"Morning, Norah!" The Professor's voice came through loud and clear. "Just wanted to sends you the heads up about the new trainers I brought on. They'll be stopping by Hesperus today and I wager they'll want to give you a challenge before they depart. After all, they'll need your clearance to get through the Stelto Woods past town." Cypress looked to see the jeep driving away as he made the call, "Oh and by the way, Rory will be bringing them. So do with that information what you will."
This had the effect of bringing a smile to the older woman's face. Rory Bennett had battled her some years previously and it had been an.. interesting development to say the least. Not only that, but he'd managed to leave an 'impression' on Norah's daughter Darlene. It would be fun to see him again.
The battle was over much sooner than Oriana had expected. Something serious had come up by the look of it, as someone called Arden away, grave-faced. "Aw, shame to see you go." Oriana watched as the two headed from the scene. "Who knows, maybe we'll get to meet again some time in future!" While it sucked that they couldn't travel together, she hoped he'd get a chance to become a trainer at a later date.
She turned to George, that usual sunny smile lighting her face once more. "Hey, how about we have a battle once we get there?" Her eyes flicked to Shakudo. "You up for that, Kudo?" The Dratini studied George and Devastator, before nodding.
"You'll do awesome! Oooh, and looks like Chomper's got a trainer after all!" Oriana gazed in adoration as the baby Gible joined Cypress' team, fitting right in with the Goodra, the Turtonator and the Kingdra surrounding him. A thrill ran through her. "Wow, I've never seen so many dragons in one place!"
It wasn't long until the jeep pulled round. A twinge of guilt nagged at Oriana over not having helped with the bags, especially as her refusal had turned out all for nothing, but it was done and there was no point dwelling on it. There'd be other opportunities to help. Crouching, she held the Pokeball out to Shakudo. "Alright, time to get going!" Shakudo tapped it with his nose, disappearing inside in a burst of light.
Cradling the capsule, Oriana climbed into the jeep. "Yes!! Finally out of Dullsville!" She took a brief look out of the rear window as the sleepy old town disappeared behind her. "Hey Rory, what's Hesperus like? I hear there's a fairy type Overseer, right? Yeah, fairies are meant to be the bane of dragons and all, but it's nothing we can't handle! We'll get that mark in no time! Hey, what kind of area will we get to explore after that?"
The questions kept pouring forth, one after the other.
George’s face lit up. “Cheer up Dev, Orianna said we could have a battle later. You’ll win for real this time! But for now, you need a good rest.” George recalled the Bagon back into his pokeball, then got in to the passenger side of the jeep. It wasn’t long before they were out of Mercer Town, and on their way to their way to the next destination.
George peered out the window admiring the scenery, while Orianna bombarded Rory with questions. George added his own thoughts. “I ain’t scared of no Fairy! I’m a Pendragon! Pendragons can handle anything! What I wanna know is when we are we gonna be able to catch more Pokémon? I can’t call myself a Dragon Tamer with just one Dragon after all!”
Rory adjusted the mirrors on the jeep as they drove down the road. "Hesperus City is one of the tamer places you'll find here in the region," he explained. "Yeah the Overseer is..." Rory trailed off as he recalled his rather disastrous first at challenging Norah. "She's a bit on the eccentric side I'll give her that. If you aren't totally prepared then you'll find yourself in a world of hurt. Fortunately, she does take it easy on newer trainers. You should consider yourselves lucky that you never end up staring down her Kingbull. You'd never think that something as small as a Snubbel could turn into something like THAT. Once you do beat her however, our next stop is going to be the Stelto Forest outside of the city. That route is Norah's territory and with her mark you both should be able to catch Pokémon there. But first..."
Rory slowed down the jeep and brought it to an eventual stop. With a smirk, he stepped out and gestured for the two trainers to do the same. With a gesture to the tall grass in front of them Rory produced a set of ten pokeballs from his bag, handing five to each of them. "You're going to need to gather some new allies here on Route 1. I'm trusting you both understand how to do it so I'll spare you the explanation. Right here is a good area to gather your basic grass, rock, and normal-types. If you're lucky you may come across a poison-type as well which would be effective for the battle. Always remember that just because you specialize in one type that you shouldn't limit yourself on what Pokemon you catch."
