---

---

---

Isla wasn't a troublesome passenger on the boat, but she had been an extremely friendly one. Over her time spent on board it was hard to not spot here in one place or another, conversing about a certain species of Pokémon or just taking notes on the sea-bound creatures she saw. The sweet taste of the fresh sea air and the sight of the approaching island was making her extremely jittery. As nice as the cruise was, it was far from her current interest, and she couldn't wait to slam her feet down on solid ground. She'd eaten her fair share of food though, and would probably miss the quality when she got to the island.

Her knuckles lightly rubbed from her top lip to the bottom one, listening to the PA system and what information they had to provide. "Safety in numbers, bless that." She spoke to herself, wondering if she should strike up some conversation and find a group for herself. Surely she couldn't be the only one around here that'd be looking! If that was the case, it'd be embarrassing at best for the poor gal. So she set out, eyeing a few potential travelling companions. But as she approached them...

"Moment o' yer time, petal?"

"Sorry, busy getting ready with my group."

"Looks like ya could use a bud for the road!"

"Um, I'm here with friends."

"Hiya-"

"Sorry, we're full."

Well this was going great!

The researcher pouted to herself for a moment, feeling stuck. Adjusting her sunhat (Which she bought during the cruise, she couldn't resist) she decided to take a moment, as the boat hadn't quite made it to the island yet! She had time, and just needed to calm down a little! What was it if she couldn't find anyone, anyways? She was dependable! She had her best buddies in her bag, it wasn't as big of a deal as she was making it out to be. If it happened, it happened! If not? Well... It wasn't her first solo venture, for sure.

She went for a drink, deciding on a bottle of Pocari Sweat to rehydrate and cool it. The refreshment caused her shoulders to raise in delight, a small but notable smile on her face as she took a second to relax. She noticed someone else coming up to get a drink, but became distracted by spotting a flock of Wingull's. Excitedly she walked past that guy to get a better look by heading towards the railing with an exclamation of "Yaldi!" in an tone most amazed. Sooner than later the flock was gone, flying off into the horizon.

Her path had brought her to another curious sight, though. A rather nauseous looking lass keeping close to the railing, face looking like she was holding back a floodgate! Isla wasn't a full-fledged doctor, but it wasn't hard to identify a bit of sea sickness. Her heart went out to those that had issues with the seas: Such a beautiful thing causing them pain and strife. It stung, in it's own way. She'd spare that one, not wanting to yap up a storm on some poor girl until she pukes: That wasn't considerate at all.

Gaze going back out towards the island, she took an occasional gulp from her Pocari Sweat bottle as she began putting a mental checklist together of tasks to complete once she was off the boat. That wasn't far off, after all.

@Potemking@Bartimaeus

Snap!

Ferris' had his camera pointed towards a flock of Wingull flying by the god ol' MS Marlow. The photographer looked down at the image on the small screen of the obviously super expensive camera with a self-congratulatory grin on his face. "Not a bad shot if I say so myself." There wasn't a shortage of subjects to direct his lens' at; there were all sorts of people and Pokemon from all over the world, even from some of the few regions that he had yet to visit and they haven't even made it to shore yet. Of course this cruise was nice; the food, the sea air, and the views were all first-class, but the real star was going to be the new region that no one had even photographed extensively yet.

He hung his camera back around his neck and sat down next to a table with a nice, refreshing pina colada when he heard the announcements from the PA system. It felt weird for him of all people to be told to seek safety in numbers though then again, he didn't bring along any of his actual mainstays. They were older and deserved to have some form of stability and rest instead of toughing it out in the great unknown while his Ninetales and Meowth were young and ready for adventure. That and he couldn't exactly bring a Salamance on a ship considering the weight restrictions nor did he want to set the ship on fire with Cinderace.

Ever since he was a kid, he had struck out on his own, but perhaps it would be wise to join a group considering they were about to embark on an adventure into the unknown. Well, he would've, but it had seem that everyone and their mother had decided to group up far ahead of time and he knew this already; Ferris had chatted with many who introduced him to their travelling companions way before hand. Perhaps if he had asked earlier then maybe someone would have let him join, but it was far too late to make any last minute adjustments.

"Eh, fuck it." The photographer muttered to himself and stood up; his glass was far too empty so he needed remedy this issue. Ferris and his duo of Pokemon followed him though his Analise, the Alolan Ninetales, was taking this whole teaming up idea far more seriously than her trainer was. She glanced around to see if there was anyone out on the deck who looked a bit too lonesome.

