Punk and Neon Lights

"Well, no," the redhead admitted after thinking back to it. "-but it's still embarrassing to get reprimanded by the depot agents!"

Daedra made a little pout again as she recalled. It was bad enough people tended to treat her like a child simply from her size and appearance, but she found it even worse they made it like she was a tourist! As is someone who wasn't native would know about the rule bends!!

Either way, Daedra knew she was better at being the reasonable and responsible one in a given situation. Best to just stick with what you could handle. And--- she should probably -not- encourage visitors to be doing things to get them in trouble, she amended silently.

"I suppose while it is -technically- a tourist spot, you should absolutely make a few days to really see all Nimbasa has to offer! Aside from the theme park and sport stadiums, it has lots of places to eat and even a theater for Pokemon Musicals! My own Pokemon really liked going to those," she said excitedly. "They're similar to Contests but don't have so many rules or harsh judging! You can let your Pokemon wear cute costumes for pictures and everything!"

Once again, Piers anticipation was left to deflate as Daedra proved to be once again clueless to the rumors of foreign Pokemon.

"You have a Malamar?" she asked, clearly curious as her smiling expression didn't budge an inch. "That's the evolved form of Inkay, right? Those cute little squid Pokemon from Kalos?" the redhead asked for verification, though she found them hard to forget.

"I saw a bunch of them when I traveled there years ago! Funny enough, Unova tried to get some migrated here for our Marine Tunnel! Well, not -in- the tunnel but to swim around it for people to watch," she corrected. "I guess it didn't work out though. There's a lot of great Pokemon in the waters around Unova already!"

#tactful kind daedra #;ic #;verse: main #//Piers is so used to mean people he has no idea how to handle someone so nice

A couple of chuckles slipped out before he could think to stop them as she stated how she'd been reprimanded by the depot agents. Okay that was kind of entertaining. Of course, he wasn't going to try and sneak a large Pokemon onto the subway train, mostly since only Malamar fit that category and he didn't think the squid-like Pokemon would appreciate the ride. "At least they only reprimanded ya and didn't try to ban you or something, yeh?"

Piers hummed a bit in thought as she said that he should check out the sights around Nimbasa. Well, he had planned to stay a few days there regardless. It wasn't like he was set to a strict schedule after all. "Heh, sounds like a good plan. Plus, I know Skuntank and Goony here would love to dress up and Malamar would probably enjoy the shows the theater offered."

While immensely relieved that Daedra didn't recoil in disgust or fear at hearing about one of his beloved team members he still worried a bit. "Ah yeah, they're the evolved form of Inkay but they aren't as well liked by most people. Malamar are normally feared because if they aren't trained properly, feel threatened, or are in the wild they can hypnotize people to do whatever." Which could be a terrifying prospect but it was upsetting that most people had such a bad stigma against them as a whole.

"Sadly, most of the people as a whole are against Dark-type Pokemon... I know they are in Galar at least. Most of our bedtime stories and folktales put them and Ghost-types as the villains after all." Piers didn't really blame the populace of his region for their bias but it certainly didn't help his standing popularity. After all, he was a rather proud advocate for better understanding of his favorite typing.

"Anyway, you mentioned a Marine Tunnel? Where's that at? It sounds like an interestin' sight too and would be fun to see!"

#;open #;ic for ooc #//still in quite a bit of pain from falling down the stairs yesterday #//so this is still on the board :3

Well... That had been less than graceful. While Piers loved his boots he had to admit that when it came to traction they weren't the best. It didn't help that everything was slick with the rain that had been falling most of the afternoon. One wrong step on the stairs had led to his current predicament where he was sitting on the ground, dazed and hurting pretty badly from slipping down the last few steps. At least he wasn't too scraped up from it and he's landed in such a way that the spikes on his boots hadn't done any real harm. Small victories right now.

#;open #;ic for ooc #//my dumbass fell down the steps earlier too #//only mine was cause i was power washing them for my mom

"Manners are the most important thing in the Subway," Daedra explained. "Size isn't always the factor, as I've seen some exceptionally poor-mannered Lillipups and other small Pokemon during rides. Being cute doesn't get a pass to misbehave on subway~"

Speaking of 'misbehaving', Daedra couldn't help but chuckle a bit awkwardly from Piers' accusation. "Well, it's more like: I always seem to be the one that gets caught," she said, fiddling with one of her hair ties.

"My friends could always have their Pokemon ride with them, and some of them were very big! All they did was fashion a bag on them like a cover or on their head, and they never got pulled aside or spoken to!"

From the redhead's little puffed frown, it was clear such instances never worked for her. Granted, while her friends' Pokemon were also well behaved, their trainers were much more casual in their rule breaking. Daedra wore her guilt like a lapel before she even decided to do anything. Some people were not meant for such treason~

When the rocker commented on wanting to find the more unconventional spots in Unova, Daedra was all the happy to perk up. While she didn't count herself a 'regional expert', she had spent much of her childhood trying to enjoy everything her home had to offer... namely in ways that costed little money; which meant being creative.

