, like, uh, like thought patterns. "

She gives a light shrug as Alyssa debates with herself about selling shirts, " There probably is a, uh, a business there if you tried it. At worst, could make for a good fallback plan..? " She glances back to her pokégear, noting the time. " ... I think we should probably go find Sass, she might be wondering where we are if, uh, if we're much longer. "
tgva8889
Alyssa looks over at Leah’s pokegear and nods.  ”Yeah, I think you’re right. Don’t want her to think we forgot her.”  Still fanning herself, she picks herself up, packing up what few of the pastries remain and then turns to Maggie and Luna.  “Okay, I can only carry one of you, who should it be.” 

Luna, who has mostly been lounging around, sits up when Alyssa does and looks over at Maggie, tilting her head a bit.
Hazuki
Maggie looks between Luna and Alyssa, then turns to Leah with her arms stretched upwards. Meanwhile, Luna unsteadily gets to her feet and stretches her legs out on the dusty ground, ready for wherever they're headed next.
tgva8889
Luna happily cries for Alyssa, who picks her up with a smile. To Leah, she says,  "You okay carrying Maggie?"  before looking over at Saura getting ready to move.
Comissar
Leah rolls her shoulders as she stands, then smiles down at Maggie, crouching a little as she reaches down to pick the pokémon up. Straightening back up, she smiles over to Alyssa, " Yeah, of course. " She shifts her gaze down to Saura and then to Maggie, still smiling as she begins to walk to their meeting point, " You two ready to help Sass out with her training and preparation? "
Hazuki
Saura nods once, determined, as she pads beside Leah and Maggie replies with little more than a shrug. The Diwyneb morning is a little milder now, but a little more crowded, too, as people make their way out of their homes and to their daily duties.

They find Sass already well awake and clad in a similar outfit to the day before, though she's just taking off the helmet part she keeps on her head and is tucking it  into her bag as the girls arrive. Yraellle is at her side, doing little hops from side to side as if amping itself up, its ribbons shining in the sun. Neither of them have noticed the girls approaching.
tgva8889
Alyssa, upon noticing Sass and Yraellle, turns to Leah for her to lead, then shifts back to Sass and back to Leah. She turns a bit and grips Luna a bit tighter. Luna waves happily towards Sass and Yraelle once their attention has turned towards them.
Comissar
Leah takes her time as she walks, unaccustomed to carrying the weight of a pokémon in her arms while travelling. As Sass and Yraelle come into view, a smile forms and she shifts Maggie slightly so that she can more easily wave with her free hand. " Hey Sass! " she calls out as they draw closer.

Glancing to Alyssa, she catches her body language and, looking back to Sass, adds " I told Alyssa that she could come too, she's, uh, she's been looking forward to it. "
Hazuki
Sass' head snaps to the group as her name is called out, Yraelle's following just a second later in a way that makes his ribbons flutter. Her face is caught between two expressions before it settles on a mild, lopsided smile as she gives a single, short wave to the group. Saura aids Leah in the greeting with one of her vines and ambles over to Yraelle, who is greeted with a couple of happy cries.

 "Hey. So, that's okay,"  Sass says.  "Are your legs all stretched and stuff?"  She stretches her toned arms above her head as she asks, her fingers locked together.

Alyssa feels the faint touch of Maggie's psychic energy and a little bit of calm along with it.
tgva8889
Alyssa feels something wash over her and smiles at Sass.  "Hi!"  Everything about her loosens. She looks down at her legs as Sass asks and tilts her head.  "I guess not. We were mostly sitting a while ago. Better get ready, I guess!"  Not really knowing what she's doing, Alyssa starts trying to stretch. After a little bit she puts Luna down to give her arms freedom.

Luna joins Alyssa in stretching a bit, though given her proportions she has a bit of trouble doing anything but stretching tiny arms into the sky.
Comissar
Leah hesitates at Sass' question, " I... Haven't stretched... " She admits, " I thought we were, uh, just gonna be walking..? "
Hazuki
Yraelle watches Luna's stretching with a tilted head.

 "Huh?"  Sass glances up at Leah.  "There's swamp stuff and logs and stuff. You could pull a muscle if you're not careful,"  she says, then pauses.  "Not that I'm being bossy or anything." 
tgva8889
Luna waves at Yraelle, crying happily and smiling. She looks up at Alyssa and continues to stretch as Alyssa does.

Alyssa, having warmed up a bit, looks over at Leah.  "You should do a little, at least. Though, um, I don't really know what I'm doing."  She looks at Sass and puts on her smile.   "Can you show us some easy stretch, Sass?" 
Comissar
Leah gives an embarrassed grin, " Ok, yeah, umm... I, uh, I take your points. " Dropping into a crouch, she lets Maggie step down to the ground before straightening back up and doing her best to remember her gym classes. She tries to focus on just stretching her legs, but finds herself feeling very self-conscious as she does so. Sheepishly, she comments " It's, uh, it's been a while since I stretched properly. Umm, hopefully I won't slow you down when we get out there. "
Hazuki
 "Uhhh.!  Sass stares at Alyssa with her mouth open, upper lip slightly pulled back.  "I mean, I guess I can, but..."  She looks to Leah.  "How did you walk here with stretches like  that ?" 
Comissar
Leah grows a little redder at Sass' comment, " Well, uh... We, uh, we took our time to be fair... " Straightening up a little, she asks, " Maybe, uh, maybe you could lead me on stretching..? Then, uh, then I'll be good to keep up with you? "
Hazuki
Sass' cheeks puff up for a moment.  "Okay, let me show you,"  she says, as she walks over to Leah and starts manually adjusting her limbs to proper stretching positions.  "You're not buff at all,"  she says, as she shifts a leg into position.  "Don't you think you'd be cooler with muscles?" 

Maggie attempts to lean up against Saura, who neatly sidesteps out of the way. The Gothorita stumbles for a second and pouts.
tgva8889
Alyssa watches as Sass adjust's Leah's positioning, trying to match it as she follows along. She hears Sass's comment and lets her mind dwell on the thought before catching Leah's eye and turning a bit red.
Comissar
Leah does her best to shift and move along with Sass' prodding, pulling a face whenever she stretched a bit too uncomfortably. " I-I don't know, working out never really appealed to me, umm... Staying, uh, staying really strong seems like it'd, uh, it'd be a big commitment. "

As Sass eases her leg into a lunge, she catches Alyssa glancing at her, the other girl's face abruptly reddening as she realises she's been spotted. Blinking, Leah gives her a slightly questioning look.
Hazuki
 "Yeah...and then you'd have to compete with me,"  Sass says, then pauses.  "And I'd totally kick your butt! I don't wanna, but, y'know..." 
tgva8889
Alyssa laughs at Sass and Leah.  "M-maybe it'd be better if you two didn't have to fight over who's the strongest."  She smiles, looking at Leah.  "I think you're good just the way you are. But if you wanna, I'd support you."  She goes back to trying to follow Leah's motions, doing a bit better but still not perfect.
Comissar
Leah gives a faintly embarrassed laugh, joking " I think it might be safest for everyone i-if I didn't train, then. "

She's content to allow Sass to continue guiding her stretches, even if she ends up feeling a bit more strained than normal. Once she's done, she gives her young friend a smile, " So! What did you want to do to start? "
Hazuki
 "Okay, all done then?"  Sass asks once both girls finish.  "What to do first...um, walk to where the Pokemon are. That sounds good to me. You're not wearing shoes you're gonna ruin, right? 'Cause you're gonna get muddy." 

Maggie looks down at her unshod Pokéfeet and frowns.
Comissar
Leah smiles and nods, " Sounds good, let's go. I don't mind a bit of mud. " She catches Maggie's expression, " Well... Maggie... It'll be a lot harder to carry you through mud, umm... The, uh, the good news is you can only get so muddy..? If you don't mind the, uh, the feeling, it'll be easy to just wash when we're back..? "
Hazuki
Maggie looks up at Leah when she answers, then over at Saura, who waddles over to Leah's side now that they're departing, then at Luna, then Yrael. What follows is an exchange of cries between her and the quadrupedal Pokemon that extends even as the girls start walking.

 "I want something that's good for fighting Lady Diwyneb,"  Sass says as they walk.  "D'you remember what I told you? About countering her?" 
Comissar
Leah nods, " Yup, " Her gaze unfocuses a little as she recalls Sass' comments, listing the points on her fingers, " She uses Poison, you think she'll, uh, she'll be expecting Ground-types, you  don't  think we'll find any Psychic types, and Steel and Ghost types are super rare... " She frowns to herself, trying to recall what types were around Diwyneb.

" ... I think... Even if she  is  expecting Ground, she'll be using Water, Grass, or Ice moves to compensate... Hmm... Are there any Shellos or Turtwig's around here..? They're resistant to two of the three types she might use..? "

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
Rolling pokémon knowledge to know about any Steel/Ghost types local to Diwyneb that could be reasonably caught. Failing that, any dual type Ground pokémon that have resistances to at least two of Water/Grass/Ice on their second type (so Ground/Water, Ground/Grass, Ground/Dragon, Ground/Fire)

 (4D6+1)[ 11 ] 
 
Hazuki
 "I don't know what those are,"  Sass says, then grabs her Pokedex out of her pocket.

Leah doesn't believe there are any Turtwigs or Shellos around Diwyneb, and the battle sites where one would commonly find Honedge, the perfect fit, are rare in the jungles and swamps that surround the town. But the forest is relatively rife with Pokemon Dark and Ghostly, including the likes of Misdreavus, Phantump, and the predecessor to Shedinja, Nincada. There is also talk of the Pokemon Dreepy having potential to appear in the area, given how hostile Londo as a whole is to Dragon types, but none have actually been spotted.

Whatever conversation was happening between Maggie and Yrael ends as the Gothorita hoists herself onto the other Pokemon's back and it continues strolling happily. Saura watches the pair with a little frown, then runs a little forward to tug on Leah's pant leg with one vine and point at them with the other.
Comissar
Leah hums to herself as she thinks. " How... Quickly are you looking to, uh, to battle her..? " She gives Sass a questioning look, " If you're, uh, if you're willing to be patient, you can, uh, you can train up a Nincada to get a Shedinja..? There should also be some ghosts like, uh, like Phantump and Misdreavus in the forests round here..? "

She glances down and back as Saura catches her attention. " Oh! " She grins, dropping into a crouch and giving Saura a fuss around her head, " And, uh, and Saura makes a good point. Umm, if, uh, if Maggie wants to, she could be a big help for you too..? "
tgva8889
As they start walking, Alyssa picks up Luna, not wanting her to trod through all the mud. Luna is quite happy to not have to do so, and generally keeps her eyes open as they wander into the wilds. She listens to Leah and Sass talk but doesn't contribute much herself, not really knowing much about the topic.  "Um, if she uses Poison, you'd want to avoid the Pokemon that'd be bad against that, even if they're good against the things she might use to beat the things that beat Poison, right? Like, you don't want to try to beat her surprise and lose to her normal Pokemon."  She muses a bit out loud while she keeps a look out for anything interesting in the wilds.

As Maggie is brought up, Alyssa looks over to her and smiles.  "It's up to you, Maggie. What do you think?" 
Hazuki
Sass nods along with Leah's words as she searches for those Pokemon in her Pokedex.  "Yeah, gotta avoid stuff that's weak to her main thing. Yeah." 

Saura nuzzles against Leah's petting hand and Maggie blinks as she's addressed, half-turning in her mount and pointing at herself with a puzzled cry.

Sass peers at the Pokemon, then at Leah and Alyssa.  "Is she good at fighting?" 
tgva8889
Alyssa shrugs at Sass.  "I, um, don't think Maggie has ever really done much fighting, but, um, I guess if she wants."  Careful to not step too dangerously in the mud, Alyssa makes her way over to Maggie and bends down a bit to be closer to her eye level.  "Sass wants to do Pokemon battles against some Poison-type Pokemon, and we think you might be a big help. D'you wanna help Sass battle?"  She points to Sass to indicate who she is, but otherwise focuses on Maggie and her mount.
Hazuki
Maggie peers at Alyssa as she's addressed, listening to the artist with obvious attentiveness, then glances at Sass once the request is made. She lets out a few cries and makes a motion with her hand that's similarly to a curtsy. Alyssa gets a telepathic sense of something being requested.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Went ahead and rolled for you; it seems that Maggie wants Sass to ask her politely.
 
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles at nods at Maggie.  "I think that's fair. It's not really me who's asking."  She stands upright again and looks over at Sass, pointing down.  "Why don't you ask her, Sass? I think she wants to know if you'll ask her nicely." 

Luna cheers happily from Leah's arms, trying to make a sort of bowing curtsying gesture but from within Alyssa's arm, which is a bit difficult and maybe doesn't help anyone understand what's going on.
Hazuki
 "Urgh...okay."  Sass exhales through her nose, then squats so that she's almost eye-to-eye with Maggie.  "Can ya help me out?" 

Maggie regards Sass for a few seconds, her head bobbing left and right, until she eventually nods. She turns to the happy Luna and utters a few sounds.

 
 Spoiler: Luna 
Maggie is asking Luna to lift up one of Alyssa's fingers to show that she'll help one time.
 
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles, taking a moment to notice Luna poking her in the arm. Looking down, she tilts her head a bit as Luna tries to move her hand. Moving a bit so Luna can move her fingers, Alyssa takes a second before she smiles, nods, and holds up one finger to Sass.  "Maggie says she'll help you out one time. So, um, guess we might wanna make it count?" 
Hazuki
Sass frowns, but only for a second.  "Yeah, okay. I'll just use her for battling Lady Diwyneb. Done!"  She pauses.  "But I should catch some stuff anyway."  She taps her Pokedex.  "Misdreavus seems like it'd be annoying. Wait! Are you two gonna catch anything?" 
tgva8889
Alyssa shrugs.  "Probably? I wasn't, um, planning to but I guess it would be a good chance. I don't really know what's around here, though."  She looks at Leah.  "What about you, Leah?" 

Luna prods Alyssa's arm, pointing over at her bag which makes Alyssa look at her confused.  "What are you thinking, Luna?"  She tries again, pointing to the bag but Alyssa doesn't seem to quite get it.
Comissar
Leah nods her agreement with Sass, " Yeah, uh, Misdreavus would be pretty handy, I think. Ghosts in, uh, in general can be hard to deal with if you're not ready for them. " She smiles and shrugs as both of her companions ask if she'll catch anything, " Umm, probably, uh, probably not. I'll, uh, I'll keep an eye out anyway, I might see a Grass type I like, but, umm... " She shrugs again, " I'm not, uh, not too worried about collecting more pokémon. "
Hazuki
Saura lets out a pleased cry.

 "So...I guess we head into the spooky part of the woods?"  Sass suggests, as she digs a little hole in the earth at the group's feet.  "So we can find a ghost. And keep Maggie out of the way, or she'll be hit first, probably. Can you keep her safe?"  she asks Yrael, who's currently serving as Yrael's mount. The Sylveon nods determinedly.
Comissar
Leah grins at Saura's happy cry, then nods her agreement, " Sounds like a plan. Saura can help with ghosts if needed, too. " She glances to Alyssa, " Good to go..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa looks between Leah and Sass and shivers slightly.  "G-ghosts sound a bit scary. Is there anything I should do to help?" 

She looks over to her bag where Luna is pointing.  "Oh, maybe Athe would be helpful here? Do you want back in the bag?"  Luna keeps pointing so Alyssa pulls out Athe's ball and releases him into the air. Luna, satisfied, returns to looking around. Alyssa looks around and pulls out Luna's ball too.  "Um, maybe you could go into your ball? I dunno how useful you'll be in this mud."  To emphasize she lifts up a mud-covered boot. Luna looks down and nods, respectfully letting herself be zapped back into her Pokeball.

Athe perches on Alyssa shoulder and hoots, taking over Luna's job of keeping watch for anything dangerous.
Hazuki
 "I dunno, but!"  Sass half-turns to peer at the other girls.  "Make sure you let me catch my Pokemon on my own, okay? I can help you if you want, but mine I want to fight just one on..."  she glances at Yrael,  "Two." 
tgva8889
Alyssa at first thinks to protest but instead nods, seeing in Sass the fire of a Pokemon Trainer.  "Yeah, um, definitely." 
Hazuki
Sass nods.  "Thanks." 

With that decided, the girls begin their trudge through the mud and into...more mud, but with trees around providing them with shade and significantly more foliage. What was once open ground quickly becomes a shroud that surrounds them. The size of their group seems to keep some of the Pokemon lurking at bay, but not even as many trainers as them can wander freely without being confronted. Athe lets out a cry from above, alerting Alyssa to one such danger.It darts down and hovers a little ways into the nearby trees, drawing the girls' attention to...another couple of young women.

Sass gasps.  "I see one! Yrael, come!"  She yells, and the Pokemon does just that, as the pair of them dash off after something in the opposite direction. Maggie hops off of the Sylveon just in time, landing on the mud with a squish.

One of the young womenhas pale skin, a large hat, and her muscular form is both exposed with little more than wrappings around her chest and covered in unusual runes. To her left is a woman in a familiar green coat, the hood drawn up, and apparently her waking was interrupted by the Pokemon's sudden squawking in their midst.
tgva8889
Alyssa is a bit torn between her dislike of the trudging through the mud and the presence of shade dampening the heat. She herself keeps an eye out, trying to keep from getting taken by surprise, but Athe proves a better detection system than Alyssa herself. Before she can say anything, Sass darts off in the opposite direction. Reaching out, Alyssa starts to say something but stops, remembering her promise. Taking a moment to look at Leah, she makes a small motion to Athe and carefully heads towards the movement she did see, trying her best to remain unnoticed as she moves to get a closer look.
Hazuki
Alyssa's attempt at stealth is unfortunately hampered by the squelching mud, as she shoes make several very squishy sounds on top of stepping on a particularly loud stick. Both women look at her, the one in the green coat exhaling through her nose.

 "I take it this is your creature?"  Misru asks, gesturing to the owl.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
I rolled for you and you got nothing but 1s.
 
Comissar
Leah grins as Sass asserts her desire to face the wild pokémon on her own, " Of course! I wouldn't expect otherwise! "

The walk out of town brings some relief from the heat of the day once they hit the tree line, and she finds her spirits lifting, simply enjoying glancing between the trees and shrubs. She glances up to Athe's cry, lowering her gaze to try and spot whatever the pokémon had spotted. Her attention switched back to Sass as she calls out her own sighting, waving her a temporary farewell, " Good luck! "

Her grin fades as the two other girls come into sight. Feeling an uncomfortable clench in her chest as recognition hits her, Leah walks much more hesitantly toward them, standing slightly behind Alyssa. " Ah, umm, hi, uh, hi Misru. " She follows Misru's gesture and nods, " Umm, yeah, he's, uh, he's Alyssa's. "
Hazuki
 "Well, could you get it to stop?"  Misru asks, raising an eyebrow.  "And yes, hello. What are you doing here?" 
 "Hello, dears."  Palla smiles at the girls.
Comissar
Leah gives Alyssa a brief glance, then looks back to Misru, " U-umm, we're, uh, we're helping Sass with, uh, with her preparations for, uh, for battling the, uh, the Lady. " She gives Palla an uncertain smile and bob of her head, " U-umm, are, uh, are you here to, uh, to try and work on, uh, work on figuring out the, uh, the runes..? "
Hazuki
Misru's lips purse for a moment.  "I suppose that would be the logical conclusion, yes." 
  "It was meant to be a secret quest,"   Palla whispers behind her hand.
tgva8889
Alyssa nods and calls,  "Athe!"  who flies back to her and perches on her outstretched left hand, moving over to her shoulder when Alyssa brings her hand over. She tries to be respectful and not stare at the runes covering Palla's body, which in the end means she is looking Palla and Misru in the eyes the entire time.  "S-sorry, um, there was a Pokemon that ran over here."  Turning around, she then looks at Leah.  "Actually, um, I think Sass saw one and went the other way." 
Hazuki
 "Who is this Sass? Tell me all about her,"  Palla requests, leaning in a little.

 "Must they?"  Misru asks.

 "Yes. Yes they must."  Palla smirks.
Comissar
Leah hesitates, glancing between Palla and Misru. " Umm... Sass, uh, Sass is a friend from, uh, from Sorland Town. " She gives Misru a brief look, then turns her attention back to Palla, " She's, uh, she's a really driven trainer. Umm, she, uh, she wants to try and take on the league. " She can't help but grin, " I, uh, I think she'll be able to do it, too. "
Hazuki
Misru is waiting with a face that is obviously impassive.

 "How lovely! And you're lending her your aid, very kind of you."  Palla nods.  "I suppose we'd better let you get back to it..." 
tgva8889
Alyssa bows respectfully, which takes Athe a bit by surprise. He flutters in the air until she stands back upright, pecking her annoyed in the ear.  "Sorry to, um, run in on you. Have a good day! Oh, um, there might be a Ghost Pokemon around here somewhere."  She looks around to see if the Pokemon Athe saw is still nearby, and if the coast is clear heads off towards where she thinks Sass went unless Leah stops her.
Hazuki
 "There most certainly are,"  Misru replies with a nod.

 "Aha. Haha. Ahahaha,"  Palla laughs.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
I may have made a mistake somewhere; I was thinking of having Athe spot a Pokemon but I got frustrated thinking of an appropriate one and decided to have Athe spot these two instead. There'll be another chance to spot one soon.)
 
Comissar
Leah hesitates at Palla's reaction, then gives Misru a questioning look, " U-umm, are, uh, are you looking for ghosts too, then..? Do, uh, do you think that's the, uh, the solution for Palla..? "
Hazuki
 "She's laughing because we both have Ghost Pokemon. It's hilarious,"  Misru answers Leah's look.  "We're looking for a particular Ghost Pokemon." 

As Alyssa moves back to follow Sass, she sees that the young girl is caught in a battle with what seems to be a Misdreavus. The Ghost Pokemon. It has just come out of hiding and unleashed a blast of energy on the fire-snared Yrael the Sylveon, who, upon Sass' command, unleashes an orb of shadowy energy that, despite the Misdreavus' attempted doges, ends up nailing it. It lets out a cry, and Alyssa, with all her knowledge of catching, can tell now would be an ideal time for it (Though would be better with a status inflincted).
tgva8889
Alyssa, remembering her promise, keeps Athe from interfering in the battle, staying back to observe Sass's battle. She takes a moment to catch Yrael's attack in her memory, noting it for later. When she sees Misdreavous get hit, she calls out,  "Go for it now, Sass!" 
 
 Spoiler: OOC 
She'll have to draw it later, but can I guess Yrael was using Shadow Ball there?
 
Comissar
Leah nods slowly at Misru's explanation, feeling a little awkward at missing the joke. She rubs behind her neck as she replies, " Oh, ok... Umm... Do, uh, do you want some help looking..? I-Is it a Misdreavus you're, uh, you're looking for..? Or, uh, or something else? "
Hazuki
Sass snatches a Pokeball from her belt and hurls it at the reeling Ghost, the Pokeball snapping open at the last second to unleash a red haze that surrounds the Misdreavus. The Pokeball hits the forest floor, crinkling a few leaves as it lands, as it rumbles, as it trembles once, twice, three times...and seals with a beep.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Correct, that was Shadow Ball.
 


~

 "It's in the Dusk,"  Misru answers with a sigh.  "Hence why we were attempting to sneak through." 
Comissar
Leah feels a sense of unease settle on her as Misru talks about sneaking into the Dusk. " ... U-umm... I, uh, I mean... If, uh, if it's to help, then... Uh, could you not, uh, could you not just ask to be let in..? " She fidgets with her bag strap, " If, uh, if you get caught sneaking, wouldn't you, uh, you get in trouble..? "
Hazuki
 "There is roughly no chance of an errant Knight being allowed it,"  Misru says, looking at Palla.  "And you may only enter alone, as part of the challenge. Neither of us is capable of of finishing the mission without the other. Besides, they'd likely contact my sister and explaining myself via courier would take too long. I'm more confident in our chances of escaping whatever's in the Dusk than dealing with the fuss of getting in." 
Comissar
Leah looks a little confused, " You'd, uh, you'd need permission from, uh, from the Professor..? " She's thoughtful for a moment, then " I mean, uh, if, uh, if I'm her assistant, could I speak for her..? Would it work like that..? "
Hazuki
 "No, but she is a known figure, and I am her sister. I do not want her bothering me about why I'm going there,"  Misru answers.
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles and pumps a fist.  "Nice one, Sass!"  She walks over to her, careful not to trip in the mud.  "Now you got a Ghost Pokemon on your team." 
Hazuki
 "Yep!"  Sass agrees, as she jogs over and scoops up the Pokeball with a smirk.  "Good job, Yrael!"  She calls to the Sylveon, who runs to her side and and flicks his tail with obvious pride, bouncing on his paws excitedly despite the battle damage he took.  "I've gotta think of a name, and a good introduction, and stuff like that now... What do Ghosts eat?" 
tgva8889
Alyssa shrugs.  "I, um, I dunno? I think some of them might just eat magic or something? But, um, I dunno much about Misdreavous."  She looks down at Yrael with a smile.  "You're both pretty awesome."  Athe hoots on Alyssa's shoulder, and turns to look around rather than engaging Sass or Yrael.  "It takes me a while to come up with a good name, so I'm not sure I'd be much help. I've got so many pieces that are just whatever they're of." 
Hazuki
 "What, like Bridge With People On It?"  Sass asks, as she stares at the ball for a second, then snaps her fingers.  "Oh, I can just check my Pokedex!"  She pulls the device out, links the ball to it, then studies the screen for a few seconds.  "Hey, can I whisper something to you?"  she asks, gesturing for Alyssa to come closer.

 
 Spoiler: If Alyssa leans in 
 "BOO!"  Sass yells.
 
tgva8889
Alyssa laughs.  "I always forget I have one of those."  She gives Sass a weird look when she asks, but leans in only to be startled back when Sass yells. It takes much of her balance to not fall over, and she shouts,  "Sass!"  putting out her tongue.  "Well, was there anything else you were looking for out here?" 
Hazuki
 "It says that Misdreavus scares people and feeds on their fear,"  Sass explains, though she does have a wicked smirk.  "But, uh, I probably should have let her out for that. Maybe we should scare Leah..."  With Alyssa's next question, she shrugs.  "Just training, I guess." 
Comissar
Leah rubs behind her neck, a sense of discomfort in her chest. " W-well, umm, be, uh, be careful. And good luck, too. " She glances off in the direction Alyssa left in, then back to the pair, giving them a bob of her head as she does, " I, uh, I probably ought to, uh, to get back to Alyssa and Sass. U-umm, good luck again. "

Turning away, she starts to walk back along the route Alyssa took.
tgva8889
Alyssa shivers a bit.  "I, um, I guess that makes sense. D'you wanna train out here?"  She looks over her shoulder, then back towards Sass.  "I, um, dunno if we should scare her...I think that might go bad."  She shuffles a bit in the mud, trying to not let herself get surprised again.
Hazuki
 "Thank you. You, too."  Palla smiles at Leah. Misru nods, and then Leah is walking back to the others with Saura casting a suspicious glance backwards.

 "Hey, Leah,"  Sass says as the girl returns to the sight of a slightly-battered Yrael and a victorious Sass.  "What were you do-ARGH!"  she yells and points behind Leah.
tgva8889
Alyssa looks over as Leah comes into view, but before she can say anything she jumps a little at Sass's yell, looking at her rather than where she's pointing.
Comissar
Leah smiles, raising a hand in greeting to the others as she draws closer. At Sass' yelled out warning, she stumbles closer toward them, looking behind her with her chest clenching in abrupt panic. After a few moments of not seeing anything, she looks back to the young girl with a mix of hurt and worry, " Sass! Why?! "

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
I'm assuming here that there is, in fact, nothing behind Leah. If there is, let me know, and I'll edit appropriately.
 
Hazuki
Sass' grin falters as she sees the look on Leah's face when she turns around. She flickers through a few expressions before just looking away, toeing the ground with the tip of her shoe.   "Just practicin' with feeding my Misdreavus is all."  
Comissar
" That's... " She feels her heart sink at Sass' expression, " Sass, people don't like being scared, e-even if it is to... " She trails off, blinking as she catches up to the extent of what Sass just said, " Y-you managed to catch one..? " She reaches up to tuck her hair away from her face, forcing what she hoped was an encouraging smile, " W-well done, Sass. I, uh, I knew you could. "
Hazuki
Sass shrugs her shoulders.  "Yeah. Well. I need to do some training, so..." 
tgva8889
Alyssa walks over to Leah and offers a hug.

Whether Leah takes her up on it or not, Alyssa turns back to Sass.  "You planning to train here, or, um, head back onto more solid ground?" 
Comissar
Leah accepts Alyssa's hug, but keeps it brief so as not to leave Sass waiting. " I guess, uh, I guess you'll want to find some poison types to, uh, to practice against..? "
Hazuki
Sass nods. It's quite clear to both girls that, just like in Bastille when she was chastised for poking Luna, she's on something of what people in Galar would call "a strop".
tgva8889
Alyssa looks at Leah and then at Sass.  "Well, um, we could try training against our Poison-types?"  She looks at Leah, not sure if she's on the right track.
Hazuki
 "What Poison types?"  Sass asks.  "There's only Saura here..." 
Comissar
Leah rubs behind her neck, " Well, uh, Saura could, uh, could help, but she's not got a lot of, uh, a lot of battle experience. And, uh, neither do I to be honest. " She glances to Alyssa, " But, umm, Alyssa caught a, uh, a Salandit back in Thundercrag..? Maybe she'd be able to, uh, to help you..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa nods at Leah.  "Yeah. Though I don't know if mine knows any Poison attacks, so I dunno how helpful that would be..."  She looks up, thoughtful.  "I suppose I should probably check that before we do any fighting. Training against a Fire-type won't really help that much against Poison-types."  Putting a hand into her bag, she pulls out the Pokeball and rolls it between her hands.  "Y'know, I haven't actually let Salandit out since I caught it." 
Hazuki
Sass leans down to give Yrael a few strokes on the head, then recalls the Pokemon into his Pokeball and frowns.  "You didn't let it out on the whole trip?" 
tgva8889
Alyssa shakes her head.  "A lot of stuff happened and I didn't want to have to watch it and also Maggie and also our other friend and also trying not to trip while walking."  She laughs a bit and looks down at it.  "I guess I should probably say sorry." 
Comissar
Leah rubs at her arm awkwardly, recalling her own shortcomings with Sable. " It'll, uh, it'll be better to do so sooner rather than, uh, rather than later. " She gives a shrug and a smile, " If, uh, if nothing else, it'll be nice for it to see new scenery. "
Hazuki
Maggie, who is also present, reaches up to rummage through Alyssa's pack.
tgva8889
Alyssa looks down at Maggie.  "What're you looking for?"  Holding Salandit's ball in her hand, she kneels down to let Maggie get a better look.
Comissar
Leah smiles at Alyssa, " I, uh, I think she wants you to, uh, to let your Salandit out. "
Hazuki
When Alyssa leans down, Maggie glances at her hand, blushes and looks away.
tgva8889
Alyssa looks at Leah, then back at Maggie, and blushes a little herself.  "Oh, um, yeah I guess I can do that."  Twisting the ball, she releases Salandit into the mud.

Realizing her mistake, she then puts a hand to her mouth.  "Oh, um, sorry! You okay there?"  Still kneeling a bit on her feet, she looks at the Salandit with concern.
Hazuki
The Salandit lands in the mud with a little bit of a splash, and, not having solid footing under its legs, ends up splatting on its stomach with its legs splayed out and its lower jaw covered in mud. It just lays there for a few seconds, blinking with a thoroughly "This is my life now" expression.
tgva8889
Alyssa starts to go to pick it up, but seeing it laying there she hesitates. Then she moves a bit, trying to figure out what angle to take, before deciding to just offer a hand to it.  "Can I help you up?" 
Hazuki
The Salandit's eyes sloooowly slide to peer at Alyssa, then she moves to stand up and slips again, this time splattering more mud over her black hide. She exhales.
tgva8889
Alyssa, feeling her Salandit's pain, reaches down to pick it up out of the mud, slowly lifting and stopping if it seems like Salandit doesn't want that.  "Sorry about the mud, I know it's not like where you're from."  She takes a moment to breathe in deep, then, if Salandit lets her, she moves to hold her comfortably in her arms, mud and all.
Hazuki
The Salandit is something of a dead weight in Alyssa's arms as she's first lifted, but she allows it to happen all the same and peers up at her trainer once she's cradled.

Sass, meanwhile, has picked up a stick and is tapping it against a tree.
Comissar
Leah has a wry smile on her face as the slapstick scene between Alyssa and her Salandit unfolds. Catching Sass' gradually growing impatience, she coughs discretely to get Alyssa's attention, gesturing with a brief jerk of her head over to the younger girl.
tgva8889
Alyssa looks over at Leah, catching her motion and turns to Sass.  "Hey Sass, d'you wanna go back now?" 
Hazuki
 "No, I wanna train my Pokemon,"  Sass replies, as she hits the tree with her stick again.  "That's what you got that one out for."  She points her stick towards the Salandit, who slowly rolls her head in Sass' direction.  "Oh, right, hang on..."  She grabs her Pokedex and points it at the Salandit, which both girls will know is the sign for it filling up with information about the poisonous lizard.
tgva8889
Alyssa shrugs.  "If you wanna train here we can, but it seems a bit muddy to train here. We might wanna find another spot."  She looks down at Salandit, smiling.
Hazuki
 "Okay...where?"  Sass asks.  "We can't do it in town." 
Comissar
Leah raises her hand a little, " We could, uh, we could go out to the, uh, to the forest..? The ground will be, uh, will be a bit firmer there..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa shrugs.  "Anywhere that'd be less muddy. I dunno how helpful it would be training against my Pokemon if it can't stand."  She looks over at Leah and nods.  "We could try that." 
Hazuki
 "Okay. You go first,"  Sass says, as she fingers the Misdreavus-containing Pokeball.
tgva8889
Alyssa shrugs and heads out towards the less-muddy forest with Salandit in hand.
Comissar
Leah pushes herself forward, walking to be alongside Alyssa with a smile, bumping her shoulder gently into her. " I'm kinda looking forward to watching this. " She glances over her shoulder to Sass, " It's been a while since, uh, since I last saw you battle! "
Hazuki
The group begins to make their way through the forest, their footsteps becoming less leaden with every step and the foliage providing fewer hiding places for would-be predators and battling partners both. It seems they have a little bit of a way to go before they'll reach a clearing suitable for battling, however. Saura, in particular, is able to pad after her trainer with less of a struggle, while Maggie is forced to march without her mount. She occupies herself with chatting to Leah's bulbasaur.

 "It still will be,"  Sass replies with a shrug.  "I'm not gonna go all-out on a newbie." 
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles at Sass, turning a bit red.  "Thanks. It's been a while for me, but I hope I can be helpful!"  She looks down at Salandit and sort of lifts her up.  "What do you think, hmm?" 

Athe sits on Alyssa's shoulder, keeping watch of their progress and any potential danger. Once it seems like things are mostly safe, though, he takes to flying around Maggie and Saura, trying to join on their conversation.
Hazuki
The Salandit blinks at being addressed, then lets out some kind of non-committal noise.

 "You do know what it can do, right?"  Sass asks.  "'Cause...if you haven't released it since you caught it...you wouldn't have learned." 
tgva8889
Alyssa looks over at Sass as she speaks, then looks thoughtfully at Salandit.  "Well I know it can do fire, 'cause it burned me. But, um, I guess I should find out. You've gotta be able to do some new cool stuff, huh?"  She shift a bit to carry Salandit with one arm while she digs in her bag for her Pokedex, trying to hold it, manipulate it with one hand, and get it open to actually look at all of Salandit's moves.
Comissar
Leah shrugs in response to Sass' downplaying of the upcoming training, " You can, uh, you can still see improvements, even if someone's holding back. It's, uh, it's possible to learn new things by teaching someone else, too! "

She indulges in a bit of nosiness as Alyssa looks through her pokédex at her Salandit's moves, though she declines to comment.
Hazuki
Alyssa successfully finds the list of Salandit's moves as her Pokedex scans the black-scaled lizard.

Sass nods at what Leah says, but whether she takes the words in is another matter.
tgva8889
Alyssa scans the moves and nods, getting the Pokedex closed before she puts it back into her bag.  "Okay, I think me and Salandit will be ready!"  She snuggles the Salandit a bit in her arms and smiles at Leah.  "It'll at least be fun." 
Hazuki
The Salandit seems like it'll be okay if it's put down, though it is grateful for the snuggles.
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles and puts Salandit down. She kneels a bit to pat it on the head then smiles at Sass.  "Okay! Hope I can be helpful here."  She pulls her sketch pad out of her bag and flips through a few of her battle sketches, trying to psych herself up.
Comissar
Leah grins, stepping off to one side as the two other trainers set themselves up. Raising a hand, she calls out " We're here today to see the future Champion of the Londo League, Sass, face off a-against the  beautiful  artist from Vibrost, Alyssa! Trainers at the ready, aaaaand, go! "

On go, she swipes her arm down, giggling at the pantomime of pretending to be a referee.
Hazuki
Saura and Maggie both find a comfortable spot on a particularly plump toadstool to sit on and under respectively.

