Orre
One Week ago
The Outskirt Stand

I've seen a lot of things over the years but this one just gives me the absolute creeps. The man with the pink hair thought as he stared out the window of the Outskirt Stand. Willie had fought a number of trainer, including the famous Champion of Orre when he was just starting out after he had destroyed the Snagem Hideout. He enjoyed a good battle with his Pokemon as much as the next guy, but the three hooded figures staring out into the desert were giving him a seriously bad feeling. He could tell just by looking at them that it would be a bad idea to battle them.

He reached down to feel the four Pokeballs attached to his belt to make sure that they were still securely fastened as the door to the Stand opened and a fourth hooded figure stepped inside. He watched cautiously as the Shopkeeper, an older man who had been tending the Outskirt Stand for years now turn to face him.

"Can I get you anything?" The shopkeeper asked in a somewhat uneasy tone as the hooded figure stared at him for a full minute before speaking in a cold voice that raised the hair on Willie's arms.

"Information. We seek the location of any current members of the criminal organization known as: Cipher." The Shopkeeper stared at him with a raised eyebrow and let out an uneasy laugh. "Listen buddy, you must be new to the area so let me give you a short history lesson: Cipher got destroyed twice, they don't generally show up unless they feel they have a good chance of pulling of some minor scheme or something. There aren't that many members of Cipher left anyway. Your gonna be looking for a while."

The hooded figure paused for a moment as though receiving some command only heard by him. "We seek the last known location they were known to have visited. You will be compensated well for any information you can provide."

The Shopkeeper crossed his arms and a scowl appeared on his face. "May I ask why your so interested in tracking down a member of Cipher? They're nothing but a bunch of thugs now. Not much of a threat to the region anymore."

"No. They are not." The figure agreed as he turned around and began heading for the exit. Both Willie and the Shopkeeper were confused by the figure's sudden exit. "You giving up?" The Shopkeeper asked in a somewhat mocking tone.

"No. We have the information we require." The Hooded figure turned and stared directly at an older man with blue hair standing next to the wall mounted television. "Thank you for your cooperation."

Willie and the Shopkeeper turned to stare at the blue haired man who was sweating profusely but who hadn't said a single word. Willie turned to look at the Shopkeeper. "What the hell was that about?"

"No idea."

Willie watched as the four figures approached a large six person hovering vehicle which turned towards the deep desert. As the vehicle turned it's back towards them for a brief moment, Willie thought he saw a small tan colored Pokemon with a short tail that he had never seen before. It had it's eyes closed and it seemed to be...hovering?

Willie shrugged and went back to his drink as the activity in the Outskirt Stand seemed to return to normal. The only one who seemed on edge was the blue haired older man who after a few moments left the Outskirt Stand and jumped on an old rickety hover-bike that immediately took off in the direction of Phenac City.

Phenac City
Present Day

Drazen had to say that the Orre region had left him feeling somewhat underwhelmed since he had arrived. Granted he had only arrived only a few days ago and the only other place he had seen was the Outskirt Stand. It seemed to be mostly desert but Phenac City was definitely an improvement over the rest of the region. The fountains were beautifully placed and the constant sound of flowing water was something he found very soothing. He could hear Rubble snoring away from his spot on top of his backpack. The trainer from Johto smiled as he remembered the ecstatic reaction the ground type Pokemon had expressed when they arrived in Orre. Perhaps the desert reminded him of home in some way.

"Let's see here...Pre Gym, huh, they have gyms here. Neat...There's a stadium in the back of the city...Where is the Pokemon center?" Drazen had been walking around for a few minutes when he finally found the Pokemon Center and immediately walked in with a faint smile. He sat down on a cushioned seat and grinned as Rubble managed to worm his way off the Backpack and looked up at him with a hungry look. Drazen grinned and reached into the backpack and pulled out a rock treat that he had acquired just before leaving the Johto region. "Here ya go, bud. Make the rock treat last though. We're running a bit low." The Larvitar took the offered treat and eagerly scarfed it down and let out a yawn after it finished the treat.

Drazen simply smiled down and scratched Rubble behind his head fin. "Don't ever evolve little guy. I love you just the way you are. Not to mention I think I'd go broke if you did evolve. Your enough of a handful as it is." He said with a faint smile as the little green Pokemon drifted off to sleep.

"Whooooa check this place out Bo, I was starting to think they didn't have any water in this region!"

The enthusiastic voice came from a girl standing just outside Phenac City's entrance. The girl was on the shorter side, with long fluffy hair tied behind her head and wearing a thin tan shawl - something she'd bought off of a local when they insisted on it. Apparently the sun could get pretty brutal in Orre. It didn't seem too different from the Desert Resort back home though, so the girl hadn't minded it. Speaking of the desert, the newly arrived trainer, Zita, held a small, round and red Pokemon above her head. It was a Darumaka, a species that thrived in hot and harsh climates, and this one was practically vibrating in excitement. When it's little body wiggles got too much to handle, Zita let the little Pokemon go and it landed in the sand before taking off straight into town.

