Mictlan93

The Road To Indigo (Kanto-based Pokemon RP): Chapter One: Starting With a Clean Pallet (Accepting Sheets!)

Step by step, Ezra pressed on down the route. His hands took alternating trips to his mouth, as he continued consumption of his meal from the cafe. The sweet cinnamon-sugar crumb and the moist swirl of cake did well to compliment the frosty refreshment of french vanilla coffee that helped wash it down. Soon, his gait transitioned from the road and into the brush, as he realized he would have an easier time finding another partner if he strayed some from the main road.

Stepping into the tall grass, ducking under low hanging branches, Ezra traversed deeper into the rough wild. Subtly at first, the area awoke at the alluring scent of his food. Bushes and canopies shift some, putting the trainer on alert. Brie perked up as well and kept a flipper close to her scalchop as her ears shifted at the sounds.

The other flipper was still picking out pieces of Ezra’s crumb cake, mind you. The hungry Oshawott had her priorities straight.

Soon, the familiar chirps and chatters of pokémon accompanied the sounds of movement. Bolder types jumped from hiding place to hiding place, in full view of the tall boy.

“Ready to throw down if anyone approaches us?” He asked his companion.

“Osha-osh!” Of course! Brie replied, her mouth stuffed.

“...Well, if we have to, at least.”

As the two pressed deeper into the forest, the two could swear they picked up the slight sounds of running water. Brie, curious, hopped down from Ezra’s bicep to scout ahead. The flora grew its liveliest at this point, pokémon of all types approached the trainer. Most were curious of the scent, some were curious about the trainer. And with his small otter sentinel outside of reaching distance, they grew more comfortable watching and approaching Ezra. A pair of Pidgeys monitored from a close perch, a Caterpie looked on from an old log. And gently nudging at the boy’s ankle, a Lotad tried to obtain the boy’s attention.

He finished his cold cup of coffee and freed up the hand (making sure not to litter in the process). “Oh, hey.” He greeted, kneeling to meet the peculiar pokémon.

Once the Lotad realized she was being addressed, she quickly turned her attention to the crumb cake. With some hesitance, she sniffed and inched towards the pastry. Ezra couldn’t help but chuckle at her transparency.

“I bet you do want some of this, huh?” With a small smile, he broke off a piece for the water weed pokémon.

“Lotad!?” Wow, really?! With an excited croak, the small thing was quick to nibble at the sweet-stuff in his hand. Her eyes widened at the assault of amazing new flavors hitting her taste buds.

Once his hand was empty, he pulled out his phone. Considering neither sibling just couldn’t seem to hang up, it was clear that both would have to deal with a dead phone before sundown. But that would be a problem for a later time. Right now, Ezra wanted to update his audience on his findings.

“Oh hey, a Lotad! You must’ve been near water if it walked up on you.” Ezzie spoke up. “You tryna catch it, or..?”

“I guess?” Ezra Looked back to the walking lily pad. “Wanna come with us?” He propositioned.

“No Eazy, y’gotta fight it. Weaken it first, then get it in a Pokéball.” His sister instructed.

“You don’t have to fight them all, Ezzie. If she wants to tag along, she can.” This particular exchange between siblings felt familiar.

“Lolololololotad!” I don’t want to fight you, you fed me! The Lotad meekly protested, simultaneously nudging more at Ezra while trying to hide from the sight of the aggressive girl on the magic rectangle.

“Well, you’re gonna hafta fight eventually. How else are you gonna know what kinda moves it has?” Ezzie huffed.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.” Ezra replied.

As if on cue, Brie returned to her companion, only to see him being pressed by a potential opponent.

“Osh!” Hey! With her scalchop at the ready, she charged towards the unprepared Lotad.

Nope-!” Ezra came in between the two, stopping the Oshawott short. “This one’s with us, Brie.” He explained. The Lotad nodded frantically alongside him. With a part still to play in the process, Ezra procured a Pokéball and gently booped it against the Lotad’s beak. Disappearing beyond the red beam of light, she took a couple of shakes to get acquainted with the new space. With the familiar confirming click, a new pact was formed between trainer and pokémon.

A New Entry Has Been Entered into Your Pokédex!

#270: Lotad ♀
Water Weed Pokémon

Height: 1'08" / 0.5 m
Weight: 5.7 lbs / 2.6 kg
Ability: Swift Swim: The Pokémon can move faster than usual when it is raining.