Salandit takes a couple of moments to adjust its footing in the unfamiliar area, stepping back and forth over a couple feet of twig-laden ground until it seems comfortable. Then it turns its gaze on Alysssa, tilting its head.

Sass spends the time preparing and retrieving notebooks taking her Misdreavus out of its ball, doing so in the shade of a tree and hunched over it, hiding it from everyone else's view. She retrieves a couple of things from her pockets, and the girls can hear her muttering some kind of conversation with the ghost, but before long she's standing at her full height. A shadowy blob drifts out from her shadow, given shape by pink-tipped tendrils trailing from its head and the crimson orbs that surround its neck.

Maggie politely claps at Alyssa's introduction, while Sass focuses her gaze on Alyssa.

 "I'll let you go first,"  Sass tells her, as she leans on her back foot and pushes up the visor strapped to her head.  "Try not to embarrass your Pokemon." 
tgva8889
Seeing Salandit looking back at her, Alyssa smiles.  "You can do it! I'lll be here to help you, okay? And it's training, so if anything happens I'll be here."  She gives Salandit a gesture of support.

Alyssa giggles a bit at Leah's introduction, waving to Saura and Maggie like they're her adoring fans.

Alyssa nods at Sass's offer. Thinking back to what she knows, she looks at Misdreavous and Sass and smiles.  "Okay, Salandit, let's go! Let's start with Sweet Scent!"  She points towards Misdreavus with determination.
Hazuki
The Salandit peers up at the floating Misdreavus and darts towards it, only to turn around at the last second, halting its momentum to spin in place and unleash a puff of purple from its maw. It entwines the Misdreavus, leaving little traces of purple in its ghostly "flesh". It lets out some muttered cry, and Sass' voice calls out.

 "Oh no. She made you smell good."  Sass smirks and shakes her head.  "Let's show 'em what we can do. Hex!"  She extends a finger at Salandit and the Misdreavus lets out a little cackle. The orbs around its neck light up, then coalesce into rune that flies through the air and sinks into Salandit, causing it to stumble as its energy is drained by the move.

Maggie shifts uncomfortably on her toadstool.
tgva8889
Alyssa clenches her fists as Salandit takes the hit.  "Hang in there, Salandit! Now track the scent and go for Poison Gas!"  She keep her eye on Salandit, trying to watch for Misdreavus on the battlefield.
Hazuki
Salandit runs forward just a little,. then rears up on its hind legs to unleash another purple plume at the Misdreavus, whose attempt at evasion is easily conquered as more of its shadowy flesh is turned a sickly purple.

 "Hit it again,"  Sass orders her Misdreavus, which narrows its eyes on the Saladnit and strikes back with another set of seals that cause the little black lizard to stumble in its attempted evasion.  "Y'see, what you're doing, it's not a bad idea,"  she points out, smirking a little.  "Tactics and stuff? But Salandit isn't tough and you haven't got anything to back it up with. You're using a long-term strategy in a short fight, and when it's a fight like this, it's always best to just go for it. Your Pokemon's taken two big hits and my Misdreavus is just gonna be a little bit weaker. If you'd just attacked, she'd have been ten times more hurt right now. But as it is... You've already lost."" 

Salandit is still capable of fighting, but is definitely much more hurt than Sass' Misdreavus.
tgva8889
Alyssa winces a bit as Salandit takes another hit.  "Yeah, you're right. But you wanted practice again Poison-type, yeah? Salandit could use Ember but that's not Poison-type."  She smiles.  "It's not just about winning, right?"  Noting that Salandit can still fight, she says,  "How're you feeling, Salandit? You wanna see this to the end? Or you wanna come back?" 
Hazuki
Salandit peers back at Alyssa, then at the menacingly-hovering Misdreavus, then back at Alyssa and nods in the direction of its Pokeball.
tgva8889
Alyssa nods at Salandit, taking out its Pokeball to return it.  "Salandit's done for now, but I'd be okay with fighting with another Pokemon if you wanna keep going. Otherwise you win."  She looks over at Sass as she pulls Salandit back.
Comissar
Seeing Alyssa recall her Salandit, Leah raises an arm in Sass' general direction, " Our future champion has defeated the  first  o-of Alyssa's pokémon, will she continue on? "

She glances to Alyssa with a goofy smile as she continues her hybrid referee and announcer role.
Hazuki
 "Wait, which one of us do you mean?"  Sass asks, glancing at Leah and puncturing the tension set up by Leah's refereeing.
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles at Sass.  "Well I don't think I have any chance of beating the League, so I think she means you." 
Comissar
Leah lets her arm drop, rubbing behind her neck instead as she nods, " Yeah, uh, I wasn't sure if, uh, if you wanted to keep going, Sass. I mean, Alyssa said she's happy to stop there. So it's, uh, it's up to you. "
Hazuki
 "Yeah, but..."  Sass frowns.  "Whatever. I think that's it. I just wanted to fight a Poison and we did that. Get over here,"  she says, and the Misdreavus glances at the girls before hovering over to join her side.
tgva8889
Alyssa nods.  "Well, hope it helped a bit!"  She smiles, looking over at Leah. She tilts her head a bit, trying to figure out if she's missed something.
Comissar
Leah sighs at Sass' frustrated reaction to the short battle, " Y-yeah, we did... " She shrugs and, adjusting her bag strap, walks to join the pair. Putting on a smile, she continued, " So! Where to next? I, uh, I don't know about you two, but, uh, but I'm not ready to head back just yet. Could, uh, could be fun just exploring the area..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa nods at Leah.  "I'm okay to keep looking around. Maybe we'll find something neat out here."  She looks over at Sass to see what she thinks.
Hazuki
 "Well..."  Sass shrugs.  "I guess someone's gotta make sure you two don't get hurt." 
Comissar
Leah nods with a smile, " Sounds good, then. " She glances to the sky, then to the shade of the trees, " I think we should stick to, uh, to the shade. But I'd like to have a look around at, uh, at the plants and pokémon that are around here. It's, uh, it's one thing reading about it, another seeing it. Might, uh, might even find something I can carry in my planter. "

When the other two are ready to do so, she starts to make her way back into the surrounding forest.
tgva8889
Alyssa nods.  "Yeah, please shade thank you."  She fans herself a bit, causing Athe to head over and land on her shoulder. Noticing her birdfriend, she switches to petting him which he enjoys.  "I don't mind looking for a bit of stuff." 

She bows a bit to Sass when she agrees.  "Thanks Sass. I gotta pay you back for teaching me about battles a bit, too."  She looks over at Misdreavus.  "You got along with your Misdreavus so fast." 
Hazuki
The trio starts to walk through the forest, taking advantage of the shade to keep their skin from burning under the sun, and Maggie follows along with Saura, who is quite happy to pad along the sunkissed paths.

 "It's 'cause she knows I'm in charge,"  Sass says, as the Misdreavus spots Alyssa's glance and slips into the girl's shadow, its form becoming that much harder to see as it does so.  "And I healed her, so..." 

Leah, meanwhile, does spot something interesting! A particularly tall, spindly tree with branches that only extend near its very peak. A selection of plump blue berries hang from the branches.
tgva8889
Alyssa nods.  "Yeah, Athe joined me 'cause I helped him out of a bad spot. We gotta stick together."  Athe pokes at her hand and she pulls her hand away. She looks out into the woods, trying to keep an eye out for any hidden Pokemon.  "My brother did a lot of battling so I used to watch it, but, um, I haven't really battled in a while and I don't know if I'm very good at it." 
Comissar
Leah glances toward Alyssa and Sass as they talk, " Nobody's good at, uh, good at something when they've just started. " Her gaze drifts to the berries high up in the tree, a frown forming on her face, " If, uh, if you want to get better, it's all about practice... "

She rubs behind her neck as she tries to work out a way up to the berries. Walking to the base of the tree, she gave the trunk a tentative push, trying to determine how sturdy it was given its spindly appearance.

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
So! Two questions. Is the tree spindly and young enough that Leah could try bending it down until she could reach the branches? I imagine not, but if it's more of a sapling than anything else, maybe..? 😛

Assuming not, would she be looking at an athletics check to try and climb up to retrieve them?
 
Hazuki
 "Yeah, but, don't,"  Sass warns Alyssa at Leah's comment.  "'Cause if you get good I'm gonna have to smush you in front of people." 

Leah's push reveals that the tree, though slim, is quite sturdy; she will have to find some other way to get at the berry bounty at its peak.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
You could attempt Athletics if you'd like!
 
tgva8889
Alyssa laughs.  "I dunno if I would make a good rival for you! But I might wanna get better, just to be able to protect people better. Or to be able to, like, use some of the moves I see."  She perks up a bit.  "Like, um, when Yrael used that move against Misdreavus, that was cool! I didn't know Yrael could learn a move that would be so effective against Ghost-types." 
Comissar
" People train for, uh, for all sorts of reasons! " Leah smiles over to Alyssa and Sass, " The, uh, the real trick is finding the path  you  want to take! "

Turning her attention back to the tree, Leah tries to get a solid grip on it, pushing upward with her foot in an effort to start scaling it to get to the berries at the top.

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
Rolling Athletics!

 (2D6)[ 7 ] 

Also, having known plenty of scientists looking to get a hold of things that are in precarious places, curiosity absolutely gets the better of common sense in many cases. This may end poorly for Leah, even if she manages to get up there in the first place 😛
 
Hazuki
 "He didn't learn it normally. I had to buy it,"  Sass explains, as she watches Leah attempt to climb the tree. She manages to get about two feet off of the ground before slipping and falling on her rear end.
Comissar
The start of Leah's climb felt promising, but it proved to be quite the false hope as she abruptly slips back down. " Gaah! "

Wincing, she stands, gingerly rubbing at her behind as she does so. Frowning up at the high branches, she asks " ... Do, uh, do either of you have any ideas on getting some of the berries down..? " She glances to Alyssa, " Would, uh, would Athe mind helping..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa nods.  "Oh wow. But I wouldn't have thought of trying to give my Pokemon other options like that."  She turns where Sass is looking and stifles a giggle when Leah falls down.  "You okay, Leah?" 

At Leah's request, Alyssa turns to Athe.  "Would you mind?"  Athe, who was content to sit by and watch, with a sort of bird-sigh, flaps over to the tree and attempts to get the berries down, though he may take one for himself to try.
Hazuki
 "You get one whenever you beat a Lord or Lady. You'd kind of have to think of it unless you just...try to eat it or something dumb like that,"  Sass repleis.

Athe manages to get a beakfull of berry and a small branch covered with them. He finds them quite sweet and ripe.
tgva8889
Alyssa looks down.  "I didn't know they gave those out. That's cool."  She shrinks in on herself a little bit at Sass's comment, then looks over as Athe comes over to her with the berries. Looking over at Leah, she tilts her head a bit.  "What's special about these?" 
Comissar
Leah shakes her head with a smile at Alyssa's query, " I, uh, I don't know that there is, to be honest. It just caught my eye and, uh, and I wanted a closer look. "

She accepts the uneaten berries off of Athe with a grin and a " Thankyou! ", before taking a closer look at them.

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
Rolling, I guess General Education? Let me know if you'd rather have Medicine 🙂
 (4D6+1)[ 7 ] 
 
tgva8889
Athe hoots in ascent, preening a bit. Alyssa pets his feathers and says,  "Thanks Athe." 
Hazuki
Leah can tell that they're not poisonous, likely sweet, but other than that she can't identify their properties. Maggie nudges Alyssa's leg and points to Leah's handful of berries.
tgva8889
Alyssa looks down at Maggie and smiles.  "Uh, Leah?"  Alyssa looks over.  "Can Maggie have one?" 
Comissar
Leah nods, " Yeah, of course! " and offers the branch out to Maggie, " I'm, uh, I'm still not sure what they are, to be honest. Might need to, uh, to ask someone around town. But, uh, but they should taste nice! "
Hazuki
Maggie walks forward and grabs two berries from the branch. One, she pops into her mouth, and the other she tosses to Saura, who takes a second to realize it's being thrown to her, then grabs it out of the air with a quick vinelash and noms on it.

 "Didn't you like fossils and stuff?"  Sass asks as she watches, her hands stuffed into her pockets.  "Berries aren't rocks." 
Comissar
Leah watches the two pokémon with a smile, " How, uh, how are they..? "

She can't help but break into a grin at Sass' question, raising a finger as she does, " Still do! But, uh, botany's  also  something I enjoy! I just, uh, I just don't do too much with it at the moment. "
Hazuki
Maggie and Saura both give approving nods.

 "Aren't there little...carrier things you can put plants in?"  Sass asks, as she mimes the shape of one in front of herself.
tgva8889
Alyssa looks on as Sass tries to mime the object, not really sure what she's talking about but curious.  "D'you have one of those? That'd be cool. I know there's some berries you can use for colors and stuff." 
Comissar
Leah nods at both comments directed toward her, " Yeah, uh, I've got a portable planter back, uh, back at the inn we're staying at. Umm, it's packed away right now. " She smiles a little wistfully, " The, uh, the professor gave it to me before I left... "
Hazuki
 "Maybe you can grow stuff for Nika's balls,"  Sass suggests.  "Like..."  She opens her mouth, then frowns.  "Stuff." 
Comissar
Leah nods, " She makes them from, uh, from Apricorns, right..? I could grow some for her, sure. If, uh, if she has some spare seeds. "
tgva8889
Alyssa perks up a bit at the discussion of Pokeballs.  "Oh, neat! Having different Pokeballs would be a big help. Nika could probably make some real good ones with hand-grown apricorns."  She brushes Athe absently and looks around.  "Wonder if there's anything else in the woods here for you to use. How much can you grow in the planter?" 
Hazuki
 "I don't know what she has. She talks a bunch if you let her,"  Sass answers, as she turns to gaze at the trees that surround them. She doesn't seem to be having luck finding other things...if that is indeed her goal.
Comissar
" Well, uh, the planter's small enough to, uh, to carry, so I don't think I could, uh, could get too many plants in there. " She catches Sass' gaze at the canopy, " Are, uh, are you looking for something specific..? "
Hazuki
 "I don't know. Stuff?"  Sass shrugs.  "We should head back soon, right? I wanna introduce Nika to my new Pokemon." 
tgva8889
Alyssa nods.  "Oh, um, yeah. And I have my, um, thing to go to."  She looks at Leah and then distracts herself by minding to Athe and checking to make sure Maggie hasn't wandered off too far.  "Um, is it this way?" 
Hazuki
Both Maggie and Saura stand nearby, both as at the ready as Sass to head back.
Comissar
Leah nods with a smile, " Yup, I'm about ready if you guys are. "
tgva8889
Alyssa nods.  "Okay, let's go!"  She walks up beside Leah and smiles at her.
Hazuki
The girls' wilderness adventure begins to end as they make their way back to Diwyneb proper, with noon fast approaching and the air having cooled down enough that they're not quite as uncomfortable as they had been. Maggie and Saura are both on their best behavior as they stroll through the shady woods, but do seem relieved as soon as its walls are in sight.

 "Hey. C'mon. Get in the ball,"  Sass urges the Misdreavus in her shadow, which does, reluctantly, concede to the request. The girls make it through the town gates and are spared most of the crowds due to most folks heading to lunch, or else already in the market that's a little further in passed the entrance. Before they can say much, though, Sass yells.  "Hey!"  She points a finger across the entrance and, following its point, the girls spot Nika tucked in the shadow of a corner of their inn. She's standing with another familiar girl, the nurse they saw her set up a date with.  "Nika! What did I tell you about doing kissing?!"  The girl barks, as she marches over and Nika and the nurse both look at her with wide eyes.

 "Alyssa?"  Another voice calls out at the same time, one much more familiar to Alyssa. Its source seems to be the front door of the inn her and Alyssa are staying at - it's Utha! She's dressed just as well as when she last saw her, though her sling-supported arm implies she's still quite injured. Her good hand raises for a little wave.
tgva8889
Alyssa's face turns to one of concern when Sass walks over to Nika but she is quickly distracted by Utha. Turning in the direction of her reply, she waves back.  "Oh, hi Utha! Are you staying here too?"  She smiles. Athe, still on her shoulder, regards Utha for a moment, then looks at Leah.
Comissar
Leah finds herself beginning to flag on the walk back. The heat of the morning had sapped a lot of her strength and, while the temperature was now far more manageable, the walk had in turn taken a lot out of her. When Sass runs off ahead, loudly proclaiming her distaste of Nika's displays of affection, Leah finds herself wincing inwardly. Giving Alyssa a look of resignation, she comments, " I'll, uh, I'll be right back... " before hurrying after the headstrong Sass.

Drawing closer, she puts a hand on Sass' shoulder, " Sass, come on, they just, uh, just want some time to themselves. "
Hazuki
 "I'm not, no."  Utha peers over Alyssa's shoulder as Leah hurries after Sass, then smiles at her.  "I came here in search of you. I was just about ready to resign myself to disappointment. But here you are, as lovely as ever." 
 "Uh, yeah. Totally."  Nika nods as Leah attempts to calm Sass, whose shoulders feel rather tense.  "It's all fine here, Sass." 
 "Yeah? We've got  stuff  to  do ! How are you gonna travel with me and make Pokeballs and stuff if you're busy doing kissing?"  Sass points at the Nurse.  "Are you gonna carry her with us? I bet she doesn't even know what a Pokemon is!" 

The Nurse seems to make a decision to stay quiet.
Comissar
Leah gives Sass an exasperated look, " Sass... It's really not, uh, not up to you what Nika does with her time. " She tries to gently pull the young trainer away, " Come on, let's, uh, let's grab something to eat and leave them alone... "
tgva8889
Alyssa nods as Leah heads after Sass, her attention a bit occupied by Utha's comment. She finds her face turning a bit red at her comment. Her eyes drift a bit over to where Leah and Sass and Nika are as she speaks.  "Um, yeah, here I am. We were, um, looking for a Pokemon in the woods? Which I guess we found."  She rubs her arm and turns her gaze back up to Utha.  "Wait, you were looking for me?" 

Athe watches Leah following Sass, keeping track of what's going on over there while turning to Alyssa every so often. Noticing some escalation, he turns to Alyssa's head and nuzzles her a bit with his beak, which leads to her absently ruffling his feathers.
Hazuki
Sass scowls at the two girls, resists Leah's tug, then seems to make the decision to turn herself around and begins stomping in Alyssa's direction.

 "That's lovely to hear, and, yes, I was. I thought we might be able to spend some time together, since you're in town and I'm, well, quite bored,"  Utha explains, smiling.
Comissar
Leah gives an exasperated " Sass! " as the young girl pulls away from her. She turns and gives Nika and the nurse an apologetic head bob, " I-I'm sorry for, uh, for the interruption. " More specifically to Nika, she adds, " I'll, uh, I'll try and calm her down... "

Turning away from the quite possibly now soured date, Leah moves to catch up with Sass. This time refraining from grabbing her, she finds herself having to move almost at a trot to keep up, " Sass, come on. Nika's still your friend! She just has, uh, things she wants to do, too... "
Hazuki
 "I mean, hey, it's not your fault,"  Nika says as Leah goes to hurry after Sass. The Nurse just smiles politely.

 "No! She can do stuff she wants to, just not that!"  Sass snaps, still waling.  "We've got to leave Diwyneb when I beat the Lady! There's no time for doing kissing!" 
Comissar
Leah speeds up her pace, swinging around to try and get in front of Sass, " S-Sass, y-you... Y-you can't  stop  someone from wanting t-to  be  with someone else! I-It's not your call! "
Hazuki
 "Yes I can!"  Sass stops walking, but firmly stands her ground and locks eyes with Leah.  "Nika said she'd travel with me. So she's gotta leave one of us behind. And I'm way better than doing kissing. Can kissing train Pokemon? No! I can!" 
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles cordially.  "Yeah, um, I think we could sometime maybe? I have some things I gotta do-"  She cuts herself short as Sass starts heading in her direction, and turns to look at Leah as Sass comes over. Her attention is pulled over to the two of them arguing, and not really sure how to help, backs away a bit. Quietly, she says  "Sorry you were brought into this Utha. I, um, didn't know this would happen." 
Comissar
" That's... " Leah shakes her head, running a hand through her hair, " S-Sass, you'll, uh, you'll lose her as a friend i-if you try and control what she does. I-If you want her to come, yelling at her w-will only make her upset. " She starts fidgeting with her bag strap, " I-If you r-really want her to, uh, to come with you, y-you have to, uh, to  talk  with her, a-and b-be prepared for a-a no. "
Hazuki
 "It's no trouble,"  Utha replies, glancing at the miniature commotion taking place not far from the front of the inn.  "Is this a friend of yours or...have you decided to adopt?"  she asks, with a little laugh.

 "What would you know?"  Sass asks, narrowing her eyes at Leah.  "You do kissing, too. With Alyssa. Your head's all muddled up." 
tgva8889
Alyssa shrugs.  "She's a friend, but I'm not sure about adopting."  Hearing her name, she looks over at Sass, feeling a bit of a grip on her pulling at her chest as she listens. She tries to listen in case she thinks stepping in would help, but Sass calling her out makes her think twice about replying. To Utha, she gives a weak smile.  "Do you not have anything to do during the day? It seems like your life should be more exciting than seeing me." 
Hazuki
A frown flickers across Utha's face, but quickly clears.  "I would normally be training with my Pokemon, but, as you can see..."  She gestures at her arm in a sling.  "It has rather put a halt to...my plans and...actually."  She raises a finger.  "I have just remembered something I ought to attend to. May I be excused?" 
tgva8889
Alyssa puts a hand to her mouth and bows quickly.  "Oh, sorry, of course."  She seems surprised at Utha's comment but nods.  "Um, yeah. D'you wanna try to meet up later then?" 
Comissar
Leah feels a sinking sensation in her chest as Sass dismisses her advice out of hand. " ... Y-you d-don't have to, uh, t-to listen to, uh, to me e-either, Sass. Th-that's y-your chouse. B-but, uh, but I, uh, I think you'll push N-Nika away i-if you try and, uh, a-and control what she does. "
Hazuki
 "Um. That's alright."   Utha bows her head and quickly makes her exit.

 "Fine then! I'll find a new, better friend who won't do any kissing and she can stay here doing that!"  Sass declares, jabbing a finger in the general direction they came from.  "She can stay away from me, forever!" 
Comissar
Leah finds herself taken aback at Sass' blasé statement. She takes a half step away from her, shaking her head slightly as she does. " I-i-if... " She pauses, closing her eyes and swallowing the knot in her throat before continuing, " I-if that's y-your decision, th-then y-you're not, u-uh, y-you're n-not the f-friend you think y-you are... "
Hazuki
 "Me?!"  Sass stamps her foot.  "I'm not the one abandoning her friend! So shut your stupid dumb face up, okay?!"  With that said, she turns on her heel, and starts marching off down the street.
Comissar
Leah opens her mouth to retort, but finds the words catching in her throat. She takes a half step after Sass as the young trainer storms away, then stops. Her hands rise to clutch tightly at her bag strap and, wordlessly, she turns to walk in the opposite direction from Sass. After a short distance, she becomes aware of a wetness on her cheeks. Wiping away the tears with the back of her hand, she feels like she wants to just yell in frustration. Picking paths at random, her pace gradually picks up from a walk to a near jog as she moves, until finally she stops and slumps down with her back to a wall. Hugging her legs to her chest, she buries her face in her knees and tries to will herself away from her surroundings.

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
Leah's not going so fast that she can't be followed, but she has been thrown off pretty badly by the argument with Sass. She's extrapolating and catastrophising that Sass now hates her thanks to their argument, and that she's all but alone out and away from home. If Alyssa/Saura/someone else is following her or trying to call out to her, she'd be wrapped up enough in her head that she probably wouldn't register them properly until she stopped.
 
tgva8889
Alyssa turns to stop Utha, but Sass's outburst distracts her. Before she can turn back to Utha she is gone, and Alyssa turns her attention to Leah and Sass just as Sass is stomping off. Hestiating for a moment in the shock of the moment, Alyssa fails to reach out before Leah runs off. Shaking her head to clear the doubt, she chases, trying to keep up with Leah until she finally sits down.

Not really sure what to do at first, Alyssa takes a moment before she slowly walks to up Leah and sits down next to her. She doesn't do anything at first, but if Leah makes any motion that it's okay she'll pull her into a hug or otherwise embrace her.
Comissar
Leah finds herself tensing as Alyssa announces her presence by sitting beside her. A part of her wanted to speak up. To reach out and let her know she wanted to be comforted. At the same time, she had to fight down the urge to stand and move away again. She pulls her knees up tighter, swallowing past the knot in her throat, " I-I-I... U-Umm... I-I-I th-think, u-uhh, S-Sass, uh-uhmm, S-Sass hates m-me... " She takes a juddery breath, " M-Misru d-doesn't, uh-uhmm, doesn't w-want a-anything t-to do with me... R-Rana  left  b-because sh-she wanted t-to, uh, t-to b-be with b-bandits rather th-than keep going w-with us... "

She closes her eyes, taking another slow breath, " I-I-I... I-I w-want to, u-uhh, t-to go back h-home... "
tgva8889
Alyssa doesn't say anything for a moment, letting Leah get her words out. After a second, she lets out a breath.  "Me too. It's all...really hard. Not everyone can see the way other people see things, y'know?"  She runs a hand through her hair and twirls a strand of it.  "Like, I know you care about Sass. You wanna help her. Really you wanna help everyone. And some people, they don't see that."  For a moment she considers taking Leah's hand but decides against it.  "Some people, though, it's not because they don't want your help or they don't want you. It's because of something else."  Turning, she looks at Leah, her own tears coming down.  "A lot of people...don't know how to say what they mean. It's why I learned how to paint. Because I couldn't say what I wanted, so I had to make it so everyone could see. And, um, sometimes when people are in a bad space they can't see words, and sometimes no matter what you say you can't make them see what you want." 

She takes a moment to wipe her face, which doesn't stop the tears from falling.  "I know you just wanna help people. And you helped me a lot! And you helped Sass too. And Sass, I don't really get Sass but I get that she wants to battle, and she wants everyone and everything to be about her battling and winning. And you help with that, but I think she has trouble seeing that that's not all you do, or I do, or anyone else does. And I don't really know Misru very well so I can't say much about her. But I know that when I needed help you were there. And you helped when we were trying to figure out what happened to Macha. And you  did  help Rana. And when Knotte wanted something...well okay that was different but what I mean is you do help." 

She wrings her hands together and jams her clasped hands into her forehead.  "Rana...I think she just wanted to be with people who were like her. And, um, as much as we wanted to help her we didn't really  get  her, and, um, what she could do."  Alyssa looks over at Leah.  "But we did more than anyone else.  You  did. To be honest, I, um, I don't know if I would have helped her if you hadn't."  She jams her hands into her eyes.  "Sorry, not about me. But what I mean is that you do help people, and sometimes they go other ways. And, um, I'm gonna help you with whatever you want. And, um, I guess I have no idea if what I'm saying is helping or not I'm just saying a lot because I care about you." 

Athe, who flew off when Alyssa sat down, doubles back to the inn to find Saura and Maggie and inform them of the situation as far as he saw. He'll suggest for them to wait there while he checks in, and goes back off to spy on Alyssa and Leah, watching from far away so as not to disturb them.
Comissar
Leah is silent throughout Alyssa's speech, remaining hunched over with her arms around her legs. In contrast to Alyssa's tears, Leah is blank faced. When Alyssa finishes, Leah grips her legs a little tighter, her knuckles whitening. Wordlessly, she leans into Alyssa, remaining next to her quietly for a time before she next speaks, " ... I-I-I'd like to, u-uh, to be a-alone for, uh, for a bit... Please... "
tgva8889
Alyssa doesn't move when Leah leans in, letting her tears work themselves out for a bit. When Leah finally speaks, Alyssa doesn't respond for a moment. Then she wipes her face, takes a second, and nods.  "Okay. I'm gonna, um, go to my therapy, and, um, if you wanna talk call me? I guess."  After a moment waiting for a response, Alyssa gets up, dusts herself off, takes a deep breath and sighs, and makes a sharp whistle.  "I know you're there, Athe." 

A bit sheepish at being discovered, Athe flies down and lands on Alyssa's shoulder, where she ruffles his feathers as she leaves Leah.  "I guess we better go find Maggie and make sure she hasn't gotten into any trouble." 
Hazuki
Fortunately for Alyssa, Maggie and Saura both did as they were instructed and remained within the lobby of the inn. Maggie has taken to sitting on top of the counter, her little legs dangling as she fiddles with a quill. Saura, meanwhile, has just started to nap on the floor in front of the counter, her bulb opening and closing slightly with every breath.

~

Meanwhile, Leah is left alone in the shadow of a random wall in a random street. The foot traffic is minimal, and those that do pass her seem too busy to stop. She knows that she's not quite in the central district, but close enough that the crowds of foreigners and market-goers has thinned. The minutes drag on until eventually someone does notice her.

A woman wrapped in a ratty brown traveler's cloak slows her meandering pace and cranes her head to look at Leah. Her face is almost entirely covered by the baggy hood and the wrap that covers her from the eyes down. Her pace slows down even more obviously, until she crouches down beside Leah and gently prods her shoulder.

 "You...look like a girl in need of some fortune,"  she says in a scratchy whisper, looming over Leah despite her crouch and slumped shoulders.  "I can read yours, if you like. First one's free." 
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles as she comes upon Maggie and Saura, though her face is still stained from her earlier tears.  "Hey Maggie, hey Saura, how are you doing? Leah said she wanted some time alone, do you mind waiting here? I can let you into our room if you need."  She picks up Maggie and heads off towards her room to leave some things behind.
Hazuki
Saura wakes up upon being addressed, and stares at Leah for a moment before letting out a soft cry and padding along into the room.

Maggie quite happily lets Alyssa pick her up, wrapping one of her arms around Alyssa's shoulder. She lets out a questioning cry and points at Alyssa, which she can quite easily intuit as a question as to what she's going to do.
Comissar
Leah tunes out the people walking by her, her mind entirely focused inward on trying to quash the waves of anxiety. As such, by the time she becomes aware of the woman, she's not sure just how long she's been there for. Her hopes that she might just move on are dashed when she is instead engaged in conversation. She doesn't respond to the question for a time, then finally shrugs, " S-sure... W-what do, uh, w-what d-do you need me to, u-uh, t-to do..? "
Hazuki
 "You need do nothing but agree,"  the woman says, as she holds a hand out about a foot from Leah's forehead, fingers splayed as she does so.  "You...are far from home. Both of them! You You set off with a goal in mind, a talent to use, but now find that the burden on your shoulders is heavier than you expected. You have an affinity for the earth, the things in it, but are struggling to find grounding..."  She takes a long inhale.  "Two you have met, Leah; a man split in two, a matron of scorched steel, but you will find a helping hand in...a girl, but not a girl..."  She snaps her fingers as though searching for an answer.  "A Lady." 
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles at Maggie.  "I gotta go to my therapy. I'll be back for you when I'm done, but, um, I need to be able to focus on getting better so I can't take care of you while I'm there."  She walks into the room after Saura, careful not to overtake her to give her space to find a good place.  "If you want I can leave Luna or Athe for you to play with?" 

Athe, sitting on Alyssa's shoulder opposite Maggie, starts at being mentioned and hoots. He looks over at Maggie and tilts his head.
Hazuki
Maggie shrugs at the suggestion as she hops onto Alyssa's bed. Her gaze starts wandering around the room.
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles at Maggie, watching for a bit before she claps her hands together.  "Okay I'm gonna go. Don't make a mess."  She gives a wave and closes the door, making sure to lock it before she heads out her therapy session.
Comissar
Leah's expression shifts from one of resigned disinterest to surprised disbelief, " H-How... I-I, uh, I-I didn't tell you my, uh, my name. " She shifts to face her a little more head on, " A-are, uh, a-are you a psychic..? I-I, uh, I don't recognise the, uh, the people you're describing... "
Hazuki
Alyssa soon finds herself back in Torchwood's office. The woman looks much the same as when she last visited, though her yellow-green dress has been traded for one that's black and white.

 "Good afternoon, Alyssa,"  she greets her, smiling.  "How are you feeling, how have you been?" 

~

There's the sound of air being exhaled through the nose behind the woman's mask.  "Lord Bastille and Lady Thundercrag. You see, a couple is often referred to as one entity, but he lost his wife. Lady Thundercrag is a mother of many children, and has recently earned a reputation for the lightning rods she's installed in Thundercrag. That makes sense, doesn't it?" 
Comissar
Leah nods slowly, " I-I, uh, yeah, I, uh, I suppose. " She frowns, " S-so, uh, s-so another one of the, uh, the Lady's is, uh, is going to help me..? "
Hazuki
The woman nods a few times.
tgva8889
Alyssa shrugs.  "To be honest, not great. My girlfriend just had a fight with a close friend and she's going through a lot and I don't know how to help, or even if I can."  She looks around the room for a seat and sits down.  "I didn't expect my morning to be this busy. But I still feel like I'm ready for what I have to do here?" 
Hazuki
Torchwood smiles as Alyssa explains her mood, folding her hands together in her lap.  "I'm glad that you feel comfortable enough to do what you need to do here without letting those other things get in the way. You're prepared, and focused, and that's good. We can discuss those other things once we're finished with what I had planned for this session, if you're comfortable with that." 
tgva8889
Alyssa takes a deep breath, breathes out slowly, and nods.  "I think I'd be okay with that." 
Hazuki
Torchwood nods once.  "Have you had any encounters with Dark Pokemon since our last meeting, had cause to use any of the techniques we discussed? Or else finished any of the research I recommended into them?" 
tgva8889
Alyssa shakes her head.  "Um, I haven't seen any Dark Pokemon since yesterday, and, um, I was gonna go to the library but then I ran into Nika and we ended up doing some painting?"  She puts a hand to her chin, trying to remember exactly what she did yesterday.  "I, um, I mean to as Leah about it but we've had a lot of other things happening."  She looks down, shrinking a bit.
Comissar
Leah's expression shifts, taking on a more frustrated countenance. " I-I don't see  how  she will, though... A-and... A-and how can you, uh, how can you even know she'll, uh, she'll  want  to..? Wh-why would I  matter  to a Lady..? "
Hazuki
 "That's nothing to worry about; it has been only a day, and progressing at your own pace is the best way to achieve most things,"  Torchwood assures Alyssa.  "Why don't you tell me about your painting with Nika?" 

~

 "Oh...I don't know."  The woman shrugs.  "Look at you, you're great. In the prime of your life. You can probably do all sorts of things. Handstands, perhaps. I once knew a girl who did a cartwheel up a tree, very impressive." 
tgva8889
Alyssa nods, takes a moment to collect her thoughts, and starts.  "Yeah, okay. Um, we were trying to make our own clothes, so we got a bunch of white t-shirts and got paints to put on fabric. And we were trying to make different designs, because Nika likes the clothes from Kanto?"  She pauses a bit, putting a finger to her mouth and tapping a few times.  "Oh, um, we did that for a while then went to get food. I, um, had some food from Kanto that I hadn't had before and Leah and I ran into Utha who I knew back when I was studying art. She's nice, but I think I maybe messed something up with her or something? She wanted to see me today but then said not to find her later so I dunno."  Alyssa leans back a bit.
Comissar
Leah feels her mood begin to sour, " ... I-I'm not, uh, not really in the mood for, uh, for being made fun of... I-I'm not a-a gymnast. "
Hazuki
 "That sounds like a lovely time. I don't think it bears much, not much at all, relevance to what you first came to me for...but I'm willing to help you with any concerns regarding Utha, if that is what you wish?"  Torchwood asks.

~

 "Well...I could leave you to your sitting,"  the woman offers.  "I expect to get a second telling out of most folks, but if you've soured enough to dislike whimsy, I think my pockets are going to stay as light as they are."  She pats her hip.
tgva8889
Alyssa shakes her head, but smiles back at Torchwood.  "That's okay. I think it's something I gotta figure out myself. But thanks."  Noticing her own slouching, she sits up a bit.  "I, um, I don't wanna ask too much about other people you help, but, um, how was your day yesterday?" 
Comissar
Leah raises a hand to her face, closing her eyes as she does, " I-I'm sorry, I, uh, I just... I-I'm not a-at my best right now... " She looks over to the woman again, " What, uh, what would a-a second reading be on..? You, uh, you've already told me what to, uh, to expect to come. "
Hazuki
 "My day was perfectly normal, which suits me perfectly. I had some lovely freshly-baked bread for breakfast, with some of my favorite berry jam, spoke with my clients for most of the day, and enjoyed an evening with my beloved. Thank you for asking,"  Torchwood replies.  "I'm certain it sounds dull to someone who travels as much as you, but simple things are plenty enjoyable too, don't you think?" 

~

 "No trouble, and plenty! There's more than just your general fortunes to sort out, aren't there? Love life. Ways to make money. Al sorts. If there's a subject, there's a fortune, or misfortune, but I do what I can to guide folks away from the latter." 
tgva8889
Alyssa finds herself nodding at Torchwood.  "Yeah, um, actually that does sound nice. I don't mind traveling but I wouldn't mind having a good day with my girlfriend and, um, enjoying something simple like nice bread and jam."  She smiles at the thought.  "A normal day might be better than an exciting day sometimes." 
Comissar
Leah's quiet for a few moments, contemplating whether or not to take the woman up on her offer. Her mind helpfully provides images of arguments with Rana and Sass, as well as Misru's frequently cold indifference. Pulling her knees closer to her chest, she asks, " ... C-can, uh, c-can you tell me how, uh, how to stop my friends from hating me..? "
Hazuki
 "It's often the way; those adventuring long for simplicity, those at home crave excitement. If you'd like a simple day, you could arrange one. I could tell you where we get our bread and jam from,"  Torchwood says with a smile.  "Is a day like that something your girlfriend would enjoy?" 