Zita giggled and shook her head, but followed the Darumaka in anyway. It would be easy enough to find him again, just follow the trail of people that complained about nearly tripping over a little fiery ball of energy. That, or eventually he'd find his way back on his own. Bo was like that.

The air inside the city was noticeably cooler that outside, which only made sense but still delighted the girl. She barely took the time to marvel at Phenac's beautiful fountains and architecture though, making her way straight to the nearest public bulletin where she hoped to find a town map of some kind. Nearby, citizens and tourists alike chatted about Pokemon and trainers. It seemed there was some kind of gym here, which was good news for Zita. Getting her start in a backwoods region like Orre was exactly what she'd come here for. Though... she didn't exactly know the difference between a gym and a stadium, but either way the more battles the merrier!

"Okay," she said to herself, satisfied after studying the town's layout, "I need something to eat!"

"Good grief..." Noel sighed to himself, his exiting of the Pre-Gym being met with more company than expected. He had just bid his farewells to his father, only to run into a small roadblock consisting of a bunch of children. The thought of going on a trip was tiring enough, he didn't need everyone taking what energy he had away before this whole trip even started. Regardless, he couldn't really be upset with the kids. They were probably worried; Without him here, what would become of them when the bullies had nobody to stop them? He figured he ought to address it instead of leaving them hanging out to dry.

A grin on his face and a tired look in his eyes, he looked down at the group of kids in front of him. "You guys using Double-Team? I swear we already said our goodbyes today, huh?" He could see the instant irritation and distress on their faces, causing his grin to widen a bit at their expense.

"Maybe we don't wanna say goodbye!" One small girl spoke, a few tears in her eyes and a bit of snot dribbling out of her nose. "Yeah! What if the bullies start picking on us since you're gone, big bro?" A young boy added, fear in his voice.

Noel exhaled some air through his nose at these words; Honestly, he prepared them for this; They shouldn't be so scared. They were just kids, though. What was he really going to do about it? "Listen," He began, his usual slouch disappearing for a moment as he managed to stand up strait to speak with the children: "You've all learned a lot at the Pre-Gym school, haven't you? And from me. You might not realize it, but I already taught you little ones to take care of yourself. Do you need proof of that?"

To his mild irritation, a majority of the kids nodded. This was really going to be tiring, huh? Fine, though. If he had to prove a point, he would: His eyes scanned the crowd, dismissing some of the smaller heighted-children as he searched for one in particular. Once he discovered this individual, he extended his hand, pointing at her.

"Mira," Noel called, eyes narrowing. This girl was the oldest of the group, and a good learner. She was nervous, but she didn't usually let it stop her. Her eager to learn personality mixed with the way she cared about the other kids made her the perfect canidate for leading them while he was gone.

"M-Me?!" She questioned, startled and uncertain of what Noel wanted. She looked up to him for his willingness to dedicate his time to teaching them about Pokemon even outside of school; And protected them from the older kids. She couldn't imagine the city without Noel around, but if he was trying to make a point right now, why did he need her? She was getting really nervous.

Noel nodded at her response. "I want you to battle me." He stated flatly, causing a moment of silence.

... Followed by a small uproar from the children as they were all surprised. Especially Mira.

"Battle you?!" She repeated, surprised. What was he trying to do, embarrass her?! She knew he could beat the bullies no sweat, what did he think she could do against him?! She was going to get clobbered!

"At least your hearing ain't broke." Noel remarked, falling back into his slouch as he walked over to a clearing in front of the Pre-Gym. The sound of the flowing water was only matched by the chattering of the kids, as Noel eventually stopped. Noticing that despite her nervous response, she had followed and gotten into position a fair distance from him. Clearing his throat, he called out to her about the rules: "This will be a Single Battle. One Pokemon each, we play for keeps. Got it?"

Mira nervously fiddled around in her hoodie for her partner's Pokeball, nodding to Noel's conditions. She couldn't believe this: She didn't like being in the spotlight, this guy knew that! But she knew that he liked to get under their skin every once in awhile, so... Was this some kind of joke? She wasn't laughing; And even if he was a good battler, she wasn't going to hold back, either. She knew she couldn't.

"I understand!" She shouted back, Pokeball in hand.

Noel felt proud, in a way. He didn't want to expend so much energy, but if it meant they'd feel more secure with him gone, he'd have to do it. Detaching the Pokeball from his belt, A small click was all it took for it to expand from it's smaller form; The large sphere grasped firmly. To any outsider, it wasn't particularly certain what was happening: For all they knew, it was some older boy battling a girl half his age at best for some... Reason. He could care less what they thought though; He knew what he had to do.