"Well, if you'd like some suggestions, I'd be happy to offer the places I liked! I guess I still like them, I just haven't gone to them recently! But, not all the 'touristy' things in Unova are so bad! The Sports Stadiums are great fun. You just need to check the scheduling: sometimes their fun events and while the official games do cost money to see, you can always go on the off days to either play yourself and see the practicing teams. My friend made us go every weekend when we were younger, as he was sure he was going to be in the major leagues when he was old enough."

"Manners should be important everywhere honestly... Can't tell ya how many times I've seen a smaller Pokemon that wasn't socialized properly be an absolute menace to everyone around it." Piers sighed as he thought of that. Hell, even his sister's little Morpeko that was so well behaved now had been an absolute terror when he'd first gotten it for Marnie. Thankfully through the siblings' hard work it all turned out for the best now.

Instead of dwelling on that at the moment the rocker turned his focus back towards Daedra as she spoke up about her time trying to bend the rules. He couldn't help but chuckle good naturedly after she explained how she was always caught. "Hey, sometimes showing them kinds of emotions ain't always a bad thing. I can take it that the incident didn't result in a bad outcome just based off your recounting of the tale, yeh?"

Once she heard about him wanting to see less conventional sights in Unova and perked up he couldn't help but look more interested in the conversation. It was nice that Daedra seemed so invested in sharing the local attractions apparently and he couldn't help but match her smile with one of his own. Idly it occurred to him in the back of his mind that he'd been smiling much more on this trip than he normally ever did in Galar... Unless his sister was involved. After all, she was a ball of sunshine in her own unique and subdued way.

"Can't say I'm much for sports myself but I wouldn't mind checking it out all the same. Scrafty, Toxtricity, and Obstagoon here would probably enjoy playing though. Can't say the same for Malamar or Skuntank though. Especially Malamar actually... He's more into shows like concerts or movies on the telly." Piers braced himself for what Daedra might say in reaction to him having a Malamar on his team given the distrust, prejudice, and misconceptions over the Pokemon as a whole. Sure, they were more prone to deviousness but that was only the rarer wild ones and untrained ones that were cause for concern.

"Got any other recommendations as well? I'm open t'hear what a native Unovan thinks is fun."

"He's pretty 'people-sized'," Daedra commented, turning her gaze towards the black and white badger Pokemon, as if for confirmation. "The general rule is they have to take up the space of 1 person, or if you can securely carry them in a bag, which is just safer for smaller Pokemon. Some people try to get around that rule with clever solutions, but it doesn't always work."

She gave an awkward little laugh at that, as if she were highly aware of that rule in particular, and how it was enforced. However, she offered nothing more and that and was happy to continue to the next topic.

"Unova's Subway only runs as it does because of all the work Mr. Emmet and Mr. Ingo put into it," there was a bit of pride in her tone. Unova had a lot to be known for, but their subway was one of the most unique in all the Pokemon world, she felt! "We're very happy to have them and to make such a wonderful subway for us; not even for battles but to get all over parts of the region with complete ease! If you can manage to best them, I'm pretty sure you get some type of trophy or award. I know for sure you get your name on the record plaque, you can see it in the main Nimbasa Station!"

Daedra might have been overselling the experience a touch, but she did count it as one of the more special things to do in Unova. They had their theme parks with the ferris wheel and the open market, but other regions had similar, too.

So, when Piers sarted gushing on his younger sister, Daedra was more than happy to listen to him. She could tell his sibling meant a great deal to him, just by how he complimented of her skill. Daedra was always soft for such family things, considering she had no experience with a sibling; a proper one.

"I can tell she must be working hard, if she didn't come with you," Daedra noticed. "Maybe you'll be able to bring here next time. You two can try the Battle Subway together, since you both sound like you really enjoy battling! Unlike gym battles, the Battle Subway does have double matches, but as expected that's even doubly hard!"

Or some might find it easier. Afterall, you had a partner to help you, outside of your Pokemon!

"Wow! Spikemuth sounds like a really interesting place to visit! I never heard of a town that was completely covered! It's a shame if people really think differently of it, because it's not the standard," Daedra offered understandingly. "Personally, I always thought the small and unique towns in others regions were the most fun ones. They were always authentic, compared to the 'tourist spots'. Unova is like that, too. Castellia is the most well known place, but I think there's much better things to visit than -just- the big city."

Piers turned to face his starter Pokemon as well and chuckles, "ah, that would explain it since Goony here is just about the size of a person. He's well behaved too unless there's a threat to me but that ain't been a problem here." The punk rocker smiles as he rubs along the fur of Obstagoon's jowls which gets a pleased rumble from the badger Pokemon. He enjoyed all affection he got from his trainer. Of course Piers himself didn't realize he'd just unintentionally mentioned how there were threats to him in Galar.