It searches about for clean water. If it does not drink water for too long, the leaf on its head wilts.

With a smirk, he let her back out. “Welcome to the team...uh…you got a name?” He asked as he offered her another piece of cake. Tado? Lotad? “...Name? What’s that?” The Lotad squawked in reply. Brie groaned upon seeing the happy scene.

“Oshawott? Osh!” Does this mean I’ll have to share my food now? Ugh! She threw up her flippers in protest.

The Road To Indigo (Kanto-based Pokemon RP): Chapter One: Starting With a Clean Pallet (Accepting Sheets!)

"I-I can ass-sure you I'm-m fine!” Lizbeth squealed and stammered as Ezra got too close for comfort. Over the call, a raucous cackle could easily be heard from the video, a sure sign that Esmerelda was enjoying the show.

“...Eazy’s a real romeo, huh?” Charlie mumbled.

“No, not really.” Sammi replied with a scoff.

“Y’all should’ve seen him when we went through high school. Trust me, it was worse!” Ezzie’s laugh intensified. Ezra opted to ignore the peanut gallery commenting through the technology, instead focusing on Lizbeth’s potential ailments. Her pleasant mocha-tanned skin was flushed red, obviously, but not dry, giving him a quick signal that she wasn’t undergoing any immediate symptoms of dehydration.

“My eyes a-are really green and n-not red fr-from dehydr-ration! Geez..." Lizbeth reassured through heavy breaths.

“Oh, okay! Juuuust making sure. I’m a registered physical trainer back in my hometown, so i’m kinda just, ready to look out for those telltale signs y’know?” Ezra elaborated with a reassuring grin. He looked on as she turned away, still a little concerned at the level of animation in her reaction. For a split second, it felt like she was almost hiding her symptoms from him, which slightly heightened his concern. In time, however, she turned back to him and Lilith, with a more regulated tone.

“I'm...grateful that you were worried about me and my health. So...thanks." She grinned, which only made him grin even more.

“Yeah! Just...if you’re feeling woozy or lightheaded or anything, just let me know, okay? It’s kinda my job.” He replied with a sheepish chuckle. “I can help you if you need it, so don’t be afraid to ask.” There was a certain tone of serious reassurance in his voice as he talked. The last statement hung in the air for a beat before he spun towards the road ahead.

“I’ll start down the route, guess i’ll try to find another pokemon for my team.” Ezra said, sharing a glance between Lilith and Lizbeth before beginning down the road. As he walked off, you could hear his sister through his phone: “Well, i’d absolutely hope so! You weren’t hoping to take on a league challenge with just Brie, were you?”

“No…” It was a thought. Ezra wondered how hard the challenge could be if 10-year-olds were progressing through it at a steady rate. He figured his standard trainer’s wit, and Brie’s headstrong gumption would be more than enough to get through the gyms. However, upon pondering further on the path taken so far, and his companions’ ventures in building teams, he couldn’t help but slightly feel like he might’ve been doing something wrong with the mindset he adopted. So, upon taking on the ‘when in Rome’ mindset, he figured that he too, could form a team willing to take on even the strongest gym leader. Or something like that.

The Road To Indigo (Kanto-based Pokemon RP): Chapter One: Starting With a Clean Pallet (Accepting Sheets!)

The cool glass of the bakery display began to warm and condensate as the breaths of Ezra and Brie fogged it up. “Heya, son.” The elderly gentleman behind the counter broke the two from their gaze. As Ezra rose up (and then rose over) the man’s person, he began his spiel.

“This here’s Maxwell’s Coffee, welcome.” The proprietor started in a jovial, yet humble drawl. “Here we treat coffee with the respect it deserves. Judging by the famished looks on you and your pokemon’s face, I can only assume y’all missed breakfast.” Ezra nodded enthusiastically.

The well-traveled gentleman shook his head at the boy. “Y’can’t be doing nothing like that, son! Y’got a lotta heft to ya, muscle like that needs to be maintained!” The man’s tone of concern quickly transitioned to one of a salesman.

“Luckily, you ran in here for a pit stop. Now, we may not sell any hot meals, but you can definitely fill up with some of our baked goods, and wash it down with a tall cup of our world-famous coffee! Y’know, something to hold y’over until you hit the next town.” The man leaned in, and Ezra almost vibrated in anticipation.