~

The woman tilts her head at Leah and lets out a long thinking noise.  "There are...problems with those questions. It's difficult, like untangling twine; the thread you're picking at might not be the one that's causing the knots. But I'll give it a go."  She holds her fingers out, cracking her joints, and holds a hand up to Leah's head.  "The girl in green...is locked in her head, bars and walls that keep others out, or her inside. She carries an invisible companion; in that way, and another. Better bonds require not kindness, but a kindred spirit. a shared suffering. Until then, there will always be something in the way." 
 "The girl who bolts in blue..."  The woman's brow furrows in concentration.  "She's adrift, a half-dozen floats around her but none that fit the right way. She flees the waves by throwing herself into others, no matter the hurts, for the control, for the power. Her heart craves an embrace of everything, whether it hurts or shocks. No hand on the shoulder will do, unless the other seizes the same reins." 
 "the little one, ah the young..."  The woman chuckles.  "She craves a heart that burns the same as hers, fears the ones that swim, or fly, or dance together. She remembers the pain of losing blood to one, for others, her mind cannot wrap around the thought. Proof of a bond that cannot be broken, sharing your fire, both of these can stop hers from burning those who stand too close." 

The woman draws her hand back and tucks it into her pocket.  "The fault does not always lie with the one who takes the blow. You are not bound to these people unless you choose to wear the shackles. And your want is not just yours; there are those who would be your friend because they want to, because you are worth the effort. Do not take their burdens upon your shoulders; sometimes they needs must carry their own, and then, they will come back to you." 
tgva8889
Alyssa shrugs.  "Um, I dunno. I could always ask her."  She smiles.  "I, um, I think it might be good for her, though." 
Hazuki
 "Then it sounds like something worth pursuing, it sounds like that to me,"  Torchwood replies.  "But you're not here for dating advice. Would you like to move on to discussing your phobia? Oh, I do happen to have a friendly Dark Pokemon available - not in this room, I assure you - should you wish a little exposure at some point in the future." 
Comissar
Leah finds herself uncertain of what to feel as she listens to the woman's explanation of how her friends and acquaintances were feeling. She rubs at her arm, feeling an uncomfortable twisting in her chest as she does. Her gaze falls to the ground in front of her as the woman absolves her of the guilt she was feeling, "  I, uh, I didn't, uh, didn't realise Misru was, uh, was feeling isolated...  "

She lets out a sigh, looking up to the woman again, " I, uh, I  want  to try and help them... I-I  want  to be a-a good friend... " She rubs behind her neck as she thinks, " U-umm, do, uh, do you think if, uh, if I got Sass... U-umm, my, uh, my younger friend, that is... If I got her involved in, uh, in something I'm passionate about..? Would, uh, would that help her..? She, uh, she always seems very single minded... "
tgva8889
Alyssa shudders a bit and shakes her head.  "U-um, no, I, um, don't think I'm ready for that yet."  She shakes her head again, closing her eyes tightly.  "I'm working on it, but, um, not yet."  Opening her eyes, she looks back at Torchwood.  "But, um, talking is good. I can do talking." 
Hazuki
 "That is what your fortune tells,"  the woman replies,  "So probably, yes. Just make certain it's not something boring to everyone. She craves passion, not sock-collecting. And if you can tie it back to her passion, why, that would probably be super effective" 

~

 "Then talk we shall. Since you've come back so soon, is there anything in particular, a certain thing related to Dark Pokemon, you'd like to discuss?"  Torchwood asks.
tgva8889
Alyssa nods.  "Yeah, um. I have, um, thought about what happened a bit. And, um, how exactly I became this afraid. I told you about how it st-started, right?"  She gestures a bit with her hands then shakes her head.  "I mean, um, with my brother." 
Comissar
Leah prickles a little at having her own passion be called 'sock collecting', but she keeps that irritation to herself. Instead she nods again, having an idea of how to tie her own passions into Sass' desire to battle and train. " O-ok, I think I, uh, I know what I need to do... " She looks to the woman, " U-umm, thankyou for, uh, for stopping to talk to, uh, to me. " She feels her cheeks redden as she has a realisation, " A-ah, umm, I'm sorry, I, uh, I never asked your, uh, your name. "
Hazuki
Torchwood nods once.  "You did, you did indeed. It's good that you're able to pinpoint where your fear started; it will help you overcome it more easily as e work through this. What particular thoughts are you having about how it happened?" 

~

 "There are some who calls me... The Ghost of Diwyneb,"  The woman says, waving her fingers in a spooky way.  "On request, at least, it would help me get more customers if I did become known for that. But if you don't want to, that's fine as well. You can just call me Shay and I'll be fine with that." 
tgva8889
Alyssa takes a deep breath.  "I, um, I think my fear is, um, from the pain of that time. And, um, from the fact that it came from my brother. Like I was hurt by him, and so, um, part of me is afraid of him. And what he does. But, um, I still care about him too?"  She wrings her hands a bit, keeping her gaze down as she speaks.  "And, um, being away from him, I realize that I miss him. And the fear is still there, from when he did something wrong, but a part of me knows he didn't mean to."  Shaking her head, she sighs.  "It's still hard to, um, clearly remember that day. Like, I know what happened but I have to keep away from it?"  She looks up at Torchwood.  "Does that make sense?" 
Hazuki
 "It does, it does."  Torchwood nods.  "Memories can be deceptive at the best of times, the details shifting ever so slightly each time you remember them, and this is only made more intense when they're painful, or scary. Have you spoken with anyone who was there that day about what you remember, your brother included? Have you ever, perhaps, attempted to depict it in your art or a journal? These things can help clarify one's image of a situation, examine it from an outsider's perspective, though you needn't worry if you haven't or don't want to; painful memories have a very apt name." 
tgva8889
Alyssa thinks a moment, then shakes her head.  "I, um, don't think I've talked with anyone about exactly what happened."  She takes a moment.  "I, um, I really didn't want to talk about it with him. And, um, I don't think he felt like he could talk to me about it."  Leaning over a bit, Alyssa puts her head in her hands, then leans back up.  "M-maybe you're right. M-maybe I do have to put it into art. I, um, I haven't really done much art with that much pain in it."  She nods her head.  "I...I think it's a good idea." 
Comissar
Leah gives a short laugh as Shay expresses her desire for her alter-ego to become widely known. " I-I'll, uh, I'll be sure to tell people that's, uh, that's what you want to be called. " She brushes her hair away from her face, tucking the strands behind her ear, " U-umm, thanks... For, uh, for checking on me and, uh, and offering advice. U-umm, how, uh, how much did you want..? "
Hazuki
 "I'm glad."  Torchwood bobs her head.  "If you're worried about how it might go, make certain you have someone you trust with you, something comforting, a reminder that what you're creating is just a painting. You're welcome to do so here, even," 

~

 "Oh, no thanks, but I will take your coin. Let's say...enough for a meal. Plucking it from your head, that's...four hundred of your dollars?"  Shay suggests.
tgva8889
Alyssa nods.  "Yeah, um, I think I might like that. But, um, not today. I'm not really feeling paintery today."  She runs a hand through her hair.  "I, um, I might have to build up to it a bit." 
Comissar
Leah nods, reaching for her coin purse as she counts out the requested amount. Handing it over, she pushes herself to her feet once the money has been taken. " I, uh, I think I ought to head back. Umm, my, uh, my girlfriend, " She reddens a little at referring to Alyssa in that way, " will, uh, will be worried about me. I, uh, I hope the rest of your day is a, uh, a pleasant one. " She bows her head to Shay in gratitude one last time before turning to head back to the Inn.
Hazuki
 "That's fine. Now..."  The rest of Alyssa's session continues along the same vein, with Torchwood helpfully reminding her of a few tactics should she encounter Dark Pokemon and methods of calming down.

~

 "And you, yours, thank you for the business."  With that, Shay likewise departs and Leah is free to return to the inn, where she finds that a sleepy Saua wakes up and greets her with a concerned cry as she waddles over, a vine reaching up to tentatively touch her leg. Maggie, meanwhile, has built herself a pillow fort.

Alyssa returns to the inn room just after Leah.
tgva8889
Alyssa opens the door and stops when she sees Leah.  "Um, hi."  She gives a small wave with one hand, not smiling but not being fully open.  "How...I mean, um, are you...Do you want to talk, or...?"  Her gaze naturally turns to Maggie's pillow fort, which she avoids commenting on for the moment.
Comissar
Leah breaks into an apologetic smile as Saura comes over to check on her. She kneels down, reaching out to scritch at the side of Saura's head, " Sorry, I wasn't meaning to worry you. Thankyou for watching out for me. "

She looks up, twisting round a little as Alyssa pauses at the doorway. She feels her heart sink in her chest a little, " H-hey. I'm, uh, I-I'm doing better. " She shuffles a little, turning to face Alyssa more properly from her kneeling position, " U-umm... I-I, uh... I-I'm sorry. " Leah rubs behind her neck, " I, uh, I-I shouldn't have, uh, have pushed you a-away how I, uh, how I did. "
tgva8889
Alyssa nods, her wrist held in her other hand.  "It's okay. I mean, it hurt at the time but I understand that's what you needed."  She looks at Leah, meeting her eyes with a strained smile.  "You're important to me, and I care about how you're doing and I want to help." 
Comissar
The sinking in Leah's chest turns to an outright pit at Alyssa's comment. She finds she can't match Alyssa's gaze for long, instead dropping her eyes to her knees. Her words fail her as she tries to work out what to say, and she ends up sitting silently for a few moments. " ... "

Leah closes her eyes, letting out an uncomfortable sigh. " Th-that's, u-uh... Th-that's kind o-of you to, uh, t-to say... " She rubs behind her neck, opening her eyes again, " U-umm... I-I, uh... I-I, uh,  want  to try a-and, uh, a-and help too. But, uh, but i-it doesn't feel, uh, feel right to a-ask for help when, u-uh, when y-you're trying t-to, uh, t-to work on y-yourself a-at the same time... "
tgva8889
Alyssa shakes her head.  "We're all working on ourselves, all the time. Sometimes it's your time, sometimes it's my time. As long as we share I'll be okay. I want to help you when you need it and you can help me when I need it. Seems right to me."  She smiles at Leah, a reassuring smile.  "And it's okay to need time on your own." 
Comissar
Leah nods a couple of times, " O-ok... Y-yeah, ok... " She returns Alyssa's smile with a weaker one, giving Saura a final scritch behind her neck as she stands. " U-umm, I'm, uh, I'm sorry a-again for hurting you... " She hugs at her own waist, arms wrapped in front of her, " U-umm... Did, uh, did your session go ok..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa shakes her head.  "It's okay. I'm okay now if you're okay. And if not I hope I can help you be more okay."  She stands up with Leah.  "My therapy went okay. It's always a bit hard, and I have more work to do, but I feel like I'm getting better."  Noting Leah's body language, she puts out a hand.
Comissar
Leah smiles a little more confidently, " I'm, uh, I'm glad you feel like, uh, like you're improving. " She reaches out to take Alyssa's hand, giving it a small squeeze. She's quiet a few moments, not sure how to bridge from one topic to another, eventually deciding to just be direct, " I, uh, I think I know how to, uh, to fix things with Sass. U-umm, I'm, uh, I'm gonna give her some time to, uh, to cool off, then try and, uh, and speak with her again. A, uh, a lady gave me some, uh, some pretty good advice. "
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles as Leah takes her hand. Returning her squeeze, she nods along with Leah's words.  "I'm really happy you found a good way to fix things. Do you want me to do anything to help, or, um, keep out of it?"  She looks up at Leah and tilts her head a bit in ask.
Comissar
Leah rubs behind her neck, shifting slightly back from an Alyssa and giving her an embarrassed look, " U-umm, if, uh, i-if you don't mind it, uh, i-it might be easier if I handle, uh, handle it myself..? " She gives Alyssa's hand a quick squeeze, " I, uh, I don't want you to, uh, to feel like I'm cutting you out, though..? "
Hazuki
The girls notice Maggie poking her head out of her pillow fort to glance between them.
tgva8889
Alyssa shakes her head, but smiles.  "It's okay. I understand."  She looks at Leah for a minute, then looks down at their hands and squeezes back.  "I trust you." 

She laughs at Maggie popping out of the pillow fort.  "How're you doing in there, Maggie? Staying safe in your pile of pillows?" 
Hazuki
Maggie gives a shrug of her teeny shoulders, then holds her arms out to Alyssa.

Saura, meanwhile, has nestled on the floor by Leah.
tgva8889
Alyssa moves over to Maggie and picks her up.  "All right, I'm here now."  She holds her between her arms and sits down on the bed.  "Did you have a good day so far at least?" 
Hazuki
Maggie glances up at Alyssa, then points to herself with a questioning tilt of her head. Then she answers anyway, with a quick bob of her head as she settles into Alyssa's lap and points at the pillow fort. She then wraps her arms around herself and points in an apparently random direction.

 
 Spoiler: Alyssa 
Alyssa rolled well on empathy, so! She understands that Maggie is trying to get across that she felt comfortable in the tight space, because it's the kind of thing she used to do before she joined up with her and Leah.
 
Comissar
As the conversation comes to an end, Leah returns Alyssa's final squeeze and instead wraps her arms around Saura, shuffling so that her Bulbasaur was lying more directly in front of her. She watches her pokémon quietly as she listens to Alyssa talking with Maggie. Scritching at her neck, she asks quietly, " Was, uh, was there anything you were wanting to do while we're in one place..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa watches Maggie's motions, then nods.  "I think I get what you mean. D'you wanna be in more spaces like that, or d'you like being in the more open spaces we tend to go to?"  She looks down and smiles at Maggie.  "I don't mind either way, but I wanna help you feel more comfortable." 

Looking over at Leah, she says,  "You wanna get some food? I don't think I've eaten much today, and we've kinda done a lot." 
Hazuki
Maggie puffs her cheeks out at Alyssa's question and immediately hugs her.

Saura, in response to Leah's cuddle, wraps her vines loosely around the girl's arms.
Comissar
Leah nods at Alyssa's suggestion, " That, uh, that sounds good. " She gives Saura a small smile as her hug is returned, " Did, uh, did you have anything in mind? U-umm, I, uh, I wouldn't mind going back to the Kanto place..? It was nice to, uh, to have something familiar. "
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles and laughs as Maggie hugs her.  "Well just let me know if you're uncomfortable, okay?" 

She nods at Leah's suggestion.  "Something familiar sounds good to me. It's not my home food but it's food I've had before so that'll work."  Shifting a bit, she picks Maggie up in her arms.  "Ready?" 
Hazuki
Maggie wraps her arms around Alyssa's neck as she's picked up and nods vigorously.
Comissar
Leah disentangles herself from Saura's vines and pushes herself up onto her feet, picking her bag back up as she does so. " Y-yup, let's go. "

She holds the door for Alyssa as they leave, locking the room behind them, then heads out to go to the vendor.
Hazuki
The girls depart their humble room, Maggie clutched tight in Alyssa's arms and a refreshed Saura padding alongside Leah as they walk through the market of Diwyneb town. With as much time as they've spent here, they've started to get a feel for maneuvering through the crowds, which little paths will let them get to their destinations more quickly.The market district makes way for the foreigner district, with its prefabricated buildings and all the foreigners drifting between them.

They find themselves standing outside of Authentic Kanto Food, one of the places that offers authentic Kanto food, and soon they're inside. They spot a familiar pair of pink pigtails, a colorful jacket, and a big smile on her face as she dances energetically in front of the other two customers; a pair of teenage Londo girls who are clapping along to the tune of the song which consists of the lyrics "Nya nya nya nya nya," and only those lyrics.
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles once the song comes into view, though she doesn't join in herself. Instead she waits patiently for their turn to get food, sticking close to Leah.  "D'you remember what I liked last time?" 
Comissar
Leah finds herself feeling faintly embarrassed as she hears the song being sung, the style of music had always struck her as being the kind used for viral videos, or maybe as an earworm for adverts. Hearing it sung just felt weird, even more so when she saw that there were locals clapping along to it. Possibly the novelty of it..?

Alyssa takes her attention away from the stall with her question. Rubbing behind her neck, Leah " Well, uh, it would've been either the, uh, the Tantanmen or the Okonomiyaki. Umm, the, uh, the Tantanmen was the, uh, the spicy noodles and, uh, and the Okonomiyaki was the, uh, the savoury pancakes. "
tgva8889
Alyssa nods.  "I think I liked both of those? Maybe we should just get those again."  She looks over at Leah and tilts her head.  "Does the song bother you?" 
Hazuki
The song only ends when a little bell rings behind Nya-cha and she strikes a pose that just so happens to end with a single digit on the device playing the song.

 "Thank nya, thank nya!"  she says as the girls give her a little round of applause.  "Remeowmber, repeat customers can get a personalized selfie!"  she reminds them, as she opens the hatch behind her and retrieves a couple of bags of food that does smell particularly delicious, then hands them over to the girls.

 "Thank you, Nya-chan! You're so pretty!"  one of the girls tells her.

 "Is it true that all Kanto girls are as cute as you?"  asks the girl next to her, stars in her eyes as she takes one of the bags.

Nya-chan giggles behind her hand.  "Oh, definitely! You should go! I'll go with you, and introduce you to all of the cutiest cuties!" 
 "Really?!" 
 "Yeah! You've got the money for it, don't nya?"  Nya-chan asks, stars in her eyes.

 "We're saving all our work money! My mom says if we save up for two years, we'll be able to afford tickets!" 
 "Two...years..."  Nya-chan eyes drift to the ground, then snap back up with a fixed smile.  "That's great! I hope you get there!" 
 "Thank you! Goodbye, Nya-chan!"  The girls wave to her as they slowly make their way out.

 "Ja ne!"  Nya-chan waves back, her hand high over her head.

 "Bye bye!" 
 "Bye bye!"  Nya-chan says back.

 "We love you!" 

Nya-chan giggles and brings her fingers into a heart shape. Finally, it seems like the girls are done with their farewell and start making some actual progress to the exit.

Their backs turned, Nya-chan rests her forehead on the counter.
Comissar
Leah gives Alyssa an embarrassed look, " It's, uh, I wouldn't call it, uh, very, uh, very... Representative... Of, uh, of Kanto. "

Watching the performance being given, as well as 'Nya-chan's' commitment to her act, she found herself almost wanting to wince. Her second hand embarrassment switches to sympathy as the vendor collapses after the exit of the pair preceding them. She shoots Alyssa a concerned look, then heads over to the stall. " H-hey, are, uh, are you ok..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa nods at Leah's explanation of the song.  "Yeah, I think I understand. It's something that people think is a big part of where you're from but it's not so they get the wrong idea."  She doesn't pay much attention to the girls' conversation in front of her, focusing instead on Leah's reaction.

She is quick to follow when Leah goes to comfort Nya-chan, standing behind with a concerned look. She tries to keep things quiet to maintain the illusion long enough for the girls to leave.
Hazuki
There's a squeak from Nya-chan as she's addressed, as she straightens herself up.  "Gomenasorry! Konnichiwa!"  She is halfway to striking a pose when she spots who woke her up.  "Oh."  Her cheeks turn bright red.  "Hiiii. Do you want food? I can get you the same stuff as...""  She pauses.  "I forgot what you ordered last time, so, um! What would you like?" 
tgva8889
Alyssa gives Nya-chan a concerned look, but turns to Leah when asked about food.  "Um, I think it was Tantanmen and, um, Okonomiyaki?"  She looks at Leah for confirmation briefly, then starts digging in her bag for the requisite money.
Hazuki
 "Okay, okay, okay,"  Nya-chan says as she writes the order down, then slips it through the hatch.  "Done! So, um, you can get a personalized selfie on your second visit! Do you want a personalized selfie?"  she asks, flashing a smile.
Comissar
Leah nods her confirmation to Alyssa's question over what they ordered last time. She waits for Nya-chan to pass the order to the back, then gives a small shake of her head as she asks about selfies, " I'm, uh, I-I'm good thanks. U-umm, you seemed kinda, uh, kinda down when the, uh, the last people left..? Are, uh, are you ok..? "
Hazuki
 "Oh, um, oh no! I'm very happy! I could never be tired with so many adoring customers! I would never,  ever  say that I'm tired and I wanna go home right now!"  Nya-chan answers with a nod of her head.  "Hey, you aren't going back to Kanto any time soon, are you?" 
tgva8889
Alyssa looks over at Leah at this question, then realizes she is staring and turns away.
Comissar
Leah feels her heart sink a bit at the vendor's question as she shakes her head, " Umm, sorry, I'm, uh, I'm not planning to any time soon. Even if, uh, even if I had the means to, I want to explore Londo some more first... " She glances briefly to Alyssa at that comment before turning back to Nya-chan. " If, uh... " She hesitates. The other girl, despite suggesting it with her phrasing, hadn't actually complained about not being able to go home. Deciding to comment anyway, Leah forced herself to continue, " I-if, uh, y-you're really eager to, uh, to go home, why, uh, why can't you..? Do you have anyone you could, uh, could ask for help from..? U-umm, maybe your parents..? "
Hazuki
 "Well...because things cost money, and I don't- Some people don't have money, so they need money, so they do things to get money so they can go home. And maaaybe they might have gone places against their parents' judgment."  Nya-chan tugs at her collar.  "So maybe they get stuck when certain Ladies don't recognize how cute they are like they were expecting..." 
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles at Leah's response, but tries to keep her reaction hidden. After listening to Nya-chan's story, Alyssa puts a hand up to her face and gasps.  "I'm so sorry! That must be awful, to be stuck so far from home."  She gives a consoling look to Nya-chan.  "Can we help?" 
Hazuki
 "Hey, don't take pity on me! I'm meant to be adored, you know?"  Nya-chan leans over the counter to take a peek at the door.  "Do you happen to have lots of money you don't want?" 
tgva8889
Alyssa shakes her head.  "Sorry, no, I don't really."  She looks down, sagging a bit.  "If I do have any I'll let you know, though." 
Comissar
Leah, rubs behind her neck, " ... Your, uh, your parents should still want to help, right..? " She gives a hopefully reassuring smile, " U-umm, or, uh, or if you, uh, you need a lot of money, umm... Have, uh, have you tried looking for someone to, uh, to sponsor you as, uh, as a cook..? Kanto, uh, Kantoan food's got to, uh, to be popular with more than, uh, more than just us..? "
Hazuki
Maggie reaches up from where she'd held and pats the sagging Alyssa's head.

 "Whaaaat? You think I can cook?"  Nya-chan stares at Leah with wide eyes, then shakes her head.  "No way! There's a reason I'm dancing and not wearing an apron. And nobody wants to sponsor me for that..." 
Comissar
Leah tilts her head, a frown forming, " W-well, uh, you and your, uh, your chef could travel together instead..? U-umm, you wouldn't get, uh, get all the sponsorship money, but, uh, but it'd be more than nothing..? "
Hazuki
 "I don't know, they like it here."  Nya-chan shrugs, then a glimmer comes to her eyes. She leans over the counter, glances at the door, then speaks.  "Hey, why don't you join me? You don't have money either, right? With our powers combined...we could be, like...double Kanto Cute." 
tgva8889
Alyssa looks down at Maggie and smiles.  "Thanks, Maggie. I know you're there for me." 

She looks over at Leah as the conversation turns to Kanto. She takes a moment to imagine Leah in a similar costume to Nya-chan and turns a bit red before shaking the image from her head.  "Um, Leah, I dunno if that costume would be your sort of thing." 
Comissar
Leah finds her cheeks heating at the suggestion, " I-I, uh, I-I don't think I'd, u-uh, I'd be very good a-at it. U-umm... I'm, uh, I-I'm not the best at putting o-on a, uh, a show. "
Hazuki
Nya-chan stares at Leah for a moment, then deflates into a leaning position on the counter accompanied by a long sighhhhhhh.

Then a little bell chimes behind her.

 "Oh, right. Your food."  Nya-chan spends another moment with her eyes closed, then pops back up with a smile, snatches it from the hatch, and presents the bag to the girls.  "Here you are! I hope you enjoy it! Every last bite! And come back! And tell your friends!" 
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles awkardly, looking to Leah to accepting the bag. She shifts her arm so she can still hold Maggie comfortably and offers the money with her other hand.  "Thanks! We'll probably at least try to come back."  Once everything has been exchanged, she looks to Leah to make sure there's nothing else before they head off.
Comissar
Leah feels her heart sink at Nya-chan's obvious deflating. Feeling like she was somewhat responsible for the vendor's flat mood, she rubbed behind her neck, glanced briefly to Alyssa, then back again. As she accepted the food from the vendor, she pushed herself to ask " U-umm... H-hey, u-uhh... This, u-uh, this might be, uh, be a weird question, but... U-umm, did, uh, d-did you, uh, want to, uh, to hang out when, uh, when you're not working..? U-umm, you, uh, you seem like, u-uh, like you could use a, uh, a change of scenery..? "
Hazuki
Nya-chan bows quickly as she accepts the money from Alyssa, but all the grace of that movement is lost as soon as Leah asks if she wants to hang out.

 "Wait. Really? You know I don't look like this when I'm not at work, don't you?"  Nya-chan waves her hands over her outfit.  "You're not gonna get your own private idol and I'm...probably going to show up in sweatpants." 
Comissar
Leah breaks into a grin, " I-I, uh, I wasn't expecting you to, uh, to be dressing fancy or, uh, or anything. U-umm, what, uh, what sort of time would work for you..? "
Hazuki
 "Oh. Uh, Hmm, let me just, check my schedule..."  Nya-chan pulls a device out of her pocket and swipes through it for a few moments, pauses, keeps scrolling.  "I get off of work in a few hours, and I just happen to be free then. Does that work for you?" 
Comissar
Leah nods, " Y-yeah, umm, that'll be fine for me. " She hesitates, giving Alyssa a sheepish look, " U-umm, if, uh, if you don't mind me doing so, Alyssa..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa shakes her head, smiling.  "I don't mind. If you want me to come, let me know! Otherwise I might wanna do some art or something. Maybe finish those shirts if Nika's free, or take care of this one."  She lifts Maggie a bit to emphasize her last words. Shifting next to Leah, she leans in to Leah's ear and whispers,  "But you and me should plan something too, 'kay?" 
Comissar
Leah's cheeks flush red as Alyssa leans in close, breaking into a grin, she nods once Alyssa moves back again, " A-absolutely. "

Turning back to Nya-chan, she offers a bow of her head, " I guess, uh, I guess I'll see you later, then. I, uh, I hope the rest of your shift goes well! "

Farewells given, she begins to head away with Alyssa. " U-umm, where would you, uh, would you like to eat..? "
Hazuki
 "Yeah, me too,"  Nya-chan says in response.

At mention of private plans for Alyssa and Leah, Maggie gently tugs at Alyssa's collar.
Comissar
With their general direction taking them away from the stand, Leah comment, " I, uh, I think if it's ok with you, I'd like to just eat back at our room..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles at Maggie as she tugs at her.  "Can I have some time with Leah? I'll give you some time too, don't worry." 

As they head out from the store, Alyssa falls into herself a bit. She doesn't notice Leah's first question, realizing she's been stuck only when she answers it herself.  "Oh, um, yeah. That sounds good. Sorry, I, um, have stuff to think about." 
Hazuki
Maggie puffs out her cheeks and rolls her eyes, which turns into a reluctant nod.
Comissar
Leah nods as they move away, " No worries, what's, uh, what's on your mind? "

She adjusts her bag as they walk back to the inn, giving Alyssa a concerned look. " If, uh, if you don't mind my asking..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa nods.  "Thanks for asking. I've been thinking...about why I want to go home. And, um, why I'm so afraid of..."  She tries to say the words that would follow and stops, struggling for a moment then shaking her head.  "And, um, all the talk of going home...I think a part of me is afraid of what I would find if I went there." 
Comissar
Leah's steps slow a little as Alyssa admits her worries about her home. She picks her pace up again after a moment, catching up to walk alongside her again. " I'm, uh, I'm sure your family would, uh, would be pleased to see you..? " She thinks for a few moments, " You could, uh, you could try sending a letter to them..? Let them know your thinking of coming back for a time..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles, but shakes her head.  "It's not that I, uh, don't think they want to see me."  She looks at Leah briefly, then looks down.  "If I'm not better, I worry I'm just gonna be in the same way I guess. And, um, even if I am better, I don't know what's going to happen if I see my brother after everything that happened." 
Comissar
" O-oh... " Leah shifts her bag, " U-umm, well, uh, if it helps I'll be there with you..? We can, uh, we can take it slow as well, you, uh, you can work your way up to it..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa nods.  "Yeah, um, thank you."  She smiles at Leah and then kisses her on the cheek.  "Thanks for talking about it." 
Comissar
Leah's cheeks redden at Alyssa's show of affection, she gives her a warm smile as she pulls away again, " No problem, I, uh, I don't mind listening, and I, uh, I want to help where I can. Umm, speaking of... " She grins and reaches with her free hand to pull open the door of the inn, " After you! "
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles and gives a small bow.  "Thank you, m'lady Leah."  She heads back in, stopping briefly for Leah to follow before she opens the door to their room. This time she holds the door for Leah, a similar grin on her face.  "Now my turn." 
Comissar
Leah bobs her head in gratitude, " Thanks! "

Once back in their room, she begins to divvy up the food, passing Alyssa's over to her once she was finished doing so. As she brings her own food over and sits with her, she hesitates a moment before speaking, " So, umm... You, uh, you said why you, uh, you weren't sure about going home. U-umm, what're you looking forward to with it..? "
tgva8889
Once back in the room, Alyssa puts Maggie down and lets her roam a bit while she sets down her bag and cleans up a space for eating. She shoves all her clothes off the floor into a slightly neater corner and after considering it a moment, smiles.

As Leah starts dividing the food up, Alyssa joins her, giving a smile and a nod of thanks when she receives her own. Leah's comment pulls her attention from the food before her, and she runs a hand through her hair.  "Um, I kinda just....want to show it to you. To, um, share where I come from wit you." 
Comissar
Leah seats herself on the floor in a kneeling position, carefully holding her food above her lap one handed as she listens to Alyssa. She gives a small smile and nods at Alyssa's comment, " O-ok, I can't wait to see it. " Her smile broadens a little as she starts to tuck in to the food in front of her, " For now, though, enjoy the food! "
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles. " "Thanks, Leah."  She takes a moment, then beings consuming her food, careful to eat slowly and enjoy all the flavors.  "Um, Leah, do you still want to go home?" 
Comissar
Leah slows her eating, then pauses at Alyssa's question. " It's, uh... It's a complicated, uh, complicated feeling. " She shuffles a little, ensuring her meal doesn't slip as she does, " Sometimes, uh, sometimes I want to go back ho-, uh, to, uh, to Kanto so bad it hurts. There's, uh, there's a lot I miss. But, umm, but other times I just, uh, just feel kinda fond about my time there and I look at, uh, at what's here instead. " She gives a small shrug, looking over to Alyssa again, " I, uh, I  would  still like to go back to Kanto... I'd like to go back to Sorland, too. Umm, I miss the, uh, the familiarity. But... But I also like seeing, uh, seeing new things. "
tgva8889
Alyssa nods.  "Yeah. There's things I miss, but honestly what I miss most is Bastille. But, um, I also feel like with you and Maggie and stuff I'm good."  She leans back from her seat on the floor, putting her hands on the floor behind her.  "I feel like I'd be happy going wherever I go as long as you're with me. And I'd love to go with you wherever you want to go."  Her face turns a bit red, and she looks down at her food on the ground in front of her.  "And I know it isn't the same, but I hope I can help you feel like that too." 
Comissar
Leah's cheeks heat a bit at Alyssa's comments, she glances down to her plate, then up again, " I-I do feel like that, Alyssa... I-I, uh, I-I've really enjoyed seeing, uh, seeing Londo with you, too. A-and I, uh, I do want to keep, uh, keep doing so. "
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles when she looks up and sees the red in Leah's cheeks.  "I don't know why I get all worried around you. I know you're on my side."  She goes back to eating, watching Maggie to make sure she doesn't get into too much mischief. After a bit of eating she looks back up at Leah.  "So what are you an Nya-chan gonna do?" 
Hazuki
It turns out that Maggie isn't able to get up to much mischief in the confines of their quarters, although she has taken the time to climb onto the bed and lay on it, her head dangling off of the side as she stares at the wall.
Comissar
" 'm not sure. " Leah finishes her mouthful, setting her food to one side for the time being, " She seemed really, uh, really homesick, so I just thought she might, uh, might appreciate hanging out with, uh, with someone else from Kanto. Gives her a chance to, uh, to reminisce a bit... "
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles at Maggie, turning back to Leah as she speaks.  "I think she'd appreciate that. I sort of fell into what I did out of needing to do something away from home, so I feel a bit for her. I hope she's doing okay."  She looks at Leah, taking her expression in before smiling.  "You care a lot about her. I guess you know what she's missing." 
Comissar
Leah gives a half-shrug, " I, uh, I spent a long time wishing I, uh, I had never left Kanto when, uh, when I first came here. Umm, it, uh, it wasn't a pleasant time, and I'd like to, uh, to help her through it if, uh, if I can. Or, umm, at least start to. "
tgva8889
Alyssa nods, looking a bit thoughtful.  "When I was first away from home at school, I also had a lot of bad days. Some good, too, but a lot of bad feelings."  She takes a bite of her food, taking a moment to chew and swallow before continuing.  "I guess maybe I was running away a bit, but, um, maybe I shouldn't have been." 
Comissar
Leah gives another half shrug, a complicated look on her face, " It's, uh, it's easy to, uh, to look back and say 'I, uh, I should've done this' or, uh, or 'I should've done that'. I think it's, uh, it's more important to, uh, to not knock yourself down for, uh, for making the choices you made. " She gives Alyssa a smile, " The past doesn't change. We just, uh, we just have to keep going forward. "
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles back.  "I think that's wise."  She scoots across the ground until she's next to Leah, and leans her head on her shoulder.  "Too much worrying about what we did before makes it harder to see what we want in the future." 
Comissar
Leah rests her own head against the top of Alyssa's, " I, uh, I just think it's the best way to, uh, to move forward. " After a moments, silence, she reaches to take Alyssa's hand, giving it a soft squeeze as she does, " But, uh, but I look forward to, uh, to seeing where we go. "
tgva8889
Alyssa takes Leah's hand, squeezing back. She gives a small sigh, enjoying the feeling of being close to Leah. After a moment, though, she shifts and sits up.  "When do you have to go?" 
Comissar
Leah gives a small shrug, careful not to dislodge Alyssa as she did, " Not, uh, not until it's closing time for the stall. There's still some time before, uh, before they'll close for the day. "
tgva8889
Alyssa leans back down on Leah's shoulder.  "Oh, okay. Good."  She squeezes her hand and sighs contently.
Hazuki
After some lovely time with some lovely dinner to de-stress the two girls, they both find themselves with a little time to spare and, for Leah, a meeting to attend...

 Leah 

The streets of Diwyneb Town are winding down now, less people wandering the streets as they retire from their daily duties, most save the Knights with either a spring in their step or a slouch in their backs. When she arrives at the district that houses many foreigners, serves as entertainment for locals, she has to takea  few moments just to be able to spot Nya-chan, who's swapped her usual work clothes for something much more casual: a pair of loose shorts, a tank top, and a light, hooded jacket that's pulled up over her head. Her makeup's different, too, not nearly so flashy as in the restaurant.

 "Hey,"  Nya-chan greets her as the distance is closed.  "Hope you're not disappointed by me being uglified right now." 

~

 Alyssa 

Meanwhile, Alyssa, who is displaying amazing confidence in letting her girlfriend go on a private meeting with Definitely Famous Idol Nya-Chan, decides to seek out her acquaintance, Utha. With dinnertime still occurring for some people, it's coincidence that lets her spot the cloak-clad girl walking back to her inn with a large bag clasped in her healthy arm. She doesn't seem to be paying much attention to the passer-bys around her, just enough to not bump into anyone as she drifts towards an inn. It seems like she hasn't spotted Alyssa yet, leaving her to make her own introduction.
tgva8889
Alyssa wanders the street, Maggie in hand, looking around for Utha. Spotting her as she heads back to her own inn, Alyssa rushes up behind her and says,  "Utha! Utha, I'm glad I found you."  She waits a moment to see how Utha regards her before continuing.
Hazuki
 Alyssa 

Maggie quite happily goes alongside Alyssa, but she stays quiet, mostly occupying herself by glancing around at all the people walking past.