"Heh, that bit 'bout getting around them rules... You tried it yerself hm?" He grinned good naturedly and chuckles. However he doesn't press beyond that light tease and leans against his Pokemon as he listened to what she said about the Subway system of Unova. It was true that it was such a big pull for the region that it'd been one of the main things he'd wanted to see... He just didn't realize the battles happened on the actual trains. "Might have to try out the single battle line while I'm here, see if that sparks any inspiration. That is th' main purpose of my time here after all." New inspiration for his musical career.

"Yeah, it might be the off season in Galar for the gym leaders but she had business t' do that popped up suddenly, otherwise she'd have come too. I'm supposed ta take lots of pictures and bring back souvenirs." He chuckles and shakes his head. Honestly he'd almost canceled the whole trip until his little sister had all but threatened to kick him out of the apartment if he didn't go. Marnie knew that he needed to get away from Galar for a while and damn if it wasn't doing wonders for his mental health. "That sounds like a right good time there actually. I'm sure me and Marns would be a rockin' team."

When Daedra spoke about how unique his hometown sounded he couldn't help but look a bit sheepish as he rubbed the back of his head a bit. "It is a down right shame that Spikemuth isn't more popular... I love my town and did all I could as a gym leader to make it stand out positively but... It's hard to change a whole region's views alone." Piers sighed and gave a half hearted shrug. Thankfully though he doesn't let the melancholy feeling pull him down for too long as he gives a little smile and nods in agreement.

"See, that's what I think too. It's why I've been tryin' to find smaller things that most tourists wouldn't bother comin' to see. I want more inspiration or my next set of songs and that's hard ta do with all the more popular sights and spots. Like some are fun yeah, but they lack the charm of smaller towns and areas."

"Oh, not in just any subway car. Please don't do that," Daedra quickly interjected, raising her hands in concern. "While you can have some Pokemon out in the subway with you, the battles happen on a very specific line! You can ask the tellers in any Subway station and they can tell you how to get to them and the times, so it's still pretty easy!"

Unable to help herself, Daedra was happy to offer more details of one of Unova's star activities. Afterall, the region was known for their underground transport as well as their unique battle options, so it was always a happy talking point.

"If you really like battling, you should definitely give the Subway Battles a try," the redhead encouraged with a smile. "It's really tough- tougher than getting passed the Elite Four here! You have to battle through a long series of train cars without pause or a break, and if you beat all of them, you can have a chance to face the Subway Bosses, Mr. Ingo and Mr. Emmet. They're really tough, and even just getting to them is impressive itself!"

Of course, Daedra had never managed it herself, but wouldn't that be a feat to accomplish someday!

"Your little sister also used Dark types? I bet you were a bit inspiration for her then-- and to now be the Gym leader? That's very impressive," Daedra exclaimed with a smile. That sounded like a real wonderful way to bond, despite how it sounded like there was a lot more to the story than just the 'good parts'.

It was very clear that Galar seemed to do things very differently than other regions. There was always rumor, but it was different to get a first hand explanation from someone intimately familiar. Just how like other regions had public transit, but surely there was no other place that had a Battle Subway like theirs~

"So you said your home town was ... Spikemuth, was it? What's that like? I'm afraid I'm not too familiar with Galar's locations. Well, other than the very well-know things but I know that's certainly not how all of it is!"

#tactful kind daedra #;ic #//lmfao XD

"Heh, that makes more sense honestly. I was on one of the passenger lines I guess since I didn't see nor hear any battling while I rode. Thankfully I suppose Obstagoon was an alright 'mon to ride with too since none of the staff stopped us." Piers chuckled a bit and reached up to pet the almost human sized Pokemon. Plus the Galar Pokemon was a subject of interest to some kids who had never seen nor heard of an Obstagoon before and Piers had been only too happy to help educate them about the Dark/Normal-type Pokemon.

"Woah wait, this challenge is harder than yer actual Elite Four? Now that's pretty impressive actually. Do you get a medal or something for winning it?" The silly question is accompanied by a chuckle to show he wasn't serious. Normally challenging battle facilities did have some kind of reward system though. Or at least... That's what he read somewhere a while ago. Maybe it was just for prestige here. "The bosses must be right busy to run everything in that facility."

"Heh probably. I did catch her first Pokemon when she was five after all." When his sister was complimented Piers couldn't help but smile fully. It really was impressive for her to be so capable at her age to run it. Of course, he'd had to help her learn the ropes before he could fully retire but it'd been worth it. "She's a right natural at it all. Took to it better than I ever did too. I don't think I could be more proud o'her... Unless she'd actually become Champion I guess."