“Anything catch ya eye, lad?”

“...Your entire stock…?” Ezra replied, the ferocious growl of his stomach almost drowning out his weak request. Of course, this got a hearty chortle out of the store’s owner. “My emergency fund is bottomless, I will spare no expense.” Ezra quietly reiterated the request, and his phone (which was still in the middle of a call) came to life.

“Uh, no??” Ezzie called from the pocket of his shorts.

“Who’s that?”

“My sister.”

“Well, as much as I'd like to oblige your request son, I’ll have to agree with your sister. I gots a service to provide here, the greatness of coffee and baked goods can’t be hogged by one person y’see.” He calmly explained. “I’ll give you an extra large piece of crumb cake though, how’s that sound?” Ezra and Brie replied with another rapid nod.

“And an iced coffee, please.”

“Sure, son.”

Beyond the preparation and exchange of funds, Ezra gave his thanks and proceeded back into the world. Brie slid from his shoulder to the fold in his raised arm to pick at the sweet cakey goodness in his hands. Naturally Ezra quickly noticed Lizbeth in the scene, talking up Lilith. As he neared the two, a change in the redhead’s makeup immediately caught his attention.

“Lizbeth, your eyes!” He exclaimed as he chewed.

“What’s wrong with wifey?!” They could hear from his pocket.

“She was kinda wobbly earlier, and now her eyes are red! I’m really thinking she’s dehydrated!”

“Lemme see!”

With his hands already full, Ezra did what he could to take out his phone and present Lizbeth to the call once more. Ezzie and Sammi stood by and checked out the girl as the tall trainer practically shoved his phone in her face.

“...Those are contacts, Eazy.” Ezzie stated simply.

“Either that or she can change her eye color, which would be wicked.”

“Are you sure?” He wanted to confirm, closing the distance even more. “Now even her face's getting red!”

“...Probably because you’re all up in her grill, bro.” Ezzie elaborated, but Ezra wasn’t entirely convinced.

The Road To Indigo (Kanto-based Pokemon RP): Chapter One: Starting With a Clean Pallet (Accepting Sheets!)

At some point, Ezra transitioned outside with the others. Lilith seemed to have disappeared down the road, and Hana dispersed her culinary creations: some Oran Berry-seasoned rice balls. And Lizbeth seemed to have acquired the attention of a fellow who shared a height similar to Ezra’s. Looked like he was willing to follow the impromptu group, though he looked like he could’ve used some meat on his bones. Ezra struggled to recall the lad’s name.

“That’s Ant, Eazy. Geez, weren’t you paying attention?” Ezzie answered.

“Nope, not when i’m talking to you guys!” He replied, mouth full as he devoured the ponigiri. Gone in about two bites, Ezra was grateful for the girl’s snack, but he knew it wasn’t gonna hold him long.

“That hit the spot...but only made me realize just how hungry I am.” With a distracted thanks, Ezra turned his attention down the road. He could only assume there was some sort of mom-and-pop eatery somewhere on the path to the next city. He figured the closer they’d get, the more opportunities for culinary consumption would spring up.

“Thinking about keeping with your diet?” Ezzie asked from the call.

“Not entirely. Unless Hana here is willing to cook up a storm on a daily basis, I’d have to stick to the restaurants around the towns on the reg to maintain 2500 calories.”

“Is that why you didn’t want me touching the joint account? So you could stuff your face?!”

“No, but I need it more than you either way. You’re a lot better prepared for a trek than I am.”

“Mmm, fair enough.”

Ezra didn’t immediately reply, as he scanned the road ahead. Like a hungry wolf, his sense of sight and smell honed in on any delicious scents or overly homey storefronts. Up the road, he spotted the Pale Queen of Mean herself exiting a store with a soft covered cup and some sweet looking confections.

“Ah, Hana, there’s Lilith. Up ahead!” Excited for several reasons, Ezra took off down the road. The strong bitter scent of coffee drifted through the air and only sped up the boy’s stride as it passed through his nostrils. Naturally, in time, he was upon her.

“Hey, Lilith, this place sells food?” He didn’t wait for her to answer, his feet were already in the process of carrying him over the threshold of the cozy little cafe. Inside, the assault of scents both sweet and bitter invaded Ezra’s nose, and he almost had to stop himself from floating towards the presentations of the bakery like in his old cartoons.