Without hesitation, both trainers threw their Pokeball.

---

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The children all ran foward, surrounding Mira and celebrating her victory with a ton of compliments. Noel approached with his hands in his pockets, simply smiling down at her as he made a remark: "You did well, for a kid."

"Only because you taught me well!" Mira replied cheerfully, snuggling her Bunnelby.

Noel's head lowered somewhat as he tried to hold back a blush of embarrassment. These little kids got to him, sometimes. "I taught you to take care of yourself. This is just proof that nobody is going to bully you while I'm gone. Use that skill to keep yourself safe; I won't always be around, you get it?"

Mira looked at her Bunnelby, and the group of kids seemed to mutter about themselves, a bit of confidence building as they had all learned a thing or two from Noel. Maybe they could do it; If Mira could battle like that, then surely they could too! or at least she could teach them how! "I guess you're right--" She paused, feeling a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw Noel's tired grin.

"I'm trusting you to keep an eye on these boogers, okay? You've proven you can." Noel said, serious in tone despite his remark towards the kids. They needed faith in themselves if they were to operate while he wasn't around: And within too long, he'd be out of Phenac for awhile. So they'd have to hold the fort.

Mira almost looked like she was going to cry, but after removing her glasses momentarily to rub her eyes, she looked more firm and confident as she nodded to Noel. "You've got it, SlakKing."

"That name is kinda lame, but fitting." Noel replied, never getting used to it. If it made them happy though, he wouldn't argue. Turning, he began to walk off; But stopped and turned for a moment to wave at the kids. "I've got to go let Komala rest before I leave, and get some supplies. Why don't we all meet up at the gate, before I leave? You guys can laugh at me dealing with the sand, or something. You know I hate sand."

Mira, standing, gave Noel an enthusiastic thumbs' up. "We wouldn't miss it!"

Without another word, Noel walked off towards the Pokemon Center, leaving the kids to their own devices as they mostly bothered Mira, celebrating her victory today. Noel, personally, was just glad to get some quiet. But you know, if he learned anything in his years dealing with this city, it was never quiet for long.

Hopefully the outside world would be a bit quieter.

Pokemon Center
Phenac City

Drazen couldn't help but smile as Rubble's eyes shot open and his head swiveled towards the leftmost center of the Pokemon center. The Pokemon sniffed the air. "Don't do it..." He cautioned as Rubble's eyes locked onto an older gentleman with a white beard who was eating what appeared to some sort of large sandwich. He could hear Rubble's stomach growling again. "Seriously? You just finished eating!" He shook his head as he reached into bag and once again grabbed some of the few remaining rock treats and held them above Rubble's head. "Easy now...leave the nice man's sandwich alone..."

Rubble looked up at the treats and scarfed them down as quickly as he could before once again drifting off to sleep. Truth be told, Drazen was getting slightly worried. He didn't want his little buddy to evolve into a Pupitar, much less a Tyranitar. Right now the little green Pokemon was happy and pretty laid back but at the rate the Pokemon was eating he knew that it possible it might be nearing it's second stage evolution. He had read up on the Larvitar evolution tree and had learned from his research was that when it evolved into Pupitar it would have quite a bit of destructive power and could possibly topple a mountain. If Rubble ever evolved into it's final form, Tyranitar he didn't know if his formally little buddy would even listen to him anymore, for all he knew, Rubble might simply wander off and start looking for fights, or worse yet, Rubble might hurt someone and would have to stay in his Pokeball, possibly indefinitely.

He looked down at his little green buddy and shook his head. It would be okay. There would be nothing to worry about, he had a lot of time before that time came.

Didn't he?

If Phenac City could be described in one word, serene came to mind. Sonja could feel her woes and worries melt away upon taking in the whiote stone streets and lazy, cool streams running through the admittedly small town. Whoever had named it a city had perhaps been overly enthusiastic, but Phenac was a stark contrast to the arid, desolate desert it sat in. She could see now why Orre was so sparsely populated with its mostly barren landscapes. Out on the terrace of a quaint, cafe, Sonja sat and sketched the town square from memory while Missy picked the remains of a decorative cake. The silky angel food cake with droplets of rich chocolate had been a delight, one Missy adored. Sonja had to put away Missy's silk floral pattern scarf just to keep it from being ruined in the little Salandit's assault of their morning tea's desert. Missy's tail wagged happily as she snapped up the chocolate droplets. She deserved a little taste of decadence after the miserable time they spent just getting to Phenac City, and Sonja was happy to provide.