Piers chuckles quietly at that before Daedra asks about Spikemuth and he gives a little hum in thought. Where to start that didn't paint his hometown negatively. "You're right, Spikemuth is a small town that's near completely enclosed to help protect it from the elements. To keep it bright and lively we use a lot o' neon lights since it's also home to a lot of Dark-types too and it keeps from hurtin' their eyes. It's not viewed as positively by the rest of Galar for these reasons sadly so it doesn't get a lot of tourism but that's been changing due to Marns' popularity as a Gym Challenger and now Gym Leader. Despite that we still don't have a proper gym stadium so you won't really see a lot of matches on the tv like the other gyms."

It took some restraint to keep from saying how it was a dying town, that it's infrastructure was falling apart and that it was dirty from being unable to keep up with the decay of the buildings. Or how the rest of Galar seemed to think it home only to thieves and criminals when in reality it was a real close knit community that would look out for one another. Just a black mark upon the region according to the previous chairman that he couldn't help but hate.

Daedra didn't need to know those things.

It's nearing 5 in the morning and sadly the punk rocker still could not fall asleep. It was getting to the point he was about to yell in frustration but sadly that would likely wake Marnie up and he couldn't have that. It always sucked when his mind was going at a lightening pace and his body was exhausted.

So he just laid there in bed and stared up at his ceiling in the dark with the hope that it would somehow lull his racing mind into slumber.

#;ic for ooc #//I'm soooooooo fucking tired #//but my brain just won't shut up #//... and i have to be awake in an hour

nixscriptum

⋆｡‧˚ʚ 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐀𝐓 𝐖𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐒 ɞ˚‧｡⋆ a collection of medical tension, hospital corridors, life & death stakes sentence starters. genre: medical drama, hurt and comfort, high stakes.

• You shouldn't be working this shift—you're running on fumes. • I need you to trust me right now, okay? Can you do that? • When was the last time you actually slept? • Your hands are shaking. Let me take over. • I can't lose another patient today. I can't. • You're not fine. Don't lie to me, I can read your vitals from here. • We did everything we could. Sometimes that's not enough. • I'm calling it. Time of death— • No, no, no. Come on. Stay with me. • You need to step back. You're too close to this case. • I saw what happened in there. Are you okay? • The family's asking for you. I think you should talk to them. • How long have you been covering up these symptoms? • I don't know how to tell them their kid didn't make it. • Your shift ended three hours ago. Go home. • I've never seen you panic like that before. • We have a code blue! • You can't save everyone. You know that, right? • I need two units of O-neg! • Why didn't you tell me you were hurt? • I found you passed out in the supply closet. • You remember that patient from six months ago? They're back. • I think I'm having a panic attack. • Congratulations, Doctor. First solo surgery, right? • The board's asking questions about what happened during that code. • I can't feel my hands anymore. • Someone needs to tell the attending they made the wrong call. • I'm not supposed to be treating family, but here we are. • Your patient in bed seven? That's my sister. • They're crashing—get the crash cart! • I need you to walk me through what went wrong. • You stayed with them. All night. Why? • I haven't eaten in fourteen hours and I'm starting to see double. • The transplant list just got longer and our donor didn't make it. • You can't keep taking the hard cases. It's killing you. • I heard you crying in the stairwell. • This is exactly the kind of case that ended your last relationship. • Your ex just got admitted to our floor. • I'm sorry, there's nothing more we can do. It's palliative now. • You need to scrub out. Now. • I pulled a double and now I can't remember if I already gave that medication. • The family wants to sue. They're naming you specifically. • I know we said no relationships between attendings and residents, but— • You operated on them for eleven hours straight. • I'm not cleared to come back yet, but I'm here anyway. • Whose blood is that on your coat? • The on-call room is not for sleeping anymore, apparently. • You've been charting for three hours. Go take a break. • I made a mistake in there. A big one. • Your first loss always hits different, doesn't it? • They left AMA and now they're back, worse than before.

#;ask meme

roleplayasksandmemes

Reblog to let others know you're all right with random starters in your inbox.

"I heard a lot of talk from trainers how much Galar puts into its League Challenges. Not that other regions don't, but I know in Unova we've had to get creative with ours! Atleast concerning space. If anything, our battle arenas might be the smallest, since we'll fit them in theme parks and in subway cars!"

Daedra wasn't sure if that was necessarily true, but it still felt impressive. Perhaps a factor of that was being from Unova, so of course she'd have affinity for her own region's ways, even if she'd never gotten to the Elite Four League here.

"Mega evolution does have it's benefits, but it's definitely something that varies Pokemon to Pokemon. It's a boon for some but an outright detriment for others, at the cost of power. It's been handy outside of strictly battling," Daedra offered with a bit of insight.

Despite her feelings on the abilities, she couldn't deny how power it made each and every Pokemon that could do it. Perhaps she'd feel different if her own Pokemon's didn't have such a double-edged sword of one. Or, maybe it was better she did know... it was hard for her to choose somedays.

"I may have my misgivings about it, but I can't deny I have and do still use it on occasion," the redhead fully admitted. "However, I only do so if my Pokemon wishes for it. Fortunately, she's a Lucario so she's absolutely aware enough of the repercussions. I trust her enough that she won't simply agree just to make me happy."