Well, her eyes fell upon a certain red-haired girl standing all by herself and an idea ran through the Pokemon's head. Analise broke off from Ferris and approached the girl, nudging her snout against the girl's free hand as if she wanted to be petted. Of coure, Ferris would catch on that she was no longer by his side.

"Analise? Where did you... Snrk!" Seeing Analise demanding pets and attention when he turned around to see where she went made Ferris laugh softly and instinctively he held his camera up to catch the moment.

Snap!

Once he had the picture, he approached the girl with a lighthearted smile. "Sorry about that. I don't know what got into her; she normally doesn't do something like that. I hope that she wasn't too much of a bother."

Meanwhile, with Ferris' attention turned away and Fjord having left his trainer's sight, he had decided that this was ample time to look around and get into some mischief. That little gremlin of a Meowth was scurrying around the deck searching for something to do when his big, freaky eyes fell upon a backpack from a certain blue haired boy who went off to go get some drinks. Now being the curious feline that he was, the Pokemon went over to the backpack and sneakily opened it as quietly as he could and then rummaged right through the bag without any second thought.

---

On the upper deck, a young woman stood against the railing overlooking the bow of the ship. She was smiling brightly, taking in the sun and salty breeze, letting it warm her skin and blow her long brown hair about. The cruise had been a lot of fun, for being on the smaller side. The dining hall had a decent spread of tasty foods, and there had been all kinds of things to do. Even the time spent just getting to the port before boarding had been an interesting adventure. Botan had pointed out all the interesting Pokémon to her companion, amazed at how different two of the same species could be. Who knew Ponyta could have puffy manes made of anything but fire? Or that Weezing could have such elongated heads?! She'd been absolutely charmed seeing such Pokémon in person - and now, they were almost to their destination! Panmia Island, where they would go exploring where no one had before! Botan was eagerly listening to the voice over the PA, but one thing mentioned in particular made her smile widen even further.

"A Pokédex! Oh Jarvis, did you hear that? We'll get a Pokédex!" She cheered, raising her arms up in celebration. "I wonder if it already has information in it? Or maybe it's one of those advanced ones that can call and take pictures!"

She stepped away from the railing and spun around in a circle. "I almost feel like a little kid!"

When she came to a stop, Botan was facing towards a little alcove nearby. She thrust her hand out, pointing at the Pokémon standing beneath it. "You won't complain if the first thing I scan with it is you, right?"

The Pokémon uttered a rumbling noise, which Botan took as permission granted. Her companion walked out of the shade, revealing a huge, muscular form that nearly towered over the girl. Jarvis was the Machamp her family had asked to take with her on the expedition. He was an older 'mon, but with strength and loyalty to spare. Plus, he was secretly Botan's favorite of all her family's Pokémon employees. The journey on the island would have been a lot of fun with just the two of them, but their hosts urged the importance of safety in numbers.

"Almost there, Jarvis! We'll have to find some other people to -"

"Maaaa."

"I know, you are more than enough to handle anything dangerous. But it could be fun!"

The Machamp crossed one pair of arms in front of his chest, while the other pair was dutifully folded behind his back. He seemed skeptical of traveling with others, but Botan quickly caught on.

"If it's the people you're worried about, by all means please vet everyone on board! Now, let me think about the kind of people I'd want in my group..."

Botan looked over the side, checking to see if she could spot people on the lower deck while she hummed to herself.

"Smart people, fun people, people good with Pokémon... or a big mix? What do you think, Jarvis?"

"Cha."

"Hmm, good point!" Botan glanced at the Machamp over her shoulder. "Well, I trust you, so would you go find me the best group members? I'll wait here safe and sound, promise."

She waited until Jarvis swept a hand in front of his chest and bowed before she turned away, staring out over the water and the ship with a content smile. Her companion straightened up and turned toward the stairs leading to the lower deck. His footfalls were heavy, and when he reached the more populated area of the ship most people and Pokémon gave him a wide berth.

Operation "find Lady Botan a suitable group" was underway. Now, Jarvis was a Machamp. He was strong, he was helpful, and sometimes he was clever. What he wasn't was some Psychic-type that could read minds or auras. So he had to rely on his intuition to find the perfect candidates... and his eyes of course. For example, there was a blue-haired woman doing her best not to be sick of the side of the ship. Jarvis shook his head. A weak constitution like that wouldn't do.

He walked around the deck with all four hands clasped behind his back, scrutinizing everyone with a look that bordered on haughty. What few people caught his attention were already settled in their groups from what he could tell, so he moved on. Eventually he came upon a few people milling about the refreshment area. Jarvis brought a hand to his chin, stroking it thoughtfully. Would they make good companions for Lady Botan? He didn't sense that they were bad people, and like many Pokémon his instinct when it came to that was seldom wrong. Plus if he didn't act soon, he might miss the chance to actually choose partners for Botan. Rather than sit back and watch them, Jarvis gave in to his Fighting-type nature and approached the group - three humans and a Ninetails. If it turned out any of them were trouble, he would have no issue dealing with them after all.

