Charlie couldn’t help but be relieved as B’s grip on his hand quickly slacked; the brave face he’d put on to deal with the man wouldn’t have held on much longer otherwise, and the single deep breath he took as he stepped back was clearly one of relief rather than fright.
Phil, meanwhile, returned the look he was receiving from Mia before letting out another hiss; seemingly his equivalent of a farewell (and perhaps an offering of good luck) to her Poliwag, as he quickly rejoined his own trainer. Charlie received him with a somewhat funny look- he wasn’t exactly pleased with his starter’s behaviour- but otherwise seemed to let the Ghost-type be as he turned back to Apple.
“A-alright, thank you very much.” The Professor’s words confirmed his concerns about the first assignment; but he stuttered as much from excitement as fright. He was going to the Lost Woods.
He could even pick up some of that stupid rock! That might get Jean off his high horse about pulling a fast one over on him.
Those thoughts were interrupted as Lynda made her way off ahead of the others; and so, offering a final “thank you” to Apple, Charlie quickly made his way off too-
Or he would have, if he didn’t see the two other boys in the group hesitating just a short distance away from him; the quiet boy in the scarf, and the silent boy who he’d seen using hand signals.
“... Mind if I join you two?” Truth be told, Charlie had no real way of knowing what Reeman was saying to Sully; he had a couple languages under his belt, but his knowledge of sign language was shamefully limited. Still, he could guess at what the mute boy was trying to say or ask; and even if he was off the mark, it was an innocuous enough request to go without too much question, right?