saved-determination:
There might have been a twinge in their heart when he almost sounded like he thought their oddity was funny, but they kept the trained smile on their face.
With the pause came another tug that made them think he wouldn’t accept it. After all, they were a stranger, a kid no less, that was suddenly asking if he could help catch a Pokemon for them to take home. Who’s home is in another world entirely. When he chugged his lemonade, Purple stood up a bit straighter from the suddenness of the movement, but smiled wide when Gladion spoke again. They hopped down from the seat, their own eyes sparkling again.
The quickness they took the ball was almost like a robber who had just fooled him, but they only examined the round thing like it was the most fascinating thing in the world. This moment could only be imagined in dreams and some writings they had started doing, but here the child was, about to catch a Pokemon. Which one to catch though?
Purple looked back up at the older with an only growing smile, “Where can you get something strong, but still kind of nice? Not like a really big one or scary looking, but still able to hold it’s end in a fight.” It was vague, but they never really studied the Pokedex that much. Something that was like them in a sense would be just what they were looking for.
THEIR OWN enthusiasm almost made him want to smile, one corner of his mouth lifting in response. Gladion had never been gifted a starter Pokemon of his own like other children, and though the boy cared deeply about his Silvally, the way he had gone about acquiring the creature had been... highly unconventional.
“Whether your Pokemon can handle a fight is based on you too, you know.” The blond advised, taking on an informative tone. “It doesn’t matter how strong something is; under the command of a mediocre trainer, a Pokemon won’t be able to reach it’s full potential.” He paused for a moment, looking them over with something that almost resembled fondness. “That being said, you seem like a pretty smart kid; I doubt you’ll have too many problems.”
Getting up from his seat, he left a small amount of money behind on the table- a tip. Seemed like someone was in a good mood.
“Why don’t we go and see what we can find?” Gladion suggested, tilting his head to gesture towards the door. “I can tell you if we run into anything that fits what you’re looking for, and if a certain Pokemon catches your eye, I can help you capture it.”
