Roland
He snorted quietly, shaking his head as he pulled on the cigarette again. Mental health... Why did it have to be so damn hard? 

"Yeah, I feel that. I'd never have met Ariados, Masquerain or Ribombee. Though I probably woulda caught the same species anyway. Maybe I'd've finally got around to havin' a Vikavolt too." He remembered when he met each one of his team vividly. Ariados, hanging out in the corner of his room in Po Town, a little Spinarak spinning a web above the door. Masquerain, a Surskit living in the pond he'd made out of the old pool beside the shady house. And of course Ribombee, the little Cutiefly that made a nest in his hair at his lowest point and refused to leave. 

"Ain't no use in lookin' back, though. We gotta... Look forward an' see what we *Can* Do. An' always make sure to listen to the winds of change. Not spend years blockin' em out, like I did."
Teresa
Agnes nodded softly, "Right right..." They paused for a minute as their mind finally fell upon Fargo, their dear friend that passed away, not all that long ago honestly, "But- sometimes, change really fucking sucks, and you just dont want it to happen, y'know?" They spoke out with a meek laughter.

They looked over at the pokemon again for a moment, mostly just trying to stop the tears that just barley pricked the corners of their eyes. They didn't just want to cry infront of him, hell they are split for years and the first thing they do is cry in front of him? That's the last thing they want.
Roland
The tall man let out a laugh. "Hell yeah, change fuckin' sucks. Even now there's still parts o' me yearnin' to go back to the old days, an' it's been a good couple years now. I can't bring myself to let go of it all, cuz it's the only thing I know. What am I if I ain't the big bad boss of Team Skull? Just some sad man with a past so checkered nobody'll hire him. The guy who got used and discarded, filled with false hope and lies, tied off in a neat lil knot and left to fester in Ultra Space." He grunted, pulling almost aggressively on the cigarette between his thumb and finger. One leg bounced slightly, and his free arm was crossed over his torso to form a subconscious barrier between him and everything else. 

Perhaps not the most flattering analogy, but he felt like it fit. That's the state his mind was in right now, and had been for the last few years. He wasn't any better than that, and *She* Was the one who'd made him feel that way. Like he was nothing once he'd outlived his use. Just something to be avoided with a look of disgust. Just as well he was too numb about it to cry about it at this point. 

"...You good?" He asked, glancing over at them when he realised they'd been quiet for a minute. "You look like you're gonna cry."
Teresa
Agnes looked to the tall man for a minute, what are you supposed to do when someone asks you that question.

"I'm fine i'm fine." They said as their voice croaked, they were never the best at holding back tears, "It's nothing you said, I honestly respect how much you've overcome." They said with a weak laugh

"But it just- everything is so hard now adays, I always tell myself! Movin' forward is good! Look to the future with bright eyes! But how... How do you let go of the bad stuff but keep the good stuff?" They asked as the tears streaked down their cheeks.

"Gh—" They paused trying to lap up the tears that wouldn't stop, "I'm sorry, we cross paths after years and i'm crying like an idiot-" They said with a soft laugh trying to clean themselves up half way.
Roland
"Ah... Ain't the first time I made a- ... Person cry, an' somethin' tells it probably ain't gonna be the last. ...Sorry." He added, shaking his head. 

He never knew what to do around people who were crying. What were you supposed to do? Offer comfort? How could he do that when he had no idea what they'd been through? A hug? Awkward as fuck - he wasn't big into physical contact. Not the kind that involved clothes, anyway. Hugging him would be like hugging a brick wall. 

Luckily it seemed like Ribombee had his back at least, making up a Pollen Puff and offering it to Agnes with a quiet *'bom'*. Maybe a sweet snack would help? At least with them being from Alola he probably wouldn't have to explain that you were supposed to eat them. Apparently nobody else seemed to get that. 