Sonja had to admit it was nice to get back into their pre-battle routine. Next a quick stop at the Poke-center to have Missy checked out, then to see what this so called Pre-Gym had to offer. After paying the bill, Sonja made the journey with a lazing Missy draped over her shoulder. She gave her a scratch under the chin and was awarded a cross between a hiss and a purr.

"I hope the trainers here provide something of a challenge, else we'll both get fat."

Missy gave Sonja a half-hearted glare to which Sonja giggled at. Phenac's Poke-center looked rather rustic on the inside, and the cool air was a welcome change from the heat blazing down on them from morning sun. Walking up to the counter, she rang the bell and greeted the nurse on shift.

"Yes! I'd like a routine checkup done on my Salandit here." Missy, knowing the drill crawled down her arm and onto the counter, ready for what came next.

The automatic doors that marked the entrance to the Pokemon Center opened, allowing Noel to make his way inside. He was familiar with this building; Both because of Snooze needing the occasional visit, and he picked up his basic first-aid knowledge from spending time here with his mother, and the other nurses. he stepped a short distance behind a woman that was already at the counter, the boy waiting in line patiently with a flat, neutral expression. His mouth that essentially looked like a straight-line curved into a smile as he looked at the Pokeball he held. He'd need to release the little fella to get checked on, anyways. Might as well do it now.

The Komala appeared in a flash of white to be held in Noel's arms, freed from the Pokeball that the boy then shrunk down and reattached to his belt. Noel adored the sight of his partner sleeping in his arms, seeming to be somehow lazing more than usual, perhaps to recover from the battle they had just gotten out of. "You got a little more beat up than intended, pal. That's on me." He spoke quietly, apologetic but also satisfied with the battle's conclusion. The younger kids grew in confidence from it, he was certain: He wouldn't have to worry about them much, if at all. It was some peace of mind he needed before leaving, though now he had other things to think about, like where he'd be going first. Shifting his partner into one arm, he used his free hand to pull out his P★DA.

He was used to water and sand, but not seeing things like trees. Upon pulling up his map, Agate Village seemed like a nice place, and the woods in the area might even have some interesting Pokemon for him to observe. He'd always wanted to see the regional lab too, and Agate seemed like a good inbetween for Phenac and the lab. He occasionally considered jumping onto a boat at Gateon and venturing elsewhere, but he thought that perhaps exploring his home was a good starting point: If his curiosity took him further after he'd explored Orre, then maybe he could move on to different ventures.

Being a patient and generally quiet sort, he mostly stood there, waiting for his turn at the counter. He browsed his P★DA, curiously checking for emails. His eyes glanced forward enough to catch sight of the Pokemon on the counter momentarily, assumedly belonging to the trainer in front of him. It wasn't something he'd ever seen around here, but that just told him he had more to see in the world. He wasn't about to barge forward and question someone who brought their companion to a Pokemon Center, after all. He wasn't that rude. Though, she didn't look like a resident of Phenac that he had ever seen. Maybe a traveler? They had a tendency to get a lot of those with the Pre-Gym and all.

Probably wasn't his business. Glancing about was enough to tell him there were a few unfamiliar faces around; Not abnormal by any stretch, but it didn't stop him from wondering where they were from and what they might be doing. He'd keep his quiet curiousity to himself for the moment.

The Nurse eyed Missy- who preened like a primadona, reason for the attention be damned. Sonja forgot a lot of Pokémon from her side of the world weren't known in a place like Orre, and tried not to let the Nurse's confusion rattle her. She rolled her eyes and pulled a P-drive from her bag. The slim, black device was a holdover from her contest days. It held the biometric data of any given Pokémon- this case Missy's data- downloaded from a central database. It was so foreign Poke-centers could treat Missy.

"Hook this into your system, it'll have all the necessary information." She got eye level with Missy, who took the moment to rub her snout on Sonja's chin. "Behave, no biting hands. Understood?" Missy's tongue flashed out, her version of rolling her eyes.

The Nurse- with more care than was necessary- carried Missy off with her P-drive. Sonja pulled her P*DA out to look up information the Pre-Gym. She then noticed the shaggy-haired boy behind her holding a Pokémon in one arm. After a moment of staring, she recognized the little guy.

"A Komala?" She leaned forward. "Poor little guy. I'm guessing you were at the Stadium?" She heard the stadium here was a tough place even for experienced trainers.

@AmpharosBoy

A short audible _"hm?" was the initial response Noel had to hearing the woman react to his Komala, the boy looking down momentarily to see the Pokemon shift in his arms, sleeping comfortably but wiggling around a bit as it acknowledged her presence. He looked back up at her as she assumed Komala had been weakened due to a battle at the Stadium; Which almost made him laugh, honestly. Instead of laughing at the assumption a grin crossed his face, amused by the idea of him inside a colosseum for battling purposes instead of spectating.