“Guess we can have a proper breakfast after all, Brie!” He said dreamily, he and the young Oshawott doing their best to not messily salivate all over the glass.

The Road To Indigo (Kanto-based Pokemon RP): Chapter One: Starting With a Clean Pallet (Accepting Sheets!)

"I hope he wasn't too much of a bother for you. I swear, I take my eyes off him for a second, and he's already up to no good."

Brie turned her nose at the Impidimp’s apology, but Ezra was very quick to forgive.

After a dumbfounded beat, Esmerelda spoke up.

“Okay. This is Lizbeth.” She deduced. Ezra made an obvious nod. “Yeah, I figured. The Impidimp and the sexy accent kinda puts one and one together.”

“Wow, in front of your girlfriend?”

“No, I agree with Ezzie. It’s a sexy accent.” Sammi sided, and Charlie nodded in agreement.

“Lizbeth, this is my sister, Esmerelda Daly, her girlfriend, Samehada Yui, and our cousin, Charles Delacroix.” Ezra introduced after a scoff. “This probably won’t be the last time you see them.”

“Sheesh Eazy, you gotta say our whole government?” Esmerelda grumbled in protest.

“Uh yeah? You’re supposed to say your whole name when you introduce yourself, what do you mean??”

“Oh, so you definitely said “Hi, my name Ezra Geraldo Daly” when you introduced yourself, huh?”

“Well, you just did it for me, Esmerelda Gabriella Daly.” Ezra shot back in a mocking tone.

As the two bickered, Lizbeth started blushing when they said her accent was sexy. "O-oh, hi, hello, you really think so?" She gave them an awkward smile and an even more awkward wave with her hand. It was very clear how red she was turning.

Ezzie made a bit of a squeal as Lizbeth went flush. "OoOooh, Ezra she is adorable!" She exclaimed. "She's got like a shy punk vibe going on, I love it!"

"I know right?" Sammi interjected. "The red hair, the glasses, that banging leather jacket..."

"That belly button..." Charlie mumbled like a perv.

"You ever been to Alola, Lizbeth?" Ezzie asked. "Ezra'll take you there~" When it came to teasing her brother, Esmerelda was a natural.

"Don't make me hang up." He grumbled.

She was quick to hide her belly button with one hand when Charlie mentioned it. Though it was her choice to show it to the world, it was too embarrassing to have it mentioned that she did that. It definitely did nothing to make her blush go away.

"N-no, being here in Kant-to is the first time I've b-been outside Galar. I have heard Alola is q-quite lovely, though." Doing her best to keep her stuttering to a minimum, Lizbeth tried to answer to the best of her ability.

Ace, in the meantime, was climbing down from her shoulder and walked over to Brie. He hadn't missed how she didn't accept his apology, and wanted to try and get on her good side.

"Impimp dimpi, dimp imp. Dimp, impim. Impidimp, impimp. Imp, dimp." I know you might not really want to talk to me, but I really am sorry about earlier. Like Lizbeth said, sometimes I just can't control myself. I just get this urge to tease, and it kind of takes over me. So again, I'm sorry. He extended his hand to her in the hopes that she would take it.

Brie seemed pretty set on just ignoring the young Impidimp. Ezra observed the interaction intently. "C'mon Brie, be nice." He pleaded, setting her down beside Ace.

"What's going on?" Ezzie asked.

"Brie's being mean."

"It's still funny to me that she turned out so temperamental."

"Yeah, while your Litten is like the most chillest little dude I’ve ever seen," Ezra answered before turning back to his Oshawott. "You gonna shake this man's hand?" He asked. Brie's bottom lip curled into a spoiled pout.

"Oshhaaaa?" Do I have to? She whined. Even with the language barrier, it didn't take much for Ezra to figure out her motives.

"Ah, don't make that face at me, young lady. Hash it out." His tone went stern again.

"Osh." Fine. With a grumble, she gave the Impidimp a limp shake before climbing back into her trainer's lap.

"There. Was that so hard?" Ezra smiled again.

"Wotta wott osh." Please don't make me touch him again. She grumbled and whined some more.

Despite it not feeling all that sincere, it was enough for Ace to lighten up again. Brie wasn't in the mood to deal with him anymore, so he headed back to Lizbeth with a smile on his face, getting back onto her shoulder.