When his presence was known, Jarvis snorted and pointed at the individuals. Then, he turned his hands upward and pointed at a young woman on the upper deck, who seemed to notice this and waved cheerily. She made a beckoning motion with her hand, inviting the group up.

---

---

"Ugh..." Felix let out an annoyed growl under his breath as the announcement finished. Immediately he was being forced to deal with other people. It felt a little too familiar to something he had hoped to have forgotten, especially so far from home. Wasn't he supposed to be getting away from it all!? That was the one thing he'd hoped this trip might actually accomplish.

"Stop looking at me like that, I'm not doing it. They only said it's a recommendation," Felix could feel his mawile, Venus, staring at him. It had been years since it had actually spent any significant time inside a pokeball. "Hey! I said no!" he protested again as Venus began insistently nudging him with her stubby little arms. In response to that, Venus's jaw-like horns spread open menacingly. "Wh-"

CHOMP!

The "jaws" clamped down on his right hand. It didn't hurt exactly, and fortunately the "teeth" were spread apart, so his hand was nestled "safely" between them, rather than being impaled on them.

"Venus, I swear, if you don't let go in the next five seconds I'm putting you back in your ball!" Felix reached for his hip and found... one less ball than he should have. "You didn't..." He took a deep breath and looked down to see Venus's pokeball held firmly in Venus's hands. "You little- WAH! Hey!" Felix was suddenly jerked forward and Venus began walking off, his hand still held firmly in her "jaws." As small as mawile were, they were still pokemon. Being a steel type, they packed a lot of weight and power in their small frames.

He could do nothing but complain in vain as he was dragged across the ship. He stumbled each time Venus turned her head to look around, seeming to forget that he was currently attached to her head.

"Stop i-"
"Give it b-"
"Will you at least slow-"

Each protest was usually cut off by another sudden change in direction until the little steel type saw someone waving. Currently they were standing on their own, so to her it seemed like the perfect opportunity. Sure technically she wasn't necessarily waving at them, but such things did not concern the hard-headed pokemon. She was more concerned with making sure her trainer got there before anyone else so he could join a group.

One precarious flight of stairs later and a panting Felix was standing there, his pokemon waving happily at the woman.

"Please let go now..." Felix groaned under his breath. His request was, again, denied. "Grrr, fine!" He stood up straight and ran his free hand down his face before speaking again through gritted teeth. "Hi, I'm Felix. I could use a group if you don't already have one." The corner of his mouth briefly attempted to twitch into a smile, but was quickly weighed down by the frustration boiling just below the surface.

"Happy?!" he quickly shot a glare back at his pokemon once the introduction was over with. This time his hand was finally freed and the pokeball returned to him, leaving one to question who was really in charge here. His hand tightened around the capsule, but Venus had already folded her hands, her horns tucked neatly behind her head once more, acting the perfect angel and pretending she hadn't just physically hauled her trainer halfway across the ship. Felix sighed and just put the ball away, "You're lucky you're cute..." he hissed under his breath.

---

---

Having been minding her own business, Isla was taken by surprise as she felt a nudge. It felt a bit wet and cold for a hand, but as a woman who tried to stay positive, she enthusiastically assumed it was an approach to join up during departure! She turned to look at the source of the touch, her sight looking a little too high as she had expected a person, but then her view panned downwards towards the beautiful Ninetails that seemed to just be begging for a pat or two!

Her eyes sparkled, instantly infatuated with the creature. 'This is WAY better!' She thought to herself, the disappointment of it not being a person fading within seconds. Though it caused a chill through her hand, Isla couldn't help but give the snowy gal a good ol' fashion petting. "Ain't ya jus' the cutest thing?!" She said, the petting continuing. "Yes ye are, lassie! Yes ye are--"

Like a flashbang in a damn war zone, Isla had no time to react to a photo being taken. Her excited face turned into a dazed one, cold hand drifting up to rub her eyes though it was a fairly quick recovery. More confused than angry, it at least wasn't hard to find the culprit as he was walking directly towards her! For a moment she squinted at him during the recovery of her sight, but his words caused her face to fall more neutral: And Isla's neutral expression was a resting smile!