Utha's head snaps up as her name is called, her eyes snap to Alyssa, then there's a moment of recognition.  "Alyssa, hello,"  she says, stumbling over a smile.  "How are you?"  The smell of hot food emanates from her bag, something that's definitely of Londo origin, rather than the Kantoan meal she'd just had.
Comissar
Leah finds the quieter streets to be more relaxing, while there hadn't exactly been throngs of people, the slowing down at days end gave more space to think and breathe. She gives Nya-chan a small wave as she draws closer, " Hey. Umm, no, you're good. " She smiles, " You look fine. Umm, how, uh, how'd the rest of your shift go..? " She glances down along the street and adds, " And, uh, was there anywhere you, uh, you wanted to head to..? "
Hazuki
 "Oh, you know..."  Nya-chan shrugs her slender shoulders, her gaze drifting down the street.  "I took some pictures and autographs and did some dances and my feet hurt. How was your meal?"  she asks, as she starts shuffling in a direction, clearly expecting Leah to follow.
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles, then doesn't.  "I don't know. But that's not why I'm here."  The smell catches her nose and she points at the bag.  "Sorry, I don't mean to keep you, I can walk with you if you're on your way to eat?"  She gestures to Maggie to follow, trying to keep an eye on her while still paying proper attention to Utha.
Comissar
Leah falls into step with the food vendor, opting not to walk too fast given the complaints of sore feet. " I'm, uh, I'm surprised you were taking
a lot of pictures, I, uh, I didn't think pokégear had, uh, had really caught on here yet. " She breaks into a smile at the question about the food, " I, uh, I really enjoyed it. Umm, I think Alyssa did too. It's... It's really nice to have something familiar. I've only had my Mum's cooking to remind me of, uh, of Kanto since we came to Londo. I missed it. "
Hazuki
 Alyssa 

Maggie is dutifully following right by Alyssa's side and, currently, is staring up at Utha. Mostly. She's stealing glances at the bag of food, too.

 "Oh. You can, if you wish. I'm only eating in my inn room,"  Utha explains, not yet continuing her walk.

~

 Leah 
 "Yeah, there's a little printer under the counter, so I just use mine for it and print 'em off. If they get the...I forget, the bonus that we do for a thing."  Nya-chan puffs her cheeks up and slowly exhales.  "Glad you liked it, I guess. That's what it's there for. Not that uncommon to have, you know, people from Kanto show their local girlfriends or crushes or whatever what it's like. None of them ask to chat with me, so, thanks for that." 
tgva8889
Alyssa nods, following Utha if she goes on.  "I, um, I wanted to apologize. For, um, everything that happened today. And making you a part of all that and sorta being rude and short with you and, um, I guess a lot of things."  She rubs her arm.  "And I guess I wanted to make sure you and I were okay?" 
Comissar
Leah nods along to the explanation of the photos, " That, uh, that makes sense. " She gives a small shrug at Nya-Chan's thanks, rubbing behind her neck as she continues, " That's, uh, that's ok. Umm, it's not, uh, not exactly selfless. I, uh, I haven't really run into anyone else from Kanto since leaving Sorland Town. Umm, it was, uh, it was nice to run into someone from, uh, from home. And then, uh, and then you seemed like you could use someone to speak to so... " She finishes with another shrug.
Hazuki
 Alyssa 
 "Oh."  Utha's eyes go wide, a smile lighting up her face.  "Oh, no, that? I'd scarcely even remembered it. No worries at all! Are you busy, otherwise?"  she asks, glancing at the quiet Maggie.

~

 Leah 
 "I...yeah."  Nya-chan's shoulders slump a little.  "I was going to act like that wasn't it, but you know what? I've been acting all day, so...you get honesty. You're welcome,"  she says with a tone that mixes fatigue and good humor.
tgva8889
Alyssa looks over at Maggie, then back at Utha. She puts a hand to her chin, then shrugs.  "I don't think I have any real plans. But I did already eat." 
Comissar
Leah gives Nya-Chan a small smile at her admission of exhaustion, " That's, uh, that's alright. " She walks quietly for a few moments, then asks, " So, uh, while we're talking honestly... Umm, would you like me to keep calling you Nya-Chan..? "
Hazuki
 Alyssa 

Maggie is still behaving perfectly well, right by Alyssa's side.

 "Oh, well, this isn't all for me, obviously. Some of it's for my Pokemon,"  Utha says, gently lifting the bag in her other hand to indicate it.  "I'd have had to hurry to find you some food! If you're comfortable being there while I'm eating, maybe if I get you some tea...?"  she asks, a smile in her eyes.

~

 Leah 
 "No, uhhh. You can call me Juno, if you want,"  Nya-chan answers, glancing at Leah as she says it.
Comissar
" Juno. " Leah nods, offering a small smile, " Nice to, uh, to meet you, Juno. I'm Leah. " She looks down the street ahead of them for a moment, then back to the vendor, " I'm, uh, I'm from Saffron originally, before my family came to, uh, to Londo that is. Umm, my, uh, my parents both work for Silph Co. and, uh, and I started helping out Professor Hawthorne in Sorland Town before I set out to, uh, to explore Londo. "
tgva8889
Alyssa nods.  "I, um, I like tea. If you and your Pokemon don't mind me being in your space." 
Hazuki
 Leah 
 "Saffron City? Yeah, it's pretty good, but Sorland Town, that's...that's the little place on the Southeast, right?"  Juno asks.  "That's...a really big change." 

~

 Alyssa 
 "Oh, no, it's fine, it's fine. We can go there right now,"  Utha says, and soon enough, Alyssa finds herself in Utha's inn room, which isn't particularly noticeable, but she does quickly put her food to the side so she can start brewing some tea. Maggie looks at Utha, then at Alyssa, then mimics her slinged arm.
tgva8889
Alyssa looks at Maggie, then at Utha, then nods.  "Um, how's your arm doing, Utha? Can I help in any way?" 
Comissar
Leah nods, " Yeah... It, uh, it was a real culture shock... " She pauses a moment, in part feeling the echo of her past depression, and in part out of wariness of over-sharing, " U-umm, I can, uh, I can talk more about it if you want but, uh, but it wasn't exactly the, uh, the happiest time I've had. "
Hazuki
 Alyssa 
 "With my arm? Not really...although, I would appreciate it very much if you helped put my dinner on plates and such,"  Utha says, turning briefly to flash a smile as she one-handedly retrieves a couple of cups.  "It's not that bad, really, but I can't very well use it and keep it healing. And then there's the training to get it back in fighting shape..." 

~

 Leah 

Juno glances at Leah and smiles just a little.  "Go ahead. Maybe we'll have something in common, just, don't mention anything you'd be embarrassed about until we're somewhere a little more..."  She glances at the people walking past.  "Private?" 
Comissar
Leah grins, " There's, uh, there's nothing embarrassing. Just, uh, just not cheerful. " She's quiet a moment, looking out at the people walking past and taking in the town as a whole. When she speaks again, she has a far-off look, " When, uh, when I lived in Saffron, I used to really enjoy going to the outskirts of the city, trying to find 'wild' areas. " She smirks at the description, " Of course looking back it wasn't really all that wild, not compared to here, but at the time it felt very exciting. I enjoyed getting out and away from all the people in the city, get a bit of distance from them. I don't think I quite realised how much I also enjoyed going  back  to that afterward. " Leah glances to Juno, her tone turning a bit more matter of fact, " My parents moved to Londo because of Silph Co. They took up a contract that saw them move out here, and of course I was young enough that I went with them. My Mum and I settled in Sorland, my Dad bounces back and forth between Sorland and the Silph Co. head office in Whitebeam. I... Haven't seen him in a little while now. "

She adjusts her bag strap a little, a melancholic edge starts to creep in as she continues, " I was, uh, I was excited about being here, at first. A new wilderness to explore. " She gives a small laugh, " That's what it felt like, I don't think the locals would've liked me calling it a wilderness though. But... There wasn't anything  but  rural life. I couldn't go anywhere or, uh, or really  do  anything. I tried getting my Mum and Dad to go back to Saffron, but of course they didn't. And I just kinda... Started shutting down. " She feels a tightening in her chest as she revisits her past depression, " I, uh, I stayed inside more and more, got to a point where, uh, where I was only really leaving the house so that Saura, my Bulbasaur, could get exercise. Umm, Saura eventually pulled me out of it, started getting me to meet people around town. " Leah breaks into a smile again, " She'd run off and force me to chase her, then she'd refuse to, uh, to move when she got me to someone she thought I ought to meet. And... It kinda worked, I started speaking to people again. Started talking with Professor Hawthorne, even ended up working for her for a while as well. Then she sent me to Bastille Town for a delivery, I met Alyssa there and, uh, and then we started travelling Londo together. "
Hazuki
Juno listens patiently through Leah's explanation of her first few years in Londo, only glancing away to ensure that they're not about to walk into someone else. By the time she's finished speaking, she finds herself outside of a small prefab building, ornamented with cloth and wood that covers the more artificial parts of its construction, with a little sign hanging above the door.

 "You...really know how to make a girl feel like her problems are nothing, you know that?"  Juno asks, a little smile tugging at her lips.  "That's some hard stuff you had to go through, so, uh. I mean, I know what it feels like to come here and eat ****, but you didn't really have a choice, so...it's good that you have your Pokemon and that Professor sounds cool. I think I've heard her mentioned a couple of times. Could you get her to give me a job?"  She pauses.  "No, wait, never mind, ignore that. Want to see something cool?"  she asks, as she holds out a hand, ready to knock on the door.  "It's not gonna be Kanto, but it's close." 
Comissar
" Ah, heh, sorry..? " Leah gives Juno an embarrassed smile, rubbing behind her neck " I, uh, I wasn't trying to get into a, uh, a competition over who's, uh, who's had a rougher time. "

She tilts her head a little at Juno's rapid change of mind on asking the Professor for work. She doesn't have a chance to question it, though, as they get ready to enter their destination. She takes a moment to glance up at the building before them, the building seemed fairly unassuming, nothing about it really making it stand out from the other pre-fabs that they'd been walking past. Looking back to Juno, she gives a slightly dubious " ... Yeah..? " before glancing back to the building, then to Juno again with a more assured, " Ok, yeah, sounds good. "
Hazuki
Juno knocks on the door in a particular pattern, a few seconds pass, and then there's the sound of something sliding. She pushes it open, steps inside, gestures Leah to follow along with her and...

Inside the rectangular wooden room is a selection of arcade games, colorful lights above each serving as the main illumination in the room. There are a couple of pinball machines, slot machines, a crane game that contains what seem to be handmade and wrapped Kantoan snacks, a dance rhythm game machine, a photo booth, and a few machines more. Against one wall is a counter upon which sits an Abra, surrounded by all kinds of Kantoan snacks, keychains, and handmade knicknacks that Leah recognizes from her home. A little sign sits behind the counter with a list of tokens the items cost.

Juno takes a large pouch that hangs beside the inside of the door.

 "You use these to play the machines, and get others out of them that you exchange for stuff,"  Juno explains.  "It's like an arcade, but you don't need money. Just for people who miss home." 
tgva8889
Alyssa nods, helping to setup the plates and dinner. She doesn't really know the right way to setup everything specifically, but she tries her best to setup everything correctly.  "Um, I'm sorry you have to go through that. Having to train it all again seems like it'll be hard."  She smiles back at Utha.
Comissar
Leah's eyes widen as she steps into the small arcade and she comes to a stop in the entryway. She breaks into a wide grin, clapping her hands to her mouth, " H-hah! Wow! "

She glances to Juno, " Th-this, uh, this is  incredible ! Is it, uh, is it something you set up? "
Hazuki
 Alyssa 
 "Oh, thank you, that's very kind,"  Utha replies, a smile lighting up her face as Alyssa sets her dinner to the plate. She reaches into her robe and retrieves a couple of Pokeballs, which she places on the countertop for the moment.  "I'll just leave these here for later, or things might get a little crowded. They like cold food anyway..."  She bites her lip, watching Maggie.  "Has she eaten already? She's welcome to some if she'd like." 

~

 Leah 

The smile on Juno's face turns into outright laughter at Leah's comment.  "You think  I  have the money for  this ?"  She shakes her head.  "Some old person from Kanto with too much time on their hands and...a lot of kindness, I guess. You're only meant to teach the knock to people from Kanto, that's what I was told." 

The Abra at the counter's head tilts slowly to the side.

 "So...which do you want to try first? Count me out for anything that requires moving my legs,"  Juno says, shaking the bag of tokens.
tgva8889
Alyssa looks at Utha.  "Oh. Um, I guess not."  She turns to Maggie with an apologetic smile.  "Oh, um, sorry Maggie. D'you want any? It's okay if you do."  She turns back to Utha and laughs awkwardly.  "I, uh, I guess I'm not really an expert at taking care of my Pokemon." 
Comissar
Leah glances at Juno and gives an embarrassed grin at her laughter. If the other Kantoan was struggling to fund her way out of town, it  did  seem unlikely that she'd simply hoard arcade machines rather than sell them to get herself back to Kanto. The comment about the arcarde  only  being for people from Kanto makes her feel a small twinge of regret, she'd have liked to have shown Alyssa, but she finds she's still smiling regardless, " It's really cool that he'd, uh, he'd go to the effort of making this. "

At Juno's prompting, she looks around the arcade machines, " It's, uh, it's a shame you're not up to the, uh, the dance game, I've not had a go on one of those in  ages . " She glances back to Juno with a grin, tucking her hair away from her face as she does, " And, uh, and I'd feel kinda selfish leaving you out given you, uh, you just showed me this place. " Returning her attention to the machines, she moves over to the pinball machine, " Did, uh, did you want to take turns on this? Heh, I think, uh, I think you'll probably have me beat, but it'd be fun to play pinball again..? "
Hazuki
 Alyssa 

Maggie bobs her head in approval of getting food, which, considering how they meet, is unsurprising.

 "As long as you're doing your best and they don't go hungry, you're doing well,"  Utha assures Alyssa as she steps up beside her to take her plate.  "And you have to keep up with your art and that...whatever was happening earlier, I don't think anyone would blame you for being just a little forgetful." 

~

 Leah 
 "You can dance if you want. I kind of want to see how you dance, actually,"  Juno says as she steps around to the side of the pinball machine, her eyes drifting across the pikachu-tail flippers and the Voltorb bumpers.  "Yeah, let's do it. Loser gives the winner their winner's tokens."  She hands a token from her bag and slides it into the machine.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
If you'd like, you can roll 2d6 to see how Leah does.
 
Comissar
Leah nods with a smile, " Maybe I'll, uh, I'll take a try at the dance machine in a bit, then. " Accepting the proffered token from Juno, she grins, " Sounds good, you're on. " Getting into position in front of the pinball machine, she inserts the token before launching the ball and begins to tap at the side-mounted controls, hopefully with more skill than enthusiasm.

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
Rolling for pinball! Let's see if Leah's actually any good at it, or just thinks she is 😛
 (2D6)[ 11 ] 
 
Hazuki
As it turns out, Leah actually kicks supreme ass at the pinball machine. A flurry of boops, beeps, and vaguely-identifiable Pokemon noises emerge from the machine as she bats the ball up, left, right, and every way but down as Juno watches. Even her post-work lethargy seems to ebb away as she watches, Leah's mastery of the paddles making her eyes go wide and her lips stretch into a smile. When Leah does finally fail and collects a particularly large number of prize tokens, Juno bops the other out of the way with her hips.

 "Alright, alright, I see you, Saffron girl,"  she says, cracking her knuckles over the pinball machine.  "Prepare to meet your...less than equal, if I'm being honest, but act like you're scared i might be better, okay?"  With that, she begins her own pinball odyssey. It's impressive, it's dynamic, the tension as she bites her lip, leans in so deep the lights seem to bounce off of her face, it's perhaps the first time Leah's seen Juno so enthusiastic and have it actually be genuine.

But when the ball falls, her score is a digit short of Leah's.

 "Damnit..."  Juno says, smiling despite herself as she scoops up her prize tokens.  "You win."  A handy bag happens to sit nearby for prize tokens, making it easy for Leah to carry them as well as her own.  "I think you've already got enough there to get one of the  good  prizes, a couple of the plushies or something?" 
Comissar
Though initially feeling some trepidation at playing pinball again after so long, Leah quickly finds herself back in the zone. With her points rapidly racking up, she maintains her focus on keeping the ball alive. The score continues to climb until she finally misses with one of the flippers. Toggling it a few times futilely after the ball had already passed, she looks over to Juno with a grin as the prize tokens clatter out. She gives a small hop and step off to the side as Juno bops into her, grinning as she does.

" Hey, you've had more practice than I've had recently, I bet you'll do great! " Despite her assurances, there's something of a confident grin on Leah's face, showing just how aware she was of her high score.

Leah stands a little way back as Juno gets started, resisting the urge to lean on the machine itself as she watches. She didn't want to throw off Juno's game or, perhaps more importantly right now, be accused of cheating by tilting the finely balanced machine. As the game progresses, she finds the tension building. Juno was obviously pretty skilled herself, and Leah's attention drifts a couple of times from the game to Juno herself. She couldn't help but smile at seeing her fellow Kantoan genuinely enjoy herself. And then she hears the sound indicating a game over. Glancing back to the machine, her eyes flick up to the scoreboard just as Juno cedes the win.

Beaming, Leah accepts the tokens as Juno passes them over, " Thanks! Well played! " She looks over to the prizes, to Juno, then back again. Walking the short distance over, she asks, " There's a lot to pick from... What do you think? " She's thoughtful for a moment, then looks back to Juno with a smile, " What would you pick? "
Hazuki
All manner of delightful Kantoan items wait Leah's perusal. Those that requrie the fewest tokens are things like dango, onigiri, other snacks, perishables that are nonetheless a delicious reminder of home, alongside little phone charms that tend to be placed among them so that even the most unskilled guest might have something to go home happy with. Then there are the larger items, Pokegear cases, fist-sized plushies of various Pokemon, a few pairs of socks patterned after Pokemon like Pikachu and Kakuna. Then the most expensive, a few larger plushies, a couple of jackets and hats with Kantoan symbols or slogans on them, and, most epxneisve of all, a portable heater like might be used in a kotatsu.

 "If I had your tokens?"  Juno asks, pursing her lips in thought.  "The Staryu socks. I like Staryu; they've got big dumb faces." 
 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Let's say Leah has enough for one big thing, two medium things, or a bundle of small things.
 
Comissar
Leah nods, scanning over the prizes carefully as she decides what to pick, pausing a couple of times to double check her token count while she does. After some deliberation, she picks up a pokégear case that displays the three Kantoan starter pokémon as well as the Staryu socks Juno pointed out. Turning with a smile, she says " Catch. " before tossing the bundled socks in an under-arm throw.

" As thanks. " She tucks her hair away from her face, grinning to Juno, " For, uh, for showing me this place. " Glancing around the room again, she asks, " So, uh, I picked the last one, want to choose the next..? "
tgva8889
 
 Originally Posted by Hazuki 
  Alyssa 

Maggie bobs her head in approval of getting food, which, considering how they meet, is unsurprising.

 "As long as you're doing your best and they don't go hungry, you're doing well,"  Utha assures Alyssa as she steps up beside her to take her plate.  "And you have to keep up with your art and that...whatever was happening earlier, I don't think anyone would blame you for being just a little forgetful."  
 

Alyssa smiles at Maggie and gestures for her to take her portion, helping her up if necessary. She nods at Utha's assurances, though she looks down at her lap.  "Yeah, I guess. But I can always do better, right? And taking care of your Pokemon is important if you wanna be a trainer. And I do wanna be a trainer, I think."  She shrugs.  "I guess I didn't know that for sure before but I do think it's true." 
Hazuki
 Leah 

Juno is flexing her pinball fingers when the socks get tossed, but she catches them just in time! She mulls over Leah's words for a moment, regarding the socks, then shrugs and tucks them into her hoodie pocket.

 "There's a Pokken machine over there,"  Juno says, pointing to a machine with two sets of eight buttons on the front that's decorated with a picture of a Charizard caught in the clutches of a Blastoise.  "How do you like your chances 1 v 1?" 
 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Pokken being the Pokemon fighting game.
 


~

 Alyssa 

Maggie accepts Alyssa's attempt to lift her up and she finds herself sitting on the edge of the counter, a small plate to her side whose contents she happily starts levitating towards her mouth.

Utha takes her seat at the table, smiling down at the plate for a second before she looks up at Alyssa.  "You want to train Pokemon? For battling? I could teach you sometihng about that, if you'd like. I mean...I don't think you have to. You're so good at art already...but you'd be good at it, i'm certain." 
tgva8889
Alyssa nods.  "I mean, I don't need to be the  best  or like, take on the League challenge or something, but enough to protect the things I love."  She looks at Maggie, and then at Utha.  "Thanks for saying so, though honestly right now I feel like I'd be pretty bad at it." 
Comissar
Leah follows Juno's gesture, nodding slightly at the suggestion of Pokken as the next game. " Sounds, uh, sounds good. " She moves over to the cabinet, rubbing behind her neck as she looked over the arcade machine, then glancing to Juno, " Same as last time..? Winner takes all? Or, uh, did you want to do best of three? "

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
Going to pre-emptively roll 2d6 here on the assumption that we'll use the same way to determine a winner, happy to do something else instead if you prefer, just saves a little time if I do so now and we're using that method 🙂
 (2d6)[ 7 ] 
 
Hazuki
 Alyssa 
 "Really?"  Utha asks, her eyes similarly drifting to the munching Maggie.  "You seem to have Maggie with you every time I see you, never in a ball or anything, and she clearly trusts you very much. The most important part of training is the trust you have with your Pokemon; that's the hard part. And...I honestly don't think there's a Pokemon out there that you couldn't charm, Alyssa,"  she says, then hurriedly downs a mouthful of her meal.

~

 Leah 
 "Let's go with best of three, winner takes all, and..then we can do something that's not going to give me blisters on my fingers,"  Juno says with a smirk as she steps up to the machine.

The fight that ensues is one that turns Juno into a prophet. Whether it's overwhelmingly matched skill or similar levels of flailing novicehood, neither of the girls manage to gain much of an advantage. For every tail whip, there's a shadow claw. For every block, there's a heavy blow. For every ounce of oki, there's a wake-up. Every pixel of health, from first to last, is fought for on either side. Every game goes for three rounds, the advantage batting from one to another, until they're on the third game, third round, and it's Leah's Venusaur versus Juno's Gengar. One hit left in the game, Gengar swipes, Venasaur leaps back, Gengar hops in, swings, vines rush to block, and in the split second it takes for Gengar to land, those same vines whip out, sending the Gengar hurtling across the scene as "Player 1 Wins" flashes across the screen.

Juno stares for a second, then slumps against the machine, her eyes drifting to the ceiling, one hand on her heart.  "To die...humiliated like this...I was hoping...there'd be stars..."  she says, her eyes closing in a manner most dramatic.
Comissar
Leah nods, taking her place at the console, " Ok, sounds good. " She readies herself, giving Juno a brief glance and a grin, " Good luck! "

And then they started. The back and forth was far more intense than she'd expected. Her plays proved to have a lot of holes that Juno managed to take advantage of, but fortunately for her, Juno herself was not an expert either. After a tense first round, she found herself up 1-0. Brimming with nervous energy going into the second, a critical error leaves her open to a beatdown from Juno, evening the score. The third round proved the toughest yet, Leah desperate to not give an inch, but finding that she was running into the exact same stubbornness from Juno. As it came to the last sliver of health for them both, Leah's tapping at the controls grew increasingly frantic until, miraculously, she managed to eke out a victory.

Her silent moment of realisation is broken as Juno dramatically declares her defeat. Laughing at the drama, Leah shakes her head and turns to face the other Kantoan, " Nothing humiliating about it. " She offers out her hand, continuing with exaggerated seriousness " You were, truly, a worthy adversary. "
tgva8889
 
 Originally Posted by Hazuki 
  Alyssa 
 "Really?"  Utha asks, her eyes similarly drifting to the munching Maggie.  "You seem to have Maggie with you every time I see you, never in a ball or anything, and she clearly trusts you very much. The most important part of training is the trust you have with your Pokemon; that's the hard part. And...I honestly don't think there's a Pokemon out there that you couldn't charm, Alyssa,"  she says, then hurriedly downs a mouthful of her meal. 
 

Alyssa smiles, but looks down nervously.  "I guess Maggie does trust me, but she's not even really my Pokemon yet, so, um, I dunno if she counts. But, um, thanks."  She looks over at Maggie.  "I guess what we have is special in its own way."  Turning back to Utha, she puts her chin in her hands.  "How did you and your Pokemon meet? Was it a hard battle to earn their trust? I know a lot about catching but I've only really ever caught like one Pokemon." 
Hazuki
 Leah 
 "Beaten twice, in a place I showed you,"  Juno replies, taking Leah's offered hand to the tune of tumbling tokens, each earned for high combo scores.  "If that's not humiliation, I don't know what is. I think, as a consolation prize, you have to dance."  She points to the machine just for that.

~

 Alyssa 
 "I...encountered her in peculiar circumstances,"  Utha says, glancing at the Pokeball containing her Espurr.  "She was injured and there was entire...there were complications, and she particularly trusts me because of how I helped her, but not other people. As I said when you met her, her dislike is not to be taken personally. If you're not me, she won't like you." 
Comissar
Leah breaks into an embarrassed grin, rubbing behind her neck as Juno doubles down on claiming humiliation, even though it did appear to be in good fun. She follows Juno's gesture toward the dance machine, stretching her arms as she starts to make her way to it. " Alright. " She gives Juno a sheepish grin, " Promise not to, uh, not to laugh, though? They're fun, but, uh, but again, it's been a while. "

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
Did you want a roll for Leah's ability at dancing?
 
tgva8889
 
 Originally Posted by Hazuki 
  Alyssa 
 "I...encountered her in peculiar circumstances,"  Utha says, glancing at the Pokeball containing her Espurr.  "She was injured and there was entire...there were complications, and she particularly trusts me because of how I helped her, but not other people. As I said when you met her, her dislike is not to be taken personally. If you're not me, she won't like you."  
 

Alyssa listens to Utha's story with interest, nodding.  "She sure doesn't seem to like me much. I guess there's one Pokemon that doesn't out there."  She laughs, smiling when she's finished.  "I guess I don't know why my Pokemon trust me the way they do. I can guess but, um, I guess I just don't know. I feel like I know how to talk to people and Pokemon but to do something on purpose...I dunno, I just try to be nice to people when I can." 
Hazuki
 Leah 
 "I won't laugh,"  Juno says as she pulls a bottle of water out of her bag and takes a sip, pulling up a small chair that was set along the wall so she can put herself in it.  "It'll be fun to watch someone dance and actually enjoy it." 

~

 Alyssa 
 "Umm..."  Utha gets a thoughtful look on her face as she finishes munching a mouthful of her meal.  "I'm not excellent at smooth-talking in that way, but I think it might be as simple as just doing what you usually do more. And in battles. Or you could find somebody who charms Pokemon the way you charm people and convince them to tutor you? Learn their style?" 
Comissar
Assurances heard, Leah nods and turns to the interface for the dance machine. Pressing a few buttons, then inserting her token, she rolled her shoulders and stepped onto the platform in front of the screen. The tune that was playing was one she was familiar with, but also one that she hadn't heard in some time. As the slightly tinny music picked up pace, she bobbed from side to side. And then the arrows started coming in, an on-screen dancer moving impeccably in time to the song, setting a rhythm to be matched. Leah moves alongside the on-screen dancer. At first not moving much more than just her feet as she works to find her rhythm, as well as working to shake off any lingering worries of embarrassing herself. As she gets more into the dancing Leah grows more animated, doing her best to match the example dancer's movements down to the shimmies and the shakes, a grin on plastered across her face as she does.
tgva8889
Alyssa ponders Utha's words.  "You think there's someone out there who battles like I talk to people?"  She pauses, looking at Maggie as she eats, then turns back to Utha.  "You think they'd be any good?"  Giggling a bit, she smiles.  "Sorry if I'm putting a lot on you. You're probably the best person I know at battling besides maybe my brother. I was always a bit interested in seeing how people battle, watching and trying to make it an image, but, um, I never thought that much about how I wanted to battle, I guess. Or if I wanted to be in that moment." 
Hazuki
 Leah 

Leah dances, wrapped up in the moment and unaware of anything else that happens in the room. By the time she's finished with her engrossing dance, which ends up with a respectable score, she turns back to find Pudin watching her with a bittersweet smile.

 "You were really good,"  Junio says softly.  "How're you feeling? Need some water? Deodorant?"  she asks, patting her bag.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
I forogt to answer about the dance roll thing because I wrote the last post over a while, my bad.
 


~

 Alyssa 

Maggie is still happily nomming on her floating food, not paying much attention to the conversation.

 "It's perfectly fine, you're only asking questions! There are a lot of trainers who battle like that! A lot of people who use Fairy types do, but others, too. It all depends on the trainer, what works best for them, it's simply that I've undertaken Knight training and that doesn't often revolve around using charm."  Utha licks her lips as she eyes her next bite of dinner.  "And I suppose you haven't spent time with trainers like that. The girl your, ah, girlfriend was arguing with was a trainer, wasn't she?" 
Comissar
Leah takes a few moments to catch her breath as the dance game finishes, stepping off the platform as she turns to Juno with a grin. It takes her a moment to recognise Juno's expression, a mixture of confusion and concern settling on her own face. She nods at the offer of both water and deodorant, " Yeah, uh, please. " Accepting the proferred items, she starts with the water, taking a small drink before asking, " Are, uh, are you ok..? You seem a bit down..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa nods.  "Yeah. Sass is just starting out, but she's learned a lot. She's probably better at battling than I am."  She looks down at her hands, squeezing them together and then relaxing them.  "I'm not sure how she thinks of me. I wasn't sure before and then that fight happened."  Turning to Utha, she smiles.  "I don't think she and I would battle at all the same." 
Hazuki
 Leah 
 "Yeah, I'm..."  Juno lets out a sigh.  "You just got me thinking about home, and my friends there, and how far away it is, and...yeah. Not your fault."  She rummages through her pack for a moment, then pulls out a can of Butterfree Fresh deodorant.  "And it's going to  suck  when you leave town." 

~

 Alyssa 

A thoughtful frown flickers across Utha's face.  "I think you're right; she did seem like a particularly forceful sort of person. Would you like me to write a letter to my sponsor on your behalf? I'm certain that she'd know somebody who could help you learn how to train. It ought to cost less than the lovely things she's bought for me, or if not, you could paint something for her! One of your paintings would be worth a year of training,"  she says, nodding at her own words.
Comissar
The confusion drops away from Leah's expression, leaving just the concern. Her gaze falls as she tries to work out what to say, " ... Sorry. It's, uh, it's hard. Missing home. " She looks up again, giving Juno a small smile, " If, uh, if it's any consolation. Umm, we're not planning on leaving for, uh, for a while yet. " She adds a small shrug, " I'd be up for, uh, for hanging out some more while we're still here. "
Hazuki
 "Ugh, doesn't this just make me sound desperate?"  Juno asks, running a hand through her hair and smiling nonetheless.  "I think that would be fun. Especially if you're sticking around for a while. Maybe you could even fill in shifts for me..."  she muses with an obviously teasing tone.
tgva8889
 
 Originally Posted by Hazuki 
 A thoughtful frown flickers across Utha's face.  "I think you're right; she did seem like a particularly forceful sort of person. Would you like me to write a letter to my sponsor on your behalf? I'm certain that she'd know somebody who could help you learn how to train. It ought to cost less than the lovely things she's bought for me, or if not, you could paint something for her! One of your paintings would be worth a year of training,"  she says, nodding at her own words. 
 

Alyssa turns a bit red and smiles.  "Would your sponsor like to help a traveling artist? I'm gonna be in town for a bit but not that long, so, um, I wouldn't mind it but I dunno how that would work."  She looks down at her hands.  "I haven't really done any painting since I got to town. I guess there's just been...a lot going on." 
Comissar
Leah grins, bumping Juno with her shoulder, " I don't think I'd, uh, I'd be any good at that. At least, uh, at least not the way you serve people. I've not got that kind of energy in me. " She then shakes her head, " And, uh, and I don't think wanting to hang out with people makes you desperate. "
Hazuki
 Alyssa 
 "I'm not certain, but she was very generous with me, and I'm not nearly as accomplished a warrior as you are a painter. And she does enjoy fine things,"  Utha says, as she takes a mouthful and the sleeve of her luxurious robe rolls up her arm.  "I'm sorry to hear that there has been a lot going on. I don't know whether you'd want to talk about it? Or perhaps a subject for your painting?" 

~

 Leah 
 "Hearing you say that makes it better. A little,"  Juno says, a feigned eye-narrowing in response to the bump.  "Want to hit up another game? Pick out a few prizes? Dance some more?" 
Hazuki
 Leah 

More time passes by at the arcade and Leah finds herself leaving with just about anything she could have wanted from the Abra-authorized prize gallery. Juno's luck proves about as good as before, but she does seem to have fun. But the figurative hand ticks over and they depart, with Leah accompanying the takeaway idol to er home. Home is a word which here generously refers to a small prefab on the far side of the foreign quarter, near the walls, with a splitting line down the center and a door on either side.

Juno opens the door to reveal her room beyond, which is roughly the same size as Leah's bedroom back in Sorland Town. One quarter of it is a sectioned-off kitchen, another seems to lead into a bathroom with a door that's currently ajar, while the rest is a combination of bedroom and living room. The floor is hard wood, still new, with a simple patterned rug with a couple of cushions sitting beside a baby blue futon. A couple of shelves are embedded in the plain papered walls with a few knicknacks, like a dance trophy, a couple of prizes Leah recognizes from the arcade, and a single Pokedollar sitting in a jar. A set of shoes are lined up by the door, along with a stuffed backpack and a small trash can.

 "So...this is my where I live,"  Juno says with a halfhearted gesture inside.  "It has everything you need. That last word's doing a lot of heavy lifting there, just so you know." 
Comissar
Leah grins and nods at the suggestion of some more games, " Sounds good, I, uh, I might not dance again for, uh, for a bit though. " As the evening continues she finds that her lucky streak continues, having good fun throughout. By the time the pair leave, she's carrying a Squirtle plush and has a new Bulbasaur charm for her pokégear. She accompanies Juno back with amiable conversation, paying attention to their surroundings as they go to help keep a mental map of the area.

When they arrive at Juno's, Leah tries not to look underwhelmed by the small living space. " It, uh, it looks... Cozy..? " She gives Juno a faintly embarrassed smile, " I guess, uh, I guess entertaining guests isn't the, uh, the easiest thing..? "
Hazuki
 "It's great. You can fit three whole people, if someone's willing to sit on your lap,"  Juno replies with a wry smile.  "I mean, I shouldn't complain, really. It doesn't cost much and it has everything I need, so..."  she shrugs, placing her pack beside the row of shoes.  "Do you want some water? I've got...two types. Tap and bathroom." 
tgva8889
 
 Originally Posted by Hazuki 
  Alyssa 
 "I'm not certain, but she was very generous with me, and I'm not nearly as accomplished a warrior as you are a painter. And she does enjoy fine things,"  Utha says, as she takes a mouthful and the sleeve of her luxurious robe rolls up her arm.  "I'm sorry to hear that there has been a lot going on. I don't know whether you'd want to talk about it? Or perhaps a subject for your painting?"  
 

Alyssa smiles.  "If you, um, wanted to ask her, I wouldn't mind. I am sort of open to work right now, so if she's looking for something I can try my hand."  She shakes her head at Utha's offer, though still smiles.  "I, um, am getting over some things. Not sure how much I can really talk about, since I'm not really over anything yet. It's a long process. But you're right, I might need to find a good subject for a painting. Maybe get back to work on what I was doing before."  She looks down at her hands.  "I lost a bit of sight on my goal between everything. I guess maybe I shouldn't have been so distracted." 
Comissar
Leah grins at Juno's sardonic comments, " I guess it's best to, uh, to make sure you're on good terms with your guests if there's more than one, then. " Leah slips her shoes off, setting them beside the row already present, before moving further into the room. " Some water sounds good. Probably tap rather than, uh, than bathroom, though. "
Hazuki
 Alyssa 
 "Then I'll make certain to send her a letter tomorrow morning,"  Utha says with a firm nod. Her smile falters a bit at Alyssa's explanation of her woes.  "I...cannot offer you any advice on things you don't want to talk about, but I definitely believe that it's perfectly fine to let yourself get distracted sometimes. Of you do nothing but one thing, then you won't be able to appreciate all the other things." 

~

 Leah 
 "I mostly just...don't have people over? More space for me,"  Juno says, stretching her arms out wide and taking just about all of the width of where she stands as she strolls through to the kitchen area and pours Leah a cool glass of water.  "Weird question, but have you ever thought about what kind of place you want to live in when you're older?" 
tgva8889
 
 Originally Posted by Hazuki 
  Alyssa 
 "Then I'll make certain to send her a letter tomorrow morning,"  Utha says with a firm nod. Her smile falters a bit at Alyssa's explanation of her woes.  "I...cannot offer you any advice on things you don't want to talk about, but I definitely believe that it's perfectly fine to let yourself get distracted sometimes. Of you do nothing but one thing, then you won't be able to appreciate all the other things."  
 

Alyssa brightens a bit at Utha's support.  "Thank you, Utha. You're really good to me. I, um, I'm sorry, I feel a bit like I'm taking a lot from you and not being as thankful as I should be."  She nods at Utha's supporting words.  "You're right, the things I've been doing haven't stopped me from going for my goals. They're things I care about doing, too, so they're important."  With determination, she pumps a fist in the air.  "I can still get my dreams." 