"Good boy," Lizbeth said to him as she nuzzled her cheek against his. "Maybe this time you'll actually learn from it." She turned towards Ezra's phone again. "Well, it was nice meeting you all, but I need to tend to another one now." Waving to them all, she stood up and headed over to Fary, taking a place beside her. "Fary, what's wrong? Did something happen while I was out at the Pokémart?"

The siblings waited until Lizbeth was out of earshot before speaking up. “...Put a ring on that one, Eazy, she’s a keeper,” Ezzie whispered.

“You buying the ring?”

“Bitch, I might!”

As the twins continued their back-and-forth, the raven-haired Lilith entered the scene. Esmerelda caught glimpse of her before Ezra did.

“Queen goth behind you.” She stated. “She with y’all too?” Ezra turned around to confirm. “Oh, yup. That’s Lilith.” He mentioned, pointing the camera in her direction to give them a better look.

Miss Rose heard her name and looked over, Pokemon on her shoulders turning as well. In her desire to find food, she missed the earlier remark but instead gave a small curtsey. "Greetings."

"Ooh, proper," Ezzie commented, picking up a vibe similar to her brother's. "She's like a really, really, reallyreallyreallyreally reallllllllly pale Ellowyn." She added as they watched her walk off.

"I know right? I thought the same thing!"

"You think she writes fanfiction too?"

"I dunno. She's called The Mistress of Lost Souls." Ezra described, announcing her title in a deep, growling tone that he thought sounded cool. While he was all on board with the designation, the same couldn't be said for those on the other side of the video call.

"...She said that herself? Out loud?" Sammi murmured, she and Ezzie exchanging glances.

"That's kinda cringe, bro," Charlie added.

"Sh-shut up, it's cool." Ezra defended flaccidly.

The Road To Indigo (Kanto-based Pokemon RP): Chapter One: Starting With a Clean Pallet (Accepting Sheets!)

Ezra took some pause in the conversation as he felt thin, spindly claws travel up his back. Such a sensation was similar to what he might feel with Brie crawling about his person. But with the young Oshawott sitting in clear view, the toned trainer couldn’t help but wonder what took ahold of him. When the mystery ‘mon reached his shoulder, those watching from the video call gave him an obvious hint.

“Yo Eazy, there’s a pink goblin on your shoulder!” Charlie called, pointing at the beast.

“Huh?” Ezra realized he wasn’t in any danger. With a quick glance in his periphery, he could easily make out Ace’s pronounced features. “Oh, this is Ace!” Propping his phone down at an angle, he was able to free his hands in order to pick up the Impidimp, who wasn't exactly used to being held by anyone but Lizbeth. Obviously, he squirmed a bit. "Impi!" Hey, gentle!

"Okay...What is Ace?" Sammi brought up.

"Oh, uh, he's an...Impidimp! Yeah." Ezra took a second to recall Lizbeth's words.

"Yeah, I've seen one of these before." Esmerelda perked up. "Saw it in my Galarian Anthropology class. Didn't think you'd get to see one in person though!" She brought her phone closer, curious. "Heh, looks like a pink version of you as a baby, Eazy." She jabbed.

"Chill. My head wasn't nearly this big. Or my nose!" Ezra retorted with a chuckle.

"But them ears though..." Ezzie laughed back.

Brie, naturally, wasn't appreciating the attention her trainer was giving another pokemon and decided to jump in by pushing her way into Ezra's lap. "Osha osha!" I'm here too! She cried, pulling one of the boy's oversized paws away from the Impidimp.

Ace used the opportunity to escape from Ezra's hands and crawl up onto his head, then stuck his tongue out at Brie.

Ezra was kinda loving being used as a human jungle gym. Brie, on the other hand, was growing feisty. "Wotta wo wott." Stay up there if you value your tongue. The Oshawott growled and reached for her scalchop, quickly changing Ezra's expression.

"Whoa whoa whoa, no need for the hostilities, Brie." He scolded.

Ace chuckled at Brie's attempt to threaten him. "Impi? Dimp!" You think that'll scare me? I've faced worse back home! He then jumped down from Ezra's head and landed by his phone, being right up at the camera so only he was in view.

"Eek!" Startled by the extreme close-up, Charlie hopped back from the screen, almost fearful of the imp's guise.