"Awh, noh!" She insisted in response to his apology, not wanting that cute 'mon of his in any trouble. "She's jus' the happiest angel! Havenae a problem with me, dear!" Last thing she wanted was for there to be bad terms out here! When an island would barely have a hundred folks on it, you didn't want 'em on your bad side! Besides, it was like that snow angel knew she was looking for some pals; Little compassionate thing doin' favors out of the kindness of her wee heart. Or maybe she just actually wanted the pets, and Isla was trying to justify her thought process.

Before she could actually bring up the situation though, her gaze fell on something else at the sound of a snort. A Machamp, except he was a bit different! Not only large and in charge, but wearing a pretty fancy outfit to go with it! "Och, what's wit' that feller there?" She questioned to the man that blindsided her in the most literal way, until she noticed the big bulky fella gesturing upwards.

Like a goldfish looking at food on the water's surface, Isla's gaze met the waving lass up above. Her hand drifted back to that cute Ninetails for a moment for a few more pets, as she thought about what was going on. She seemed to be gestured for them to come to her? Or one of them in particular? She sure as heck didn't know the lass, so the only other suspect she had was the photographer right beside her.

"That burd wit' you?" She asked, figuring she could go up and investigate if he said no. And if he said yes, well, she'd feel like she did her good deed for the day by lettin' him know! Even if it was such a damn obvious sight that you probably couldn't not notice it. And if they were together, maybe they had space in their group! And if they again, weren't, then maybe they could group up anyways! There seemed to be a lad up there already, from the sound of it. That'd make four? Four was a pretty solid number. She couldn't help but think positively to herself:

'Och, yeah. It's all comin' together.'

Aw yeah, scritches! Analise had actually forgotten all about the reason for getting her attention and closed her eyes while her leg thumped repeatedly as she got the good spot. However, when he heard the camera click, she instantly remembered why she was even doing this in the first place and embarrassedly regained her composure. She was supposed to be a graceful, majestic Pokemon! Not some dumb, common Growlithe!

Ferris could only laugh and flashed his most charming, handsome smile at the red-head. "A happy angel huh? Well, I would call her a bit stuck up and self-important, but I'm glad she wasn't any trouble." His Ninetails only gave him the most indignant look at the slight that her trainer gave her. Her, stuck up and self-important? Never!

The girl looked like she had something else to say, but her attention seemed to be else where and said something a bit strange. "What fella?" He asked as he turned to look what was behind him...

Well that was new, a Machamp dressed in to the nines making from what Ferris could tell demands to go talk to the young woman waving at the pair of them. She looked like the kind of girl whose daddy was made of money if the three piece suit wearing fighting type didn't give it away already, but he was not one to turn down an offer without hearing them out. It also helped that she was pretty easy on the eyes too. "Nah love, I've got no idea who she is." He answered in response to the red-head's question. Things were certainly becoming more and more interesting.

Analise was less so enthused with the idea of having some brutish Pokemon walk up and order them around, letting out a growl to show her displeasure. Only one Dazzling Gleam would be enough to knock that arrogant mass of muscle down on its back though Ferris' palm pressed down on the top of her head and stroked gently down her neck. "Easy girl, it's okay." Ferris cooed to the agitated Ice-Type who most certainly needed to be like its type and cool down. If the girl wanted to talk to him then he would and if she only wanted to talk to the perpetually smiling red-head then he and his Pokemon would be on their merry way so seeing as he had nothing to lose, he made his way up the stairs to the upper deck where the woman was.

Well, they were, but this random guy with a Zorua popped into the middle of the conversation. This sort of person looked like a bullshit artist, but there was nothing more fun than seeing how far they go with it until they fall flat on their face. "Oh? Then I'm sure your talents lend themselves to being excellent bait then." Ferris teased, laughing at this man gassing himself up to being something bigger than he actually was. Now he went up the stairs to where the Machamp's trainer was and now saw that there was a boy with a Mawhile who had his hand in its mouth before it let go. Seems like everyone was being pulled to this spot one way or the other.

Meanwhile, Fjord's little thieving bearded bugger was caught red-handed by the sea-sick woman with his arms full of Pokefood."Mrraow..." The Meowth glanced at the bag, to her, back to the bag, to her until the little gremlin skedaddled away with its stolen haul before the woman could stop him from.

---

Jarvis was doing an excellent job from where Botan was looking. He'd already found a handful of people! Well, this will be even easier than I expected! She thought to herself. Botan was happily awaiting the people on the lower deck to start making their way up, the thought that they might ignore her not even once crossing her mind. A small commotion at the stairwell nearby drew Botan's attention away from the prospective teammates below, her hair bouncing as she turned quickly to find a young man with his hand clamped in the massive maw of a Pokémon. She regarded the two of them with wide eyes, struggling to remember what this particular Pokémon was called and if it was dangerous. Maybe this person needed help?!