"Nah," Noel answered, casually. "Never was terribly interested in battling that seriously. This was just a... Personal thing." He didn't really have much pride, but even Noel didn't really want to admit loss to just a random person. Sure, he pulled a few punches, but he wasn't entirely certain if he could bring himself to give the full story of why losing was a good thing. Not that they'd probably be seeing much of each-other anyhow, right?

Mentioning the Stadium made him wonder if she intended to get into the battling scene. Those colosseum trainers weren't exactly a joke; Without being prepared, they could make short work of even experienced battlers if they weren't prepared. Noel had witnessed it himself plenty over the years, with a fair share of trainers being sent packing by the force of the trainers within.

"You're a foreigner, right?" Noel guessed, the woman looking a tad different than most people that pass by. Her whole look was a bit strange, but he wasn't one to particularly judge. He barely got dressed properly some mornings, so if someone wanted to express themselves with their appearance, have at it. "Here for the Stadium yourself, or to sharpen your skills and knowledge at the Pre-Gym?" The answer he usually got was 'both', which he somewhat expected on the regular now.

The Pre-Gym was not only a wonderous place for trainers, but also a bit of a tourist hub for Phenac in a lot of ways. And most people who traveled here came seeking the challenge that came with the multiple Colosseums across the region. Thinking about them made Noel realize he'd have to spectate at each one while he was away; Sample the food, too. He wondered if the locations were standardized or if they were all different based on location? More fascinating things to learn once he got out of Phenac.

@AmpharosBoy

"Obvious I take it?" Sonja giggled. Yeah, we're from Alola. We'll be hitting the Pre-Gym first to get a handle on the talent here, then I plan on trying out to Stadium." Sonja put her P*DA away.

A moment later the Nurse came back with Missy. The Nurse looked frazzled, a few hairs were out of place, and she carried Missy like she was a bomb ready to explode. Sonja gave her a small glare. Given no bite marks were on the nurse's hands she'd technically listened. Missy jumped from the counter onto Sonja's shoulder.

"S-she's in perfect health it seems." She then noticed the boy and his Komala. "Oh! Hello, how may we help today?"

Missy cocked her head when she noticed the other Pokémon. She leaned forward, and sniffed the air between them before letting loose a low hiss.

Sonja rubbed the top of the Salandit's head. "Now, now you'll get a chance to fight. Sorry, I'm afraid Missy here loves meeting new Pokémon, if only to battle. Did you win your "personal thing"?"

"It's just a talent you pick up." Noel admitted, pleased with being correct on his hunch. Alola wasn't a region he was overly familiar with, but it did cross his view while he eyed potential traveling plans from Gateon. Beaches were like smaller, more fun deserts. The center of Orre was essentially a wasteland, and traversing it was messy. Just the thought of the heat made him want to go to sleep. This woman seemed confident in herself, maybe she'd have a shot at the Stadium after all. But if she planned to go to the Pre-Gym first? Well, he wasn't the prime example of the Gym's potential, but... "The Pre-Gym trainers do love a challenge. I'd suggest bringing your A-Game."

Noel raised at eyebrow at the nurse, noting she might've had a few issues with that feisty little bugger in her hands. Which, when returned to it's trainer, seemed to take a little too much of an interest in his sleepy little friend. The hiss caused Noel to shift his body in a way to slightly remove Komala from view; Putting his side without the Pokemon more in front just as a minor precaution. He calmed as the lady seemed to have control, however. Maybe he was overreacting.

"It's alright," Noel replied in acceptance. "He's pretty calm, if the endless sleep wasn't a sign." A small laugh escaped him, amused by the thought. Though her question if he won or not still lingered. "Nah, we lost. but it was a satisfying loss, if that makes sense."

Approaching the nurse, Noel gently laid Komala down on the counter. "We got in a bit of a scuffle. Just want to make sure everything's alright with him, ma'am." He was extra polite with the nurses; A respect thing. The nurse was familiar with his Komala, so her response was a simple nod as she scooped up the small, sleeping Pokemon and took him to the back.

Noel turned, one arm resting on the counter as he looked back at the woman with a bit of curiosity. "I know it's a huge building in the center of town, so you probably don't need a guide, but you actually have me curious. I'm planning on heading out of town soon, but I wouldn't mind witnessing a few more matches around the Pre-Gym and the Stadium if you wouldn't mind me tagging along." It was a bit of a distraction, but one last time witnessing a match in the Stadium before leaving for awhile? Or seeing a few of his Pre-Gym colleagues battle this foreigner? They'd make good fresh memories before he stepped away from home for the first time.