Smiling, she looks over at Maggie.  "I guess I should be thankful for what I have, too. Even if I still have more to go to get my dreams, I have a lot of good right now."  She looks over at Utha and then gasps.  "Sorry, I spent our entire time talking about myself when I meant to be trying to make up for before." 
Comissar
" That's... Fair enough, I guess. " Leah gives Juno a wan smile, " Sounds, uh, sounds kinda lonely, though. Umm, you've, uh, you've gotta make sure you're not just living for work. " She blinks at Juno's questions, then shakes her head, " No, uh, not really. Umm, I've not really had to. I guess... " She leans her head back slightly, looking up at the ceiling, " I  would've  said, uh, somewhere quiet in the country with, uh, with a garden I could do stuff with. But... But with what I've been missing since, uh, since coming to Londo..? Maybe somewhere in the city would, uh, would be better..? " She looks back to Juno and shrugs, " I'm, uh, not sure. Why do you ask..? "
Hazuki
 Alyssa 

Maggie imitates Alyssa's fist-pump when she looks at her, though the effect is mitigated by a mouthful of noodles.

 "Oh, that? That's no trouble at all. I'd forgotten about it,"  Utha says with a smile to match hers.  "And it's quite good enough to see you smiling like that. That's the job of a Knight, after all, to make sure people can go on having those smiles." 

~

 Leah 

Leah's drifting gaze finds that the ceiling is just as featureless as the rest of the room.

 "Maybe one of those places out East will be more built up by the time you're old enough,"  Juno muses.  "And I dunno, honestly. I was just thinking, I wanted to live in a Lady's castle or whatever and that's not happening. I don't know where I want to go, aside from back to Kanto..."  She steps around and hands the glass over to Leah.
tgva8889
Alyssa giggles at Maggie. She turns back to Utha as she replies and smiles.  "You're sure? It means a lot that you would still want to be my friend after that. I think you'll be a great Knight." 
Comissar
Leah shrugs, accepting the water off of Juno as she turns her attention back to her host. " I mean, uh, Whitebeam might, uh, might be the place to go. With the corporations having, uh, having their bases there, I imagine they'll, uh, they'll probably modernise it pretty, uh, pretty quickly. "

Water in hand, and with Juno apparently ready to relax, Leah seats herself on one of the cushions by the futon. She grins a little as she continues, " So, uh, I actually got to stay with, uh, with Lord Bastille for a little while. It was where I met Alyssa, in fact. Umm, it was pretty cool, really felt like I'd gone back in time. Really big place, lots of, uh, of history to it. Maybe you could, uh, could try looking for work in a noble's place..? "
Hazuki
 Alyssa 
 "Of course I'd still want to be your friend. You're sweet and talented and pretty..."  Utha lists, a smile drifting on her lips.  "I think anyone is lucky to be your friend, Alyssa. And Leah is...double as lucky as that. And your Pokemon, too!"  she adds, as she finishes off the last of the food on her plate.

~

 Leah 

Juno sits herself on the remaining cushion and leans right back so she's resting against the wall, her legs splayed out in front of her. Her brow furrows at the mention of Lord Bastille.

 "Isn't...isn't Bastille Town where that thing with the technology went wrong and his daughter got all...uhh...well, it was bad, wasn't it?" 
Comissar
Leah's smile rapidly wilts and her eyes fall to her lap as Juno reminds her of the injuries Macha suffered. " ... Y-yeah... It, uh, it was pretty bad... " She's quiet for a few moments, before adding, " ... I, uh, I hope she's recovering ok... "
Hazuki
Juno's good cheer seems to fade alongside Leah's, her head tilting as she tries to catch the other girl's eyes.  "You okay over there? Did you get to know her while you were in Bastille Town?" 
tgva8889
 
 Originally Posted by Hazuki 
  Alyssa 
 "Of course I'd still want to be your friend. You're sweet and talented and pretty..."  Utha lists, a smile drifting on her lips.  "I think anyone is lucky to be your friend, Alyssa. And Leah is...double as lucky as that. And your Pokemon, too!"  she adds, as she finishes off the last of the food on her plate. 
 

Alyssa blushes.  "You, uh, you're very nice, Utha. I, um, I am not sure everyone thinks the same, but I am happy you think so."  She smiles as Utha does and then looks down at her plate.  "How was your food?" 
Comissar
Leah closes her eyes, letting out a soft sigh. " Not, uh, not as well as Alyssa. But... " She glances up, seeing Juno looking over to her. " I, uh... Was in the crowd to, uh, to see Macha get injured. It... It was really bad... Umm... Someone tampered with, uh, with the braces for her legs and... Yeah... Her, uh, h-her legs got crushed. " She shakes her head, " We, uh, we tried to find out who, uh, who was behind it. But, uh, but we didn't manage to figure it out. Umm, Lord, uh, Lord Bastille even thought  I  might've done it at, uh, at one point. "

She glances back to Juno again, a wan smile on her face, " Uh, sorry, didn't, uh, didn't mean to be a downer. "
Hazuki
 Alyssa 
 "Then those people should think harder, in my opinion,"  Utha says, then flashes a smile.  "It was lovely, which I suppose was the point. It looks like Maggie hasn't quite finished hers..."  she says, which is true, as the much smaller creature has only so big a mouth to nom through her meal. She does seem to be enjoying it, at least.  "Is there anything you'd like to do while you're here? Talk some more? Oh, or you could start sketching something!" 

~

 Leah 

Juno's eyes get wider and wider through Leah's telling of the tale, until she finishes with a shake of her head.  "No, you're good, just...that's some story you have, there. I don't think you'd hurt anyone. Not on purpose, anyway. Maybe stumble into them, step on their toes or something..." 
Comissar
Leah gives a wry smile, " H-heh. For, uh, for what it's worth, Lord Bastille doesn't, uh, doesn't think it was me any more. I, uh, I doubt he'd have, uh, have sent us out into Londo if, uh, if he did. " She shakes her head again, " But... Yeah... It, uh, it wasn't good. "

Leah stays quiet a few moments, rubbing behind her neck before she speaks again, " ... Sorry. I, uh, I know you said it's fine, but I feel like I've, uh, I've dragged the evening down now. " She looks over to Juno with an uncertain smile, " I had fun, though. Getting to play arcade games again. It, uh, it was good. "
Hazuki
Juno stares at Leah for a few moments.  "Can I get a hug?" 
Comissar
Leah blinks at the unexpected request, letting her arm drop back to her side. " Ah, umm, s-sure..? "

Setting her drink down beside her, she scoots forward off the cushion again and stands. Turning to Juno, she offers a hand to help get her up to her feet.
Hazuki
Juno notices Leah's offered hand and, with a head-tilt of amusement, accepts its aid to stand. Then she holds her arms out, inviting a hug.
Comissar
Leah steps into the hug, holding the hug until Juno seemed ready to release it.
Hazuki
Juno holds Leah not tightly, but firm enough that it's obvious she's not wary about hugging her. It lasts for a few, appropriate-length moments, and then she releases Leah.

 "Good hug. Nine out of ten,"  she says with a nod as she sits back down on her cushion.
tgva8889
 
 Originally Posted by Hazuki 
  Alyssa 
 "Then those people should think harder, in my opinion,"  Utha says, then flashes a smile.  "It was lovely, which I suppose was the point. It looks like Maggie hasn't quite finished hers..."  she says, which is true, as the much smaller creature has only so big a mouth to nom through her meal. She does seem to be enjoying it, at least.  "Is there anything you'd like to do while you're here? Talk some more? Oh, or you could start sketching something!"  
 

Alyssa smiles. She nods as she looks over at Maggie.  "I guess we should let her finish."  At the suggestion, Utha looks around for her bag and pulls her sketchbook out.  "Yeah, um, I could try. What should I draw?"  Tapping her chin with her pencil, she looks over at Utha, uncertain.
Comissar
Leah tucks her hair away from her face, grinning as she sits back on her own cushion, " Heh, a, uh, a nine is pretty good. " She's quiet a moment, looking away as she picks her drink back up. " Thanks... I, uh, I feel better for it. "
Hazuki
 Alyssa 
 "Well...there's not much of interest in here, to be honest; I wasn't expecting a long visit initially so I mostly brought essentials,"  Utha explains,  "and the things I've bought since, obviously. I could wear one of my fancier robes?" 

~

 Leah 
 "Good."  Juno nods her approval.  "Lucky you, having a girlfriend to hug whenever you want. I don't even have a Pokemon for that. I've started giving longing looks to dakimakuras..."  she says with evident humor.
Comissar
Leah gives an embarrassed grin at Juno's joking comment, " Heh, yeah, umm, Alyssa's, uh, Alyssa's really supportive. It's been... It's been really nice, I've never really been in, uh, in a relationship before. Umm, I don't know that she always  gets  it when I'm feeling homesick, though... " Leah gives a small shrug, " She's from Vibrost originally, but she can go home a lot easier than, uh, than I can. "

Shuffling a little on her cushion to turn and face Juno a bit more, Leah tilts her head, " But, uh, for real..? Did, uh, did you not want a starter as a kid..? "
Hazuki
 "I wasn't really eligible for a starter. Your parents probably applied for you to get yours, right?"  Juno asks, crossing her legs underneath her.  "I hear there's some kind of paperwork involved and I didn't mind that much at the time. Seemed like a lot of responsibility, you know? I'd like the companionship now, though I'd have to feed them, or keep them in their ball the whole time, which isn't fair to them." 
Comissar
Leah tilts her head a little as Juno talks about not being eligible for a starter, giving a silent nod of her head at the question about her application for Saura. She pulls one of her knees up to her chest as Juno continues, resting her cheek against the top of her knee. She nods again as Juno finishes, " I... Guess I can understand why you, uh, you wouldn't want to chance that, uh, that responsibility. "

She's quiet a few moments. After a few seconds, she continues, " I, uh, I'm not too sure what, uh, what the solution is. It, uh, it feels a bit like a catch 22. Umm... I think, uh, I think I said it back at the arcade and, uh, and I know it's not really a, uh, a permanent solution... But, uh, but I'd be up for hanging out more often. " She smiles, " I guess, uh, I guess we could see about finding you a grass type or something, a pokémon that, uh, that doesn't need much normal food and can, uh, can photosynthesise or something. "
tgva8889
 
 Originally Posted by Hazuki 
  Alyssa 
 "Well...there's not much of interest in here, to be honest; I wasn't expecting a long visit initially so I mostly brought essentials,"  Utha explains,  "and the things I've bought since, obviously. I could wear one of my fancier robes?"  
 

Alyssa smiles.  "That's okay, it's just a sketch."  She turns over to Maggie and starts sketching her enjoying her food.  "Where are you going after you get better?" 
Hazuki
 Leah 
 "And I'd like to hang out with you more often,"  Juno replies.  "But...photosynthesis? That's...something to do with sunlight, isn't it? They can just lay out in the sun and they don't need food or water or anything?" 

~

 Alyssa 
 "I'm going to challenge the Dusk,"  Utha says with some confidence.  "And if I do well, I'll visit my sponsor for her approval and then...I believe I'll have to meet one of the tutors who'll train me to be a Knight proper." 
tgva8889
Alyssa nods.  "Sorry, I forgot about that. Do you know how long you're gonna be resting for? You seem at least in a good mood."  She looks up from her sketch of Maggie to Utha.  "I guess arms don't heal as quickly as moods can."  Looking back, she draws for a moment, then asks,  "How does someone become a Knight? I know you need to be good at fighting and you need a Lord or something to take you on, but is there like a specific test, or do you sort of try out for it, or do you just get to be friendly with a noble or something?" 
Comissar
Leah simply smiles as Juno affirms wanting to hang out more in future. She then nods at the, admittedly basic, explanation of photosynthesis, " Yeah. Most Grass-types can do it to a degree, but not all of them can get by  just  by photosynthesising. Like, my, uh, my Bulbasaur enjoys sunbathing a lot, and she gets energy from it, but she's active enough that she needs other food too. But something smaller with proportionally bigger leaves, like a Bellsprout, would be able to go much longer without needing food directly. "
Hazuki
 Alyssa 
 "I have good company and good food, I don't see why I wouldn't be in a mood that matches,"  Utha replies, brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear.  "Becoming a Knight is about the will to serve your sovereign and thus their people. In theory, that's the case, though you'll sometimes find Knights who are simply skilled at fighting, which is what it requires most of the time. There are of course some who are more suited to the sorts of issues you'll find in civilized areas, which is becoming more common, seeing as we're in peacetime. But the training...is, well, there's whatever you did to become good at fighting, then an aptitude test, then you're in training, which may require a sponsor or special dispensation from your Lord or Lady, not directly, obviously, in order to travel, get equipment, and so on. And then there's another aptitude test, for becoming a proper Knight-in-training, where you'll learn all the precise things required of a Knight. And at the end of that, you ought to be a Knight proper." 

~

 Leah 
 "You really know your stuff, huh?"  Juno remarks, her eyebrows rising in a manner most impressed.  "I don't think I've seen any Bellsprouts around here, though. And they're kind of...goofy." 
Comissar
Leah feels her ears heat as she gives an embarrassed grin, " I, uh, I enjoy, uh, I enjoy botany... " She finds her gaze falling down to her lap as she shrugs, a smile still on her face, " And, uh, it, uh, it doesn't need to be a Bellsprout. Umm, that was, uh, was just an example. Any small Grass-type should, uh, should be fairly easy to care for. "
tgva8889
Alyssa continues to sketch, moving her gaze between Maggie and her sketchbook, but she nods at all the appropriate times as Utha explains.  "So it's a lot of training for tests so you can train for more tests. Kel never told me about all the tests."  She pauses, looking down at her sketch book.  "I, um, I guess I never really thought about all the stuff Knights have to do to be what they are. Or, um, I guess, to be good at what they are." 
Hazuki
 Leah 
 "Botany's cool."  Juno nods.  "You must know a few good grass types, right? What small ones are good?"  she asks, glancing around at her own small living space.

~

 Alyssa 
 "It is very difficult, though I suppose most things involve tests. One would hardly be invited to apprentice to a baker without them testing your skill. But even moreso when people's lives depend on you being good enough,"  Utha explains.  "If you're not quick enough or strong enough, there are some very strong Pokemon that can cause real havoc." 
tgva8889
Alyssa nods.  "I had to take tests to be an artist, too. Though I think my tests were less, um, fighting-based than yours?"  She laughs.  "I had to show I knew things like colors and stuff. Very different test." 
Comissar
" Good for, uh, for living with, you mean..? " Leah tilts her head back a little as she thinks, raising her hands and counting out the pokémon that come to her mind on her fingers, " U-umm... Cherubi, Petilil, and Oddish are all pretty low maintenance. If, uh, if you don't mind bug-types, Sewaddle is pretty easy to handle too... " Leah lets her hands drop back down to her lap, looking back to Juno with a smile, " I, uh, I don't know which of those are native to this area, but I'm sure it'd be easy enough to, uh, to find out. "
Hazuki
 Alyssa 

Utha giggles at Alyssa's joke.  "I'd hope there wouldn't be any fighting, or it would become awfully messy and be a dreadful waste of paint. You mean knowing how to put colors together to compose a pleasing scene, don't you?" 

~

 Leah 
 "Bug-types are, they're fine, but I wouldn't want one crawling around and their...hard...skin isn't very easy to cuddle with, is it?"  Juno asks with genuine uncertainty inn her voice.  "I don't know what a Cherubi is, but I know there are Petilils. They have those at all the Pokecenters here." 
tgva8889
Alyssa laughs.  "There was definitely some fighting, but not a lot of dangerous fighting. Though I wouldn't recommend getting between two people trying to get the same award in an art contest." 

She nods at Utha's question, still sketching.  "Yeah, learning how to combine colors in a scene or what colors mean for moods and complementing and contrasting colors and stuff. There's also some practical stuff, like how to make a particular color." 
Comissar
Leah gives a nod as Juno voices her thought processes, " Sounds like a, uh, a Petilil would be best for you, then. Cherubi's kinda look like, uh, like berries, but I doubt they're around here if, uh, if you've not seen any pokémon that look like that. "
Hazuki
 Alyssa 

Utha nods thoughtfully and, in that moment, Maggie taps the bowl her food came in with a utensil, making a faint pinging noise. It seems that the Gothorita has finished her meal.

 "Could she not deliver the dishes back herself? I seem to recall Gothorita having the ability to move things with their minds,"  Utha says with an amused tone to her voice.

Maggie looks to Alyssa, apparently ignoring that comment.

~

 Leah 
 "I don't really know that many Pokemon,"  Juno admits with a shrug.  "Not as many as a Professor's assistant for sure. Just the ones that were around Lavender Town, or on TV, and the ones that are around here, and I don't go into the Dusk or anything like that. Too dangerous for me, thanks." 
Comissar
Leah gives a small shrug of her own, " I've just, uh, I've just always enjoyed learning about, uh, about different pokémon. It, uh, it felt like there were new discoveries all the time for, uh, for a while. I've kinda lost touch since coming out to, uh, to Londo though. " She gives a nod at Juno's comment on the Dusk, " Yeah, uh, I don't think I'd be up for going into the Dusk. Just travelling from town to town here can be scary enough sometimes. "
tgva8889
The tapping alerts Alyssa, who looks up from her sketch to see Maggie done with eating. She looks over at Utha as she comments, laughing, before she gets up and sits close to Maggie.  "You wanna see what I drew?"  She shows the Gothorita her rough sketch, a pretty good depiction of Maggie enjoying her food out of the bowl.
Hazuki
 Leah 
 "That's the kind of thing someone says when they have something in mind,"  Juno points out, taking a sip of her water.  "Or the kind of thing someone says when they don't want to talk about something because it's too scary. Got any stories, or...?" 

~

 Alyssa 

Maggie regards the art for a few long moments, then nods her approval and gives Alyssa a quick hug.
Comissar
Leah gives an uncomfortable shrug, " Th-there was... A, uh, a group of bandits o-outside town. Quite a few of them, umm... " She frowns, " All of them..? " She shakes her head, " A  lot  of them are, uh, are Elementals. I... Didn't realise the, uh, the kind of people they were at first. They were, uh, they were kinda friendly, and I  thought  they were, uh, they were the type who only went after bad people. Like... Robbing from, uh, from the rich, give to the poor, from, uh, from old stories. " She gives Juno a wry smile, " When, uh, when I realised they weren't and, uh, and told their leader I wasn't going to help her figure out how a, uh, a Holocaster worked, she snapped. All but threw me out. "

Leah pauses, recalling Inoir's unnatural strength and her sudden turn to anger, " ... I, uh, I was really scared they'd, uh, they'd hurt us. If, uh, i-if it was just me o-on my own maybe they, uh, they would've. " She lets out a breath, " S-still, at least I, uh, I can avoid going past that way again. "
tgva8889
Alyssa returns her hug with one arm, smiling. Looking over at Utha, she chuckles.  "Um, where should we put the dish?"  She sets her sketchbook down and lifts up the bowl.
Hazuki
 Leah 
 "Hey...wh..."  Juno's eyes only got wider through Leah's explanation, and now they're rivaling a Sableye's.  "A whole gang of elementals? Did you tell anyone? Are you okay? That's...insane. Just Psychics give me the creeps!" 

~

 Alyssa 
 "Just in the little kitchen area, if you would be so kind,"  Utha replies.  "You're quite welcome to clean it as well, since it is a little difficult for me..." 
Comissar
Leah finds herself awkwardly rubbing behind her neck at Juno's reaction. She shakes her head, then gives an uncomfortable shrug, " I, uh, I don't know if they all were but, uh, but it seemed like a lot of them were. A-and, yeah, I'm ok. I was a bit shaken after, but Alyssa and Bibi... Umm, Bibi's our guide, uh they helped me get over it. I was, uh, I was fine by the time we got here. " She gives a nervous smile, " H-honestly, u-uh, I, uh, I didn't think to try and tell anyone. Umm... " Her thoughts go to Rana and Misru, " There were... Still are..? People there with them who wanted to stay that I, uh, that I know. Some, uh, some friends... " She hesitates, then lapses into silence, recalling Misru's indifference to her ejection, as well as Rana's rejection of their company for a band of thieves, " ... "
tgva8889
Alyssa nods.  "Okay Maggie, this way."  Slowly, she stands up, still holding Maggie in a hug, and reaches down to pick up the bowl. Once everything is in hand, she makes her way over to the kitchen area, moving slowly to make sure she doesn't drop anything. Once at the washing station she sets the bowl down before placing Maggie nearby.  "Maggie, would you mind helping me a bit?"  Mainly using gestures and actions, she tries to teach Maggie how to watch the dishes to the best of her ability.
Hazuki
 Leah 
 "Seriously? What kind of friends just think oh yeah, I'll stay with thieves?"  Juno asks, shaking her head.  "I mean, I don't know if we're friends yet or anything, but I guarantee you that I won't ever abandon you to hang out with some creepy elementals who live in the woods. That's a Juno promise." 

~

 Alyssa 

Maggie gives a sceptical look at the basin when Alyssa starts, but soon starts to help her out with washing what few bowls there are, until each of them are squeaky clean and Utha gives Maggie an approving nod for her efforts.

 "Thank you, both of you. That was very kind." 
tgva8889
Alyssa bows slightly.  "You were nice to me. It's only fair I be nice to you, too."  She takes out her Pokegear, checking the time.  "Oh, it's pretty late, isn't it? I should probably let you rest for the night. But, um, thanks for seeing me and letting me spend some time here. You've been really nice to me and Maggie and I appreciate it." 
Comissar
Feeling flat over her discussion of the last time she saw Rana and Misru, Leah breaks back into a smile at Juno's sympathising and promise. " Thanks. " She looks over to her fellow Kantoan, giving a small laugh, " I, uh, I doubt I'll be  trying  to run into them again, but thanks. And thanks for, uh, for listening to me talk. And, uh, and just for hanging out, too. " She brushes her hair back behind her ear, " It's, uh, it's been good. Even if it's not all, uh, all been cheerful conversation. "
Hazuki
 Alyssa 
 "Oh, yes...well..."  Utha nods, a smile fixed on her face.  "You're both quite welcome and are welcome to come back any time, as long as I'm here, of course. Which I am frightfully likely to be,"  she says with a brief glance at her slinged arm.

Maggie gives a wave to the still-sat girl, apparently just as ready to head back now that she's full of yummy human food.

~

 Leah 
 "You've seen my job; being cheerful all the time? Not all it's cracked up to be,"  Juno replies, apparently noting the path Leah's words seem to be taking.  "And I should be thanking you for hanging out with me. If you ever wanna do it again, bring your girlfriend, your Pokemon, whatever, just let me know." 
tgva8889
Alyssa picks up her sketchbook and then goes back to Maggie, picking her up for the trip back to their room. With everything ready to go, she gives Utha another small bow.  "Perhaps I'll have to come back and take care of you or something, if you're still stuck here. Or at least bring you some food or somethin."  Smiling, Alyssa waves herself.  "It's been good to see you again, really. And, um, thanks." 
Comissar
Leah grins again at Juno's comments, " True. And, uh, yeah. Sounds good. I'd, uh, I'd like to get you to meet Alyssa properly at some point but, uh, but honestly just another evening of arcade games sounds like, uh, like it'd be good. "

Pushing herself up to her feet, she returns her glass to Juno's humble kitchen before turning back to look at her with a smile, " And, uh, and let me know if you want to go out looking for a, uh, a Petilil some time, too. "
Hazuki
 Alyssa 
 "Oh, that won't be necessary, I'm sure,"  Utha says with a laugh that's a little too carefree.  "Farewell, Alyssa." 

~

 Leah 
 "I'll do that. Flag down a courier and hope they're cheap or something,"  Juno replie.  "Have a nice night." 

~

 Both 

As luck would have it, both girls return to their quarters at around the same time, passing through the quiet reception area without being bothered. Maggie seems quite eager to get into bed, in that she immediately starts pointing to it once Alyssa walks in through the door.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
I figure I'll write a transition to the morning after a couple of "Oh this is how my evening went" posts?
 
Comissar
Leah nods as she toes back into her shoes near the door, " Sounds good, I, uh, I look forward to it. " Shouldering her bag, Leah gives Juno a brief bow as she gets ready to leave, " Thankyou for, uh, for the evening. I hope, uh, I hope work isn't too taxing for you tomorrow. Goodnight! "

Farewells given, Leah heads away and back toward the inn. She takes her time walking back, enjoying the stillness of the night and the quiet of her own company. When she gets back to the room, she finds it empty save for Saura, the Bulbasaur dozing at the foot of the bed. Smiling, she lets her bag down to the side of the door and slips her shoes off. Digging out her pyjamas, she smiles as Saura stirs at the small noises, reaching over to give her a scratch behind the neck.

" Hey. Looks like you've had a quiet evening. Hope you enjoyed it. "

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
That works for me
 
tgva8889
Alyssa is a bit inside her own head as she walks back, her brain thinking about the evening she experienced. She's almost surprised when she reaches their inn. Smiling as Maggie prods her forward, she pats her head.  "Yeah, let's get you to bed." 

Quickly moving through the lobby, Alyssa arrives to find Leah has beaten her back.  "Oh, um, hi Leah. How was your night? Is, um, Nya-chan doing well?"  She sets Maggie down where she sleeps and smiles.  "Did you do anything fun?" 
Comissar
Leah glances up, giving Alyssa a smile as she came in. Noting the sleepy Maggie, she keeps her voice low to avoid disturbing the two pokémon too much, " Hey! It was good thanks. " She stands up straight again, leaving Saura to rest more freely, " We, uh, we played some games then, uh, then went back to her place to talk for a bit. It was fun to do. Oh, she, uh, she said you're welcome to visit as well in future. "

Leah feels a small twinge of guilt at not mentioning the arcade, but Juno had seemed fairly insistent on keeping it to being a Kantoan space.

" How was your evening..? Did you end up meeting up with, uh, with Nika..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa looks at Leah, her head tilted slightly, and smiles.  "No, I, um, went to talk to Utha. It was good, Maggie had a lot of food so she's a bit tired."  She yawns, then laughs slightly.  "I guess I'm a bit tired too."  Noting the sleeping Saura, Alyssa points at Leah's collected pyjamas.  "Do you wanna change first or should I?" 
Comissar
" Oh! " Leah looks briefly surprised, then smiles, " I'm glad you had a good time! " She glances down at the pyjamas in her arms, then back up with an embarrassed grin, " Ah, uh, yeah. I was just about to. If you don't mind I'll go first..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa nods.  "I'm glad you and Nya-chan had a good time too." 

She sits down on the edge of the bed, facing the wall to give Leah plenty of time and space to change without her watching. She decides to work on some of her sketches, cleaning up a few of the sketched Maggies to be a bit less rough.
Comissar
Leah stands and moves over to the other side of the bed and, after shooting Alyssa a glance to ensure she was facing the other way, starts changing with a slightly reddened face. Speaking up again as she does, she comments, " Uh, her name's Juno as it turns out. And yeah... It was nice to just, uh, just talk about Kanto for a bit. Umm, did, uh, did you do much with Utha..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa shakes her head before remembering that wouldn't actually help in this situation.  "Um, we just talked a bit about what Utha's doing here and what I'm doing here and such. I, um, I might want to actually learn how to be a better trainer? I have made a bunch of friends but I don't really take care of them all as well as I should."  She looks down at her sketch.  "Do you still miss home?" 
Comissar
Leah finishes changing, pulling her hair free of her pyjama top, as she answers, " Oh yes..? I guess, uh, I guess it's a good way for you to see more pokémon moves in action. Has, uh, has Utha offered to help with that, then..? " She moves to sit beside Alyssa on the bed, her curiosity at what she might be sketching interrupted by Alyssa's next question. She abruptly finds herself feeling awkward, rubbing behind her neck as she answers, " Ah, uh, yeah. Not, uh, not all the time, but there's a lot I miss. That doesn't mean it's bad here, it's just... Different..? " She gives a shrug, offering Alyssa an uncertain smile, " It's, uh, it's nice to talk about that kind've thing with, uh, with someone else that's experiencing it... "
tgva8889
 "Yeah, um, she said her sponsor might be able to help with it a bit. I dunno if I'm going to take up that offer but it is a nice thing for her to do."  She wrings her hands, looking over her sketch of Maggie eating a big bowl of food.  "I, um, to be honest I haven't thought a lot about that. I do still want to see more moves, but there's also a lot of other things that are important that I want to do and I don't know what I want more and less."  When Leah comes over, Alyssa shifts a bit closer to her as the bed moves to accomodate her. Her response causes Alyssa to look up from her artwork, the words bringing a sad smile from her.  "Yeah, I, um, I understand what you mean. I do miss home a bit. Some parts of it anyways."  She meets Leah's eyes and pauses for a moment, then she smiles geninue.  "Um, I should get changed too." 
Comissar
Leah nudges Alyssa with her elbow, " You should. If, uh, if she's offering to help and it's something you want to do, take her up on it. I know you'll be a great trainer. " She doesn't make much comment as Alyssa talks about missing her hometown, just giving a complicated shrug and saying " We'll be going there soon enough, and, uh, and then you can show me round. " Leah nods and returns Alyssa's smile, leaning over to give her a peck on the cheek, " Alright, let me know when you're done. "
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles as Leah kisses her cheek.  "I'll think about talking to Utha about it."  She gets up to change. Realizing she had not actually organized her clothes very well, she pokes through her piles of clothes until she finds a suitable set of sleeping clothes. As she's changing, she asks,  "So, um, what did you and Nya-chan do? Or, um, Juno." 
Comissar
Leah hesitates as Alyssa asks again about what she'd done with Juno. " So... " She gives a shrug as she turns away once Alyssa begins changing, opting to give a partial version this time, " Uh, we, uh went to a place she knows with some, uh, some Kantoan games. It was, uh, it was fun to get to play them again. " She leans backward a little, resting her hands further back behind her on the bed to prop herself up, " And, uh, yeah, after that we went back to her place to talk for a bit. Just, uh, just about all sorts of things. "
tgva8889
 "Kantoan games?"  Not having any understanding of what Leah might be talking about, Alyssa imagines some kind of board game and shrugs. She puts on a simple shirt and pants and moves over to the bed as Leah is explaining.  "Sounds like you had a fun time. I hope you helped Nya-chan, er, Juno feel better."  Stealthily, she sneaks over behind Leah and wraps her arms around her shoulders, kissing her on the cheek.
Comissar
Leah nods at Alyssa's question, not elaborating so much as just confirming. " It was good, yeah. I'd like to try and meet up with her a few more times while we're here, I think we both got a, uh, a lot out of it. "

She breaks into a grin as Alyssa's arms snake down and hug around her, leaning her head slightly to make for a better angle as Alyssa plants her kiss. She reaches up with one hand and squeezes at one of Alyssa's arms, rubbing her head against Alyssa's as she gives a contented hum. " Mmm... Did, uh, did you have any plans for tomorrow..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles as Leah returns her affection. She considers her question for a moment, then replies,  "Hmm. Besides my meeting, I don't think so. Did you have something you wanted to do? I'm sure I could find time to do something with you." 
Comissar
Leah gives a one shouldered shrug, " I, uh, I didn't have anything specific in mind. Maybe, uh, maybe we could scout out some places for, uh, for catching pokémon..? Umm, it's, uh, it's something I was hoping to give Juno a hand with at some point while, uh, while we're here. "
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles.  "Yeah, that sounds fun. I haven't done a lot of that in a while."  She lets Leah go briefly so she can move around the bed to sit at her side, and wraps around Leah's arm instead, resting her head on her shoulder.  "What sort of Pokemon were you looking for?" 
Comissar
Leah shifts a little to allow Alyssa to reposition herself. " We'd, uh, we'd be looking for small grass types. Umm, probably Petilil's, but if we manage to find other small grass-types then that's a, uh, a bonus. "
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles.  "Grass-type Pokemon, huh? Not what I would have guessed for Nya-Chan, but I guess it makes sense."  After a second, she then corrects herself.  "Oh, uh, for Juno, I mean."  She hums a bit, very quietly, a random smattering of tones that don't really add up to anything.
Comissar
" It was, uh, it was my suggestion. " Leah gives a little shrug, " They can photosynthesise, so it makes it easier for feeding them. " She glances down to Saura, gesturing toward her with her free arm, " Larger Grass-types still need some food, but not as much as other pokémon of similar size. Smaller ones can almost entirely get by on just sunlight. "
tgva8889
Alyssa thinks for a moment.  "Photosynthesize? Oh that's why they like the sun so much."  She looks down at Saura as Leah gestures to her and smiles.  "Well I would guess you know a lot about Grass-types given your best friend there. I guess it would help Nya, um, Juno to have a friend like that." 
Comissar
Leah gives a small nod, smiling as she brings her free arm up to hold at Alyssa's arm, " Yeah, umm, I figured it'd help her to have a, uh, a lower maintenance pokémon. And, umm, I do think that, uh, that grass-types are just really cool in general. "
tgva8889
Alyssa looks a bit down.  "I guess that would be good, yeah."  She shakes her head a bit and kisses Leah on the cheek.  "D'you want me to help you and Juno look for something? I, uh, I can lend her a Pokemon probably." 
Comissar
Leah grins, giving a contented hum as Alyssa kisses her, " Mmm... " She nods again, " It'd be nice to, uh, to have you there too. Juno's, uh, Juno's pretty nice. She's not nearly as, uh, as  intense  as when she's in work mode. "
tgva8889
Alyssa nods.  "I'll definitely look forward to it then. Wouldn't mind meeting her as a normal person."  She yawns a bit, then returns to cuddling with Leah.  "I, uh, I guess we should go to sleep soon." 
Comissar
Leah dislodges Alyssa and shuffles back a little, moving to a more prone position and offers space for Alyssa to come back in again, " You'll like her, I think. I'm, uh, I'm not super tired, but I don't mind cuddling while you, uh, while you drift off. "
tgva8889
Alyssa allows herself to be briefly separated from Leah before she moves around the bed and lays down next to her, rewrapping herself around her in an embrace.  "Thanks, Leah." 
Hazuki
A peaceful night passes in the two travelers' inn room, with nary a peep from the sleeping Saura or the Gothorita who has claimed Alyssa's bed in the absence of its owner. Morning arrives with welcome mild weather, a breeze, and the streets outside a little quieter than usual. The pair pass by Bibi at breakfast, who provides them with a small bag of snacks for their Pokemon she must have purchased or scrounged herself in her own early-morning activities. Ibib stares blankly from atop her head.

Impromptu plans are made to meet Juno somewhere away from the hustle and bustle of the main gates of Diwyneb Town, on one of the little side-paths beside the road leading in that's generally approved for passage thanks to the Knights' diligent efforts. Which also means that it won't be quite as muddy or riddled with vegetation as the other areas.

Nonetheless, Juno has arrived in a pair of heavy, slightly worn boots that likely haven't had to trudge through any forests before now. She also has a raincoat, a pair of jeans, and a fanny pack adorned with pikachus, as well as the hand of a Knight who's face is set in stone as she stares at some point in the middle distance.

 "Leah!"  Juno says when she spots her, then turns to the Knight whose hand she was holding and flashes a peace sign.  "Thanks ever so much Ser! I never would have lasted this long in the wilderness without you, nya! Are you sure you don't want a selfie with meee~?" 
 "I told you, I don't know what that is."  The Knight gently, but firmly, retrieves her hand from Juno's grip.  "Farewell. And good day."  She nods to Leah and Alyssa and departs at a quick pace.

Once she's gone, Juno stops her broad smile and turns to Leah, speaking in a significantly less cutesy voice.  "Please don't judge me. I'm pretty sure I saw a something watching from the trees."  she says, casting a suspicious glance at the foliage surrounding the path.
tgva8889
Alyssa dresses for activity, accounting for the generally muddy wilds nearby with clothes that she doesn't mind getting dirty and will be tough enough to survive going through wilds if needed. She makes sure to pack any supplies she might need for capturing and makes sure she has all her Pokemon with her before she picks up Maggie and heads out. She thanks Bibi for the treats, offering one to Maggie if the Gothorita is awake. She offers a small hello to Ibib as well, though doesn't try to disturb it too much.

When they spot Juno, Alyssa waves back kindly. She bows slighty to the Knight as they pass, but is mostly looking after Maggie until Juno mentions being watched. She looks around to see if she can see any Pokemon (or people, but Pokemon seem more likely) hiding above them.  "There's Pokemon in these woods, so there might be. Good to be safe."  Pulling out one of her Pokeballs, she unscrews it and lets out Athe, who flutters in the air above them before landing on Alyssa's head. She tries not to turn it while glancing up towards her Pokemon.  "See anything, Athe?" 
Comissar
Leah sets out from the inn in her travelling gear, grateful to not be facing as hot a morning today as they'd had to deal with previously. Adding her own thanks to Alyssa's as they pass their guide at breakfast, she finds herself in good spirits as they make their way out toward the edge of town.

Once they're outside and waiting, Leah keeps her attention on the approach from town to try and spot her fellow Kantoan. She gives a cheerful wave once she sees Juno approaching, a look of polite confusion on her face as she wondered why a Knight was being brought along as well. Rubbing behind her neck with faint embarrassment as the knight is offered a selfie for her trouble, she returns the Knight's nod with a quick bow before turning her attention properly to Juno.