"Don't worry about it... Least you still got it in you to feel, huh? Means there's still hope for you. As for movin' forward with only the good stuff... You lemme know if you figure that out. Cuz I'd like to know too."
Teresa
Agnes let off a sad laugh, thanking the pokémon, "You don't have to apologize it wasn't even you, it's just been a bad day, month- year? I dunno at this point, but it's just been sucky, and it sounds like you're in a similar boat." They said with a weak laugh

"And I guess you gotta point, I don't repress stuff as much as I did, I just miss when it was simple... For the most part..." They said fiddling with tge little puff, "Remember that time we ran into that really strong pokemon? My memory is fuzzy but i think it was just me and you— I actually think it was a Raticte." They let out a soft laugh, finding some comfort in that, "I bet we could make that thing run for the hills this time around, they muttered with a small laugh at the end. They didn't have much good to pluck out of their childhood, but in most cases, the good revolved around the time they had at the pokemon school and that wacked out group of friends.
Roland
"Mm, I feel that. Been a bad decade." He muttered, putting out the end of the cigarette on the bottom of his shoe and getting up to drop it in the nearby trash can, returning to sit on the end of the bench again. 

Simple... Had his life ever been simple? Not really. Would've been nice though. Hanging around with those three when they were kids was as close as it got to simple, for him. 

"Oh, yeah. When we snuck into the trial site an' ran face first into the totem." He snickered quietly. "Didn't stand a chance back then, but... One look at this big guy now sends most dark types runnin' for the hills." He said with a slight smile, nodding over at Golisopod. "Lotta humans too." 

Guzma was silent for a few seconds after that, a slightly wider smile forming on his face. "Were you there when we went to Melemele meadow an' Kukui got attacked by that flock of Oricorio?"
Teresa
Agnes let out a small snort as they covered their mouth, "Yes, yes I was, we still found feathers in his hair hours later." They said with a laugh.

"And he got all stretched up, but refused to let me treat any of the scratches. He'd swear up and down it never happened if i tried to mention it today!" They said as a smile started to grow on their face aswell.
Roland
A quiet but genuine laugh escaped him at that, a small smile settled on his face at the memory of plucking bright yellow feathers out of his hair. "I dunno about that. He tackles Rockruff for a livin', he'd probably go out and do it again deliberately just to see what moves they used. Hell, he's probably done it already." 

This wasn't exactly what he'd thought today would bring. Then again, he hadn't exactly thought he'd ever find himself throwing hands with a champion, and yet the deep ache in his shoulder was a reminder that it definitely had happened. So maybe sitting here reminiscing about old times wasn't so farfetched. 

"What brings you here, anyway? To the island, not the park."
Teresa
Agnes let out a giggle, "You aren't wrong there." They fell silent before he asked his second question.

"Well, I wanna say it's a mystery, I didn't really expect to wind up here, bein' it's for strong, elite trainers and stuff, I saw some champs here i'm pretty sure, but uh, I really just needed a break, and everyone else in the town was pushin' me to take that break so, I got on the boat and, here I am! And what brought you here?" They questioned, criss crossing their legs on the bench as they looked to their old friend.
Roland
"Mhm, already got in a fight with one of 'em. Champion if Galar, apparently. Seems like a good kid, but... Not much between the ears." He said with a smile, looking down for a beat. 

"Money, I guess. Dunno if you heard, but I'm tryna turn Po Town around. Make it livable again. For kids who ain't got nowhere to go. But I need money, an' champions are known to be pretty loaded. Thought I might be able to play the bleedin' heart and beg some cash." He said with a shrug. "Kinda glad I could get the invite just on my battle merit though. Title of the strongest bug expert in Alola kinda feels justified now."
Teresa
They looked to him in subtle shock after he noted he went fist to fist with a Champion, "You ly- no, no you're not." They said with a chuckle, knowing he isn't one to lie, or from what the remember at least.

"That's.. That's actually awesome." They said with a smile, "I don't have much but when we get back I can always stop by to help." They said with a smile. They quickly broke the silence though, "Y'know, I dunno how I never caught word of you being the team skull leader... But- that doesn't matter, i'm seeing you *Now* And— well in my eyes you shaped out to be a pretty good guy through all of it." They said with a grin. They were the type to get sappy, but they meant what they said, but he stil had that short fused spark even from way back when they were young.
Roland
"I spent years workin' my ass off to be the most infamous guy in Alola, an' somehow even the people who knew me didn't know. That actually kinda hurts." He shook his head, looking down. 