As Orianna and George took the balls, Rory let his gaze wander over route one. The foothills outside Mercer Town did have a fair bit of variety in the Pokémon you could see. In fact, it would probably be a good idea to catch a few Pokémon of his own. As if on cue, he spotted a rustling in the grass a good distance from him. Leaving the duo on their own, Rory silently crept up on the disturbance and pulled out a Pokeball of his own. With a single swift motion, Rory launched the ball and it soared through the air right as a small Rufflet sprung from the grass. The ball struck it on the forehead and the little bird was converted into light as it found itself being pulled into the pokeball. With a soft 'click' the latch on the pokeball locked shut and Rory's DexWatch beeped to notify him that Rufflet had been registered to his Pokedex!
Rufflet - The Eaglet Pokémon. While many Flying-Type Pokémon have left the mountainous area of the Kaida Region; Rufflet is one of the few who dreams of fighting the dragons and reclaiming its nesting grounds.
"So you're a fighter huh, little buddy? Well then welcome to the team!" Rory smiled at the pokeball as he picked it up.
Oriana chuckled. "Tame? Anywhere's gotta be better than Mercer. And it's ok, no matter how tough she is, we've got this! Getting into that forest's gonna be cakewalk. Ooooh, I hope there are Pinecos! Forretress is totally underrated!"
Excitement swelled through her as the jeep drew to a stop. She jumped out, eyes widening when Rory presented both her and George with the Pokeballs. "Yayyy thanks!" Storing them in her bag, she tapped the button on Shakudo's Pokeball. He reappeared in the grass, head turning from side to side as he took in the hilly view. "Alright Kudo, time to get you a friend! Let's gooooo-aaaah!"
She'd hurried down the route a little too eagerly. Her foot slid from under her, and the ground shot up. The thick grass cushioned the impact, but Shakudo squeaked in alarm, darting over. "Ugh... I'm ok! Gotta pick yourself up when you fall and all that!" With an awkward laugh, she pet the Dratini and stood. While she wasn't hurt, it turned out she'd stepped on a rotten Sitrus berry, yellow mush all over her boot.
"Eheheh, what a start, huh?" She slid her foot back and forth in the grass, wiping off as much berry gunk as possible, before heading to a craggy area to scrape the rest off. That was when she heard a cry.
"Rolaaaaa!"
Her attention snapped to the side, where a scuffle took place among the outcroppings. It took Oriana a moment to recognise one of the Pokemon involved - a Dwebble, with no shell. It jabbed its claws repeatedly against a Roggenrola, who flailed helplessly on its back. "Hey!" Oriana sprinted over. Considering the Dwebble's lack of a rock, it was easy to put two and two together. "That's not any old rock! Here, use this instead."
After a frantic glance around, she grabbed a large, loose rock and placed it in front of the Dwebble. The bug left the Roggenrola alone and examined its potential new shell, quickly going to work on it with its claws and corrosive spittle. Once it had hollowed out the stone, the Dwebble scurried inside, poking out its head and legs. With a grateful cry, it scuttled away.
"Are you alright, little one?" Oriana crouched and righted the Roggenrola. Thankfully its stony body seemed to be tough, bearing only a few light scratches.
"Roggen!" With an insistent cry, it stood tall - well, as tall as it could for its tiny size - almost toppling backwards again in the process.
Oriana giggled. "Careful there. If it helps you feel better, I took a tumble just now too." As she watched Shakudo approach, sniffing at the wild Pokemon and tilting his head, an idea came to her. "Hey, wanna come along with me and Shakudo here?"