"OH SHA!" Get outta the way! Brie swung her shell at the Impidimp, only for Ezra to harmlessly lift her into the air. Completely out of reach, she flailed her flippers in frustration, all but done with Ace's antics. He simply turned around and stuck his tongue out again, this time with a raspberry blow and a finger on each cheek, wiggling his other fingers in a mocking manner.

"Hey, hey." Ezra turned his attention to Ace. "You stop it, too." He snipped lightly. "Don't want you two fighting in here." It was rare for Ezra to be so demanding, which could possibly explain why Brie was the way she was. "Go find Lizbeth, okay? I promise you guys'll get to play when we're outside." As quickly as it appeared, the stoic tone vanished and dissolved into a sweet plead.

Ace actually let out a small yelp when Ezra snipped at him. As much as he loved pranking, he wasn't used to people doing that to him. His ears dropped a bit and he went behind the phone to sit down to take a moment for himself. He knew Ezra didn't mean anything bad, and he also knew he might have taken it a little too far. He'd apologize once Lizbeth came back. But for now, he just wanted to sulk a bit.

Ezra lowered Brie back into his lap, as Ace’s expression got a clear frown out of him. ”Oh no, my boy…” Ezra began to reach out to console the sad Impidimp, but his sibling distracted him.

“Who’s Lizbeth?” She asked.

Before he could answer, Fary stormed into the area, face wet with tears as she found a corner to continue crying in.

“...Is that Lizbeth? Was that her yelling just now?” Sammi asked.

“Thought I heard some yelling...but nah, that’s Fary.” Ezra replied, slowly craning his neck in her direction.

“Tell her I love her blue hair.”

“...After she stops crying, of course.”

The Road To Indigo (Kanto-based Pokemon RP): Chapter One: Starting With a Clean Pallet (Accepting Sheets!)

It felt natural for Ezra and Brie to follow Hana to the kitchen. The promise of real food had the two hypnotized. The area wasn’t as lively as the healing center downstairs, the mix of overhead fluorescent lighting mixed with bright, open windows complemented the inviting brightness of the worn, cream-colored linoleum flooring. With seating abundant, it didn’t take long for the boy to pull up a chair at the table closest to the kitchen setup.

Comfortable, Ezra was quick to let his mind wander as he aimlessly watched Hana perform. He knew not to crowd a stove if he didn’t need to be near it. Brie, on the other hand, wanted to get in close and be nosy. But with the dutiful Pawniard assisting her trainer, the sassy Oshawott opted to just look on from a distance, much like her traveling companion.

Then, like a bolt from the blue, a once buried reminder made itself apparent once more. “Oh!” With the exclamation, he pulled out his phone. Now that he actually had some downtime, he needed to check in with Esmerelda. He was almost certain she had long made her arrival in Johto with her girlfriend, Sammi.

Like the practiced reflex it was, Ezra brought up the phone’s video calling application. Naturally, Ezzie was first on the list of recent callers. On confirmation, the call went through. After a couple of processing beeps and boops, the face of a familiar sibling appeared on screen and the two were quick to share wild, identical grins.

“Eazy~!” She announced with a long squeal, producing a sound loud enough to fill up the once-quiet kitchen area.

“Whadduuuup~!” The boy replied, prolonging his own loud greeting. Ezzie was quick to use a long angle to her camera, to show those traveling with her. To her left was a woman much shorter and paler than the twins, with a stylish bob of eye-catching green hair that faded down to black tips. To her right was a boy with a puffy ponytail of radiant auburn, with a familiar mocha complexion that made his dark freckles bright and prominent. Their outdoor scene easily contrasted Ezra’s simple indoor background.

“Hey, Sammi! Hey- Charlie?! Is that my B O Y?!” Last time he had seen his cousin, they were grade school kids. Seeing his updated teenage form was a genuine surprise for Ezra. Upon hearing his name, the young trainer perked up.

“It’s ya boy~! What’s up, Big Eazy?” Charlie was quick to reply with excitement.

“Chilling for the moment. You trying to be like me?” Ezra gestured towards his own wild ponytail.

“Ohh, nah!” The young trainer replied with a chuckle. “I’m just growing it out so I can get dreads!”

The boys shared a laugh that was interrupted by the sharp sound of metal scraping against rock.

“What’re you doing, Eazy? What was that?” Ezzie piped up.

“Oh, that’s one of the girls I’m traveling with preparing some food. She was sharpening her Pawniard.” As he explained, he pointed his camera towards Hana. Though since she was turned towards the kitchen counter, all they got was a good look at her back.