Daedra had to imagine that was the sentiment for most Pokemon. Most just simply wanted their trainer's approval and adoration and would do anything for it. Something that led to unfortunate things in this region in particular... but that was things of the past.

When Piers explained that his Toxtricity was not a gym battler, Daedra really set down to think now.

"Ah, so just a Pokemon friend... let's see then," she hummed, tapping a finger at her bottom lip.

So the two who knew were Obstagoon and his Scrafty. Daedra didn't know much of the Galarian specific Pokemon, but she had to imagine Scrafty were almost similar to the Unovan ones. Fighting was not it so... Then she realized.

Obstagoon was black and white. Looking to Piers, even he was mostly black and white. Scrafty was colorful but it's other type was...

-----Ah.

"Oh, are you a Dark type Gym Leader?" she asked, perking up with confidence. "Wow-- you almost never see Dark Gym Leaders, as I imagine they're so specialized! One of our Elite Four used Dark type Pokemon!"

"Yeh, Galar really goes all out for its gym challenge season. 'Course there's still the Minor League where you can challenge gyms to train up for the Majors when the season rolls back around. Those gyms however don't really have stadiums to visit and don't count towards bein' Champion in any sense." Piers couldn't hide all the bitterness from his voice as he discussed this particular topic. However it was soon gone when he heard about where some of the battles could be held in Unova and he looked surprised.

"Wait a moment, y'mean you have battles... In the subway system? I was there briefly earlier but I didn't know ya could battle in there! Now that sounds like a right good time actually!" A full grin formed on his face as he spoke about that. Sure, he may have hated being a gym leader but battling was still fun for him and his Pokemon outside of that setting. Perhaps he should go investigate the subway system of Nimbasa further. Obstagoon picked up on Piers' excitement and also gained a look of excitement to his already pleased expression. Any time his trainer was happy was always a good time.

However as Daedra discussed more about Mega evolution he began to mellow once more and sighed. It was true... Pokemon gained a huge boon when they Mega evolved, much like a Dynamax Pokemon did, but at the same time... He couldn't help but worry about the condition of the Pokemon that did it.

"Makes sense honestly... I can't rightly say I would ever Mega evolve my mates but I suppose if the Pokemon itself doesn't mind or even wants to go for it then it can't be that bad. See, all my mates dislike Dynamaxing much as I do which is one reason I don't force 'em to. I asked 'em all when I was doin' my own gym challenge after all and none wanted to. S'pose in the end it was a good thing we trained to battle without that boon since Spikemuth, my hometown, didn't have a power spot that let ya dynamax."

The rocker shrugged a bit to show it didn't bother him too much. Of course, not having the revenue coming in from tourists or gym challengers had been a huge hit to the small town, he tried to not think about that. Not now anyway. After a brief tug to his choker's charm to calm down Piers perked up a bit when the guessing game resumed.

Once she seemed to connect the dots and gave her correct guess Piers chuckled and nodded, "ya got it right, Daedra. Me an' my younger sister both specialize in Dark-types. Marnie runs the gym now that I'm retired by the way." There was a good amount of pride in his voice as he mentions his sister before he continues, "oh ya mean Grimsley yeah? I've heard of him, right impressed he's a member of the Elite Four here to be honest. Galar doesn't have an Elite Four proper but I know that they're some of the strongest trainers in th' region."

"Well, I think the ruins are pretty unique," the redhead offered. "-especially if you can get to the far ends of them. Supposedly, if you're lucky, you can come across a really impressive fire Pokemon in the heart of it! That's why lots of people try to go-- truthfully, I wanted to see it there when I went, but sadly the room was empty. It was still a pretty room and there was a nice mural on the wall of the Pokemon, so that's good enough!"

For her anyway, but Daedra knew she had rather simple expectations. There was probably dozens of potential hunters who would refuse to give up after one attempt.

More surprising however, was when Piers explained his home regions idea of how to handle gym battles, specifically Dynamaxing. Daedra's eyes seemingly widened at the concept.

"You mean--- the Pokemon actually grow that big?!" she asked, perhaps maybe sounding a touch concerned. She atleast seemed familiar with it in some fashion, thankfully. "I see... I had heard and seen some of Galar's advertisements but everyone here assumed it was holograms or something with special effects," she admitted.

Once passed the shock, her face returned to a more toned down expression. Thoughtful and complacent almost. "I guess it's a bit like Mega stones, in how it changes a Pokemon for fighting. In that regard, I can understand why some people might feel strange about it, despite the excitement. Mega Stones are just as.... complicated."

From how she admitted it, it was clear she had some understanding of Pier's dislike for the method. To force a Pokemon to undergo something unnatural for them-- just for the sake of winning.

However, it was clear discussing such points were a bit moot. Afterall, they were both beloved and favorable in the sport of official Pokemon Leagues, and because of that, hard to criticize them without public scorn.