She didn't expect that he would ask to join up with her. She blinked at the recently released man and the Pokémon beside him for a few moments, and then she dove forward with her hands outstretched and a smile from ear to ear.

"Hello! Of course you are welcome to join me!" She said, grabbing Felix's hand in her own and shaking it. "Felix, was it? My name is Botan! It is a pleasure to meet you. My Pokémon partner will be back any moment now with the rest of the group."

Botan was nothing if not enthusiastic. She couldn't wait for Jarvis to return now - he would be so proud of her, finding a member for the group all on her own! Nevermind the fact that Felix and his friend approached her first. Botan released her grip on Felix's hand and looked down at the Pokémon next to him, giving it a smile.

"This little one brought you over here, yes? She has a sharp eye!"

Meanwhile on the lower deck, the Machamp folded a pair of arms behind his back and nodded at Arlo's statement. The blue haired man was right, he was gathering suitable companions. A survivalist would be a perfect addition. Jarvis stood by, waiting patiently while the humans talked among themselves. He met the Ninetale's eyes with a neutral expression, though he breathed in and puffed his chest out a little, letting the other Pokémon know that he was no pushover despite the uniform (that he wore with pride). Once the trainers started moving, Jarvis gestured politely for them to go ahead, and he would follow after.

When he spotted Botan again with a stranger, Jarvis swiftly made his way over to the young lady. He gave Felix and his Mawile a suspicious look, but then Botan was tapping on his arm and introducing everyone.

"Hello everyone! I'm so glad you decided to chat with me. My name is Botan Naito, and this is Felix! We are building an amazing group for exploring Panmia Island, and you who were chosen by Jarvis are invited to join." Her demeanor was dazzling, and it seemed she was already quite comfortable with looping Felix into the whole situation even though they'd just met. The Machamp offered a shallow bow to the lot of them so they would be able to discern who exactly "Jarvis" was. Botan clasped her hands together in front of her and smiled. "An exciting proposition, isn't it?"

---

---

There was no way this girl was going to go for it, not with the half-hearted greeting he'd given. He almost felt bad for his pokemon, but that's what she got for being so stubborn.

"See, she doesn't eve-" Felix's eyes went wide as the girl suddenly approached him and went so far as to grab his hand. "Wh-" Apparently this girl had a very different concept of personal space. It wasn't the handshake, so much as the fact that she'd just forced one that hadn't been offered. Great, he now had a group.

L-o-v-e-l-y.

One of these days his pokemon wasn't going to get her way, but that day was not today.

"Great. That's great. Thanks." Felix's lips formed a tight line as he fought to keep a straight face and not let too many of his tumultuous inner feelings leak to the surface. This wasn't her fault, it was his pokemon's fault, and since he'd already decided not to tie a lead brick to her pokeball and leave her at the bottom of the ocean to think about what she'd done... he had no one left to vent at.

He'd simply have to endure.

And then suddenly an above average height Machoke stomped over with more people. Well at least it looked like the whole group thing was going to be taken care of quickly, though he wondered why she was talking like this was his idea.

"Yep... that's us... grouping up." Felix did try to smile again. His face threatened to split open, not because of how wide it was, but because of hoe hard his cheeks seemed to resist the action. "So exciting."

'Arcues please send this ship into an Avalugg.' Never mind the fact that they were approaching a tropical island and were so close they could probably swim the rest of the way anyway...

All the while, Venus maintained her innocent facade, soaking up Botan's praise and completely ignoring Jarvis giving her the side-eye. At this point, no one could take her victory from her.

---

---

Things were really picking up, now. With the photographer confirming he wasn't associated with the lass and her Machamp, that just meant it was time to investigate this all further. Though before she knew it, another lad carved his own path into their little group building session, only raising their numbers further. "A survivalist?" She repeated with a slight hint of amazement. This was far beyond her first time being out in the wild, but having someone that specialized being out in the wilds sounded good to her.

The jab from the photographer towards this 'survivalist' was amusing, but at the same time, Isla more often than not put blind faith in folks, and wanted to give the young man his chance. Besides, if he ended up in a bad spot, her nurse's training would come in handy to fix 'em up and teach a lesson about fibbing! Not that she thought he was lying. "Come now, don't gotta do 'em like that." She scolded lightly, before offering the blue-haired young man a smile. "Lot'sa wilderness, so I'd say someone who knows how'ta live in it is welcome aboard! Och, we can exchange some good berry recipes down the road!" She was always willing to learn, so surely someone who was quite the survivalist would have things to share. Or he'd have to make something up to keep her convinced by his bluff, though how difficult that'd be was hard to gauge at a glance.