The Roggenrola hopped closer, its voice much more cheerful this time. "Rola!" A huge smile spreading across her face, Oriana scrambled through her bag for a Pokeball and threw it. With the protrusion on its head, the Roggenrola struck the capsule as if heading a soccer ball, and jumped inside as soon as it opened. The device snapped shut, a ping from Oriana's Dex Watch confirming the catch.
"Roggenrola, the mantle Pokemon. The dragons of the Kaida region sometimes try to hoard it, drawn to the energy core inside, so it listens out for threats with its hexagonal ear."
Raising her eyebrows, Oriana gave Shakudo a mock finger waggle. "No hoarding Carnelian, ok?" She scooped up the Pokeball and leapt to her feet. "Sweet, a second Pokemon already! Guys, I did it, I caught one!" Rushing back, she noticed Rory also holding a Pokeball, smiling at it. "Ohh? You did too? Congratulations!"
Dratini (Shakudo)
Roggenrola (Carnelian)
Assorted trinkets (pebbles, low value gems, old coins)
They stopped at Route 1, and were given some Pokeballs for free. George was excited to add another dragon to his team. Untill Rory said there was only basic Grass, Rock, and Normal types. How could he call himself a Dragon Tamer with only one dragon? Well, whatever. At worst he could use the wild Pokémon around here as cannon fodder so Devastator could get stronger.
George sent Devastator back out. “Come on Dev. Let’s see what there is to see.” George and Devastator walked around the tall grass. They only found Rattatas, Bidoofs, and the occasional Geodude. Nothing that George wanted.
Unbeknownst to them, George and Devastator stepped on an Ekans’ tail while she slept. This awoke the sleeping snake, and she was angry. “Ekannnnnssssss!” She hissed and wrapped herself around Devastator, squeezing tightly.
“Baaagon!”
Devastator’s pained screams got George’s attention. “Shit… Shake it off Dev. Fire an Ember in its face!”
The small dragon shot fiery sparks in the snakes face. This was enough to cause the Ekans to release Devastator. But now she was even angrier, and fired a Poison Sting at the Bagon at point blank range. The attack brought Devastator to his knees, and George’s dex watch alerted him to the fact that Dev had been poisoned.
George bit his bottom lip. “Are you ok Dev? If you can get up, use Bite!”
The Bagon got up, and bit the Ekans’ tail’s causing the Ekans to hiss loudly. Devastator was slowly succumbing to poison, and this could end badly if this battle didn’t end soon. So, George threw a Pokeball at the Ekans. It was sucked inside the ball. One. Two. Three clicks. The Ekans was caught. Devastator was lying on the floor in pain.
George didn’t even take a second to scan Ekans’s dex entry. He scooped up Devastator in his arms. “Hang on buddy.” He ran back the way he came. “RORY!”
Eventually, he found him, and Orianna. “Rory. We got a problem. I had a run in with an Ekans. I caught the little asshole, but Devastator has been poisoned. Please tell me you have an antidote in those bags!”
“Ah, Professor Cypress. Always a pleasure.” Norah listened as Cypress explained the situation. “I welcome all challengers with open arms. Since they’re just starting out, I’ll try not to crush their hopes. And, oh! Rory is coming? You mean, my future son in law?” A bright peal of a laugh was clear through the phone line.
“I’ll call Darlene, she’ll just loooove to see Rory again! Thanks for the heads up! I’ll take good care of them.” She hung up, and immediately started a second call with her daughter. “Dar-dar, my lovely, you’ll never guess who’s coming to town…”
Rory had been in the middle of talking with Orianna when George interrupted him. Noting the condition that Devastator was in, the older trainer quickly produced a bag from the back of the jeep.
"Lay him on the ground, George!" While the boy complied, Rory searched through the bag until he produced a pink piece of Pokémon food. Moving the food over towards the Bagon's mouth, Devastator sniffed the air and bit down; swallowing the block in one bite. In seconds, the poison marks vanished from Devastator's face and the little dragon was bouncing around as though nothing had happened. With a sigh of relief, Rory fell back against the jeep.
