The balcony of a lighthouse wasn’t the strangest place he’d ever stopped for lunch, Cenric supposed. Whether or not he was supposed to be there was another question, the place seeming practically abandoned with the lack of visitors both people and Pokemon, but he found comfort in the peaceful silence and scenic views it offered; the sky a melting pot of oranges and yellows as sunset crept upon them.
Back pressed against the concrete of the tower, his only company was the Vaporeon laying beside him, large black eyes blinking slowly as if she was starting to doze off despite the light breeze that kept catching the ear-like fins on her head, ruffling them with each gentle gust.
Cenric couldn’t really blame her. It had been a long day of re-exploring Slateport, roaming the marketplace and visiting the shipyard and museum he hadn’t seen in some ten years at this point. Vivonne’s rest was well deserved, and something he should really follow suit with once he’d finished with the small picnic-like arrangement set out in between them.
Gaze cast across the ocean, he tore off a chunk of store-bought sandwich to chew on, managing to bask in tranquillity for only a few moments more before his Vaporeon’s sudden alertness grabbed his attention. Sitting up sharply, the water-type had sniffed at the air before turning to glance in the direction of the lighthouse’s doors as if waiting for something to happen.
Perhaps it was just another Pokemon she had heard; one of the wild Wingull she liked to chase whenever they visited the shore, but Cenric had a feeling he may not have been the only one to choose this spot to hide away in all of a sudden.
“Uh… Hello?” He spoke up, hoping his presence wasn’t so startling for the approaching stranger. Cenric didn’t care much for company either way, but how awkward would it be if he didn’t say anything at all right now. “If this is your usual spot, I’ll be out of your hair pretty soon…”
“Slow down, Mudkip. I can’t keep up with you.”
Antonio’s voice echoed through the Slateport Lighthouse, his commands bouncing off the walls and falling on deaf ears as the water-type scampered up the giant spiral staircase, somehow managing to completely outrun it’s trainer in the process.
“Jeez. These stairs are making me feel like I’m out of shape,” he said, his quads practically on fire. The Slateport Lighthouse was known for being one of the tallest in Hoenn, and yet despite this truth, Antonio had never climbed to it’s top. He’d already spent the majority of his life living here with his parents, and despite knowing the port city like the back of his hand, this was one of those few locations that, for some strange reason, he just never got around to exploring.
“Mudkip, I said- Oh, forget it. I’ll just meet you there.” Wiping a few beads of sweat from his forehead, Antonio watched helplessly as the little skipper dashed onward, eventually losing sight of him and just trusting that he’d be okay by himself until he caught up.
What neither Antonio nor Mudkip had anticipated, however, was that anyone else might be at the top. Mudkip’s singular fin twitched at the sound of the stranger’s voice and he sped up. People! Mudkip loved people.
With his little tail wagging in eager delight, Mudkip raced up the last stretch of stairs and finally stopped at the top, immediately locking eyes with the Vaporeon in front of him. Cheerfully, Mudkip’s tail continued to wag as he took a few small steps forward, studying the foreign Pokemon as well as it’s trainer behind them.