“Girls-?”

“One of-?” Sammi spoke up with some curiosity.

“What happened to Zapp?”

“Oh, uh, Zappollopher had an interview at the last minute, so we never had a chance to link up. But there were other trainers also doing the challenge, so we figured it was cool to hook up to travel the routes.” Ezra didn’t seem to realize the kind of scenario he was presenting to his audience.

“Hooking up, huh?” Ezzie raised an eyebrow.

“With HOW many girls??” Charlie sounded somewhere between excited and jealous.

“It’s not like that, chill out.” Ezra’s brow lowered with the cheeky implications.

The Road To Indigo (Kanto-based Pokemon RP): Chapter One: Starting With a Clean Pallet (Accepting Sheets!)

Ezra almost seemed to let his mind wander as the trainers began their stroll down the beaten path. As Hana broke off to do her own thing, the dark-haired goth girl took a pause, replying to the boy in kind. She talked in a way that made Ezra’s ears perk, with such prose and rigidity that made him feel like a child. But instead of feeling insulted, the tall boy felt almost entranced. The way her voice deepened, darkened, filled itself with some sort of disdain or disgust. Like a rolling growl lurked underneath the murky depths of her words as she examined her peculiar circumstances.

The girl laid her motives bare, all without making eye contact. She was more focused on surveying her surroundings. Her Litwick contrasted her frigid stance, turning to face Ezra with curiosity and invitation. It didn’t seem to have a problem smiling as she looked up at the trainer, though the moment was cut short once a wild Pidgey hopped out of the brush. Both trainers seemed to quickly lock on to the unassuming little bird as it harmlessly enjoyed its day.

“...That's where we will start the conquest of this land.” The girl switched gears with a focused ferocity that almost made Ezra jump. ”Sia, use your Smog!" As did the Litwick as it hopped from her shoulder and into the fray, assaulting the tiny bird’s senses with a billow of dark smoke.

---

Back in front of the lab, Brie looked on as a plant bulb shouted empty threats in the general direction of herself and that weird magenta gremlin that just insisted on invading her personal space. Her trainer did well to restrain her, and soon she was no longer awake. An amusing display, to be sure.

The Oshawott turned her attention back to her snacks. Before she knew it, everyone else had moved on. “Oshaa osh...” Eazy’s gonna give me an earful if I don’t share this jerky with him… She looked away from her foodstuffs to spot her trainer, only to perk up once she realized he was nowhere in the scene. Even the girls that had once chatted around her had begun down the path.

”Osh!” Crud! She spotted Ezra on the horizon, down the road without her. Good chance he didn’t even realize she ran off. She broke into a trot, waddling to catch up to her trainer before he could be any the wiser.

---

"...And just like that, my powers grow as my roster does.” With the practiced words of a burgeoning supervillain, the goth girl strode over to her completed catch, retrieving the capsule that held her new Pidgey. Suddenly he confided an observation that bugged him the second she started talking to him.

”...She reminds me of Ellowyn. Yeahh~! With the goth look and big words and everything!” He thought of one of his similarly-aged cousins, one from Kalos that he and Esmerelda had the pleasure of getting to know when they vacationed in Lumiose City.

”Wonder if she does fanfiction too…” He pondered as the girl approached him.

"So...where is your Pokemon again?" The pale-faced pierced trainer asked, with a tone that seemingly dripped with condescension. Almost like she struggled to keep her eyebrows from raising with cocksure smugness as she looked up at him.

“Brie? She’s…” He gestured towards his shoulder, only to realize said shoulder was bare. “Uhh…” He looked about his person, doing a goofy twirl for the girls. Soon he spotted her, speeding up on his rear. The Oshawott was quick to bounce up the boy’s bountiful biceps, resting on her shoulder perch similar to the goth’s Litwick.

“Here she is!” He confirmed with a grin. “When’d you take that out my bag?” He noticed the snack pack of dehydrated meat Brie held. “Shaa.” Just now. She quickly lied, shoving a piece of jerky down the boy’s gob to distract him.

“Whaphs mmyour nameh byf th’ wayf?” He asked the girl in-between chews, as the thought occurred to him. He swallowed, and Brie tried slowly easing more into his mouth. "Realized I didn't catch yours back at the lab." As he talked and he had to ease her flipper away from his gnashing teeth. He knew he was being impolite as he spoke with his mouth full, but the question came out before he could stop himself.