Her good humour wilts a little at Juno's words, though Alyssa's comments help somewhat. Glancing up to the trees around them, she nods slowly, " That's, uh, that's fair. Umm, hopefully just some, uh, some wild pokémon. We should be alright if we stick together, though. " She turns to start heading out, " Ready to go..? "
Hazuki
Athe does spot some scuffling in the distance of the foliage, though nothing that seems to present an immediate threat to anyone. Likely due to the Knights' diligence in keeping these paths safe.

 "I'm ready, as much as I can be,"  Juno says, bracing herself for a moment before hurrying to keep pace with the already-walking Leah.  "How do we do this, exactly?"  she asks, as Maggie waddles up to Alyssa's side.
Comissar
Looking ahead through the trees, Leah makes a vague gesture ahead of her, " We'll, uh, we'll want to try and find an area near a stream. U-umm, Petilil's like to have clean water. Failing that any, uh, any large clearing would be a good place to start. "
tgva8889
Alyssa nods.  "Let's stay together. Keep an eye out!"  She heads off towards Leah's gesture, turning around to double check that her friends are following behind.  "Oh, um, J-Juno? D'you wanna try to catch the Pokemon yourself?" 

Athe, annoyed at the sudden turn, flies into the air off of Alyssa's head before landing back on top of it, pecking her after the annoyance.
Hazuki
Juno turns to look at Alyssa and makes a thoughtful expression.  "Would it be better if I catched it myself?" 
tgva8889
Alyssa thinks for a bit then shrugs.  "I dunno? It might help you make a better connection with it to, like, actually prove yourself to it in battle. But also Luna and I are really close and I didn't really catch her at all. But I think it can help if you wanna." 
Hazuki
 "Hm."  A frown flickers across Juno's forehead.  "But I don't know how to battle. Does that matter?" 
Comissar
Leah shrugs at Juno's question, half turning toward her while continuing on as she answers, " It kinda depends... A more, uh, prideful pokémon might need you to prove you're strong to start on, uh, on the right foot. A more reserved one might be content to, uh, to come with you if you just take some time and bond with it a little. If it does come down to, uh, to a battle, we can help, but it, uh, it might mean more up front work to, uh, to get a good relationship going. " She smiles, " Given you're, uh, you're not looking to have a pokémon to challenge the League, we don't need to find you a, uh, a feisty Petilil. "
Hazuki
Juno listens attentively, nodding her head along with Leah's words.  "Right...so...if I just have to spend some time bonding with it, do I do that first? Or after I catch it? How will I know how to bond with it?" 
tgva8889
Alyssa thinks for a moment, looking between Athe and Maggie.  "Well, um, I met these two by just being nice to them when they were alone. So, um, if you can help a Pokemon when it's in trouble or be nice to it when it's lonely, then you can maybe become friends and then partners? But um, some Pokemon you bond with by battling. But you don't have to."  She smiles.  "Bonding with Pokemon isn't that much different from bonding with people, in a way. Find a way to start out like you did with me and Leah and then, uh, go from there." 
Hazuki
Juno listens just as attentively to Alyssa's words, glancing at Maggie (Who is paying significantly less attention as her gaze slides side to side) and Athe, then pauses.  "You're saying I should dance and say Nya to the Pokemon?" 
Comissar
Leah rubs behind her neck, trying to think of the best example to give. " I-I mean... Pokémon have as many personalities as, uh, as people do. It might be best to, uh, to just play it by ear. If it's a, uh, a playful pokémon, dancing and being upbeat with it might work. But, uh, but a more shy or reserved one might need a gentler approach, for example. "
tgva8889
Alyssa seems nervous when Juno asks her what to do and is thankful when Leah contributes an alternate response.  "Yeah, uh, not every Pokemon will like that. Some will like you for different things. But if you do need to fight to get it to join you, then we can help a bit with that, I guess. Maybe we can find out when we get to that?"  She glances over at Maggie just to check that she's okay then looks at Leah for support.
Hazuki
 "That sounds...easy enough."  Juno nods.  "You two know about Pokemon battles, I guess? We didn't really talk about that part much, huh?"  she asks, glancing at Leah.

Maggie looks back at Alyssa when she's looked at, is motionless for a moment, then holds her arms up to be carried.
tgva8889
Alyssa nods.  "I'm not super good at battling, but I know a bit about it. I know a lot about catching Pokemon that way, so, uh, if it does come to that I can probably help." 

Alyssa smiles at Maggie and picks her up.  "I don't think I'm gonna be able to carry you all the time, Maggie." 
Comissar
Leah grins and shrugs, " I'll, uh, I'll be honest, I'm not super experienced at battles with wild pokémon. U-umm, I've battled a Sableye since getting here, and, uh, and helped with one or two others, but mostly I just lean on what I learned in school. " She gives another shrug, " Worst case, we just come back empty handed today. But I'm sure we'll be fine. "
Hazuki
 "So how did you two get by on the roads if you don't know how to battle? Just stick to the main ones?"  Juno asks as they walk.

Maggie considers Alyssa's question with narrowed eyes, then nods in a way that tells Alyssa to believe in herself.
Comissar
Leah nods, " Yeah, honestly we, uh, we mostly relied on our guide to help us avoid any real conflicts with, uh, with wild Pokémon. They're not as common as you'd think, and, uh, and some of the wild ones we found, " She gestures to Maggie, " We just befriended instead. There, uh, there wasn't any battling needed for Maggie. "
tgva8889
Alyssa nods.  "We don't really like battling too much. But we can. And uh, I would like to be better at it, I think. But you don't need to be good at battling to catch Pokemon."  She gestures to Athe flying above her.  "Athe joined me like that too." 
Hazuki
Juno glances at Maggie, then up at Athe.  "Huh. Must have been a good guide. It was just the two of you with them, right? My group to get here was huge, so I don't think any pokemon really wanted to bother messing with us." 
Comissar
Leah nods enthusiastically, " Yeah, uh, Bibi's been really good. She got us here all the way from Bastille. We, uh, we had one or two other people with us at different points, but it's mostly been smooth sailing. " She hesitates, glancing briefly to Alyssa, " The, uh, the only real trouble was the, uh, the bandits we ran into that I, uh, I told you about "
tgva8889
Alyssa nods.  "We did have our Pokemon, though. They helped a bit. But mostly Bibi was very helpful. We each did a little bit but not a lot." 
Hazuki
Juno raises an eyebrow at the girls.  "Bibi? That's not a very Londo name, is it?" 
Comissar
Leah rubs behind her neck, " Y'know I, uh, I hadn't really thought about that..? I've, uh, I've not asked her where she's from originally, I just, uh, just kind've assumed she was from Bastille. "
Hazuki
 "What's Bastille like?"  Juno asks amid the ongoing walking.
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles, looking thoughtfully far away.  "It's nice. I, uh, I was mostly in the castle, but I liked it. A lot less hot than it is here."  As if to punctuate her statement, Alyssa wipes a bead of sweat off her forehead with her arm.
Comissar
Leah looks over to Alyssa as she speaks, smiling to herself, then back to Juno as Alyssa finishes. " Alyssa was there longer than I was, the Castle was, uh, was really amazing, like you'd see in Fantasy shows. Or, uh, or read about in books. " She adjusts her bag strap, grinning as she continues, " The, uh, the market was pretty lively too. I think you'd like it there. "
tgva8889
Alyssa nods.  "Yeah, the landscape was really nice. Really nice, uh, vistas? Views? Yeah, uh, the view was really nice."  She looks at Leah, then blushes a bit and turns away, smiling.  "And, um, really nice people." 
Hazuki
 "Did you go to anywhere nice along the way?"  Juno asks, still trudging along.
Comissar
Leah nods, " A few places, we, uh, we went via. Thundercrag. Stopped at a couple of smaller places along the way as well. Oh! " Leah abruptly grins, excited to share, " There was this one village, uhh... Licia... Where they had a festival going on as we arrived! There was a Klefki involved, it picked up talismans and, uh, and charms that the people there were putting out for it. It was really, uh, really magical to watch. "
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles.  "Oh yeah! I remember that. That was really cool. Really a special moment. Not sure how many of those kinds of things we'll run into but it's nice when we happen upon things like that." 
Hazuki
There's a moment where Juno is listening, then another moment where her eyes glaze over, a frown forms on her face, and she looks between the girls.  "That
sounds cool, but, uh, I forgot what a Klefki is. They're not the gear ones, are they?" 
Comissar
Leah blinks, briefly trying to remember the name of the gear pokémon, then shakes her head. " Ah, uh, no. They're the ones that normally look like a keychain..? But, uh, but the one we saw was made up of the charms on a loop of string instead. A, uh, a local variant, I guess. "
Hazuki
 "Those are a thing, right. Have you seen a lot of those around here? I don't get out much. Tired. You know how it is,"  Juno says as she eyes the treeline, which is getting a little more dense now as they get a little further from the town. It seems likely that they'll stumble across something soon.
tgva8889
Alyssa, unsure how to answer Juno's question, opts to leave it to Leah and instead focuses on her surroundings, trying to see if she can spot any Pokemon, either what they're looking for or any that might be dangerous to them.

Athe, for his part, is also scanning the surrounding area, still perched atop Alyssa's head, though he has had to move a few times to avoid falling off when Alyssa made sudden turns or nods. This is his perch, however, and he refuses to lose it to some mere trifle.
Comissar
Leah shakes her head, " Not, uh, not many. Apart from the Klefki, there was a, uh, a Kirlia that showed up at Bastille that was a ghost as well but, uh, other than that I can't recall seeing any. " She shrugs, giving a smile to Juno, " Until I left Sorland I, uh, I wasn't exactly getting out much either. Maybe we'll find a variant here..? "
Hazuki
 "Really? But you seem so adventurous now,"  Juno comments.

But before any elaboration can be had on either side, the girls and the wobbly head-mounted Athe each spot something just at the corner of the path ahead, in the middle of a clearing created by a couple of trees bent overhead, their branches knotted together to form a sort of canopy.

In fact, the first thing that caught their attention was the sound of Pokemon cries. Then, the sight of the source; a blur of green that darted through the air and collided with a tri-colored target that span too fast for them to see, then landed on the tip of its blue, pink, white hat and span like a top before falling on its side. A little shorter than Maggie, it seems almost entirely hat, with a little white face and body poking out from beneath it.

Its attacker, both much less vibrant and much more green, seems about to leap onto it, only for one of the other Pokemon's braids to slap its blobby form out of mid-air and send it smashing into a tree. But none the worse for wear.

And between them sits a particularly plump berry, purple and shining and at least as large as a fist, sitting in the dirt. Maggie grabs hold of Alyssa's top and tugs it, pointing at the berry.

 
 Spoiler: Pokemon! 
Both Leah and Alyssa recognize these Pokemon as Shroomish and Hatterene, both quite clearly wild, and quite obviously locked in battle over that berry.
 
tgva8889
Alyssa puts a hand out to her friends, then puts a finger to her lips. She moves off to the side, trying to find something to use as cover for her while she watches the battle, patting Maggie to indicate to her to be quiet as well. Watching carefully, she whispers,  "Wait, let's watch." 

Athe doesn't move his gaze, watching the fighters intently. He prepares to invervene if they pose a threat to his trainer, but doesn't act towards them.
Comissar
Leah is about to respond to Juno when Alyssa abruptly hushes her. Switching her attention forward, she follows Alyssa's lead in stepping out of sight, glancing to make sure Juno was following. After watching the fight for a moment, she glances to Juno, " This could be a chance for you. If, uh, if you help one of them win the fight, they'll probably be grateful. Shroomish is, uh, is a grass-type, it'll be easy to keep..? "
Hazuki
Juno lets herself be led to the side, while Maggie reluctantly goes quiet.

 "I...what would I do?"  Juno asks.  "I don't think going out and kicking one of them would help..." 
tgva8889
Alyssa keeps her eyes on the fight, carefully watching to see if she recognizes anything that's happening. Absently, she takes her pad out of her bag, putting Maggie down so she can start sketching a bit of the fight.

She looks over at Juno and thinks a moment before repyling,  "We could try to help the Shroomish get the berry." 
Hazuki
The Shroomish has bounced off of the tree, bounces once off of the ground as it spins, then again, then once more lower to the ground, before stopping just short of the Hattrem and unleashing a cloud of spores!

 "But if I run in, won't they both hit me?"  Juno asks, as Maggie makes an objecting cry to giving the Shroomish the berry.
Comissar
Leah shakes her head, " You can borrow one of, uh, one of our pokémon. Saura can help you, right Saura? " She glances down to her Bulbasaur. Then to the berry the pair were fighting over. She turns away from the fight briefly, scanning the area, " Or... If, uh, if we're quick, we can try getting another berry and separating them with the promise of, uh, of food... "

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
I guess this would be Perception? Leah's trying to spot if there are any more of the berries in the immediate vicinity. If there are, she'll point them out for Juno, if there aren't, she'll reoffer Saura to Juno to join the fray with

 (2d6+1)[ 7 ] 
 
tgva8889
Alyssa quickly sketches the Shroomish's scatter of spores, trying to think of what that move might be.

She looks over at Leah and Juno, and says,  "We can also help you if you get in trouble, but we should try not to get into trouble in the first place." 
Hazuki
Alyssa's keen knowledge of Pokemon allows her to identify the Shroomish's attack; Stun Spore, and it seems like Hattrem was only able to prevent it thanks to one of its abilities.

Leah is able to spot a smattering of berries amid the foliage, glimpses of blue and purple and red, but none of them seem anywhere near as plump as the one the two wild Pokemon were fighting over. Not even close.

Juno shares a glance with Saura, which the Pokemon seems much more confident about as she bobs her head and takes half a step forward.

 "What Moves do I do?"  Juno asks, glancing away from the momentary reprieve in fighting as the two Pokemon eye each other, idle and surely about to collide once more in just a few seconds.  "Do I have to yell them like they do on TV?" 
tgva8889
 "You do have to make sure Saura can hear what moves you want her to use. Uh, what moves does Saura know?"  Alyssa watches the fighting, ready to get Athe to intervene if necessary, but waits to do anything to give Juno a chance to try first (or ask for more help if needed).
Comissar
" Saura can use Tackle, Growl, Leech Seed, and Vine Whip. " Leah lists the moves off quickly, looking to make sure Juno was taking the names in, " The, uh, the Hattrem won't be, uh, be affected by Leech Seed, so Vine Whip is your best bet. "

She grins down at Saura, " Good luck, Juno's counting on you! "
Hazuki
Saura glances up at Leah and gives her a determined nod as she steps forwards, waits, then turns her head to see that Juno hasn't moved.

 "...oh, right."  Juno clears her throat, steps forward to be alongside Saura, and points lightly in the direction of the fight, where the Shroomish has just been turned into a spinning wheel, as a psychic blast sends it careening into the branches above.  "Do the Vine Whip, please?"  she asks of Saura.

Saura rears up on her hind legs, her vines wiggling out at the apex of her movement, then spins on her forelegs. The leafy appendages whip along with her, her spin ending up with her facing the Hattrem that receives an unwelcome lash across its hat as it reaches once more for the berry. It lets out a cry of surprise, pain, and then its little head suddenly peeks out from beneath the brim of its hat to narrow its eyes at the new combatants.
Comissar
Leah grins, pumping her fist as Saura pulls off a successful attack. " Nice! " She gives a small clap, then calls out, " Make sure the Shroomish knows you're here to help! We, uh, we don't want it thinking Saura wants the berry too. "
Hazuki
 "How do you mime not wanting something?"  Juno asks, glancing over her shoulder at Leah just as the Hattrem unleashes a wave of energy that makes the very air ripple purple as, at the very last second, Saura suddenly uses her vines to hoist herself into the air and avoids the attack by inches!  "Oh, crap, right. Dot the thing again please!" 

And Saura does that, her vines whipping out just as the Shroomish re-emerges from its last beating and, apparently ignoring the large group of trainers for now, slams into the other side of the Hattrem, whose hat squishes up all around it for a moment before bouncing back into shape.
Comissar
Leah blinks at Juno's question, trying to work out what the answer could be. The narrow miss of the incoming attack causes her to clap her hands to her mouth, " Ah! Sorry! I-I shouldn't be distracting you! "

Turning her attention back to the fight, she gives a relieved sigh at seeing the Shroomish opt to go for the Hattrem and not Saura. Trying to think of a way to get the Shroomish to know they were looking to support it, she calls out " You... You can do it, Shroomish! "
Hazuki
The Shroomish, skidding on its rebound, lets out a puzzled cry as its species is uttered. But nobody has time for a reaction as the Hattrem suddenly hops in place, a wave of dangerous pink energy emanating out of it that sends the Shroomish bouncing back once more, while Saura lets out a particularly pained cry as the psychic energy slams into her. She rolls back, feet over head, and only just manages to roll onto her feet with the help of her bulb. She looks back at Leah and lets out a cry, letting her know how dangerous the attack was to her.

 "Again?"  Juno asks quickly.
Comissar
"   Saura!   " Leah's heart drops rapidly as she sees her Bulbasaur take the hit, only Juno's quick question keeps her from rushing out. She gives a firm shake of her head, recalling Saura to her pokéball, " No. No, she can't take another hit like that. " Returning Saura's ball to her bag with a guilty pit in her stomach, she pulls out a different one, throwing it to release Sable.

She speaks quickly to bring the Sableye up to speed, " Sable, this is Juno, I need you to help her beat that Hattrem. Uh, please. "
tgva8889
Alyssa sees Saura take a massive hit and feels herself flinching from it. Seeing the beam from Leah's Pokeball, she looked up at Athe and points towards Juno.  "Athe, protect Juno!"  As Athe flaps into the air and soars towards Juno, taking the place of the retreating Saura. Looking back towards the now alone girl, she shouts,  "Juno! Be careful!" 

When she next looks her eyes go wide. She sees it, the ghostly shadowy figure of Sable, and she immedately shuts her eyes. Her breaths come fast, quick, and she starts speaking to herself.  "Slow. S-slow. Breathe. B-breathe."  Curling into the fetal position, Alyssa keeps herself as out of view as possible while she rocks slowly and tries not to hyperventilate.
Hazuki
 "That's what I'm trying to do! Be!"  Juno says back to Alyssa.

The Sableye emerges from its Pokeball with eyes blinking in the sudden sunlight, a two Pokemon brawl before it and people surrounding it. Its head twists around at Leah's instruction, then at Juno, who stares back at it.

 "Sh...shadow whip?"  Juno requests, pointing at the Hattrem.

The Sableye looks at one of its wispy hands, then slinks over to the Hattrem and manages to land a whack just under the Hattrem's hat, sending it shrieking and stumbling a few steps back. It peers once more from under its hat, at the Shroomish ready to charge again, at Juno and the Hoothoot hovering over her head, Leah and Alyssa and Maggie along with them, and lets out an angry cry. Then it flips back, lands on its hat, which squishes before expanding and sends it soaring far away into the foliage.

Maggie waddles over to the crumpled Alyssa, the berry forgotten where it lay, and lets her hand hover a few inches away from her. She lets out a concerned cry, trying to catch Alyssa's eye.
Comissar
Seeing the fight was finished, Leah recalls Sable with a quick " Thankyou. " to her pokémon. She glances to the aftermath of the fight, trying to make a decision on what to do next. Her eyes fall on Juno first, calling out " Well done! You can, uh, you can try and get near now! Go slow, though. "
tgva8889
Alyssa, with her eyes closed, doesn't notice Maggie at all, focused entirely on keeping her breathing steady.

With the situation resolved satisfactorily, Athe flaps back over to Alyssa, landing next to her and joining Maggie in trying to get her attention, moving close and nudging her with his beak. Alyssa seems to ignore it, still trying to concentrate on her internal situation.
Comissar
Adrenaline from her worry over Saura fading, Leah catches sight of Alyssa going through her own internal struggles. Feeling her heart sink in her chest all over again, she moves over and crouches beside her, laying a hand on her back, " Hey... Hey, are you ok? "
tgva8889
Alyssa grabs Leah and pulls her into an embrace, her eyes still closed. She's still breathing heavily, but she starts to try and level her breath as she holds Leah.  "Are we okay? Is...is it gone?" 

Athe flaps about Leah, but once it seems Alyssa is doing better Athe lands on a nearby branch to keep watch.
Hazuki
Maggie seems as fixated on helping Alyssa as Leah is, while behind the botanist an uncertain Juno gives a wave to the Shroomish that had just been in the middle of a battle. They lock eyes uncertaintly as the Shroomish bounces just a little towards the berry.
Comissar
Leah blinks in surprise as she's pulled in close, returning the hug after a moment, " Y-yeah, it's ok. Umm, you're ok, there's nothing that's, uh, that's gonna hurt you. "
tgva8889
Alyssa nods, which Leah can feel as they're so close, then lets her go.  "Sorry. I'm, uh, I'm okay."  She looks over at Maggie and gestures for her to come close and hugs her.  "You okay? Sorry for scaring you."  Looking up, she turns a bit and looks around, brushing a strand of hair back behind her ear.  "Is, uh, is Juno okay?" 
Hazuki
Maggie eagerly hugs Alyssa in return, letting out a few soothing cries as her little arms surround Alyssa's neck. Behind her, Juno is staring warily at the Shroomish, who stares warily back at her between taking big chomps of its big berry.
Comissar
Leah nods, " Yeah, no, I'm, uh, I'm good. I'm glad you're, uh, you're alright. " She releases her hold on Alyssa a little to give the older girl some room to move, twisting to look over to Juno as she's mentioned, " Y-yeah, I think so. I'm, uh, I'm gonna help her finish the catch. " She glances back to Alyssa, a note of uncertainty in her voice, " You'll be ok..? "

On receiving an affirmation, she lets go, backing up and standing to make her way cautiously toward Juno. She stops her approach when she's behind and to the left of her. She hesitates a moment, then offers her thoughts, " Approach it. Slowly but, uh, but offer to take it with you. Offer a place it can get easy food. "
tgva8889
Alyssa nods in reply to Leah as she holds Maggie tightly. She opts to stay seated where she is, leaving Leah to take care of Juno and help her with the Shroomish.
Hazuki
Juno's attention is stolen by Leah's words, then she refocuses on Shroomish at her instructions.  "Right."  She steps forward tentatively.  "Hiii! I'm Juno!"  She does one of her cutesy waves from when she's working.  "I've got lots of yummy treats! And food and drink and warm blankets too! Come with me, nya~!" 

The Shroomish stares sceptically at her.
Comissar
Leah hesitates, unsure of how best to advise Juno. She glances to the Shroomish to see how it responds to Juno's attempt to sway it, wincing a little as her fellow Kantoan leans on her work persona to try and persuade the pokémon. " Ah... I think, uh, I think you should just be yourself. You're not gonna be, uh, be in work mode the whole time you're with it. "
Hazuki
 "But what if it thinks I'm boring?"  Juno asks quietly over her shoulder.
tgva8889
Alyssa gets up, feeling like she might be able to help in this situation, and walks a bit slowly and shakily towards Juno and Leah.  "It's better if it likes the real you, rather than the one you don't like to be all the time. Better for it to be your friend when things are harder than when you're doing good."  She looks down at Maggie in her arms and smiles.
Hazuki
Maggie seems to feel Alyssa's eyes on her and gives her a little bit of a squeeze.

 "Right..."  Juno breathes.  "I...uhhh..."  She glances around at the trees hanging overhead, then reaches up and grabs one of the flexible branches there. She pops a few of the berries, all of which are smaller than the one the Shroomish was eating, and crouches down to hold them out in her palm.  "Look. Yummy berries. I don't exactly have time to get these all the while, but at least you won't have to get your butt kicked to get them." 

The Shroomish's eyes flick to the berries in her palm, then Juno herself, and it chomps down the rest of the big berry it has before making several small bounces in her direction. It quickly snatches one out of her hand, chews it up, waits, and goes for another.

 "Does that mean it's working or not?"  Juno asks the other girls, quiet like she's disturb the wild Pokemon otherwise.
Comissar
Leah nods, careful to keep her voice down, " Yup, you're, uh, you're building trust. " She glances to the Shroomish, then back to Juno, offering her an encouraging smile, " You can, uh, you can probably try and catch it now. "
Hazuki
Juno nods as well, more to herself than anyone else, and gently retrieves her Pokeball. She hefts it in her hand for a moment.  "...honestly, I don't trust my throw, so..."  She reaches out, ball in hand, and boops it to the Shroomish's...forehead?

The Pokemon is suddenly enshrouded in a familiar light and Juno's stare at the ball is interrupted by the ball shaking in her hand, making her squeak and drop it. On the floor it trembles once, twice, and then it goes still.
tgva8889
Alyssa cheers.  "You did it!"  Smiling, she carries Maggie over to Juno and beams at her.  "You caught your first Pokemon!" 
Comissar
Leah lets out a pent up breath, then joins Alyssa in her cheer. " Nice! " She grabs Juno into a one-armed hug, " Congratulations! How're you feeling? "
Hazuki
Juno stares at the shut Pokeball for a few moments, apparently lost in a haze until Leah grabs her in a one-armed hug and she blinks like she's just been Flashed.

 "Huh? I, uh."  Juno's eyes go wide.  "I guess I did, right?" 
Comissar
" You  did!  " Leah grins, squeezing Juno to emphasise the praise, " And that makes you a  trainer  now! " She releases Juno, still all smiles, " You did great, really great. "
tgva8889
Alyssa nods, smiling.  "Good job! Now you have a Pokemon friend."  She slides next to Leah.  "I'm sure you'll get along well." 
Hazuki
Magige, as though to emphasize the praise, also claps her hands precisely once.

 "Huh."  Juno, now released, crouches down and picks the Pokeball up, holding it between her thumb and forefingers.  "Yeah. Yeah."  A smile flickers across her lips.  "I hope we do. I never thought I'd own a mushroom Pokemon, honestly, but it'll...I'll..."  She pauses.  "Wait, what do I do? I don't know what this thing needs. Do either of you have a Pokedex?" 
tgva8889
Alyssa shifts Maggie in her arms a bit, freeing up a hand to dig through her back. After a bit of searching, she pulls her hand out, holding a classic Pokedex.  "Uh, you mean like this?"  She fiddles with it a bit in one hand, eventually getting it open.
Hazuki
 "Great. Uh. How do you use it?"  Juno asks, as she waves the Pokeball in front of the Pokedex' charging port.
Comissar
" Here. " Leah gently extracts Alyssa's pokédex from her hands. She keys through the menu's, taking her time and holding the device so that both Alyssa and Juno can watch what she does, " So, normally you'd scan in a wild pokémon when you see it, but, uh, but we didn't do that this time. So instead we can, uh, we can manually search the name... " She types in 'Shroomish', bringing up a silhouette in a vaguely mushroom shape, " And then because, uh, because it's been caught in a pokéball, we just bring the sensor to the, uh, the top of the ball... " Leah taps the top of the pokédex to the pokéball Juno is holding, a little 'ping' sounding from the device.

" And there we go! " Leah smiles, showing the other two girls the pokédex screen, now displaying an image of Shroomish with some simple information on the pokémon.[/COLOR]" She holds the pokédex for a little longer so that Juno can take a long look at the entry.
Hazuki
Juno leans in to read the entry on Alyssa's pokedex and her eyes go wide.  "I was kind of feeling the feeding on sunlight thing, but this says it has poisonous spores?"  She looks between the other girls.  "Do I have to be worried about it having it out of its Pokeball or what?" 
 
 Spoiler: A Pokedex Entry for context 
It spouts poison spores from the top of its head. These spores cause pain all over if inhaled.
 
tgva8889
Alyssa lets Leah take charge of the Pokedex, given that she's not totally confident in how to use it herself, and tries to follow along as Leah goes through the steps. She falls behind a couple times, but feeling like this is for Juno and not for her, she doesn't say anything and tries to figure it out as they go rather than bothering to ask.

Once they get to the entry, Alyssa's eyes go wide.  "Oh,  that's really cool. Does this say what moves they can use?"  She looks over the Shroomish entry and considers Juno's concerns.  "A lot of Grass Pokemon can use Poison moves, so I guess that makes sense. But hopefully if you don't upset or surprise it, your Pokemon won't try to hurt you too bad?" 
Comissar
Leah shakes her head quickly at Juno's alarm, " Oh! No, no it's ok! Saura's actually a, uh, a poison-type. Almost all, uh, all Kanto grass-types are. " She releases Saura from her pokéball, crouching down beside the Bulbasaur and giving her neck a scritch as she continues, " That doesn't make them any more or, uh, or less dangerous than other pokémon. You've just gotta, y'know, treat your pokémon well. "
Hazuki
 "Gonna have to look where I'm going so I don't step on it. Got it,"  Juno replies to Alyssa, who does manage to spot a list of this Shroomish's likely moves appear on the screen. They include Absorb, Tackle, Stun Spore, Leech Seed, and Bullet Seed, the latter of which Alyssa knows to be a rare move, especially among unevolved Pokemon.

Saura, who's still a little hurt from being hit with a super-effective move, lets out a soft, comforted cry as Leah scritches her.

 "Huh, okay..."  Juno's eyes flick to the Bulbasaur.  "It says it feeds on sunlight, so that's great. Do I have to wash it, too? It doesn't say anywhere here, but they don't take baths in the forest, do they...?" 
tgva8889
Alyssa scans the entry, reading about Shroomish and its moves.  "Oh, wow, I don't think I've ever seen that one before. Wonder if I could..."  She looks over at Juno as she looks at Saura, then looks back to the entry.  "Hmm, maybe." 

She lets Juno hold the Pokedex for a while as she walks over to Saura, bending down to give her some nice pats and pets. Smiling, she leans down to Saura's eye level.  "Thanks for all your help, Saura. Sorry you got hurt." 

As Juno asks about proper Pokemon care, Alyssa looks thoughtful before meeting Juno's gaze with a smile.  "If you don't mind dirt and stuff everywhere. You might need to keep some dirt off of it since it gets food from the sun?"  She looks at Leah for confirmation.
Comissar
Leah shrugs, turning her attention more fully to Saura as she responds, " It'd probably enjoy having, uh, having a shower, like from a watering can maybe..? But a, uh, a full on bath would be something to, uh, to work up to. I think. "
Hazuki
Saura responds appreciatively to the pats, leaning into the hand that pets her.

 "Does it have to be muddy to get sunpower? I thought I could just, put it by the window or on the roof maybe?"  Juno asks.
tgva8889
 "I think it probably needs to be clean to get more sun?"  Alyssa looks over at Leah again for clarification, as she's almost entirely guessing at this point.
Comissar
Leah shakes her head, " I mean, it, uh, it might enjoy being in soil sometimes, but mostly I think it should just enjoy being somewhere bright. "
Hazuki
 "Okay."  Juno frowns at the Pokeball for a moment, then looks around them, at the foliage that surrounds the trio and the dirt path they took to get here.  "So, uh. What now?" 

Maggie seems to have found her own answer to that question, as a berry hanging overhead is plucked by pink energy and floats down into her hands.
Comissar
Leah shrugs, " That's, uh, that's kind've up to you guys. If you wanted, we could, uh, we could go looking for more pokémon. I'm also good to, uh, to just hang out more. " She turns her attention down to Saura, " We should, uh, we should probably look at patching up our pokémon before anything else, though. Saura took, uh, took some bad hits. "
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles as Maggie pulls down the berry.  "Be careful you don't eat too many of those!"  She looks around for where Maggie pulled it from, to see if there are any more easy to reach ones.

At Leah's comment on Saura's health, Alyssa leans down next to Saura to check her condition.  "If Saura's too hurt, we may want to bring her back to town, at least. Unless any of the things around here could help her?" 
Hazuki
 "I don't know if I can do any more Pokemon battling today,"  Juno says and Saura agrees with a faint cry, despite how much she's appreciating the attention.

Alyssa does spot that there are a few berries that could be reached with some shoulder-riding or further use of Maggie's telekinesis, and Leah notices that there are even a couple that would help restore Saura to fighting (Or at least not-hurting) shape!
tgva8889
 "Yeah, I uh, me neither. We should probably go back soon so we don't have to battle anymore."  She looks over at Leah and then points out a few of the berries she spied in the tree.  "Will any of those help Saura? I'm worried if Saura's hurt, it might take us longer to get back to town." 
Comissar
Leah nods, the consensus extremely clear. At Alyssa's prompt, she looks up to examine the assorted berries nearby. " Yeah. The, uh, the ones just up there..? " She points up to a cluster of slightly unusually shaped berries, " Those have some, uh, some medicinal properties. " She looks over to Maggie, " Could, uh, could you bend the branch down so we can pick some..? Or, uh, or if you think you can, could you pick a handful of those berries for us..? "
Hazuki
Maggie glances over at Leah and considers her for one long moment. Then she looks at Alyssa, then at the branch, and there's a shimmer in the air seconds before it's ensorcelled and bends down with a purple aura, putting about five ripe berries within reach of the girls.

 "...that's pretty useful. I should have battled with her and saved Saura the trouble, huh?"  Juno says.
Comissar
Leah reaches out and collects the floating berries, giving Maggie a grateful smile, " Thanks Maggie! " Leaning down to offer them out to Saura, she looks up to Juno, " Maggie's not, uh, not been in a pokémon battle with us yet. Sometimes that's a, uh, a factor as well. But, umm, typing matters too, you're right. " She turns her attention back to Saura, " It's, uh, it's probably something I should've taken into account more for Saura. "
tgva8889
Alyssa pats Maggie.  "Thanks for your help, Maggie." 

She looks over at Juno, nodding with Leah's assessment.  "I'm not sure Maggie would have wanted to fight there. She hasn't really battled much. But you could certainly ask her."  At that she looks down at Maggie, questioningly.  "How's Saura doing?" 
Hazuki
Saura quite happily starts munching the berries out of Leah's hand, making a little confirming cry at Leah's last comment. It seems like she should be fine soon enough.

Maggie, suddenly the center of attention, makes a thoughtful expression and then mimics grabbing a pot and shifting her shoulders like she's running. A very familiar sight to both girls.

 "Wait, really?"  juno asks, glancing between the girls.  "But she's evolved, isn't she? I'm sure I've seen a smaller one...and don't Pokemon have to fight to evolve?" 
tgva8889
Alyssa shrugs.  "I dunno? I think they just have to get experience, but I dunno how much fighting you have to do to get that. I mean, I haven't fought that much but I feel like I have a lot of experience."  She smiles at her slight joke, then looks down at Maggie as she makes her motions.  "I guess maybe you had to fight to get some food when you were on your own, huh?" 
Hazuki
 "Like...how do..."  Juno begins, then shakes her head.  "I don't know enough about this to even guess about." 

Maggie stares up at Alyssa, then reaches out and boops her nose.
Comissar
Leah gives a shrug, " Well, uh, we don't know how long Maggie was, uh, was on her own before we came across her. " She turns to Maggie with a questioning look, " Did you have to fight much before we met..? "
Hazuki
There's a moment of silence from Maggie, then the berry that Saura's eating is suddenly snatched from Leah's hand with a purple glowand into the air. Saura frowns up at it, then over at the Psychic Pokemon, who makes sure to waggle it in Leah's face before it lowers back into her hand. Saura gives a firm nod as her food is returned and resumes her eating.

 "So she stole things?"  Juno guesses.
tgva8889
Alyssa giggles at Maggie's boop, watching with understanding as she steals the berry out of Leah's hand. She squeezes Maggie affectionately, smiling.  "I'm glad you don't have to do that anymore." 
Hazuki
The walk back to Diwyneb is made much easier thanks to the presence of some delicious berries! For the Pokemon, at least. Leah, Alyssa, and Juno still have to trudge along the path with Athe keeping an eye out for any troubles from their slightly-elevated position. The sun doesn't let up once they get within sight of the town again, still morning, still hot, and now there are plenty of people moving through the gate to remind the girls, and everyone in earshot with "Whew, that sun's not letting up!", "I'll be glad when it's colder", and "I can't stand this heat!".

They do see a few people with particularly helpful Pokemon, such as one person who has a Murkrow flapping atop their head to provide them with a breeze. A few teenagers have gathered around someone wearing very Lancer Town garb, whose Staryu slowly spins, sprinkling them with cool water. There's even one trainer, being given some berth, who seems to have a chilling, ghostly aura emanating from under their cloak.

The shelter of their inn is, fortunately, just inside the gate.

"I'll get this thing home, then shower, and then I'll have to go to work. If I have time for a shower. I really hope i do... okay, bye!" is Juno's farewell to the pair as she darts off.

They just manage to step inside when another familiar face presents itself, in the form of the would-be warrior Utha, her sling more visible now as her silk robe has been left behind for a simple silk sleeveless top, exposing her biceps, and light, loose pants. She sits on the lobby floor with her Espurr, who Alyssa recognizes, on her lap. Both seem to be meditating, although curiously two bowls of ice cream hover beside them, ensconced in pink energy.

Maggie points at the bowls, then to Alyssa, as though to ask "for me?"