"Pecha Berry laced Pokémon food. Cures the effects of poison just as well as the real thing." Turning to George, Rory gave him a sterner than usual look, "You're going to have to watch out for things like that in the future if you want to make it as a trainer. That goes for you too, Orianna. If I hadn't been here, you'd have had to run back to Mercer..." Taking note of the Pokeballs in the youths' hands, Rory smiled. "But onto something more positive. Congrats to you both on capturing your first partners!
Rory pushed himself upwards and casually tossed Rufflet's pokeball in his hand. "With that out of the way, you're one step closer to becoming full-fledged trainers. If you want to look around the route a bit more, we have a few hours before we have to be in Hesperus City. I want to be there before it starts to get dark and you two still need some battle practice before you can challenge the Overseer." Noting the enthusiasm on their faces, Rory gestured back to the route while he pulled his new partner out of his ball to meet the rest of his team.
Meanwhile in Hesperus City: A young girl stood by the gates to the city, looking out across the Mercer Foothills that made up Route 1. She had long platinum blonde hair and was dressed in a similar pink getup to what Norah the Overseer typically wore except hers was clearly designed for a younger woman. The sun was just starting to set over the horizon, lighting up Mts. Calagon and Tiamat in brilliant golden hues. Gripping a love ball in her right hand, the girl felt her heart skip a beat as she fantasized about the coming travelers. "I'll be seeing you soon... Rory."
George breathed a sigh of relief when Devastator had been cured from poison after eating some special Pokémon food. This then came with a stern talking to from Rory about being more careful. How was he supposed to account being poisoned by a rogue Ekans? George shrugged. Whatever, what’s done is done, and everything worked out fine. He made a note to himself to stock up on Pokémon medicine once he had money…
After that disaster was over, they had some time to look around the route. George picked up Devastator and sat him on his shoulder. Figuring he should take the time to look at the Pokémon he just caught, he released the Ekans from the Pokeball, and scanned her entry with his dexwatch.
Ekans: The Snake Pokémon - It sneaks through grass without making a sound and strikes unsuspecting prey from behind.
As soon as she appeared out of the ball, the snake Pokémon bared her fangs and hissed. Angry that she had been captured…
“Yeah well, like it or not, you are a part of this team now. So I guess I should give you a name. How about Venom?”
The snake Pokémon simply hissed, and slithered around as if looking for prey.
George sighed. “Great, nice to meet you too…” She would be a challenge, but he was a Pendragon. He knew he could do it. He then turned to Orianna. “And what Pokémon did you get?”
"Ah!" Oriana spun round at George's cry. She stared at Devastator, who writhed in his arms, clearly in a bad way. Thankfully, Rory knew what to do, giving the little dragon a block of medicinal food. It worked in a matter of seconds, Devastator jumping up and acting like his usual energetic self.
Oriana exhaled in relief and smiled, even as Rory chastised George, and her for some reason. At least he went on to congratulate them. "Looks like he's a tough one," she said, glancing from George to the bouncy little Bagon, before grinning at Rory. "Thanks! Didn't expect to catch a Pokemon so quickly! I wonder which others we'll find around here?"
As George resumed his exploration, she followed him, unusually pensive. It was dangerous out here, her parents always said, no place for a kid. She'd brushed it off as overprotectiveness, but now she'd seen firsthand what could go wrong. Did they have a point? No, it'd be fine. Devastator was fine. Once she and George got the hang of the basics, they'd be able to deal with anything the wider world threw at them.
She watched him send out the Ekans, who hissed, less than pleased about the emergency capture. "You got quite the feisty one there," she commented, petting Shakudo, who'd wriggled back in alarm at the sight of the cranky snake. In response to the question, she beamed and tapped the button on the Pokeball. A flash of light solidified into the Roggenrola. "Meet Carnelian! Isn't she a cutie?"
"Rola!" With an indignant grumble, Carnelian used Harden as a display of toughness, her body glowing blue and shining like a polished gem.
Oriana giggled. "I mean, cute and badass can go hand in hand. It's said a Roggenrola's body is as hard as steel, and made up of dirt from several centuries ago! Fascinating creatures, aren't they?"