In her attempt to guess her new friend's specialty, it seemed Daedra picked incorrectly. Her once hopeful eyes immediately shifted to a sulk, puffed cheeks and a pout. It seemed it was more complicated, and perhaps not as obvious, given his Pokemon (from an unfamiliar Unovian perspective).

"Hmmph! Not fighting then... That's tricky," the redhead admitted sportingly, but clearly still willing to try. "All your Pokemon have different types! Are you sure you're not being sneaky and you're a mixed Champion?"

Daedra had to assume not, based on Piers demeanor and previous replies.

"There must be something obvious," she mused to herself. As if there wasn't a gym leader in stark toned clothing, standing beside a large, greyscale howler.

But in her defense, she was only familiar with the small snooty brown versions of the zigzagoons~

#tactful kind daedra #;ic #//lmfao XD eeeewwww he'd rather take the ferry thank you

"Oh yeah, I had heard there was a special pokemon that sometimes shows up in Relic Castle... Thought it was just a rumor though." Hm, maybe it would be worth it to visit the ruins to see a rare Pokemon. He'd just have to prepare more for that venture than most of his others... Plus his Scrafty might enjoy being in a locale that the Unovan versions lived in. Well, that about settled it for him going.

Piers then notes the look of genuine surprise on her face at the mention of Dynamaxing changing the Pokemon's appearance and size. He just nods at first to confirm that it was true. "Sadly yeah... It really happens and I was the only gym leader that never used it. Had t' think creatively to keep in the Majors and let alone the 7th badge in the gym season lineup 'cause of it." He kept quiet about how being in the Minor gym lineup had been hell. Honestly he wished that Galar treated gym challenges more like the rest of the world did and not a major sporting event.

"Never much liked the idea of Mega evolving either... Heard it can hurt the Pokemon that go through it and I could never do that to my mates." The punk rocker pet his Obstagoon as he said that which got an appreciative grumble from the big badger like Pokemon. Sounded like he and Daedra were alike in that mindset. Winning wasn't worth potentially harming your team. It was the only thing he disliked about his little sister's battling style but he wasn't going to try and control how she ran her gym. Marnie could Dynamax if she wanted to.

Thankfully though Daedra's failed attempt at correctly guessing his typing specialty was a good distraction for them both. He couldn't help but chuckle at her speculation of being a Champion in disguise. "Nah, definitely not a champion, too much work there. If it helps Toxtricity wasn't on my main gym team."

The poison/electric type was mostly there for special occasions and to help bounce musical melody ideas off of. Oh and of course as extra security in environments when Obstagoon couldn't do the job. This naturally only left Daedra with two of Pokemon known to her and it seemed she had no idea of Obstagoon's typing. He thought it would be obvious though after he included the hint about Toxtricity not being on his team.

"Wanna take a few selfies before you sing your heart out?"

Piers considered himself normally a pretty calm and collected person... but he couldn't exactly help but look surprised when the taller gym leader seemed to appear from nowhere behind him. Guess he was far too into the zone getting ready to sing to notice Raihan approaching. It took him a few seconds to reign in his expression back to cool indifference before he turned to face the eighth gym leader more fully.

"...Normally I'm not one for selfies, y'know. I'll let ya take one though."

#captastrophe #;ic #//hallo~!#//hope this is an okay starter/response

"Yeah, it can be pretty intense if you're not prepared," the redhead added on to say. "They've atleast taken to ensuring there's usually a medical person out that way! It seemed a lot of visitors were getting a bit caught up in everything." Though the fact that such a profession had to be stationed there was telling enough!

"I still think it's worth seeing just to visit the Relic Castle though! But-- you're kind of on your own there, too!"

Castelia had wanted to form some sort of officiated tour but... it was just proving so problematic all over. From conservationists to safety regulations. It was like Unova as a whole had no idea how to approach it... but atleast it was still open for daring individuals to explore on their own!

Though, as the topic shifted to his past work as a Gym Leader, Daedra noticed how... unenthused he seemed when speaking on it. How strange.... the redhead had always assumed Gym Leaders loved doing so, but... some did choose to retire. The petite woman supposed anyone could get disillusions with a job after long enough.

"That's all right," Daedra assured, offering him a big friendly smile. "I forgot as well~ My name's Daedra-- I'm glad we got to run into eachother, Piers! Oh, and Obstagoon, too!"

From how she acted, it seemed Daedra was relatively unaware of his past, or much about him in general. Though, she did seem just as excited earlier when he mentioned his current focus.

"Really--- a singer? That sounds so glamorous and exciting!! Though, if you were still a Gym Leader, you'd be just like Roxie! She's a Gym Leader over in Virbank City!" Though she hoped he didn't think she was trying to judge or compare them. Every leader was different, or ex-leader in Piers' case!