Saura didn't much mind the sun, in fact her leaves seem particularly vibrant, but her little legs are grateful for the reprieve as she flops down on the floor.
Comissar
Leah finds herself in good spirits on the walk back, though the heat on the walk keeps her from being particularly talkative. Her comments mostly reserved for giving Juno positivity over her successes and talking about how she was looking forward to the cooler weather of the evening. Once within the town's walls again she gives Juno a farewell wave, calling out " Bye! Hope you're shift's a good one! "

Dropping into a crouch beside Saura once within the inn itself, she smiles and gives her Bulbasaur some scritches behind her neck. " I'm glad you're enjoying the weather at least, great for sunbathing for you! "
tgva8889
Alyssa huffs and puffs as they walk, trying to hold her tongue on complaining about the heat for the thousandth time, instead focusing on keeping track of Athe and Maggie as she walks. Fortunately neither of them seem to be suffering as much as she is, which lightens her thoughts a bit.

Once they reach the gate, she smiles at the people exclaiming about the heat.  "Oh it's not just me." 

As Juno leaves, Alyssa waves.  "Take care! Both of you! Let us know if we can help with anything!"  She doesn't wait too long before heading inside, though, desperate to get out of the heat.

Stepping inside, Alyssa is surprised to find Utha waiting for them. She starts to say something, but notices the Espurr and pauses. Maggie's insistance draws her attention toward the floating ice creams and she shakes her head.  "We better ask them first. Would be not nice to take them if they're not meant for us. They might want them or something."  Staring at the Espurr in Utha's lap, she slightly tightens her grip on Maggie.  "Maybe we could, uh, come back later."  She glances back at Leah and then back at Utha.
Hazuki
Despite her current beflopped nature, Saura tilts her head to get a better angle for Leah's scritchings. She lets out an approving cry and her sprout ruffles just a little with the attention.

A single one of Utha's eyes opens when Alyssa speaks, along with her Espurr's.  "Alyssa!"  she says, a smile coming to her face as the other eye follows and she lays eyes on the gathering before her.  "You're here! Both of you,"  she says, as she plants her good arm on the floor and rises with the strength of her legs.  "I noticed the heat as I rose for training and I thought, why, I'll buy some ice cream for everyone to enjoy once Alyssa and her girlfriend were awake. But I arrived and the innkeep, she told me you'd already left!"  She shakes her head.  "But here you are, safe and sound, and the ice cream  should  still be coo. I'm afraid I couldn't wait to eat mine, but.."  she trails off, nudges the Espurr with her toe, and the two bowls begin to float, one to each of the girls.   "So! What have you two been up to?" 

The Espurr stares at Alyssa as it hovers the bowl towards her, eyes unblinking.
Comissar
Leah looks up at Utha with some surprise. " Oh! " She smiles as she rises from her crouch to accept the floating ice cream, " That's, uh, that's kind of you! Thanks, Utha. "

She takes a moment to locate a free table, seating herself at it so that she could keep facing Alyssa and Utha. " We were, uh, we were out helping another girl from Kanto catch her first pokémon. " She takes a spoonfull of the icecream before continuing, " She, uh, she runs a food stand, you might've seen her around before? "
tgva8889
Alyssa takes the ice cream out of the air as it comes within her reach.  "Uh, thanks, Utha. And thank you too,"  she aims at the Espurr. She moves to a nearby seat across from Leah and puts Maggie down, offering her a bit as she eats some herself, savoring the cool temperature on her tongue contrasting with the overwhelming heat she had just recently been experiencing full force.

She nods along with Leah's explanation, adding,  "She caught a grass-type! What was it called? Uh, Shroomish I think? Oh, I should have sketched it."  Her eyes draw to her bag, her face unconsciously turning to a bit of a scowl.
Hazuki
The icecream does prove to be cold, like it has just been bought, and is an inoffensive vanilla flavor.

 "Oh!"  Utha smiles.  "Are you referring to that curious Kantonese girl who does the poses? That was very kind of you."  She then turns her gaze on Alyssa, as Maggie hovers the bit of ice cream she's allowed into her mouth. The Pokemon freezes momentarily, clearly not expecting the coldness, but powers through.  "Shroomish, I'm familiar with Shroomish. A very blobby little thing, but it evolves into quite the fighter." 
tgva8889
Alyssa nods back to Utha, pausing and swallowing before she responds.  "Yeah. She's a friend so we wanted to help her out."  She smiles at Maggie as she enjoys her ice cream, then looks back at Utha.  "Oh, Shroomish evolves? I didn't know that. Wonder if it learns any unique moves." 
Hazuki
 "I believe it does have a signature move! I can't quite remember which, but it was definitely more of a Grass type move than anything else..."  Utha ponders, then suddenly moves her good arm like she's going to clap her hands together, but can't. So she points a little at Alyssa instead.  "Have you uncovered any good moves recently? Any sketches you can share? You know I love your art." 
Comissar
Leah finds herself a little unsure of how to respond to Utha, both to her description of Juno and the direction her thoughts go on Shroomish. Perhaps understandably, the mercenary-in-training seemed far more focused on the combat applications of the pokémon. " Well, uh, we mostly helped her catch it for, uh, for companionship... " Leah sat back a little in her chair, rubbing at one arm.
Hazuki
 "Companionship, huh..."  Utha ponders aloud, nodding as she does so.  "Did you go to find that one in particular? I don't know whether I'd choose a Shroomish, myself..." 
tgva8889
 
 Originally Posted by Hazuki 
  "I believe it does have a signature move! I can't quite remember which, but it was definitely more of a Grass type move than anything else..."  Utha ponders, then suddenly moves her good arm like she's going to clap her hands together, but can't. So she points a little at Alyssa instead.  "Have you uncovered any good moves recently? Any sketches you can share? You know I love your art."  
 

Alyssa looks down into her bowl.  "I, uh, I haven't done much art lately. Not been, uh, really inspired."  Turning towards Utha, she smiles, a bit too wide and a bit too strained.  "It's fine, though. I'm sure I'll get back into it soon." 
Hazuki
Utha stares at Alyssa for a couple of moments.  "Then what you need is inspiration. Are there not a couple of trainers in town, prepared to face Lady Diwyneb? Surely a battle so grand would get your fingers itching for the pencil?" 
Comissar
Leah perks up at Utha's question, " Oh! Sass will be prepping for that for sure. Maybe we could ask her if she'd mind you sketching? "
tgva8889
Alyssa looks between her friends and turns a bit red, laughing nervously.  "Um, I don't know about that. I feel like Sass doesn't like me very much." 
Hazuki
Utha does a double take at Alyssa.  "Huh? What? Why would anyone not like you? You're wonderful!" 
Comissar
Leah nods her agreement with Utha, " Yeah. I think, uh, I think you're selling yourself short there. Besides, Sass is gonna want to be fighting Lady Diwyneb no matter what, I'm sure she won't mind you sketching on the sidelines. "
tgva8889
 "If you say so."  Alyssa takes a moment to enjoy another cold mouthful of ice cream before she looks back at Leah.  "Is Sass gonna be able to do the challenge? She was still training before." 
Hazuki
 "I think you can challenge with minimal notice, but...I admit I haven't spoken to many new trainers." 
Comissar
" She's strong, she's already won a few times, right..? " Leah tilts her head, " If, uh, if she doesn't feel like she's ready yet, maybe we can see about finding her a training partner first..? So that she can gear up and get more ready..? "
tgva8889
 "I, uh, I hope so."  Alyssa looks at Leah, then looks back at at her ice cream. She pushes it around a bit in the bowl, the dessert having melted enough that it moves on a small puddle of itself.  "We did try to help a bit, but, uh, I dunno how much she wants my help again." 
Hazuki
Maggie points at the last bit of ice cream in the bowl that she can't help but notice has not been eaten yet.

 "Well, perhaps mine might be welcomed?"  Utha suggests.  "I don't want to speak too highly of myself, but I am somewhat adept when I'm not injured. Although I may need to be informed of the rules for the challenge; I'm afraid I haven't kept up with them myself and one wouldn't want to advise her to kick Lady Diwyneb in the shins." 
Comissar
Leah nods her agreement at the suggestion, " If, uh, if you're happy to help, I think Sass would benefit from that. It's, uh, it's just a straight pokémon battle that she'll be doing. Uh, one at a time, usually until someone's run out of pokémon, but sometimes it'll be a first to however many knockouts instead. " She grins, " Sass is good, she's already won against Lord Bastille. "
tgva8889
Alyssa looks over at Maggie, smiles, and pushes the bowl to her.

 "Maybe you could help her. I think she can be a bit, um, not sure the word, but uh, I dunno how she'd feel about you helping exactly on the outside but I think it would help to have someone who knows a bit more about battling help." 
Hazuki
Maggie gratefully picks up the spoon via her ample psychic energy and uses it to scoop up the last of the ice cream.

 "Lord Bastille? Well, that's rather impressive! Did she come straight here from Bastille Town?"  Utha asks, then smiles at Alyssa's description.  "A little...academic and respectful to older girls?"  she suggests with a little amusement in her voice.
Comissar
Leah nods, " Yeah, it was a, uh, a really cool battle to watch. I think she took a different route here to the one we took, we went through, uh, through Thundercrag and we didn't see her there. " She follows Utha's glance to Alyssa, then looks back to the mercenary, " She, uh, she's pretty strong willed. I think she's willing to, uh, to do what it takes to win, though. She was doing some research when we met her here. "
Hazuki
 "That does bode well,"  Utha muses aloud.  "then it seems the only problem is finding her and presenting this proposition! Where might we find her?" 
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles at Maggie, watching her enjoy the remaining ice cream.  "Glad you like it." 

Having missed a bit of the conversation, Alyssa looks over at Leah, then back at Utha as she catches up.  "Oh, um, I don't know. It's been a couple of days since I last saw her, I think?" 
Hazuki
 "Hmm..."  Utha scratches her neck.  "She's a foreigner, isn't she? So she'll be at one of these inns." 
Comissar
Leah shakes her head, " No, she's, uh, she's from Sorland Town. She has been staying at an inn with another girl, Nika. Either of them might be there, Sass might be at the library, and Nika might be at the, uh, the pokécenter? " She shrugs, " If we can't find Sass immediately, if we find Nika we should be able to find her fairly quickly. "
Hazuki
 "Oh. Oh, well, yes, that makes sense, but the inns are full of foreigners, so I wasn't entirely wrong!"  Utha says with a little flustered smile.  "If it's the center or the library...well, every trainer is going to have to visit the center sooner or later." 
Comissar
Leah gives a non-committal shrug at Utha's assertion of still being somewhat correct, then nods at the suggestion of heading to the pokécenter. " Starting at the Center sounds good to me, at worst we can ask the Nurse where Nika is and, uh, and work from there. "
tgva8889
Alyssa nods.  "That sounds good. And, uh, I suppose if not we could try Nika's room after?" 
Hazuki
With their destination decided, the girls and Utha set out to the streets. Maggie insists on being carried, while Utha's Espurr toddles alongside its trainer, easily able to keep up despite its stubby legs. Saura walks along too, with the streets a little emptier than usual thanks to lunchtime not quite having arrived. As they walk, Utha is quite happy to fill the air with conversation about her journey to Diwyneb Town and the things she's been doing despite her injured arm. She's also quite interested in how the girls spent their morning, and the encounter with the behatted berry-gobbler.

The Pokecenter is fortunately easy to find, and provides a nice place for Saura to be tended to should the Bulbasaur be sore. The Nurse in attendance is familiar, not least because the girls spot Nika sitting on a table in the space behind her, surrounded by tools, pieces, and what seem to be a couple of half-crafted Pokeballs that the blonde craftsgirl is fiddling with.
Comissar
Leah's happy to carry Maggie as the group head to the Pokécenter, mostly letting Utha and Alyssa carry the conversation and only adding the occassional comment as they walk. On entering the Pokécenter, Leah heads over to the Nurse on duty with Saura in tow. She breaks into a smile as she recognises Nika behind the nurse. Once close enough to the desk she offers the nurse a wave with her free hand, " Hi, umm, would you mind checking over my Bulbasaur? We were doing some training out in the woods and she could use some attention..? " Leaning slightly to the side, she then adds, " Hi Nika! It's good to see you again! "
Hazuki
 "Of course! Let's take a look at this little lady..."  The Nurse says as she strolls around her table so she can crouch down in front of Saura and look her over. Saura is quite happy to submit herself to the examination and the nurse's gentle ministration.

 "Hey! Leah!"  Nikka perks up, then scrambles for something around her and retrieves what looks like the top half of a familair Kanto premier ball.  "Look what I got! That's the kind of thing you have back home, right?" 
tgva8889
Alyssa is glad to let Leah carry Maggie for a time, chatting with Utha with surprising ease, oohing and aahing at appropriate moments and sharing the story of their morning as they walk.

She waves at Nika as she looks up, smiling.  "Hi Nika!"  Looking over the table, she examines Nika's work for a moment before pointing at the Pokeball part in her hand.  "That looks like a Pokeball, but it looks a bit different?" 
Hazuki
 "It's one of the foreigner type ones!"  Nika informs Alyssa with half a grin, as she points the half-shell towards her.  "Some of the foreigners doing the challenge come by, they've got broken ones, or spare ones, and I tell them I make Pokeballs and they're like 'here you go'!" 
Comissar
Leah shifts Maggie a little to a more comfortable position as she moves around to the side of the desk to get a better look at Nika's work, though politely staying out from behind it so as not to get in the way. " Very cool! Yeah, those're promotional pokéballs that, uh, that the mart's sometimes would give out. " She grins, a questioning note in her voice, " How're you finding it..? Compared to, uh, to Londo balls, that is. "
Hazuki
Maggie has spent much of the time in Leah's arm being still, not objecting but clearly not used to a non-Alyssa cuddle situation. The current situation is no different, save for her peering around Leah to watch the nurse tending to Saura.

Nika makes a thoughtful expression at Leah's question.  "When it's complete, you know, not all in bits, it's like...zap! Instead of ours, which are more like poof, you know? And there are all these little things that do things that...they're the same, but not? I can figure out what they do, but they're different, like..."  She taps the half-ball on the side of her head.  "The difference between a boot and a sandal? Laces against straps and slipping in instead of wrapping around, but both shoes." 
Comissar
Leah nods, " Yeah. It, uh, it took me a while to get used to the way Londo pokéballs work, it seemed so strange given how the, uh, the ones I'm used to work. I, uh, I might be able to introduce you to some people who work at, uh, at Silph Co. at some point if you were, uh, were interested..? Or Devon, too..? " Leah gives a one-shouldered shrug, " Could give you a chance to, uh, to speak with someone in pokéball design? "
tgva8889
Alyssa nods along with Nika's description.  "I  think  that makes sense? I'm not really great with technology but it certainly looks like it matches what you said."  She observes the design from afar, examining the design of the unique half-ball.  "Have you gotten any working already?" 
Hazuki
 "Wait, really?"  Nika asks Leah, her green eyes widening.  "How does...how would you do that? Are there any around here?"  Her gaze flicks to Alyssa.  "Well, I mean...I sort of can. I can put the bits together that are in there, but I couldn't make one by myself, not like our ones. They make them with machines, like the things that keep track of all the Pokemon and they're really complicated." 
tgva8889
 "Wow, really?"  Alyssa looks at Leah for confirmation.  "All of ours don't do that." 
Hazuki
Nika nods, though she isn't who's being looked to for confirmation.

 "You should be perfectly well now,"  the Nurse informs Saura with a smile. The little green Pokemon lets out a happy cry and immediately begins waddling back over to Leah.
Comissar
Leah gives a shrug and shake of her head, " I mean, uh, my parents both work for, uh, for Silph Co., and my Dad's at Whitebeam. Umm, we were gonna be heading there at, uh, at some point so you and, uh, and Sass could come too. And the, uh, the Professor works with Devon and I work for  her , so I might be able to, uh, to get in the door with Devon that way..? " She gives another shrug, " It does, uh, it does mean having to move from here though and I know you, uh, you might not want to. It's your call. "

She glances over to Alyssa at her question and nods her confirmation, " Yeah, they're made in factories. There's a lot of varieties and a lot of demand so, uh, so there's   a lot of resources invested in, uh, in making them. "

Leah turns as she hears Saura's check up is done, adjusting Maggie a little so that she can crouch down without overbalancing. Reaching out to scritch Saura's neck she grins at her Bulbasaur, " Glad you're feeling better! "
Hazuki
Saura happily leans into the scratches and lets out a determined cry once Leah's finishes with them.

 "You know sooo many people!"  Nika says, staring at the pair of girls.  "Devon and Silph and the Professor... "  She scratches her chin, her gaze drifting to the Nurse, who is returning her supplies to their place.  "I don't know if I'd be able to go soon...but maybe? The message things, how do they work? I'd like to to be able to message this  cute girl I met ,"  she says in a sing-song voice. The Nurse's cheeks turn a little pink.
tgva8889
 "Oh, that's cool. There's other kinds of Pokeballs? I wonder what they look like..."  Alyssa thinks for a moment, then takes out her pad and starts sketching something as she sits next to Nika at the table, leaning her pad against the table as she draws.

After a moment of drawing and trying to follow the conversation, she looks up.  "Oh, right. We were kinda looking for Sass, right?" 
Comissar
Leah gives an embarrassed grin at Nika's awe, then can't help glancing over to the Nurse with a smile as she teases her. Turning her attention back to Nika, she responds " I can show you, they're, uh, they're pretty easy. And yeah, there's no rush. I can, uh, I can give you my contact details too. That way you can hang around longer than, uh, than we do if you want and we can meet up again later. "

Glancing to Alyssa, Leah nods, " Ah, yeah, I don't suppose you've, uh, you've seen her recently Nika..? "
Hazuki
Nika nods along with Leah's statement, raising no objections at all to Alyssa leaning up against her table, then her expression falls a little when Sass is mentioned.

 "Uhhh, yeah, we saw her. She came in for healing, and said that she's going to train real hard all day, then get healed and challenge Lady Diwyneb right away,"  Nika explains.  "Then she stomped off." 
Comissar
Leah's expression falls in sympathy with Nika's. " She's, uh, she's been headstrong for as long as I've known her... Umm... Sorry if, uh, if I'm presuming but, uh, but are you ok..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa catches the change in mood, but doesn't intervene for the moment, instead continuing to sketch something, looking over at the Pokeball pieces on the table every so often.
Hazuki
 "Mmm..."  Nika shrugs, idly fiddling with a few parts as she thinks.  "I like how passionate she is. But not when it's about something like this. When she's talking about battling Pokemon, it's good, like nothing can stop her. But if you can't stop her being angry at you, it feels bad." 
Comissar
Leah sighs and nods, " Yeah, uh, I can, uh, I can relate to that. I'm kinda worried that, uh, that she's just gonna blow up at me again but, uh, but I still want to try and smooth things over. "
Hazuki
 "Mmm...I guess you can hang out here until she comes back?"  Nika suggests, rolling a small part between her fingers.  "She has to get her Pokemon healed and she's not the kind of person who'll leave them here for long." 
Comissar
Leah nods, " Yeah, ok, that sounds like a plan. If, uh, if that's ok with you two..? " She turns to Alyssa and Utha, " I don't know how long she'll be so, uh, so if you wanted to go do something else I can, uh, I can come find you with Sass if you let me know where you're going..? "
Hazuki
Utha, who has politely remained out of the conversation about a stranger, makes a thinking noise as she cradles her Espurr in her uninjured arm.  "She sounds like quite an energetic person. Would she stay here long enough for you to find us? I've become quite used to staying in the domains of healers, so a sit down and a conversation wouldn't be unwelcome at all." 
tgva8889
Not looking up from her pad, Alyssa says  "I don't mind waiting here."  Then she looks up at Leah.  "Though I think it might be good for us to stay together if you're going to look for her. I, uh, don't think looking for her is gonna be good though. If she's still angry she probably won't stop for you." 
Comissar
Leah lets out a breath and nods, " Yeah, ok, waiting here works. " She turns back to Nika, " I, uh, I can try and answer any questions about tech you have while we ait if you want..? "
Hazuki
What follows is a series of tech questions that come with questions, and between the answers a couple more questions slip in. Almost all of them are from Nika, who listens diligently, apparently even forgetting the tech parts that sit around her as she does. Utha finds a comfortable spot to sit with her Espurr and chat with Alyssa, while Maggie does her best to get into Alyssa's arms and Saura chills out in the vicinity of the Nurse, who does her job of tending to the trainers and labour Pokemon who come in for minor treatments.

And then! The door of the center opens. Sass is already walking in, a bruised but confident Yrael stalking alongside her. She's all of two steps in when she sees not just Nika and the Nurse, but Leah, Alyssa, and their Pokemon all standing there. Her steps slow as a scowl comes to her face, but don't stop even when she reaches the Nurse and places her Pokeballs on the table. Silently.
Comissar
Leah does her best to answer Nika's questions, leaning toward honesty when she doesn't have an answer or is uncertain on the details, but overall happy to engage with her. She ends up losing track of time within the conversation, the arrival of Sass bringing her back to the room. She feels an unexpectedly strong twist of emotion in her chest as Sass breaks into a scowl. Her plan to simply offer Utha's help suddenly felt half-baked. She closes her eyes for a moment and forces herself to turn and face Sass as the young girl approaches the Nurse, doing her best to recall the advice the fortuneteller gave her as she did.

" Sass... " Leah found her words failing her in the face of her own welling emotions and Sass' clear irritation at finding everyone at the pokécenter. Clenching her fist, she forces the words out, " I... I-I want to see you win, Sass. I want to  help  you get to, uh, to get to your goal. Alyssa has, uh, has a friend who's offered to help train you. " She hesitates, words catching a moment, then continues, " I-If you, uh... I-If you don't want the help, that's fine. I... I just don't want you to keep hating me. "
Hazuki
Leah feels Saura sitting right next to her, the little green Pokemon's head butting comfortingly against her calf.

When Leah starts speaking, Sass' eyes latch on to her. They stay there even when Utha is mentioned, hard as steel. But when she says the final thing, there's a moment where they break, shooting to the floor, to Yrael, then back to Leah with a softened scowl and a purse to her lips.

 "I don't..."  Her scratchy voice falters for a second as the Nurse pointedly goes about healing her Pokemon.  " Hate  you. You're just...it's..."  Her hand clenches into a fist.  "It's annoying. The stuff. With my brother and then you and Alyssa and then Nika and that girl! Everyone keeps going to do that stuff, the  kissing  stuff."  Her voice isn't angry, but frustratated.
Comissar
Leah's expression falls as she finds herself unsure of what to say to Sass. Saura's encouraging presence helps her to try anyway, " I... I'm not, uh, not going to leave you unless you want me to. I, uh, I also don't want to, uh, to leave Alyssa, though. " She rubs behind her neck, glancing over at Nika, then back to Sass, " I, uh, I don't want to choose between supporting you and, uh, and travelling with Alyssa. I... I don't want to, uh, to speak for Nika, but, uh, but I don't think she wants to choose either. "
Hazuki
Nika shakes her head in agreement with Leah, slipping off of the table she'd been perched on.  "I think you're great! And you're only gonna get better!" 
 "I-I think so, too,"  the Nurse adds quietly.  "I don't know you well, but Nika says how amazing you are. And Yrael..."  Her head, straining under the pressure of eye contact, drifts to the Sylveon by Sass' feet, ears perked .  "Yrael proves it. It takes love to raise a Sylveon. A-And that love hasn't stopped you from wanting to keep your friends..." 

The stubborn set of Sass' jaw softens as her gaze flicks between the girls gathered before her. She makes a noise halfway between a grunt and a thinking noise.  "If you still want to spend time with and support me and stuff, how do I know that? You might just be saying it!" 
tgva8889
Alyssa doesn't let Maggie into her arms for a bit, as she's busy drawing various designs for Pokeballs, some of which are completely unrealistic but a few of the simpler ones look nice (though she of course has no idea how to make any of them). After a bit she lets Maggie climb into her arms, figuring out how to sketch around her for a bit.

 "We wouldn't be here waiting for you if we didn't want to support you."  Alyssa sets her pad down on the table and, putting her arms around Maggie so she doesn't fall, stands and looks Sass in the eyes.  "There's a lot of other things we could be doing. But we wanted to be here, for you. We just want to help you." 
Hazuki
Sass goes through a fully-body pause that seems to stretch to the whole room.


 "You can't just...say that,"  she mutters as she crouches down just enough to pet Yrael between the ears.  "I don't believe it unless you promise it's true. You have to promise." 
Comissar
Leah sighs, sitting herself on the ground next to Sass and leaning her back against the counter. " I-I promise, Sass... You're an amazing trainer, I want to see what you can accomplish. And, uh, and I want to help you on that journey. "
Hazuki
Reluctance flickers across Sass' face, then she holds a fist out to the two girls, not making eye contact with either of them.
tgva8889
Alyssa looks at the fist, then Leah, not really sure what she's supposed to do in this situation.
Comissar
Leah glances to Alyssa, then back to Sass. She reaches out and bop's Sass' extended fist with her own.
tgva8889
Alyssa follow suit, bopping Sass's outstreached fist with her own.
Hazuki
Maggie also bumps Sass' fist.

Then Nika does and the girl stands up properly again.  "Sorry, for...shouting...and getting angry..." 
Comissar
Leah follows Sass' lead in pulling herself back up to her feet. She hesitates a moment, then pulls Sass into a hug, " We're, uh, we're here for you if you'll let us be. "
Hazuki
Sass is paralyzed! She can't move! Then she recovers, and hugs Leah back with a little more strength than is typical for her size.  "Okay,"  she says, her voice slightly muffled by the hug.
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles, glad for Leah (and Sass), holding Maggie tightly.  "I understand how you feel. Thank you for saying sorry. I'm sorry if I made you feel like me or Leah was leaving you." 
Comissar
Leah gives Sass a final squeeze before stepping back and releasing her. With a soft smile, she asks, " So, uh, you were getting ready for the league challenge, right..? Got, uh, got a plan? "
Hazuki
Sass takes a moment once the hug ends, but Leah's question makes her head snap up.  "Yes! We're gonna win!"  She curls her hand into a fist.  "But I can't rely on Yrael, 'cause Lady Diwyneb uses Poison and neither of us want to be knocked out!"  Yrael makes an affirmative cry.  "So I've been thinking about what to do without my ace! I've got a few techniques and a few Pokemon..." 
Comissar
Leah smiles as Sass jumps into her strategising. She finds herself tuning out a little, memories of Sass dropping by the lab and getting excited about the prospect of getting her very own Eevee coming to the forefront instead. It was impressive seeing how far she'd come already in such a short space of time. " Sounds like you're putting, uh, putting a lot of thought into it. " She glances over to Utha, then back to Sass, " Did, uh, did you want to chat with Utha for a bit? See if, uh, if she has any tips? "
Hazuki
Utha, having bene brought into the conversation at last, gives a little wave as Sass glances over to her.

 "Okay. But, uh..."  Sass leans in a little to Leah.  "Um. I ran into Misru when I was training, Professor Hawthorne's sister. She was in the forest with a lady with tattoos. She said that she could help me with getting a good Pokemon, but I'd have to owe her a favor. I don't know if it's a good idea or not, since she didn't say what it was. But you know them better than me, right?" 
Comissar
Leah's smile wilts away at Sass' new information. " Oh! " Rubbing behind her neck, Leah shifts in place, " Last, uh, last I saw them, umm, Misru was, uh, was trying to help the tattoo'd lady with, uh, with a problem she, uh, she was having. " She gives an uncomfortable shrug, " I... I, uh, don't think Misru would ask you to do anything dangerous, but she was, uh, she was talking about breaking some rules last time I saw her. I'd, umm, I'd at least find out what the favour is before saying yes. "
Hazuki
 "Mm...okay. If you say I'd have to find out and she says she won't tell me then I won't do it. I, uh. I like you better than her,"  Sass says as she walks over to Utha proper, to discuss strategy and the like.

 "So. You find yourself missing an ace, hmm? Let's see.."  Utha begins.
tgva8889
Alyssa looks over at Leah as she responds to Sass, her own thoughts turning. She nods when Sass gives her opinion.  "Sounds like a good idea. Don't wanna agree to something with Misru without knowing." 

With Sass and Utha finally talking, Alyssa smiles and takes Leah's hand, giving it a squeeze.  "How are you? You okay?" 
Comissar
Leah lets out a breath as Alyssa takes her hand, looking over to her with a wan smile, " Yeah, uh, I think so. A bit drained I think. I'm, uh, I'm not sure what to do about Misru. " She shrugs, looking back to Sass talking with Utha, " I'll, uh, I'll figure that out another time, though. It's, uh, it's good to see Sass happy. "
Hazuki
With Sass occupied by Utha, a freshly-happy Nika in the same room as her girlfriend, and a few hours having passed since they shared some ice cream, the girls head out of the PokeCenter to grab some grub from a nearby street vendor. The weather has fortunately cooled down some, allowing the pair to purchase some sesame balls stuffed with bean paste that are perfectly edible by Pokemon, which is good, as the Alyssa-perched Maggie made grabby hands at them as soon as they were purchased and into the shade of one of the prefab homes of East Diwyneb Town.
Comissar
Leah splits one of the freshy purchased sesame balls, offering it out to Maggie as she walks with Alyssa. " So, uh, do you think, uh, do you think Bibi would be willing to loan Ibib for the fight..? " The offer of getting their guide to loan her pokémon to Sass had seemed simple enough, but now that they were moving to act on it, Leah was beginning to have doubts on it, " They, uh, they seem pretty close and Bibi's already done a lot for us, it, uh, it seems cheeky to ask. "
tgva8889
Alyssa enjoys both the lowering temperature and the shade, sighing in relief as they stand in the cooler darkness and enjoy their food. With Leah offering Maggie some of hers, Alyssa doesn't do the same, letting Maggie finish up one first before she offers any of her own. She looks up at Leah at her question, then looks out into the street, her thoughts moving.  "I think she might mind. Even though I did offer, I would feel a bit worried if Maggie were to do the battle."  She looks down the Gothorita enjoying her food.  "But even if she's not comfortable with it, she might have an idea of where we could help Sass find some other help. So talking to her would probably be good."  Though the words she's saying suggest otherwise, Alyssa's voice shakes as she herself reconsiders.
Comissar
Leah nods, more confidence in her voice than there was in Alyssa's, " Hopefully she says yes, though. "

She turns her attention forward, heading toward the place Bibi was currently staying at.
Hazuki
Maggie gratefully takes the additional sesame balls Alyssa offers, nomming them as they float in front of her head in a telekinetic sheen.

It is not terribly difficult to find Bibi again, considering her size and the inn they're all staying at. They find the woman sitting in the shade just outside of the inn, Ibib on her head as a similarly-huge Mudsdale lays beside her. The woman brushes its coat with...a brush.
Comissar
Leah raises her hand in greeting as they approach their guide. " Hi Bibi! " Her attention is drawn to the Mudsdale, the pokémon's sheer size making it hard not to take a moment to appreciate it, " Is, uh, is the Mudsdale yours? I don't remember seeing you with it before..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa stands a bit further back, her eyes on Ibib the entire time. She swallows sharply and then moves forward to stand next to Leah and offer her support.

Leah's comment draws her attention away and she looks at the Mudsdale. Smiling, she bends down to get a closer look.  "You look like quite a strong Pokemon." 
Hazuki
Bibi glances up when the girls speak, then straightens up more when she realizes who's speaking to her.

 "Hello. She is not mine,"  Bibi explains as the Mudsdale turns its giant head at Alyssa's words and lets out an affirmative snort.  "She has become stubborn, her partner says. Since she evolved. About her brushing."  She continues to brush the Musdale's coat as she speaks.  "I offered to helo, and now I am." 

Maggie and Saura don't seem to have any opinion on the horse, but the bulbasaur does greet Bibi with a little cry and gets a nod sent her way.
Comissar
Leah nods at Bibi's description of the Mudsdale, " She, uh, she seems well behaved right now, at least! "

She finds herself a spot to sit on the ground near both the guide and the pokémon she's caring for, being sure not to block the way in and out of the inn as she does so. " We've, uh, we've just got back from speaking with Sass. Umm, she's, uh, she's getting ready to take on the challenge here soon. She's a bit worried that she, uh, she won't have an answer for Poison types, though. "
Hazuki
 "She is behaving,"  Bibi agrees as the Mudsdale continues to receive its grooming. The large woman listens to Leah's words and makes a thinking noise.  "She should know what can be done with them, or against them. What's stopping her from finding an answer?" 
Comissar
Leah gives a complicated shrug, " She, uh, she knows which types she should, uh, she should be using, but she, uh, she doesn't have anything on her team right now to deal with, uh, with Poison. " Leah hesitates, glancing briefly to Alyssa, then back to Bibi, rubbing behind her neck as she does so, " Umm... Apparently Misru offered to, uh, to help her find a pokémon in exchange for a favour. I... I, uh, I don't know if she should take her up on that. Misru's, uh, she's... " Leah gives an embarrassed grimace, " I'm not sure Sass should, uh, should be in debt to her. "

She removes her bag, setting the strap beside her as she does, and pulls one knee up to her chest, " So, umm, Alyssa and I were looking for, uh, for other options. "
tgva8889
Alyssa joins Leah in sitting on the grass, putting Maggie down before she takes a seat beside her. Her gaze is drawn back to the Mudsdale, who she smiles at.  "Bibi, you, um, you said you were helping this Pokemon's partner?" 
Hazuki
Bibi listens to Leah's explanation of the issue with Misru and nods when she's finished.  "I do not know Misru well. If you don't think it's a good idea..."  She shrugs her muscular shoulders. Then lets the silence hang.  "You would like my help,"  she states, the scars on her face rising with her eyebrows as she looks at the girl.

Maggie quite happily takes a seat beside Alyssa, leaning on her and staring at the giant (to normal things, but not other Mudsdales) Mudsdale, which doesn't smile back, but acknowledges her with a little  whump  of its tail.

 "I am,"  Bibi answers her.  "And her. She cannot brush herself, and was raised pampered." 
Comissar
Leah nods at Bibi's statement, " Yeah, umm... It's ok if you say no, as well. Umm, I know we, uh, we're already asking for your help a lot. But... Yeah. " Leah rubs behind her neck, " Umm... I don't know if, uh, if you'd be able to loan her a pokémon for, uh, for her battle..? "
tgva8889
Alyssa turns to Leah and continues her line of questioning, turning back to Bibi to ask  "Or, um, was she caught around here?" 
Hazuki
 "I do not carry any Pokemon to loan, but I may know some who could,"  Bibi answers Leah, then looks to Alyssa.  "I do not think so. She looks Southwestern, but I am not sure." 
Comissar
Leah nods, " If, uh, if you have suggestions, those'd help too! Umm, assuming they're not too far. "
tgva8889
Alyssa nods with Leah.  "I don't think there's a lot of Pokemon around here that would do against Poison-types, at least from what we found." 
Hazuki
 "Nothing for Poison, eh?"  comes a vaguely familiar voice from the end of the small path the girls are sitting in.

Standing there in the sunlight is an older teen, a white tank top sitting in stark contrast to her skin, a pair of pink shorts, with her thick hair tied into a bun and a pair of sunglasses hiding her eyes. It takes a moment for the memory to return, but for Leah it's especially stark: the foreign trainer they met at the docks in Thundercrag, whose Tsareena had used the young botanist's back as a stepping stool.

 "I think I can help with that,"  she announces, shooting a thumbs-up towards the girls.
tgva8889
Alyssa waves and smiles, recognition flitting on her face.  "Oh, hi! Good to see you again. How are you doing? It's been a while." 
Hazuki
 "I'm doing good, my friend, I'm doing good,"  the older girl says as she hustles up the path to stand over the girls. She stares at Bibi for a second.  "I'm going to challenge the gym leader here soon, but then I heard a couple of voices, saw a couple of familiar faces and I thought...oh no, that's the girl my Pokemon stepped on. Sorry about that, again. May be I can make it up to you, though." 
tgva8889
Alyssa's face turns a bit red from second-hand embarrassment, but she shakes it off.  "So, um, you said you could help us?" 
Comissar
Leah looks up to face the new arrival, and feels her cheeks heating moments later as she recognises the trainer. She glances away, feeling mortified at the memory of their interactions at Thundercrag. She winces as the trainer then  recognises  her as the girl who got stepped on. She shakes her head, looking up at her and smiling with a confidence she didn't feel.