Taken away from the two lads and their (To her assumption) soon to be continued jabbing at one-another, she noticed the Machamp's communication and was genuinely impressed. Pokemon were intelligent creatures, but he definitely seemed like a well taught and polite fella. Maybe she could get a suit like that for her sweet little Slowbro? Though, he was about as slow a buried rock, so it probably wouldn't make much of a difference. It'd be cute, though.

"Well, I'm ofta' investigate this lass." She announced, adjusting her sunhat as she happily made her way towards the upper deck to get a good look at her two other new companions. She couldn't help but feel like the Machamp was still a bit cautious, maybe overprotective or raised to be that way, not that she was bothered by it. As she reached her destination, she got to meet this 'Botan' face-to-face, and her presentation was nothing short of amusing. Eyes darting from her, to Felix, to Jarvis the well-dressed Machamp, her palms gently rested against each other as she offered a bright smile at the group proposition. Felix's less than enthusiastic reaction to the situation was, unfortunately for him, lost on her.

"Well ain't that jus' an honor? Can't go refusin' something like that, cannae?" She removed her sunhat, holding it over her chest with a small bow, grinning ear-to-ear with excitement as she offered a small introduction to the gathering group. "Professor Gavins, at yer service! Oh, but we'll be pals, I can jus' tell. So call me Isla."

The photographer ignored the incomplete thoughts of Mr.'Survivalist,' mainly just to annoy him for not giving the satisfaction of paying attention to the blowhard. One thing he did not expect was to be scolded and boy did he not expect her to actually buy what this big mouth was saying though he took it in his stride. Besides, it was funnier to see how this dude would flounder about trying to maintain the lie. "You're right. I need to buy him dinner and then do him like that. Or I could take you out to dinner instead." Ferris chimed in brightly, never missing a beat even if it was more of a detriment to himself.

As they followed the Machamp, Ferris' Ninetails did not give much thought to the little Zorua prancing around her ankles. Such things were beneath her though the Dark-Type certainly made for far better company than that little hellcat, Fjord; being admired for the majestic beauty that she was was quite satisfying, but that Machamp was a different story. If it were not for the fact that Ferris had ordered her not to start fights then that muscle butler would have been fish food.

Up on the upper deck the trio met with the Machamps trainer, a pleasant, more energetic woman, and an ever unexcited young man that looked like he was rooting for the iceberg in Titanic or whatever Pokemon version existed in this world. While the red-head with the sunhat was quite oblivious to Felix's discontent, Arlo had caught the scent like a bloodhound and honed in on it with Ferris who followed up with,"Huh, I was thinking he was the butler. Isn't there a minimum height requirement for marriage?" If Felix wanted to punch him for that not even the older trainer would blame him.

This Botan lady was basically searching for a team and let her Machamp do the scouting. Huh, that was definitely one of the more unique ways that he could've been asked to join. "A team up huh? Well, adventures are always better in groups." Not that he would know, he always travelled on his own.

"Ferris Roe, photographer and trainer extraordinaire." He bowed in a very Galarian manner for his introduction, yet there was a confidence about it as if he was not being polite nor was he submissive. If Jarvis' senses were as good as he thought they were, then that Pokemon should have had a grasp of what kind of strength that laid beneath the surface of this trainer.

Meanwhile, Fjord was being chased by a Rockruff and now he heard over the PA that they were going to be docking soon! The Meowth sprinted around the ship, ducking and weaving through people and Pokemon until he caught sight of his trainer up on the deck above so he made a mad dash towards him. "Mreow!"

"Fjord? What's going...? Where did you get all that food?"

---

---

Venus might have celebrated a hair too early. Her victory could totally be taken from her, and she feared it was happening before her eyes. For, as the newcomers spoke...

Felix wasn't one to get flustered all that easily, but he was already a little out of sorts, and now totally caught off guard. His face flushed ten different shades of scarlet in about two seconds before he finally snapped.

"Wh-who the hell are you marrying me off to!? I only met her ten seconds before you did!" Felix shouted back at the presumptuous gaggle of strangers. So furiously flustered was he in general, he never even bothered to hone in on Ferris for his remark about Felix's height. "Ugh, I didn't even want to be here in the first place!" He took a sizeable step away from Botan and then crossed his arms while averting his eyes from everyone else.

Venus's actual mouth hung open in dismay before she managed to gather her courage to approach her flustered trainer. Shorter than average or not, the poor mawile was even shorter, so the best she could do was cling to his leg while frantically patting his knee in vain in the hopes her presence would calm him down before he abandoned the group entirely...