"Oh-- so if you were a Gym Leader, I suppose that means your specialized with a certain type of Pokemon," Daedra mused curiously. "Let me see if I can guess," she announced, giving him a cute look of scrutinization.

Hmmm... so Obstagoon was certainly one of his Pokemon, who was Normal and probably something else. Then he mentioned a Toxtricity... which she atleast knew was electric.... maybe poison based on the name! She'd never seen one unfortunately, much like Obstagoon. Oh--- but a Scrafty, too! They were all Pokemon who stood upright-- so maybe....

"Oh-- I know," Daedra declared. "I bet you use mixed Fighting Types," she declared with a small bounce on her heels. "The three you mentioned having are all upright! So did I guess correctly?"

She looked up at him with such eager, hopeful blue eyes~

"Hmmm, noted. I did honestly want t'see Relic Castle but I don't know if it'd worth fighting the sun and sand." It sounded like a nightmare to him given how he was from a town with very little natural light and weather being enclosed as it was. Ah well, something to debate further on in his trip. After all, this was all to gain inspiration for a new set of songs. So far it'd been a great change of pace from his usual routine.

As the conversation shifted to his former profession, Piers kept an eye on just how she reacted to the news of him being retired. Seeing that friendly smile helps him relax and he returns it with his own smaller smile when she introduces herself.

"Well met Daedra, it's nice chattin' with you honestly," he smiles as Obstagoon perks up at being included in the conversation. He reached over and scratched behind the furry Pokemon's ear. "Heh, bein' a singer definitely suits me more than bein' a gym leader ever did. See, Galar has a phenomenon called Dynamax that let Pokemon grow to the size o'buildings and I refused to use it. Always rubbed me the wrong way, makin' yer mates grow like that."

Piers frowns briefly as he explains that and then he smiles at the mention of Roxie and he nods, "I've heard of her. Her gym is one o'my stops actually while I'm here in Unova. I wanted to see how she handles bein' both."

When Daedra perks up and mentions wanting to guess his specialized typing he couldn't help but chuckle and nod. It was nice to meet someone that didn't know a lot about him and treated him like a normal person. Quite the breath of fresh air. "Alright then, go right ahead." Obstagoon speaks up too as if doing so would help her figure it out as well based off the few Pokemon Piers had mentioned to her.

There was a soft amused chuckle when she exclaimed his supposed specialty type. Oh it was cute just how excited she was over this and while he didn't want to ruin that he shook his head. "Not quite, good guess though. Want a hint?"

Daedra giggled at the Pokemon's antics. Like Pendra, he may have been sizable and a bit intimidate with those long claws of his, but it was clear her was just a lovable fluff~

When asked on Relic Castle, Daedra nodded in reply to his comment. "It can be, especially in the middle of summer!" she remarked, clearly from experience. "Though, I don't think it's nearly as warm as other deserts~ I think the main trouble is all the sand and wind, plus there's very little to offer shade," Daedra added in warning.

Piers would find no restful respites if he went that way! Well, maybe one---

"They're always doing construction out that way, too," she remarked with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Castelia wants to make a pathway for easier travel, and perhaps some tourist spots. However, the sand is proving a bit too difficult~ Atleast unless you drive a commercial truck - the highways go right over it!"

It was a design no one seemed to understand the point of, but than again, perhaps it was best Relic Resort just stayed as it was. The Scrafty and Sigilyph groups would definitely appreciate it!

"Oh, you have a Scrafty, too?" What were the odds! (as if she had any idea) "Do they look different when from Galar then? I forget they're in other places too; they just always seem so synonymous to Relic Resort~"

Maybe a Galarian Scrafty had a little shirt instead of pull-up pants! Cuuute~ (If only) Though, count her more surprised at his admission of being a Gym leader... or ex-one. Not that it wasn't uncommon to find them about their home town but... well, most people in a region never got to meet them unless they were doing the League Challenge!

"A real gym leader? Oh wow~" Her excitement fell a bit when she caught the part of him being 'retired'. "I see-- did something happen that made you retire? Only if you want to answer of course-- I know it's not any of my business! I just haven't met many before - certainly not ones from outside their home region!"

And if she were honest, the few she had faced in her occasional gym challenge was hardly a 'meeting'. It almost felt like a business transaction, and Daedra supposed it was in a way.

#tactful kind daedra #;ic #//the train boys be chugging along y'know?? XD #//they tend to steam roll a lot things #//ba dum psh!

It was true that if there was no battle or threat to Piers then Obstagoon was a pretty lovable Pokemon. However, when they were out in public like this and the pair was alone and his trainer remained tense then he would act like a big tough guy. Right now though? Piers was pretty relaxed so that helped him to relax too, even as he kept a watchful eye out.

Piers for his part notes how if they were to go to this Relic Resort he was going to have to likely have a different Pokemon travel with him. Probably his own Scrafty but likely he'd just avoid the place as a whole. He didn't need to get either heat stroke or sun poisoning from being out in the heat and sun unprotected. "Thank ya fer the warning. Might pass that place by now that I hear all that. Don't think it and me would mix well."