Dratini (Shakudo)
Roggenrola (Carnelian)
Assorted trinkets (pebbles, low value gems, old coins)
Rory watched the two trainers with a satisfied smile, "They're good kids," he muttered to himself. Even if they were inexperienced, he could already tell they were going to do well as trainers. Turning to his own pokeball, Rory gave it a toss and out popped Rufflet. The little bird looked around in confusion before it saw Rory kneeling down to offer it some food. Rufflet cawed as it hesitantly accepted the offering.
"There you go, Little Guy," Rory said softly. "Now that you're part of the team, we're going to have to train you up a bit. How a bout you show me what you're made of?" At the prospect of a battle, the little bird suddenly fluffed up its feathers in an attempt to look more menacing. "That's what we like to see! Now... How about?" Rory grabbed Dragonair's ball from his belt and sent it out to face Rufflet. Upon seeing the dragon, a strange look came into Rufflet's eyes.
"Ruff!" The bird shrieked. Suddenly, the feathers on the bird's head all began to stand up on end as electricity flowed between them. Rory watched in awe as Rufflet shot forward, letting off a Spark right into Dragonair's chest. Dragonair let off a surprised grunt as the Rufflet slammed into him. The dragon quickly recoiled and slapped Rufflet with his tail. Rory couldn't help but be amazed at the strength of his new Pokémon.
"I guess the Dex wasn't joking when it said Rufflet's line doesn't like Dragon Pokémon..." Rory muttered as he watched the battle with interest. He called commands to both Pokémon while they trained together, but Rufflet didn't seem to listen. It was solely focused on its assault on Dragonair. Dragonair, in turn, swatted Rufflet's attacks away and attacked when there was an opening. Rory and his Pokémon kept this pattern going while George and Orianna gathered Pokémon and built up their teams. After an hour or so had passed, the sun had begun its descent over the horizon. Rufflet, breathing heavily, collapsed on the ground. Rorry clapped as he walked over and picked it off the ground, "You put up quite a fight, Rufflet! I think you're going to fit in perfectly!" Dragonair meanwhile, slid up to his trainer and nuzzled Rufflet's head, only to receive a peck against one of it's unprotected scales.
"We are going to have to work on the aggression though," said Rory as Dragonair growled. He looked up to see George and Orianna returning from their excursion across the route. "Ready to head to Hesperus?"
George looked at Carnelian for a moment, then back at Orianna. “I hate to be the one to tell you this but… it’s a rock… I don’t see the appeal. Venom might not be a dragon, but I’m sure she’ll be one tough customer once I train her…” He then looked around. “Where did Venom go anyway?”
The Ekans didn’t slither too far. George found casually gulping down an entire bird’s egg whole. George panicked. “No! You are not a wild Pokémon anymore. You can’t just eat random Pokémon’s eggs!” Venom hissed angrily, and George recalled her back into the ball. “You’re gonna need some work…”
“Definitely!” George called out back at Rory when he asked if they were ready to go to Hesperus.
"Roggen!" Carnelian spread out her stony feet, her ear tilted up towards George. Even without eyes, she somehow seemed to glare.
Oriana, meanwhile, gaped in shock. She hadn't expected to hear that from someone she held in high esteem. "Hey! She's not just a rock! Seriously, have you ever seen a Gigalith?" She hadn't, not in person anyway, but she had seen pictures of the majestic crystalline Pokemon. "They're just as impressive as any dragon! Did you know they have so much power, their energy leaks out of them in the form of gems?"
Before George could answer, a more pressing matter came up as he spotted his still-feral Ekans devouring a bird egg. Oriana grimaced. "Ehhh! If only Arden were here. He'd know what to feed an Ekans to keep it satisfied."
As Rory called out to her and George, asking if they were ready to move on, she hurried over and nodded. "Yep! Can't wait to challenge the Overseer, she won't know what hit her!" The sooner they got to Hesperus, the better - especially since, if they stayed here much longer, they may have to deal with a less than pleased bird.