"Thanks though, I guess. I was mad, an' I spent a lotta time an' effort gettin' kids mad enough to help me fight back against society for takin' my dream from me. But I under all the anger I just wanted to give those kids a place they'd be safe. A place I didn't have growin' up. S'why I'm still workin' so hard to make it. Even though tryna do it properly is takin' a lotta effort." He said shortly, looking down at his lap and avoiding looking at them. He still had yet to perfect the art of actually looking at someone when he was vulnerable. He didn't want to see the look on their face. On anyone's face when he felt like this.
Teresa
Agnes nodded softly at his words, "I get that, i'm kinda in the same boat, well- kinda?- you're doing a lot more, but as of recently I've been telling all these grand stories of alolin history and stuff, it's silly, but it's fun to watch em be happy y'know?" They said with a laugh

"But really- i mean, I can make a fair amount on a good night with the bartending job I picked up, i'd always be willing to help out, cause knowing me i'd want a place like that when I was a kid." They said with a small smile.
Roland
"I think your demographic is a bit younger than mine, but... I get you." He muttered with a nod, managing another small smile. "Y'know I'm pretty sure I heard Hala's grandkid mention somethin' about someone tellin' stories in town. Didn't realise that was you." To think they'd been so close to crossing paths even back in Alola. It was amazing they hadn't, really. 

"Nah, don't worry about it. You gotta look after yourself first. Like I said, I'm really only here for the rich kids that got more money than they know what to do with. Should've asked that Leon kid for a few bucks while I had 'im." He said, glancing up toward the sky. Oh, well. They had sort of organised another meet up, right? He could always just ask him then. 

"In the meantime, if you meet anyone here who seems like they got cash, point 'em in my direction. Or even better, ask for me. If I ain't the only person askin' it'll seem better. Gettin' the word out an' all to make me seem less shady."
Teresa
Agnes smiling, remering his face now that he mentioned it, "Yep, he always wanted to help tell the story with me, kids can be funny, sure annoying at times.. More often then not.. But they have their moments." They said with a small chuckle

"I mean you could probably get money out of that champ kid right? I mean you beat him in a fight so he at least owes you somethin for that." They joked... Somehwhat.
Roland
"Yeah, Hau's a good kid. Irritatin' as fuck when he won't shut up, but... He ain't bad. Does his best to help." He muttered. "To be honest, if not for him, I probably woulda given up on myself a long time ago..." 

He'd mentioned it once. Giving up. Leaving because he wasn't making progress. Hau had looked so heartbroken that he hadn't had much of a choice but to stay. 

"Yeah, I hope so. Ain't gonna say he owes me though. I did bust his nose up pretty good. Blood *Everywhere*. Felt great though. Just a shame he wouldn't actually punch me. Felt like I really needed it." He sighed, leaning back and stretching out his legs.
Teresa
Agnes smiled, "Mhm! I mean I usually see him on a yearly basis for the festival, but he still sits for my stories, i'm glad he was able to help though." They eaid with a grin.

"Yikes—" They said with a short laugh, "I mean uh-" They paused, playfully punching his shoulder, they barely hit him, "Does that sufice?" They asked with a chuckle.
Roland
"The kid's fifteen and could probably bench me an' yet he still sits to listen to you tell stories? I really can't tell what's goin' on in that head o' his." He looked up at the sky aimlessly, sinking lower on the bench and putting an arm behind his head. 

He snorted as Agnes punched his shoulder, smirking slightly as he glanced across at them. "Not even a little. Way I was feelin' when he ran into me, I really wanted him to break my nose. Or gimme a black eye at least. But he's one o' these self defence types. Impossible to find another scrapper around people like this."
Teresa
"Honestly, neither do i! But whatever's goin on it's gotta be good right?" They said with a laugh.

"Yikes.. It was that nasty?" They asked feelings one of their pokeballs jostle, of course it was big poppa, he doesn't like being in the pokeball as that much, "Beefore you start that story can I let a pokemon out, he's getting pissy." They said with a chuckle.
Roland
"I guess. Everyone seems to like him, so..." He shrugged, looking back up at the sky again. 

"Don't need to ask me. All mine are already out. But if that shit head decides to have a go, don't blame me." He muttered, gesturing in Scizor's general direction. "You remember that Scyther I caught, right? He ain't changed a bit. Still a moody prick." Despite the insulting words, he spoke with a fondness in his voice, no malice at all. As unpleasant as the steel type's personality may be to others, they still got along well together.
Teresa
The scolipede didnt move for a moment, just- starring at Guzma, "Ah, i think we split paths before I got Aeidi.. She always does this to people she doesn't know." They said with a short laugh. Their other pokemon happily scampered off though to relax and mingle.
Roland
Guzma hummed quietly at Agnes' words, lifting his head idly to see what kind of Pokémon she had. 