" Y-you, uh, y-you don't need to, uh, to apologise. Umm, it, uh, it wasn't your fault. " Feeling awkward at having a conversation from the ground, she hesitates a moment, then pushes herself to her feet, " I, uh, I don't know how much you heard but, uh, but our friend is looking to, uh, to take on the challenge here..? "

The statement comes out more as a question, Leah finding herself wondering what the new arrival might be able to offer.
Hazuki
 "Yep, yep, heard it all. And..."  The trainer reaches into her bag and retrieves a clearly foreign Pokeball, not Kantoan or Londoan.  "I've got a little lady right here who's begging for a new home. She doesn't really get along with my team, or me, bummer, right? You always hope they will, but sometimes things just don't work out. She's a Mawile, you've got those over here, right?" 
 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Yes! In fact, they're rarely found around Alyssa's hometown Vibrost Town and Lord Vibrost uses one as his ace.
 
tgva8889
Alyssa's eyes light up.  "Oh, I think I know that one! I've seen them before at home."  She smiles looks at Leah.  "I think Sass could use one?" 
Comissar
Leah nods, " Ah, umm, yeah! Mawile would, uh, would be perfect, actually. " She hesitates, " Why, uh, why didn't she fit in with your team..? Is there anything we need to, uh, to be aware of with her..? "
Hazuki
The girl chuckls a little cautiously as she scratches the back of her head.  "Well, uh. Y'know, my girls, they'll all big, big personalities, they know their worth. This girl's not that. She gets stressed out when they're acting like that and I don't want to force her to put up with Pokemon that upset her." 
tgva8889
Alyssa feels a pang in her heart.  "Oh no, poor thing. I, um, I'm not sure how good she would do with our friend, but if she's not doing good with you, we'd be glad to find her a good home. Did you catch her where you're from?" 
Comissar
" I mean, at worst we can just see how she gets one with Sass? " Leah gives a shrug, " It's possible she, uh, she won't get on with her either, but there's no harm in trying, right..? "
Hazuki
 "You bet I did! Well, it's a long story, but she's from Alola,"  the girl says.  "Which is, as you guessed, where I'm from and where most of my girls are, too. I'm happy to let you see how she likes your friend, but I'm gonna want to be there too, naturally. Can't just go having her pop out with new people and not have a chance to say goodbye." 
tgva8889
 "Probably a good idea."  Alyssa turns to Leah and Bibi.  "Thanks for your help, Bibi. It was good to talk things out. I, uh, guess we should go find Sass?" 
Comissar
Leah nods as the Alolan girl comments on wanting to meet Sass before she passes over her Mawile. " Yeah, uh, that makes sense. We can, uh, we can head back to her. She should still be at the pokécenter. "
Hazuki
"I will be here," Bibi tells the girls as they get ready to leave, out of the shade and once more into the sunny Diwyneb day. The large woman seems perfectly content to continue with her brushing of the Mudsdale, while Ibib gives a faint wave of its tendrils.

The walk back to the Pokecenter is familiar by now, and fortunately all the walking they've been doing on their journey has meant their legs don't protest too much to the return trip. The Alolan girl quite happily makes conversation along the way, most of it revolving around battling strategies, battles she's had, and battles she plans to have. She seems to be a font of knowledge on the matter, like some kind of...ace trainer.

Sass is, in fact, still in the Pokecenter, sitting cross-legged on the floor and sipping some water as she fiddles with her Pokedex. It seems it's up to the girls to make introductions.
Comissar
Leah doesn't have much to contribute to the battle conversation, though it does sound like their new compatriot is going to be a competitor for Sass going forward..? " Honestly, sounds like you're gonna have a lot to, uh, to talk about with Sass. " She comments with a smile as they reach the Pokécenter.

Heading inside, Leah raises her hand and calls out " Hey Sass, we've, uh, we've found someone who might be able to help you out! "
tgva8889
Alyssa makes sure to grab Maggie before she they leave, holding her in her arms as they head back to Sass. Though she doesn't follow most of the conversation, she tries to keep the Alolan girl going as they walk, nodding and commenting at the best times she can to continue the conversation. She does notice Leah's tone and gives her a supportive smile, giving her a comforting squeeze of the hand.

She spies Sass and points her out to the group as they approach, though she lets Leah lead the introduction for the moment seeing as she has a better relationship with Sass. She does wave when they get back, smiling while she holds Maggie carefully.
Hazuki
Sass peers up from where she sits, having to push her visor up to get a good look at the group that come in.

The Alolan girl shoots a cool thumbs-up at her as she's spotted.  "Hey there, little lady! Name's Royal, and it might just be your lucky day, because you need an ace up your sleeve and I've got one too many in my deck." 
 "Huh?"  Sass asks, as she clambers to her feet and fixes Royal with a stare.  "Little lady? Really?" 
 "Sorry!"  Royal flashes a smile at her, then looks to Leah.  "Y'wanna take over explaining for me?" 
tgva8889
Alyssa moves a bit forward and coughs slightly to clear her throat.  "Um, Royal here has a Pokemon that might help you against the Poison-types you'll fight at the Gym, and wanted to see if she would get along with you."  She looks at Leah and Royal to make sure what she said was right, then looks back at Sass to make sure she understood what Alyssa meant.
Comissar
Leah nods, adding " Uh, Royal has a, uh, a Mawile that's looking for a new trainer to travel with. There's, uh, there's no pressure if you don't get along with her, but we figured there'd be no harm in seeing if, uh, if you'd get along with her..? 
Hazuki
Royal gives a cool thumbs-up to Alyssa.

 "Oh...that's pretty...cool, I guess,"  Sass replies, her stare softening into something like a more normal.  "Why would you do that?" 
 "I'm just that cool,"  Royal replies as she reaches for her belt and retrieves a traditional Pokeball. With a push of a button, a crackle of red light, there appears...a Mawile! The pale yellow humanoid, complete with a mighty black jaw that hangs from the back of its head like a ponytail. It blinks at its surroundings, red eyes drifting from girl to girl, Pokemon to Pokemon, before snapping back to Royal with a tilted head and a little cry.  "Hey girl,"  Royal says, crouching down to meet her at...as close to eye level as she can get.  "Y'know how we've been talking about finding you someone you might get along with better than my team? Well...that's what's happening now. If you both end up wanting it, I mean. This girl here? Here name is Sass." 

Sass gives a little wave to the Mawile, her eyes wide as she steps closer.  "Hey! What, uh, big teeth you have!"  She says, glancing to Leah and Alyssa as though to say "look at the size of those!"
tgva8889
Alyssa nods, smiling.  "Definitely a good Mawile."  She waves at it nicely, though she makes sure to keep further away than either Royal or Sass so as to make clear that she's not the intended recipient.
Hazuki
The Mawile glances back at her maw, which also glances back at her, then at Sass and gives a little double nod of her head.

 "This is Yraelle,"  Sass says, her Sylveon padding around her to come to her side and face the Mawile.  "Yraelle was my first Pokemon, so...they know me, so if we all spend a little time together, we can all get to know each other better. How about that?"  she asks, to which the Mawile considers the room, then Royal, then Sass and gives a noncommittal shrug.  "Is that okay, not-as-litte lady?" 

Royal gives her a thumbs-up.

With that, Sass, Yraelle, and the Mawile dip outside, leaving the gang inside to...do whatever they want to do!
tgva8889
Alyssa lets out a breath she wasn't sure she was holding and smiles, turning to the others.  "Well, I hope that goes well. Thanks for your help, Royal."  She looks after them as the door closes behind them.  "I think they'll get along all right." 
Comissar
Leah keeps to one side as Sass is introduced to the Mawile. She breaks into a grin at Sass being wowed at the jaws of the Mawile, giving a shrug and a nod as if to say 'Yeah. Pretty impressive!'

She calls out a quick " Good luck! " as Sass takes her leave, glancing to Alyssa and giving a nod. " Yeah, hopefully so. " Looking over to Royal, she continues, " I, uh, I know it was your suggestion, but, uh, you're sure you're ok with this..? "
Hazuki
Royal flashes a smile at the pair of them.  "I mean, we aren't done yet, we'll have to see how they get along on their playdate! But...yeah. I like that little gal, but if she isn't happy doing what she's doing with me...I don't like that. And if I come up against Sass over there some day and see my girl fighting at her best?"  She holds a hand to her heart.  "There'll be a battle stoppage because I'm so happy I can't stop crying." 
tgva8889
Alyssa looks over at Royal.  "Letting go like that is very hard. But I think they'll be happy together, so you did a good thing." 
Hazuki
 "That's the hope, isn't it?"  Royal shrugs her shoulders as she finds a comfy chair to sit on and stretches out her arms.  "So what're your plans for the rest of the day, huh? Can't have been planning to sit in the she shade grooming Mudsdales all day!" 
tgva8889
 "I, um, I think I have a session later but otherwise I'm not sure."  Alyssa looks over at Leah, curious if she had any ideas for the rest of the day.
Comissar
Leah breaks into a smile at Royal's comment on just wanting to see her Mawile happy. " I'm glad you see it that way. And, yeah, I think she's gonna be able to go all the way, so if you're on the same track as her..? " Leah shrugs, looking to the door Sass had gone through, " I think there's a good chance you'll get your wish. "

She gives a shrug as she's asked what her plans were for the day, giving Alyssa a supportive smile at the mention of her session, " Honestly, I, uh, I dunno. My main goal was to, uh, to patch things up with Sass. Which, y'know, I think I've...  We've  managed that. And, uh, thankyou both for your help. " She rubs behind her neck and shrugs again, " So, yeah, I'm, uh... Honestly not sure what to do now. "
tgva8889
Alyssa takes one of Leah's hands in hers and gives a supportive squeeze.  "Glad I could help." 
Hazuki
Royal points at herself at Leah's second-to-last statement, as though asking if she meant to reference her.

 "You all ate recently, didn't you? Because I haven't and this girl right here is starving,"  Royal says.  "I might go grab some grub, hang with my girls - uh, don't worry! I won't pop out Tsareena while you're around." 
tgva8889
She looks at Leah.  "I could eat I think."  Alyssa looks down at Maggie.  "You wanna get some food?" 
Comissar
Leah rubs behind her neck, ears heating at the mention of Royal's Tsareena. Giving a nervous laugh, she shakes her head, " I, uh, I appreciate the offer. It's ok, though, you two can go on ahead. I think I'm, uh, I'm going to take a wander. "
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles and gives Leah a peck on the cheek.  "Okay. D'you wanna meet up somewhere after?" 
Comissar
Leah blushes and smiles at the display of affection, nodding as she responds " Yeah, uh, I'll, uh, I'll probably just head back to the room after I'm done wandering, can meet you there..? I probably won't be  that  long. " She hesitates a moment, then returns the kiss on the cheek, " Hope you have a good time! "
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles and nods, a bit of color on her cheeks.  "Okay. I'll see you again in the room later then!"  She gives a small wave, holding Maggie tightly in her other arm, and turns to Royal.  "Did you know where you wanted to go eat?" 
Hazuki
With that, Royal, Alyssa, and Maggie are off to find some grub in the East side of Diwyneb Town! There's fortunately quite a bit here that Alyssa hasn't had the chance to experience, but the eager trainer has a nose for something in particular and the pair soon find themselves standing beside what seems to be a stall. Their noses are immediately greeted by the scent of fried dough.

 "This right here? Let me tell ya something, you're gonna love it! Yeah, hit us with two sweet ones!"  she orders from the owner, who quickly delivers small packages of...malasadas! The doughnut-like food is unlike anything Alyssa has seen from Londo cuisine, but the sugar-coated treat offers mouthwatering delights. She can feel how warm it is through the package.  "Straight from Alola, which is where I'm from, thank ya very much!"  Royal says with a grin. Maggie is immediately pointing at the package Alyssa is holding.

~

Leah, meanwhile, sets about wandering. It's fairly pleasant, with the weather and the recent event of Sass getting a potential new partner! But just because she doesn't seek something doesn't mean something won't find her. In this case...she turns a corner and accidentally kicks a stray Pokeball. Not a design she recognizes. It's made of some sort of very shiny material, bright pink, and it rattles faintly as it comes to a halt alongside the corner of a wall.
Comissar
Leah takes her time walking. It was nice, just to have some time to herself. With the worry over her friendship of Sass eased somewhat, she was able to relax, her thoughts turning slowly to what they'd do when they got back on the road again. She wasn't totally sure about where they might be heading to next, travelling to Alyssa's home town sounded like a lot of fun, but-

Her train of thought is interrupted as she accidentally boots a pokéball into a wall. The soft ' tok ' of her shoe against the material making her stop and glance down. Her first instinct is to walk over and pick it up, the strange design of it giving her a brief pause as she examines it. Looking up and around apologetically, she straightens up to see if anyone nearby had dropped it.
Hazuki
There are only a handful of people lingering on this particular path, Leah notices. One, who's just turned around the corner after her. Another, far down, and likely not the owner given they've only got a one-Pokeball clasp on their belt, and it's occupied despite the ruffling of their baggy shorts in the wind. But now that she's gotten a better look at it, she does spot something odd. A very fine, nearly invisible wire that connects it to a nearby, closed box.
tgva8889
Alyssa follows behind Royal, keeping her eyes open so she can remember the way back once they find their destination. She tries not let herself get too distracted by the various stalls and stores they pass by as they walk, though a few times she does glance at something that she thinks Leah might appreciate or something to maybe come back and look at later.

Once she can smell the food, however, Alyssa moves a bit faster to follow behind Royal, stopping at the stall. She looks over their offerings for a moment herself before Royal hands her one of the small packages. She watches Royal herself dig in first before taking a bite herself, marveling in the sweetness and warmth. She savors it for a moment before swallowing and nodding.  "Oh, it is very good! Thank you for sharing this place."  She looks down as Maggie pokes at the package.  "Do you want to try some too?"  She adjusts her grip, holding the malasada a bit closer to Maggie so she can take a bite while also keeping her held tightly in her arms so she doesn't fall.
Comissar
Leah glances around the few bystanders around her with increasing confusion. "  ... Who..?  "

Returning her attention to the strange pokéball, she notices the fine wire. Her frown deepening, she lifts a finger against the wire gently, giving a soft tug to determine where it leads. Folding it into a loose loop around one hand as she goes, Leah follows the wire to the box. "  ... How did this fall out of here..?  "

Looking around again, and feeling like she might be doing something wrong, Leah turns her attention to the box and tries to open it. Perhaps the strange pokéball had just been knocked loose by something..?
Hazuki
Maggie gives an eager nod at Alyssa's offering, taking a big bite out of the malasada and nomming it down with great enthusiasm!

 "You're welcome! I mean, it's the fine person who made it ya should be thanking, all I did was point the way."  Royal shoots her a thumbs up.  "So tell me, where did ya find this little lady here?"  she asks, giving a brief gesture to Maggie.  "I can't help but notice she hasn't been in a Pokeball any time I've seen ya." 

~

The fine wire is just as fine as it initially appeared, but not so fine that it would cut into Leah's fingerpad. The young paleontologist makes her way over to the box, flicks it open, and finds...a diminutive pink Pokemon, no taller than two feet, with silver eyes, a large mouth, and two long pale pink "pigtails" atop its heads. In it shand is a fishing rod connected to the wire, but it simply stares up at Leah as her head appears in the opening of the box. Stares between her and the rod in its hands, then back again.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
It's a Tinkaton! No hammer, though.
 
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles as Maggie enjoys her bite, then takes one of her own, savoring the sweet flavor She nods at Royal's response.  "You're right."  Turning back to the stall owner, she gives a small bow.  "Thank you for this food!" 

As Royal asks her about Maggie, Alyssa smiles and pats the Gothorita on the head.  "Oh, when we were coming here, she tried to steal our food but got caught. Well, not caught, I mean I haven't actually caught her yet, but she's been traveling with me ever since. I've kinda grown to like her, even if she's not really my Pokemon yet."  She looks down at Maggie.  "I guess we never really talked about it." 
Comissar
Leah blinks as she finds the Tinkaton sat in the box. She follows its gaze to the fishing rod its holding, then down to the 'pokéball' in her hand. Then back to the Tinkaton. " Uh... Hi..? " She gives a soft smile, " What, uh... Whatcha fishing for..? "
Hazuki
Maggie wobbles her head happily as she's patted, then meets Alyssa's gaze with a little smile.

Royal snickers at that explanation.  "Well, that's a sweet story! Can't say I ever had a Pokemon try to steal my food, and she seems a little big to be doing that, doesn't she? They're not exactly known for sneaking around..."  she says, as Maggie puffs up her cheeks in a peeved response.

~

The Tinkaton points at Leah with its stubby hand, eyes still fixed in a stare. Apparently it didn't expect this outcome.
Comissar
Leah blinks in surprise, a slow smile forming as she puts a hand to her chest. " ... Me specifically..? Or, uh, or are you just looking to find a trainer..? "
tgva8889
 "Yeah, um, I guess she was just hungry? We did kinda leave the food out so..."  Alyssa looks down at Maggie and smiles back at her.  "Maggie does like food a lot. I understand that for sure!"  She takes another bite of her malasada to punctuate.
Hazuki
The Tinkaton goes quiet for several moments, rubbing its chin with one stubby hand as it contemplates how best to mime its intention across. Then it reels in the ball, and tosses it like a trainer would. Perfect!

~

Royal laughs at that, an infectious earnest sort of laugh.  "I mean, who doesn't right? Was just wondering how she grew up so big and strong without a way to get food for herself. But you do hear about wild Pokemon wandering out on their own, trying to get trainers. Usually if they battled some before." 
tgva8889
Alyssa smiles at Royal.  "That is a good point."  Looking down, she gives Maggie a bit of a friendly squeeze.  "How  did  you get so strong?" 
Comissar
Leah nods, " Ok... So you're looking for  a  trainer... " She glances around, wondering if there was a trainer for the Tinkaton just waiting to come around the corner, " Did you have a trainer already? " She looks back to the pokémon, waiting for it to reply, " Are you looking for a trainer who'll battle alongside you? "
Hazuki
Maggie lets out a little happy cry as she's squeezed, then turns her blue eyes upon Alyssa. Thinks for a few moments. Then shrugs.

 "Full of mysteries, this one,"  Royal says as she polishes off her malasada.  "You ever seen her battle?" 

~

Leah can't spot any obvious trainers! Nor anyone looking for anything, though a couple do take a second glance at the foreign girl having a conversation with the contents of a box. The Tinkaton taps the ball in its hand, then points at itself, then holds it hand over its eyes and looks left and right.
tgva8889
Alyssa shakes her head.  "I'm not much of a battler so I haven't asked her to battle for me."  She looks over at Royal.  "Do you think she'd be good at it?" 
Comissar
Leah nods along, oblivious to the odd strange look she's drawing toward her. " Well, I know a strong trainer looking for pokémon to battle with her, I can introduce you to her if you want? Or, uh, or if you're just wanting to go on a journey, I'm travelling across the country with a couple of people..? " She hesitates, trying to think how to allow the Tinkaton to express a preference, " I guess, uh, I guess one finger for the strong trainer, two for travelling with me, and just shake your head if you're not interested..? "
Hazuki
Royal leans over a little, squinting her eyes at Maggie, who stares back at her completely unperturbed.  "Don't know!"  The girl says with a laugh.  "I'd have to see her try, I reckon, but she's stronger than any unevolved Pokemon and a fair few evolved ones too! But being strong doesn't mean you're good in a battle, you know? Especially if she's been wild her whole life." 

~

Tinkaton nods along with Leah's explanation, beady little eyes fixed firmly on her, then taps a stubby finger to its chin. Thinking...

Thinking...

It holds up one finger, then holds the Pokeball up for closer inspection. Leah, being the Pokeball expert as she is, notices something; this is a Pokeball that's already captured something. Which means it likely has an owner.
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Alyssa laughs nervously.  "I'm not really the best, uh, trainer. So I don't know if I'd be able to do that."  She looks down a bit, wistful.  "My...my brother was always the one who was good at battling." 
Comissar
Leah nods as she's informed that the Tinkaton is looking for a strong trainer. Her mind, of course, goes straight to Sass. Lifting the pokéball from the pokémon's offering hand, Leah frowns, " Oh! Someone's already, uh, already used this one. Did you find this lying around somewhere? ... Is it yours? "
Hazuki
Royal perks up, an impressive feat, considering her eternally perked-up attitude.  "Your brother's a battler, huh? How tough is he?" 

~

The Tinkaton nods several times at Leah's question, then mimics tapping the ball aganist its head as though to make sure she knows what it means.
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 Really good!"  Alyssa brightens a bit.  "Last time I saw him, he was trying to become Champion. I don't know how well he was doing on that, but, uh, I think things were going well." 
Comissar
Leah pauses then gives a nod, "  Got  it. So you're looking for a new trainer! " She hesitates, then gives the pokémon a worried look, " ... What happened to your old trainer..? Are they ok..? "
Hazuki
 "Is he?"  Royal asks with a flash of a grin.  "Then I guess I'm going to see him sooner or later. Won't hurt our friendship if I humble him a little, I hope?"  She winks.

~

Tinkaton claps its hands together at Leah's last sentence, then waggles the rod several times!
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 "I don't think so. As long as you're not mean about it."  Alyssa winks back.  "How did you get good at battling? Or, um, I guess I mean what made you want to become good at it?" 
Comissar
Leah gives the Tinkaton a sad smile, rubbing behind her neck, " ... Sorry, I, uh, I don't understand what you're trying to tell me. " Giving a sigh, she glances around then gets to her feet, " Ok, I can take you to my friend if you want? Maybe we can figure out where your old trainer is as we go. "
Hazuki
  "I want to be the very best, like no one ever was. To catch them is my real test, to train them is my cause!"  
 "Now that's a question and a half!"  Royal says as she finds something to lean on, because she's a leaner, apparently.  "It's what I'm good at, as simple as that, really. Math? Science? History? Huh? What? Put those in front of me and I'm lost like I'm at a Pokecenter Nurse meet and greet. But battling Pokemon? That's my thing. That's where it allll clicks."  She taps her head, to demonstrate where it clicks.

~

The Tinkaton hangs its head at Leah's explanation she doesn't quite get tis meaning, thus forever spoiling its chances as Londoan Charades Champion, but it does clamber out of the container to stand by her feet, ready to follow wherever she lead.s
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Alyssa nods at Royal's response, smiling.  "It's really nice to have something you like doing that you're good at."  She looks down a bit, but looks back up and smiles brightly.
Comissar
Leah sets off with the Tinkaton in tow, intending to see if she can find where Sass went off to. There's a wry smile on her lips as she walks, she wasn't sure if Sass would have much more space for new Pokémon at the rate that she and Alyssa seemed to be passing them to her. Given Sass was going to be bonding with Royal's Mawile, she figured that the best place to start looking would be the inn Sass had been staying at. If nothing else, Nika might be around to give some directions.

As they walk, Leah talks to the Tinkaton and tells them about Sass and her exploits.
Hazuki
Royal looks both ways down the street when she sees Alyssa's reaction. "So why don't you tell me what you're good at? You can whisper if it's a secret, but I warn you, I've got a loud mouth."

~

The Tinkaton listens to Leah's tale as it doddles along beside her, right beside her legs as they wander the streets. Fortunately, its lack of a hammer menas it doesn't stand out too much, despite its violently pink hue. While Sass is apparently unlocatable at the moment, the amateur archeologist does manage to spot Nika! The girl herself is standing beside a stall of fashionable clothing from other regions and is apparently seeing how she'd look when donning a beret.
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Alyssa smiles.  "I'm an artist! I paint and draw and stuff. I was, um, working before but I'm currently traveling for a bit with Leah."  Her expression drops for a second, then she smiles brightly again.  "I can show you some of what I made if you want?" 
Comissar
Leah grins as she approaches Nika, once close enough she calls out " I think it suits you! "

She takes a second to look over the clothing on sale, a twinge of nostalgia panging through her as she recalls the shopping malls of her home city. " I, uh, I ran into this Tinkaton, " She gestures down to the pokémon, then looks back to Nika, " they're looking to find a new trainer and, uh, and they're hoping to find one that'll do a lot of battling..? " She grins, " I figured I'd start by introducing them to Sass? Uh, any thoughts on where I'd find her..? "
Hazuki
 "That would be great!"  Royal says, standing up a little more straight as though she's about to start walking...even though she's entirely reliant on Alyssa to guide her.  "What kind of painting do you do? Portraits? Landscapes? Weird stuff with all the fancy colors?" 

~

The clothes racks seem to have a fair deal of Kalosian fashion, though not the truly fancy stuff one might see on television. Nika pushes back her blonde bangs as she listens to Leah's tale, leaning over to peer at the Tinkaton with momentarily wide eyes.  "Sass, huh?"  she asks as she scratches her chin.  "I think I saw her run off a while ago, however...a Tinkaton? By itself? In here? How'd that happen?" 
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Alyssa gestures towards where she and Leah are staying and starts walking, waiting for Royal to follow a bit before she continues.  "I, um, I tend to do more pictures of people and Pokemon, but I have done some landscapes stuff for practice. I did study art so I know a little bit about everything." 
Comissar
Leah nods at Nika's Sass sighting, " That makes sense, I, uh, I figured she might be off training somewhere... " She turns her attention back to the Tinkaton, " And, uh, not sure. I found them by themself. When I asked about their old trainer they got very agitated and, uh, shook the rod around. I'm... Not sure what that means, though. "

She gives Nika an embarrassed smile, " Any chance you're better at charades than me..? "
Hazuki
Royal immediatly starts following Alyssa, so much so she overtakes her for a second before settling back into the Londoan girl's pace.  "I hear that kind of painting is the hardest to get right, what with all the parts of people's faces and how it reacts to light, the shadows, the...everything, you know? What was it that inspired you? That's what gets it all rolling, right? Some moment that makes you see it and go  that's the kind of thing I want to do! " 

~

Nika glances down at the Tinkaton, who, apparently sensing the opportunity, proceeds to go through a series of similar gestures as earlier.  "Hmm...to me, it seems like she's missing something... Hang on for a second."  The blonde girl quickly unberets her head, then approaches a small group at a nearby stall. Chatting for a few moments, Leah sees that she's borrowing a Pokedex from someone taking on teh challenge, then returns it and hurries back.  "TInkaton! They've always got their hammers, and she hasn't got hers. Maybe it's with her old trainer?" 
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Alyssa smiles and looks into the distance wistfully.  "When I was a little girl, I was out late at night and I saw a really beautiful Pokemon. I don't know what it was, and I don't think anyone I asked about it knew, but ever since I saw it dance in the moonlight I wanted to paint just like that."  She holds out a hand for a moment, then pulls it back and holds it close.  "I'm not quite there yet, but someday I hope to see that Pokemon again so I can try to draw and paint it doing its dance again." 
Comissar
Leah's eyes widen and she nods as Nika calls attention to the missing hammer. "  Oh!  Yeah, that, uh, that could make sense. " She looks down to the pokémon, " Is Nika right? Is that what you were, uh, were trying to tell me? Do you know where your, uh, where your old trainer is at the moment? Or, umm, could you draw us a picture of them so we can find them? "
Hazuki
 "That's one hell of a goal! Rare Pokemon, huh?"  Royal taps her chin as they stroll along, then hits Alyssa with a look.  "Have you got any plans for finding it again? I don't know if you know it, but lots of people make a habit out of finding rare Pokemon!" 

~

The Tinkaton gets a very thoughtful expression on her face, then points at the nearby clothing stall where Nika was trying on a hat and gives Leah an uncertain look. It's very likely she's asking for permission.
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 "I, um, I never thought about looking for it. I guess someday maybe I will want to. When I'm ready."  Alyssa's face fills with determination as she looks out into the distance. She turns back to Royal.  "Do you, um, know anyone in particular?" 
Comissar
Leah's expression shifts to confusion as the Tinkaton gestures toward the clothing. " I... Oh, uh, are you wanting to show us how they dress..? " She pauses a moment to give the Pokémon a chance to respond. " I mean, if you can point out the clothes they wear, that'll help us find them I'm sure. And, uh... If they're wearing Kalosian fashion, that'd help a lot too, they probably stand out here. "
Hazuki
Royal laughs at that question, not unkindly.  "Do I? Loads of them! Getting to know rare Pokemon is one of my favorite things. But! They're all back in Alola. Almost all. If nothing else, Londo has a Professor, don't you? If you can describe it to them, they'll have some advice for you. It's their job to know all about which Pokemon are living about the region." 

~

The Tinkaton nods her head a couple times, then pads over to each of the items of clothing. She picks out a long red coat, a pair of black slightly-heeled boots, and a dress with a black and white chevron pattern.
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Alyssa nods.  "That's...that's a good idea. Maybe I should ask her about it. Though, um, I'm not as good with words as I am with pictures so I'm not sure how well I can talk about it." 
Hazuki
 "Well, we've all got out strengths, haven't we?"  Royal laughs good-naturedly.  "Never mind, then! I'm sure you'll stumble upon it sooner or later, or, maybe even not, you know? Sometimes chasing the prize is all the inspiration you need. That's how it works for people in these tournaments, that dream of facing the champ." 
Comissar
Leah gives a nod, pulling out her pokégear to take a quick snap of the outfit. " Alright! Looks like we know what to look for! " Smiling to Nika, she asks " Did you, uh, did you want to help us find her missing trainer? It's cool if not, I'll catch up with you later. "
tgva8889
 
 Originally Posted by Hazuki 
  "Well, we've all got out strengths, haven't we?"  Royal laughs good-naturedly.  "Never mind, then! I'm sure you'll stumble upon it sooner or later, or, maybe even not, you know? Sometimes chasing the prize is all the inspiration you need. That's how it works for people in these tournaments, that dream of facing the champ."  
 

 "That, um, makes sense."  Alyssa smiles to hide her doubts.  "Is that what drives you?" 
Hazuki
 "I'll leave you to it!"  Nika says as Leah prepares to leave with the Tinkaton in tow.  "I can't leave until I've got something fancy to wear,"  she says by way of explanation. With their prey clearly in Leah's mind's eye, they set about the streets of Diwyneb Town with a pace only moderately dictated by the stubby-legged pink Pokemon at her side. Who also happens to not be able to see much above knee-height, which is famously the most congested part of anyone's eyeline.

It takes some searching, but Leah spots a few things in quick sequence: Royal, walking alongside Leah, and, after quickly consulting her picture, a woman with an identical outfit to the Tinkaton, her long blonde hair frazzled as it hangs behind her and she darts about the streets like a woman possessed, eyes searching for...who knows?

~

Royal hits Alyssa with a crisp thumbs-up!  "The money doesn't hurt either, but don't tell anyone I said that." 
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 "You make money from this?"  Alyssa says with a bit of sarcasm and speculation in her voice. She laughs a bit, then looks around, making sure she's heading in the right direction to make it back to where she's staying.
Comissar
Leah smiles and nods, " Yup, no problem! Have fun, I'll catch up with you later. " Giving her a wave and moving on with the Tinkaton, making sure to take her time so that the diminutive pokémon doesn't lose her in the press of people. And also walking slowly simply because she herself was having to move through the press of people.

She raises her arm to wave to Royal and Alyssa as she spots them then hesitates, arm still raised, as she spots the person described by the Tinkaton. Deciding Alyssa could wait a few moments longer, she tries to make her way over to the mystery woman, calling out " U-uh, excuse me! Hi, uh, ma'am? Did you lose this Tinkaton? "
Hazuki
 "From battles? Oh yeah! At least, with the gym leaders,"  Royal explains, as she spots Leah and gives her a hearty wave in return. It's in this moment that Alyssa does recognize she's only a few streets away from where she and Leah are staying.  "To keep you going on your joruney. You can't take a part-time job at the malasada stalls and still have time to be on the road, training, all that." 

A shock seems to shoot through the woman as Leah approaches with the Tinkaton in tow! Her jaw falling open, her eyes going wide, and her coat trailing behind her as she dashes over! The Tinkaton also rushes as she does, the two meeting a few paces away from Leah! She tries to joyfully lift the Tinkaton as they meet, her back straining for a moment before she gives up.

 "My sweet girl!"  she sobs as she pats the heavy pink Pokemon's hair.
Comissar
Leah follows after the Tinkaton, a brief acknowledgement wave to Royal as she does, " I found her a little ways away, " She explains to the woman, " She was fine, just missing you and trying to figure out how to get back to you. "
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Alyssa's gaze follows to where Royal is waving and she immediately flushes as she notices Leah, then swallows and smiles and tries to continue with her previous train of thought.  "Oh that, um, that makes sense. I've been used to working so I didn't think about that."  She looks around for a moment for where they're staying.  "It should, um, be near here somewhere."  Hoping her sense of direction and memory aren't so bad that she can't remember what it looks like, Alyssa takes a bit of a lead trying to find where she's staying.
Hazuki
 "Poor girl, poor, sweet girl..."  The woman says, as the Tinkaton nuzzles against her midsection, then noticing Leah as she speaks, lets out a sigh.  "Thank you for helping her. We were having a battle, and she got hit by this big, humongous move that sent her flying away! I tried to call her back with her Pokeball, but it got sucked up in the wind along with her!" 

~

Alyssa manages to find her way back to where she and Leah are staying! It's not terribly busy at the moment, as long as they avoid the main gates into town, meaning she's free to slip inside as she wishes.  "With the big fancy commissions, yeah?"  Royal chuckles softly.  "This where you're staying?"  She whistles.  "So tired when you got here you couldn't be bothered to walk further in, eh?" 
tgva8889
 "Sort of. I was actually teaching art for a while. Did do some commissions as well during that time, but mostly teaching."  Alyssa looks around sheepishly as Royal comments on the location.  "We had a bit of a hard trip in some ways."  She leads Royal to their room, placing Maggie on her bed once she gets inside. She looks a bit for her sketchbook and then pulls it out, flipping through a bit before she finds some of her nicer pieces to share.
Comissar
" No problem! " Leah grins, " She was, uh, she was pretty eager to find her way back to you. It must've been quite the battle! " She adjusts her bag strap absent mindedly, " Were you, uh, were you battling a wild Pokémon..? "
Hazuki
Maggie does the duty of anyone who's dealt with a long stretch of being carried everywhere and sprawls out on the bed, her head bobbles bobbing as her head hits the pillow.

Royal, meanwhile, sits beside Alyssa as she flicks through the sketchbook. There are an appropriate amounts of oohs and ahs as she observes the various pieces.  "Damn, these are nice. I guess some people are just born with it, huh? You ought to call yourself Alyssa the Ace Artist!" 

~

 "It was, it was!"  The woman sighs softly.  "Oh, no, and her hammer is left behind too, we'll have to trek all the way back for it. However do you carry that thing, my sweet?"  she asks, as she plants a kiss on the Tinkaton's forehead. It lets out a happy cry.  "She went soaring right through the canopy. It was Metronome, would you believe it? Who goes and wields metronome on a poor, unsuspecting Tinkaton?" 
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Alyssa smiles, turning a bit red at Royal's praise.  "I, um, I mean, thanks."  She closes the sketchbook and turns to Royal.  "I think anyone can be good at art if they try." 
Comissar
Leah gives a grin, " Yeah, uh, Metronome's a risky move for sure. " She glances back to where she last saw Alyssa, her companion no longer visible. Hesitating, politeness makes her ask, " Did, uh, did you want help finding her hammer? Or, uh, or shall I let you guys head on..? "
Hazuki
 "Anyone can be good at anything if they try,"  comes Royal's response, just as cheery as her words before.  "But you did do this, and it's great, so you should be proud of it." 

~

 "Oh...that's very kind of you, very kind,"  the woman says as she cradles the Tinkaton's head against her.  "But I remember and it's very doubtful someone moved it, they're very heavy, very, very heavy. But oh!"  She reaches into her coat and rummages around for a moment, then rummages some more, and then retrieves...a few hundred pokedollars.  "Here, for your troublle! It's the least I can do." 
Comissar
Leah nods along as her offer of help is declined, then gives an embarrassed smile as she's offered a reward " O-oh! That's very, uh, very kind of you. Thankyou! "

Giving a little headbob, she adds " Good luck finding the hammer again! I hope you have better luck in, uh, in your future pokémon battles. " Giving a small wave to the Tinkaton, she turns to head back to the inn, hoping to find Alyssa.
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Alyssa smiles.  "Thanks. I am proud."  She looks down at the sketchbook and puts it back in her bag.  "I have done a lot of different drawings, but my favorite ones are of Pokemon using their moves."  After looking a bit, she finds a sketchbook with a bunch of her drawings of battles and shows Royal a few pictures of various Pokemon using different attacks in battle.
Hazuki
 "Oh wait! Let me see if I can tell what a few of these are,"  Royal says as Alyssas whips out the sketchbook of moves.  "Tail spin, tail spin, tail spin, you can tell by how..well, you know! That one's...hmm...it could just be Bubble, with stylization, but Bubble Beam, I'm going with that. And...no, hang on a second...what is it..."  She snaps her fingers a few times before jumping up, just as Leah walks in to see her pointing at the book.  "Dazzling gleam!" 
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Alyssa nods along as Royal guesses, enjoying the game of trying to figure out what she's drawn. She turns at the sound of the door opening, smiling at Leah as she comes in.  "Hi Leah! How are you doing?" 
Comissar
Leah walks in to the impromptu display of moves just in time to see Royal's impression of Dazzling Gleam. Breaking into a giggle, she comments " Well, uh, well  I'm  dazzled. "

She sets her bag down on the floor, leaning against the wall with a smile, " I'm, uh, I'm good! I ran into a Tinkaton all on its own and, uh, and helped her find her way back to her trainer. "

Stepping forward, Leah leans over and grins when she sees Alyssa's sketchbook on display, comprehension dawning as to the display she'd walked in on, " Ahh! Yeah, Alyssa's, uh, Alyssa's an amazing artist. She was employed by, uh, by Lord Bastille. "
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Alyssa blushes slightly at Leah's comment.  "It wasn't that big a deal. I was just teaching his...um, his daughter."  She swallows a catch in her throat and smiles, trying not to let the pain of the memory show.
Comissar
Leah's expression falters at Alyssa's unexpected reaction, " Hey, I, uh... I just meant your talent was, uh, was recognised by a Lord. "
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Alyssa smiles at Leah, a bit somber but genuine.  "It's okay. I'm okay. Just some, um, not great memories."  She looks back at her sketchbook with the same smile.  "Some very good ones, too, though." 