@AmpharosBoy

The chink in Sonja's armor appeared in the form of a twitching frown that quickly disappeared in a thin smile. She despised the idea of losing. She found anyone okay with losing not much worth her time and... She crushed that line of thinking in an instant. She wasn't going to be that person anymore. Sonja had to admit it was nice meeting someone who didn't glare a her. She was sure she was still the focus of gossip back home so she wasn't quite ready to let go of someone actually willing to tag along with her. She couldn't help but notice the nurse seemed to recognize the boy and his Pokemon. So he was a local then? Perhaps a guide was just what she needed.

"I'd enjoy the company." She rubbed the top of Missy's head. "And we always bring our A-game."

She allowed herself a genuine, of a little wide grin at thought of some old fashioned combat. She hoped these Pre-Gym trainers were as good as he stated, as she was thirsting for a good battle.

"I'm Sonja by the way and the little troublemaker is Missy."

A Darumaka's little adventure through Phenac was hardly the strangest thing that had happened in the city in recent memory, not that the Pokemon would have any knowledge of the area's past - he was a tourist, after all. A very enthusiastic tourist. Bo's tiny legs carried him around the large fountain area about five times before he zipped off towards a nearby stair case. Climbing the steps took a little time, especially when it seemed that Bo made it a point to weave his way around every human and Pokemon in the area, stopping only for the briefest of moments to get a good look at them and chirp happily before continuing on. The sun bathed stone that paved Phenac was nice and hot, spurring the Pokemon onward as it investigated every little bit of the town.

Back on the lowest level of Phenac, the girl that proudly called herself Bo's trainer was just finishing up a late lunch. She'd picked up something or other from a small vendor and sat on a ledge nearby munching away at it. Now that she'd learned the city's layout and got herself fed, the next step was challenging the local gym - although, she should probably find her Pokemon first and get him fed too.

Zita hopped down from her perch and stretched lightly, raising her arms up and eventually transitioning to place her hand to her forehead, shielding her eyes from the bright sun. Bo was... there! ...no, that was a clay pot. Wait, there! ...nope, it was a kid's round and cute backpack. With a harumph, Zita scratched at the back of her neck.

"Who knew there were so many red circles around here," she mused to herself. Still, she wasn't worried about the Darumaka at all. He was probably just excited to be a new place. Just thinking about Bo's big eyes and goofy smile brought a grin to Zita's face and she started off, making her way back towards the city's center. He probably went up higher, she thought to herself, standing in the plaza with one hand loosely placed on her hip. He's got the right idea! But he's gonna be hungry as a Hippopotas as usual. I'll get him to give me a tour after I get some food in him!

"BO~!" Zita called loudly, startling a few poor passerbys with her sudden volume. For a few moments nothing changed in the area besides Zita earning herself a few strange looks, but eventually BO appeared - standing at the top of the staircase looking absolutely pleased with himself. The Darumaka pulled his arms and legs in close and rolled himself down the stairs and popping back into his usual shape once he hit the bottom. He waddled over to Zita quickly, and she met him halfway and scooped him up. His body was blazing hot, but he looked happy.

"Did ya find the gym?" She asked, and Bo practically vibrated with excitement in her hands. An affirmative answer, as it were. "Awesome, take me there as soon as we recharge your battery!"

Noel's head tilted somewhat, observing the look on her face. It shifted, but the change was a bit too quick for him to follow as he hadn't been terribly focused on her face. He chose to ignore it since he couldn't fully deduce it with the information he had; She was smiling now, at least. Good enough for him.

That confident aura she gave off didn't feel like hot air, either. They always brought their A-Game, huh? The Pre-Gym might be in trouble with this one, but that wasn't a bad thing: If she overcame someone there, it'd only motivate them to get better. That was one of the best parts of Phenac, that the majority of trainers were far from sore losers. The Pre-Gym was a place of training, and honing skills. Even a loss was valuable, it taught you about your own flaws, which you could then overcome.

Sure, Noel knew a few particular bad eggs in the city too, of course. Those kids wouldn't of been as insecure as they were if there weren't older kids picking on them. While Noel wasn't one to play for keeps, those punks got under his skin something foul. He had no patience for someone who would mistreat others, especially young trainers like those he took his time to teach. Beneath the low-effort attitude was a protective spirit like an Ursaring protecting it's young.

"Sounds like a plan then, Sonja." He replied, taking notice of the nurse returning with his sleepy little friend in her arms. He was always so happy and content with the nurses, the sly dog. Noel momentarily turned around to take his partner back into his own arms.

"After a little rest, he should be just fine~" The nurse chimed, satisfied with being able to help.

Noel gave her a genuine "Thank You." Before turning to take his leave; Noting that he and this woman had places to be, if he had any hope of witnessing her take on the Stadium before he left today. Speaking of Sonja, he had almost forgot to introduce himself due to that momentary distraction.