She grinned at George. There was no point in staying mad. Better to prove him wrong about Roggenrolas. "Hey, still up for that battle once we get there?" She glanced down at Carnelian. "All good with you?"
Carnelian bobbed her body up and down in a nod. "Rola!"
Oriana's self-assured smile widened as she turned her attention back to George. "I'll show you she's more than just a rock!"
Dratini (Shakudo)
Roggenrola (Carnelian)
Assorted trinkets (pebbles, low value gems, old coins)
Eventually, the gates of Hesperus City could be seen just over the horizon. Hearing gasps from the backseat reminded Rory this was easily the kids' first time leaving Mercer Town. Hesperus would seem like a whole new world to them. The town had supposedly stood for hundreds of years and had been - at one point - the center of an ancient kingdom that ruled over the region! As a result, the town looked more like a fortress than a town. A large stone wall had been built around the city with massive gates at the north and south entrances. From the battlements, a group of performers could sometimes be seen dressed in costume and mimicking the ancient guardsmen of old. Inside the wall however, the town was actually quite modernized. Due to a limited space, buildings were continually being refurbed and re-built in order to keep them habitable in a modern era. In fact, this anachronistic nature had come to be one of the city's most defining features!
"Here we are," said Rory as the jeep finally pulled up to the gates. A nearby performer dressed in a guard's costume stepped over to the car and sternly asked for the group's 'purpose' within the city. Rory laughed and, after explaining the gimmick to his passengers, was about to answer when a sudden cry from above interrupted them.
"He's here to marry me! Isn't that right, Rory?" From atop the stone wall, the group could see a young girl with a pink varsity jacket draped over her shoulders. Suddenly, she jumped off the wall; the sleeves of the jacket billowing out like wings. Oddly enough, the girl landed on the ground with barely an impact and a big smile spread across her face, "Oh I just KNEW you were going to come back for me, my prince!"
From inside the car, Rory placed a hand over his face, "Hey, Darlene..." He muttered. He should have figured the Professor would call ahead. From up on the wall, the head of Norah, the Hesperus City Overseer, peeked over as well.
George was quick to respond to Orianna’s challenge. “It’s on. I’m sure Venom can handle a rock!” After all, a proper battle might be just what the Ekans needed to get her into shape.
The two were then loaded on to the jeep, were driven away from Mercer Town, and towards the gates of Hesperus. From the outside, the place looked like an old-timey kingdom. There were even guards asking for their purpose. Before they could actually make it into the city, a crazy girl claiming she was going to marry Rory swooped in out of nowhere. George couldn’t help bursting out in laughter. “Rory, I didn’t know you had a GF!” From Rory’s reaction, this was clearly unwanted. He then turned his attention to the girl. “And who are you supposed to be anyway? Snow White? Cinderella? My thing is taming dragons than slaying them. Don’t get any ideas.”
Darlene laughed as she spun around, "I'm Darlene Kingsley! Surely Rory has told you about me? Like how he said he'd marry me if I helped him defeat my mom in a Pokémon battle?" Darlene couldn't help but snicker a bit as all eyes in the car turned on Rory. The young man's face had turned a beet red upon the reveal of this particular piece of information.
"Ugh..." Rory tried to pick his words carefully. "Can we continue this conversation inside the city please? It's getting late and we'll need to get checked in at the Pokémon Center for a place to stay tonight."
"No need!" Darlene piped up. "The Professor already called ahead so Mom and I are putting you up at our place tonight! Can't say no now, Rory!" Before Rory could say anything, Darlene hopped into the passenger's seat of the jeep and waved off the 'guards', "You can let us through, these three are guests of the Overseer."
"Of course, your highness," said the guard as he signaled up to the top of the wall. The gates to the city clanked open as Rory pulled the car through. Turning to Orianna and George, Darlene held out a hand, "Nice to meet the both of you! I can't wait to see if you guys and beat my mom. Hopefully you brought more than one Pokémon. Unlike someone." Rory's face only got redder as Darlene cast a sideways glance at him. From outside, an older woman's laugh could be heard; Rory recognizing it as the unmistakable sound of the Hesperus Overseer.