The Road To Indigo (Kanto-based Pokemon RP): Chapter One: Starting With a Clean Pallet (Accepting Sheets!)

While her trainer conversed with the other humans, Brie concocted different agendas. Much like Ezra, the young otter didn’t handle hunger very well. But unlike Ezra, she posed no politeness when it came down to the subject. Either she had food, or someone would have to answer to her scalchop.

So while her trainer distracted himself with the alluring qualities of the fairer sex, she sprung into action. She scaled the tall boy, reaching and rummaging through his duffel bag for treasure. Standing frim like a tall tree, Ezra barely seemed to notice. Shoveling through his things, Brie hit pay dirt: one of his packets of jerky laid untouched. She opted to just relax in his bag and enjoy her bounty, but instead something outside captured her attention.

A sound of a package being opened, followed by a sweet scent of what could only be assumed to be baked goods. Jerky in tow, Brie sprung out of Ezra’s bag to track the scent. What she found on approach was the blonde from earlier, offering up a pack of unique looking cookies.

“Oshhaa!” Well, don’t mind if I do! If the girl was offering, who was she to say no? Shoving past the green, armless, pudgy flower bulb, Brie helped herself to Vivian’s cookies, picking out one of the confectionaries with a flipper while holding her jerky in another.

“Osha oshaa wott!” Mmm, something sweet to go with my savory! With nary a motion of thanks or recognition, the pushy Oshawott felt comfortable plopping down right there amidst those trainers and their pokemon, so she could properly enjoy her meal.

The Road To Indigo (Kanto-based Pokemon RP): Chapter One: Starting With a Clean Pallet (Accepting Sheets!)

"If you want, I could ask my Mum about it when I call her."

“Oh, uh...word?” There was a bit of jest to Ezra’s quip about the phone, so Lizbeth’s sincere reply kinda caught him off guard. Didn’t stop his curiosity from getting the best of him, however.

“Yeah, okay, sure!” He replied again, giving a grin before watching the girl approach Fary. Looked like the blue-haired girl found herself in a cloud of melancholy. But the sun was out, and the day was nice. Ezra himself knew the detriment of keeping his head in those dark, metaphorical clouds. He was almost a step behind Lizbeth, almost ready to provide some support alongside the punky trainer.

But the thought of the weather sidetracked him some. The sun, indeed, was out. And being adorned in a sea of sweat clothes would prove to be a detriment, especially for the road ahead. Even now, he could feel the heat inside himself build, and soon he was gonna be drenched in perspiration and blinded by his big ol' shaggy mane.

“Hop down for a sec, Brie.” He muttered, helping the Oshawott to the ground before removing his duffel bag. He stood back up and quickly cast off the hot clothes, pulling the large hoodie up and over his head. Goofy as ever, he was briefly lost in the article as he struggled to get his head out.

But once that was done, he placed it in his bag before pulling on his sweatpants. Tearaway pants, naturally, that made their removal all the more convenient.

The warm outerwear made way for what lied underneath: a fitted compression tank, dark shorts, and grey leggings.

“Ah, much better. Shoulda did that from the get-go.” He stretched his arms and legs and chuckled and took on the cool wind that moved through the area. Brie was willing to assist her trainer, digging through a smaller pocket on the duffel and finding a frilly lilac hairband.

“Oshaa oshaaaa.” You always look like you're ready to run. She mentioned, reaching up to the boy. Noticing, Ezra reached down to the young otter.

“Thanks, Brie-wait. This is one of Ezzie’s hair ties. How’d this get in my stuff?” With a shrug, he used the band to keep his hair in a ponytail.

“Uh, random question: Are any of us from Kanto? I mean, I’m from Alola. I’d be lying if I said I knew my way around...” He asked the air, getting his pack comfortable on his back. The road looked to be a no-brainer, as it looked like a natural path out of the small town. Couldn’t say the same for anything beyond that. The goth girl was clearly ready to get the show on the road and was the most gung-ho on proceeding down the path. The Litwick she conversed with caught his attention.

“You’re from Unova, right? It’s the only place I’ve seen Litwicks. I mean unless you got her through a trade..." Before he knew it, he found himself approaching her, just to ensure he was addressing her specifically. It was impolite to point, after all.