"Name's Noel. And this little fella is Snooze." An amused grin crossed his face, as he added: "I'm sure you can't guess how he earned that name."

“I can take a few guesses,” she said with a giggle. “It’s lovely to meet both of you. I’d say we’re ready to head out if you are.” In response Missy hissed, her eyes narrowing and tale lashing. It was time to indulge their favorite hobby. Sonja felt a familiar fire light in the pit of her belly, a sense of exhilaration filling her veins.

“Let’s go see what these Pre-Gym trainers have to offer.”

With that they departed bound for the Pre-gym. She had to admit she liked the sleek design of the place, simple, not overblown. Reminded her of Kanto’s gyms. Without further adieu she stepped inside.

Drazen had begun nodding off. He couldn't really help it. It was hot outside and the Pokemon Center had a fairly powerful air conditioner. He could feel Rubble breathing softly in his backpack and he couldn't help wonder what problems his evolution would bring. After a moment, he shook his head. That wasn't an issue right now. He heard the door opening and saw two people, possibly trainers enter the Pokemon Center. One of them had a Komala and the other, a young woman was holding a Salandit. He could feel Rubble starting to stir in his backpack as he poked his head out.

He could hear Rubble growling at someone's Pokemon behind him. "Easy buddy. We don't want to cause any trouble here." He said with a faint smile as he turned the backpack around so Rubble wasn't facing whatever Pokemon he seemed to have an issue with. "What's the matter with you? You don't like the Komala?"

Rubble shook his head and emerged fully from the backpack and was staring at the Salandit. His eyes were narrowed. "Hey! No need for that!" He admonished the green Pokemon. "That Salandit hasn't done anything to you. It's a good idea not to tick people off around here." He pulled out one of the few remaining Rock treats and held it in front of Rubble who reluctantly looked away from the Salandit and focused his attention on the treat. "Is that your new rival?" He asked jokingly as the little green Pokemon buried his head in the Backpack again and refused to look at him or the Salandit.

Weird. Drazen thought and he leaned back in his chair and watched as the two trainers left the Pokemon center with a faint smile. They were probably heading for the Pre Gym. Now that he thought about it...maybe it was time for him to pay a visit to the Gym as well.

"C'mon you grumpy little rock eater. We're going to the gym."

Rubble let out a low growl and climbed back into the backpack as Drazen rose to his feet and headed out the door towards the Pre Gym.

A hiss stopped Sonja dead in her tracks. Missy was agitated and the air above her back was waving as she expelled heat. Odd, Missy rarely grew angry. Haughty, mischievous, and infuriating perhaps, but never really angry. Turning she saw another boy past Noel. A Larvitar was staring at them before turning back to what she assumed was it’s trainer. Missy tightened her grip ready to pounce but Sonja stopped her.

“No fights outside the gym or stadium, you know the rules,” she chastised. Missy ignored her for a second before calming herself down. She put her about in the air and breathed out a puff of sweet smelling smoke. She never took her eyes off the Larvitar though.

The giggling was enough to keep Noel grinning, his little bit of humor getting through to her enough to keep him in a positive mood. Usually he didn't get this chatty with foreigners, but she approached him, forcing his hand somewhat. She seemed decent, if not blazingly competitive. That spirit was enough to topple over any aspirations Noel currently had, which were... Practically none. It was a bit of a situation, wasn't it? Compared to the motivation she had to be a trainer, he wasn't even in the same ball park. One of the ideas for his trip was to find something to invest in, and though battling had been a part of his life for years, it wasn't something that appealed to him on a dedicated level. When could he find himself the motivation to dedicate himself? Eh... He'd put that thought to the side, for now. It felt out of reach, and stressed him just putting it to mind.

He nodded along to her offer to get going, Figuring wasting daylight wasn't for the best. "You've got it. The walk isn't far, thankfully." He responded, taking lead as he made his way for the door. His eyes squinting at the bright sun in the sky, his body wanted to cease just to keep him from going back into the heat, but Noel pushed himself forward anyways. How could he already be getting this tired? It made him worry about his trip; If he couldn't wander around town without getting sleepy, then the road would be dangerous. Especially alone, considering the fact that a lot of places in Orre were more shady than not, especially while traversing between locations. Wander into the wrong place at the wrong time, or be found while napping... Plenty of people wouldn't mind robbing you blind. This stress was, ironically enough, making him even more tired. Legitimately a pain.