---

At first things were going quite well. Excellent, even, although Felix didn't look quite as enthusiastic as his words would imply (he did say it was "great" and "exciting" after all). Botan's cheerful smile was in place while the three from the lower deck introduced themselves. She was especially excited once Isla and Ferris mentioned their occupations. An accomplished trainer and a photographer? Lovely, they'd have plenty of protection and some physical memories to share! Plus a professor? A real professor?! Botan's eyes were practically star-shaped. Isla probably knew all there was to know about Pokémon! Yes, everything was going splendidly.

Until.

At about the same time as Felix, Botan's face instantly resembled a tamato berry. The sudden heat blooming on her cheeks made it look like steam was coming from her ears too. "U-um, wait, we aren't..."

The follow up comment from Ferris was kind of harsh too - not to mention the butlers of the Naito family would never dress like that. Botan's quieter corrections were drowned out but Felix's louder objections. She looked a little hurt when Felix stepped away from her, but tried to compose herself after a bit of nervous laughter. Sensing that she was becoming distressed, Jarvis stepped up behind Botan for support - and to fix all of the boys gathered with a look of warning. Only Isla was spared.

"Well... s-sorry about the confusion," Botan said. She coughed into her fist to clear her throat. "Yes, he and I just met. We are all strangers... but not for long!"

The shore of the island was in view, so if the lot of them were grouping up they would have to seal the deal now, lest any of them wanted to take their chances finding a group once already on land. With this in mind, Botan brought the smile back to her face, but if it was a little smaller than before the only one who'd be able to tell was herself. She wouldn't take 'no' for an answer!

"I think we would all do well together," she said. Slowly she turned to Felix, giving him an apologetic look. "Which includes you. You don't really mean that, right...?" Botan glanced at the Mawile, hoping it could convince her trainer. Meanwhile a Pokémon came running up the stairs, followed by another and a young woman. Botan blinked in surprise. Maybe with his intrusion, the focus could shift away from Felix and he would reconsider? Botan didn't want to lose the person "she" recruited if possible.

---

---

To Isla's dismay, things soured a bit in the group as the boys she'd brought up with her were not exactly the most tactful individuals. While Arlo was making assumptions, Ferris was taking jabs like he had back on the main deck. Seemed to be a normal part of his personality, and she personally wasn't feeling positive about it. Sunhat back atop her head, she crossed her arms at the building tension, shooting the two loudmouthed boys a short but obvious glare before turning her attention back towards Botan as she tried to fix the situation. Poor gal had to recover from the embarrassment first, and who could blame her? Isla knew she'd feel the same way if someone assumed something like that. Her mind wandered to the flirtatious reply photo-boy had offered before they made their way up here, and her face visibly scrunched.

"Aye, can't help but think the same!" Isla responded to Botan's enthusiasm about them working well together, attempting to read the room, or, uh, the ship, and help get things on track. Noting her look towards Felix, Isla approached Botan at a slow pace, head turning to eye Jarvis for a moment since he seemed to be a little tense and she didn't want to offend the large Pokemon by coming closer to his trainer. Standing closer to her was more of a signal that she was more willing to group up, and generally agreed with her course of action.

"I think we jus' need a little more decency an' manners." She added, eyeing Ferris in particular. Arlo jumped the gun with assumptions but at least he wasn't directly insulting this Felix lad. Or with how much the boy took offense, maybe it counted. Isla figured if he had a little maturity he could allow bygones to be bygones, but she doubted he'd be very motivated to do much of anything if more immature comments came his way.

It was surprising to say the least when she saw a Galarian Meowth approaching the group in a bit of a hurry with some food. Judging by Ferris' reaction, she also assumed the little thing nabbed it from someone else with how much of a hurry it was in. But how this was handled was more up to the trainer than her; It'd help her get a bit of a better judging of his character before they hit land, which she was starting to feel was a necessity with the whole moment of awkwardness she had to just endure.

---

---

Why had he blown up like that? Felix wondered as he stood there, replaying the last few seconds over in his head. He was in a bad mood, he knew that much, but a simple misunderstanding shouldn't have gotten to him like that. No, but the other comments certainly had. Two barbs in one breath. OK, now he was just getting even angrier thinking about it.

One could see it happen in real time. He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath, practically boiling over and seething with anger. His mawile's pupils shrank to pinpoints in trepidation. She could feel the rage vibrating through him and into her.

However, no further outbursts followed. He pulled his hand away and opened his eyes again, though he didn't look exactly calm. If anything, he looked even madder than before.