He didn't want to think the mess his hair would be from the wind and sand either.

"Heh, I do. They look the same as their Unovan counterparts though, sorry t' disappoint." He was sure she'd been excited to see another variant but alas he didn't have any others. When she perks up at him mentioning his being a former gym leader he tenses a bit, almost worried she was going to ask for a battle. Sure, he could give one but honestly he didn't want to draw a lot of attention to himself for multiple reasons right then. Thankfully though she just seems more starstruck and curious than battle ready.

A finger hooks onto the charm of his choker out of habit as he speaks up, "ah, forgot to introduce myself, sorry, the name's Piers. I was the seventh gym leader for the town of Spikemuth. As fer why, mmm just didn't want t' do it anymore mostly. My other career is being a singer and I wanted t' focus more solely on that. Plus my little sister is doin' a better job at it than I ever did." Was that putting himself down too much? Perhaps but he felt it true, and the pride he had in his sister shone through in his voice. He may have been the seventh badge needed to complete the challenge but Arceus knows he was exhausted after fighting tooth and nail to get to that point. Especially after managing to climb his way out of the Minor Leagues.

Though he supposes because he paved the way for her to thrive Marnie wasn't struggling near as much as she was so for that he was grateful. Anything to help his little sister out.

downtrainmorelikegonetrain

@darkenedpunk061 || LINE TRANSFER

Piers's insistence on the matter earned one of Emmet's signature confused head tilts as he tried and subsequently failed to understand the gravity of the situation. It was hard looking at things from someone else's point of view, especially when he couldn't postulate why their view might be different from his in the first place. Though Emmet still held the strong belief that Piers shouldn't feel so guilty over something so trivial, he wasn't going to dismiss the way he felt, either.

"Well. Everyone makes mistakes. Ingo and me too! It's frustrating, but nothing can go right all of the time. All you can do is move forward." A small pause as he wondered if there was anything that could be done to help rectify the other's bad mood. He wasn't sure, so he decided it was best to just ask.

"...is there anything I can do?"

#downtrain #;ic #;verse: main

Seeing how Emmet was so confused about why he was so upset over leaving something as simple as take out behind on the bench does a good deal to clearing Piers' head. Of course, it was something so simple and not a big deal to most people. It wasn't like most people had lived the way he had for years. He was better off now, it shouldn't have been a big deal. Guess old habits really do die hard. Plus he recalled how Emmet had a harder time than most seeing the points of view of other people so he sighed and tugged at his choker's charm loosely.

"Sorry... I shouldn't have made a big deal 'bout it. Food is... sort o' a big deal fer me and I don't like wastin' it." The rocker shook his head before hearing that final question his new friend asked. A small smile formed on his face that barely broke past his normal disinterested expression, "ya already did Emmet. Ya snapped me out of it."

Daedra giggled in response, smiling at the large badger Pokemon. "Aww, poor guy~ I bet he wishes it was really a coat. So much easier to just take off!"

Though, that might end up better or worse depending what was underneath. An Obstagoon might not be thrilled walking about with a completely bare-shaved torso! It would be amusing though~ Though, she wasn't going to say that aloud to a pretty tough looking customer!

"I'm surprised you two aren't in one of the cafes or restaurants! They would allow Obstagoon in, provided it wasn't too crowded, and lots of nice a.c.!" Though, being in a store did bring a lot of white-noise and lack of a pleasant breeze~ "I guess you would be committed to buying something inside," she added with a giggle.

"If you think it warm here, be careful passed Castelia," she warned. "Relic Resort is up that way, and it's warm and windy even in the winter! Though, your Obstagoon looks like he might fit in with all the Scrafty and little Scraggies there! Careful - they can be sneaky~"

Personally, Daedra thought the little kicking lizards were cute with their little droopy pants and frowny faces. She also knew they could make a lot of trouble if they wanted! She'd gotten something from her bag swiped once or twice by the hoodlum Pokemon before~ The redhead really didn't hold it against them though. They never really did anything of real harm unless they were threatened.

"You dress to match your Pokemon? Aww, that's sweet!" Daedra's face scrunched up happily at the notion. "I do the same-- or atleast try to! My other Pokemon, Lulu, loves wearing all sorts of things like ribbons and clips!" Daedra atleast matched to Pendra mostly on default. Pink was just her favorite color~

"Oh, Pendra and I weren't doing anything of real note," the petite woman admitted. "I was just restocking some things at a vending machine, they're much cheaper than buying from the PokeMarts! But wouldn't you know my luck?" She asked, not bothering to wait for an answer. "All the vending machines around Unova, and I usually manage to find the one with a line!"

Daedra chuckled again, showing it really didn't phase her. Lines were a given in much of Unova anyway!

"I think Pendra just wandered off in the wait." A cheery doot in response, followed with some neck swaying.