---

Noel hadn't been paying attention behind him, but the hiss from Sonja's Pokemon caused him to glance back with uncertainty as to what was going on; Noting the someone else seemed to be not far behind them, and this 'Missy' didn't take much of a liking to him at all. A bead of sweat went down Noel's face as he stared on at the scene, witnessing Sonja lecture the little menace. "She really sees everything as a challenge..." He openly noted, in a deadpan tone. Really, such a violent Pokemon seemed dangerous to him, but maybe it suited a battler like Sonja better. They seemed to get along well enough, yeah? Perhaps she was just bad with strangers. That being said, maybe she held grudges against people she came across, and would be even angrier.

In response to the tension set by Missy, Snooze let out a drawn-out yawn. Either due to wanting the other Pokemon to relax, or to state it's lack of care about what developed from the situation, particularly Missy's snappyness. Probably the latter, as it turned in Noel's arms, snuggling into his chest comfortably, as if it'd just told everyone else to sod off and let it rest.

"I feel ya, little guy." Noel commented, the yawn ending up being contagious as Noel also yawned, blinking away the urge to fall asleep. This encounter kept him curious enough to not fall asleep on the spot, at least for the moment. "You're another unfamiliar face," He called out to the guy casually, the prospect of not one, but two new folks in Phenac, made this a little more interesting. Was he a battler, like Sonja? He seemed to be heading to the Pre-Gym too, though Noel had times where he assumed too much about a person. His Larvitar was a Pokemon Noel was actually familiar with; and the sight of it tagging along in his backpack was actually... Kind of cute. Why didn't Noel think of that? Once he was on the road, maybe that'd be a great way of keeping Snooze outside his bag. Though, he remembered his bag being quite full before, so maybe the little fella wouldn't even fit in the bag...

"Phenac seems to have all sorts of visitors today. You looking to scope things out in the Pre-Gym, too?"

Phenac City
Interacting with @LukasVolkov and @AmpharosBoy

"Phenac seems to have all sorts of visitors today. You looking to scope things out in the Pre-Gym, too?"

Drazen nodded sheepishly as he looked at the Salandit that Rubble apparently had angered. "Sorry about Rubble upsetting your Pokemon." He said to the Salandit's trainer. "He...uh...He's kind of protective of me. I'm not exactly sure why he seems to have an issue with your Salandit though." He turned to the trainer with the Komala.

"I was thinking of checking out the Pre-gym." He admitted with a faint smile. "I just arrived in the Orre region a few days ago. Seems like an interesting place to travel to. I've heard lots of rumors about this place to be honest. Not all bad, some of them are really interesting. I heard rumors about something called a "Relic Stone" on the way here."

Relic stone? That stuck out to Sonja, given it was a damn random thing to tell people you barely met. She shrugged it off. She patted Missy on the head with two fingers. Missy immediately looked at her.

“It’s okay. Sorry for all the hissing, it’s not a threat I promise.” Missy turned her nose up at that. Of course it was a threat but no way Sonja let him know that.

“Since our Pokemon seem in such high spirits. What do you say to a battle? Something simple to warm up our Pokemon? You’re here to battle too right?”

Sonja felt the hair in the back of neck raise and the pit of her stomach bottom out. The Larvitar looked strong if young, and it’s trainer struck her as experienced.

Noel tilted his head, unsure of what to tell the guy. Relic Stone? He hadn't heard of something like that, and he lived here his whole life. It must've been something somewhere else; Phenac had nothing like that. They didn't exactly have much of a stone market at all, even basic elemental ones. This foreigner was catching wind of things that Noel himself didn't know about his own region? This only made the boy realize he was pretty far behind folks in general, if there were more around like these two.

"Sorry, got no idea." He admitted, shrugging his shoulders. "Phenac ain't exactly a place to find stones, and I've got no clue where you'd go to look for your 'Relic Stone'." He didn't like being a barer of bad news, but yeah. It'd be better if he knew nothing like that was around here so he didn't waste too much of his time hopeful. Though if he wasn't going to find it here, then he must be planning on heading out as well. He quietly pondered on this fact, not exactly sure of what to make of the information. It was probably not going to mean much in the long run. At least he didn't think it would.

Sonja seemed willing to battle this trainer, and to that, Noel found himself speaking up again. "I'd suggest using one of the battlefields inside the Pre-Gym. Mostly because I don't know what your Pokemon are capable of, and I've seen what happens to people who cause city damage." Noel wasn't worried about Komala causing damages before, but a Larvitar could start crushing pathways, and he had no idea what Sonja's Pokemon actually was capable of. While Phenac was generally nice, the police... Weren't at times. Especially with foreigners. Sometimes they couldn't read between the lines, and even Noel had found himself in trouble on an occasion. Not that anyone needed to know about that.

Plus... He could get out of this heat. A sly side objective he had, not wanting to melt out here. He could relax inside the Pre-Gym while they did their thing, as a spectator. Which was much more convenient than watching them out here, at least without a drink or something. He almost felt like these people liked burning up in the sun, hehe.