Of course once he saw the Scolipede, he sat up properly and looked up at it, staring back as it stared at him. He noticed his own big red bug snapping at something that got too close, taking himself further away from everyone else in order to be left alone. Ariados and Masquerain moved closer to Golisopod, and Ribombee hid in the hood of Guzma's jacket - all of his smaller bugs were staring at Pidgeot anxiously, while Scizor had his eyes on Arcanine instead. 

"She's gorgeous." He muttered, mostly to himself. "Where'd you find her? Don't see Scolipede in Alola."
Teresa
Found her as a venipede in route 4, She was trying to take on a spearow, but it called for back up and ganged up on her. I ran into her and ran those pesky things off, and she's really just been around since, I heard its pretty sparce to find em' around here though, she's much more docile now though they said with a smile. 

They held out their hand and the large pokemon craned it's neck to be greeted with affection, "You can pet her if you'd like. She's not hostile to strangers, just skeptical" They said with a short laugh as the pokemon seemed rather pleased with the affection
Roland
He frowned, confused. "On route 4? But... You don't find them in Alola at all. I hunted down every bug in the region and never once even heard of one." He muttered, looking up at the Scolipede with a hum, reaching up to pet it. If he had heard of Venipede being in Alola, he definitely would have at least hunted one down to *See* It, if not catch it. 

"They really are amazin' Pokémon... The shit I'd give to be able to watch one hunt in the wild..."
Teresa
"They were *Everywhere* In Unova, but I think she was abandoned by a trainer, poor thing seemed kinda bruised, somethin' a spearow couldn't do." They said with a frown, reminiscing on the day she found her. The bill to help her was horrible, but sneaking some of her dads drug cash covered it pretty quickly.

"Have you actually ever been to Unova?" They asked him, realizing more often then not when asked, they always got no as an answer.
Roland
Abandoned? He felt a stab of anger. No Pokémon deserved that, but unfortunately it seemed to be a painfully common occurrence when it came to bugs. So many people just didn't like them. 

"Only foreign region I ever been to was Hoenn. No Scolipede there." He said, shaking his head as he rubbed at the giant bug's neck. "Ain't ever had the cash to go anywhere for the fun of it."
Teresa
They hummed softly at his words, "I get that, after I moved here this is the first time i've left since I moved there, "But if you ever find yourself there, head to the lostlorn forest, they're everywhere." They said with a chuckle.

"I really don't get why people are so mean to bug types, it's not like they're hurtin anyone, i always get shocked stares when they see me with Aedi, hell even some people are like 'oh you look so sweet why would you have such a scary Pokémon'" They mimicked those people in a mocking tone, "I get that with my team a lot honestly, 'you should have such agressive pokemon!'" They let off a scoff, "Bullshit." They muttered softly as they looked over to their hydreigon, basking in the sun blissful and poppa napped within Atlas's coils.
Roland
"Lostlorn forest... Guess I'll have to remember that." He muttered, giving the Scolipede a last pat before going back to sit down again. Though he didn't look away from it; there was a childlike fascination in his eyes as he studied every inch of the bug horse. Every time he saw a new bug, he couldn't help but feel that same kind of excitement. 

"Yeah, I get that too. But... Y'know, reversed. People know me as someone who uses Pokémon like Golisopod and Scizor. Then they see Pokémon like Masquerain and this little girl, and laugh." He gestured back to Ribombee, peeking over his shoulder from inside his hood. "They ain't laughin' so hard when they get swept cuz they're so fast."
Teresa
"Exactly! They act like I can't control my pokemon, thinkin' they're too ruthless or something, just cause I have a "Sweet personality" Doesn't mean I have to have like— one little pokemon, I worked hard with my team and we kicked ass, that shouldn't be discredited just cause i still wear an apron while cooking or something." They said with a scoff, "Sorry, that just ticks me off." They said with a dry laugh as their Pidgeot landed on the bench arm, gently nipping at them for treats. Her pale gold feathers almost glittered against the sun ws she moved.

"People always act like fairy types are for softies too like, you know how many times i got my ass kicked by someone who specializes in fairy types?" They asked with a chuckle, "People are just dumb"