Norah Kingsley approached the jeep. She was an older woman, dressed in a pale pink tank top, khaki mom shorts, and vibrant pink hiking boots. The whole ensemble looked quite expensive. Her blonde hair was streaked with white, and her gray eyes were a bit lined in the corners, but no less lively than her daughter’s. “Hello, darlings. Welcome to Hesperus!” She spread her arms wide, definitely with a flair for the dramatic.
“Rory, welcome back. I’ll be sure to give you lovebirds some privacy later.” She winked cheekily, merely thinking Rory’s beet red embarrassment was due to being in public. Poor boy looked like he was going to blow a blood vessel.
“Now.” She looked over the two trainers in the back. “You must be George Pendragon the Third. I see the genes still run strong. You look so much like your father. Nice cape, very hero chic.” Then she looked to the girl. “And you must be Orianna Lindberg. A pleasure to meet you both. Now, you must have been driving for some time. Would you like me to take over, Rory?”
As the city came into view, Oriana's mouth fell open. It was as if the group had gone back in time. Stone walls stretched along the borders, making the place look every bit the ancient fortress she'd heard it had once been. As they neared, she even spotted men by the gates armored like guards of old. Hesperus truly had preserved its rich history.
No sooner had the jeep pulled up, one of the guards approached, asking their purpose. "We've got an Overseer to beat, and a forest to explore!" Oriana piped up, leaning over. "And who wouldn't want to hang around an awesome place like this? Cool costume, by the way!"
A high-pitched voice interjected, claiming a rather different reason for the group's presence. Oriana couldn't help but chuckle as a young blonde girl jumped down and started fawning over Rory, much to his embarrassment. "Oooh, looks like Mom and Dad's store may just get a visit for wedding rings soon." She gave Rory a big teasing grin in the driver's mirror.
At Darlene's news about lodgings, Oriana's eyes widened. They'd be staying with the Overseer herself. "Sweet! We're technically a queen's guests of honor!"
A woman who could be none other than said Overseer promptly made her arrival, looking much like an older version of Darlene, giving off a fittingly regal air with her fashionable getup. Oriana, talkative as she normally was, fell silent. Her stomach did flips. How was she supposed to talk to an Overseer? One descended from royalty, no less? As Norah addressed her, she nodded. "Yep, uhh... Your Majesty? Is that how we should address you?" She let out a nervous laugh. "I mean, they say you're descended from an ancient king, right? And the whole city treats you accordingly?"
Dratini (Shakudo)
Roggenrola (Carnelian)
Assorted trinkets (pebbles, low value gems, old coins)
Rory breathed a sigh of relief, grateful for the out, "Yes you can, Norah. I actually have some personal business to take care of in the city. I'm sure you already know if the Professor called?" He said that last part with an oddly serious note. Rory gestured for the trainers to exit the car, "Norah will take care of you three for the time being. I'd love to watch the battle, but unfortunately I do have another job to attend to. Call me on the DexWatch if you two need anything alright?" Rory pointed to his DexWatch and pulled off. Norah and Darlene were nice enough to be around, but he'd need to be alone for this next part of the job.
Once there was a decent distance between himself and the group, Rory felt his DexWatch vibrating and accepted the call, putting the caller on speaker as he drove, "Hello? Yes, I arrived in Hesperus. I'm going to the Office now. You're joking right? I already did it once.... ugh fine. It's only six this time right? Alright..."
The Overseer smiled as Rory explained that he had to go it alone for now. “Alright, you know where the house is. Take care of yourself, Rory. Don’t work too hard.” Norah waved him off as he left with the Jeep.
She then looked at the assembled trainers and her daughter. “Right. What’s first? Tour of the city? Pokemon Center and Mart? Are you kids hungry at all?”