"I... have no problem being part of your group," he finally spoke, looking at Botan, the emphasis put on his words making his meaning clear. She hadn't done anything wrong. If anything, somehow he almost felt like the bad guy at this point. "But don't expect me to pose for any of his photos." Oh, he was sure he was here to photograph the island more than anything else, but that wasn't the point. Felix hadn't even said two words to the man before getting needled at. Ferris had put his worst possible foot forward and Felix wasn't going to forget it any time soon.

As for Arlo and Isla? Arlo might've started this with his careless words, but... it wasn't much of a crime in hindsight. Isla was as innocent as Botan. Fine, just one bad apple he could deal with. With that settled, he simply focused on calming his nerves. He might have been blaming someone else, but he still knew his little tantrum wasn't a good look.

Meanwhile, Venus finally let out a long sigh of relief and let go of her trainer's leg. Disaster averted... barely.

"No, this little bugger needs to learn from right and wrong."He fished around his pockets until he found his wallet and pulled out a wad of money and held it out to Arlo. It was a stack of cash that was obviously more than what they used to pay for it, but there was not a chance in hell that he was going to owe anyone anything. "Pokemon food is already expensive enough as it is so take it and split it with your friend there. As for you," said Ferris, turning to the little bearded thief, "We are going to go apologize to that lady for you stealing from her and making her run while she is sick, and I'll have to apologize for letting you out of my sight, but before I do... I believe I owe an apology." The photographer turned his focus to the rightly pissed off Felix.

Perhaps he needed to practice what he preached to Fjord. He had done it again; he let the first thing that popped into his mind blurt out from his mouth and now things were only the more awkward because of his lack of self-control. "Teasing or not, I really did go too far. We've only just met and I already was making you the butt of the joke. I'm the dick in this situation so, uh, my bad. See you all at the office!" He walked away followed by his Pokemon, but he wasn't exactly sure where that girl could have gone. Well, he did, but he heard the sounds of retching and followed it until he found the girl barfing up this mornings breakfast.

Ferris approached her though it was not like he could interrupt someone who was mid-vomit so he waited for her until there was nothing left for her to heave. "You're with Mr. 'Survivalist' right?" He asked the girl as soon she emptied the contents of her stomach. "We would like to apologize for the trouble we caused, don't we Fjord?" He glanced down to the bearded little munchkin.

"Mreow mreow!" There was not an ounce of guilt on its face.

The photographer squinted at the Meowth. "At least pretend to sound apologetic, you little psycho." The trainer sighed and looked back up at the girl. "I should apologize too; I should've kept an eye on him, but the gremlin snuck off as soon as I took my eyes off him." Now he understood why his Perrserker handed her offspring to him; she was the one who needed a break from this little demon so she put the responsibility of taking care of Fjord on her trainer instead.

---

Thanks goodness everything was calming down. Botan could feel the relief spread through and her body untense more with every word the others spoke. Isla was speaking sense, Arlo and Ferris were apologizing, and Felix was still willing to group up! Truly the best case scenario considering the circumstances. Even when Arlo was dragging a few feet away from them by the newcomer, Botan kept the pleasant expression on her face. If they'd navigated through that little bit of drama, surely they could do it with whatever the blue haired man had going on too! While Arlo and the woman (who looked suspiciously similar to him... Botan would assume they were family, but considering the trouble assumptions had just caused she wasn't about to speak her thoughts aloud) talked, Botan clapped her hands together and addressed the rest of the group.

"I am so pleased to hear you say that Felix," she said, "and that everyone has apologized. I can see you are all mature enough to own up to your mistakes. Good, good!"

With tensions simmering down, Jarvis took a step back to give the humans some space again. Botan turned to him after the PA announcement and bid him to fetch her bags. There was a bit a staring contest between him and his ward, but in the end he relented and headed to the ship's interior. Botan turned back to everyone else.

"And I agree, Professor Gavins," she said, giddiness in her voice over Isla's title, "decency and manners! And patience! And... cooperation! We will all do just fine. Oh... I can't wait to get started."

Oh yes, everything was coming up Botan. She was about to explore an uncharted island. She was going to get her very own Pokédex. Maybe even some Pokéballs too, maybe she could catch her own Pokémon?! Plus her group was formed with some very interesting people in it, and for once Jarvis wasn't fussing over her. Maybe the Machamp was excited for their adventure too? It's been a while since he'd gotten out of the house properly. Fighting-types needed a lot of exercise, this would be good for him. For the both of them!

She hummed happily, waving at Arlo as he returned to them, and then at Ferris who was walking off to give another apology to the blue haired woman. Which, speaking of...

"Was that person someone you know, Arlo?" Botan asked, tipping her head curiously. "I'm sure we can make room for one more."