Just a Traveling Archeologist

[pinksophistication]

Maritime Misadventure II Cynthia & Caitlin

[pinksophistication]

Glowing and positively radiant with their winning streak, Caitlin was feeling like a winner. If only they could win those few points. So close, and yet, so far away. Speaking of distances….

Cynthia really should’ve watched where she was going.

A high-pitched “EEEK!” that rivaled the ref’s whistle was all that came out of the young blonde as her head was yanked back.  With the throbbing pain in her scalp, Caitlin took the time to untangle her hair from Cynthia’s leg. Not that she had a choice anyway; she couldn’t play with Cynthia’s leg in her hair! Aside from a headache that was becoming quite a nuisance  and Cynthia’s face plant into the sand, everything was okay. Some would even call it normal, considering it was Cynthia and Caitlin.

A red-faced Caitlin dusted herself off and stood up. As she helped Cynthia up, she blithely replied, ”No, of course not.” She wasn’t going to be playing dirty, unlike, ahem, last time. AKA, this afternoon when she sent a massive wave to push down Cynthia. Oh yes. That. Isn’t it funny how quickly enemies can be turned into teammates?

With their composure regained, they could finally get back to doing what they were doing. Winning the match.

Ready for the man’s serve, Caitlin’s reflexes were practically in overdrive. The girl passed the ball over to Cynthia, and with a spike in an clear, open spot in the sand, the girls had won a point. With the proximity of winning the game close in their range, the other few points had become a blur. 

Confusion struck Caitlin as she was about to serve the ball, only to have the sphere snatched from her! Before she could protest, the blue-haired man replaced the white ball with a metal cup. The bright gleam was enough to wake Caitlin out of her daze.

"The blondes win the game!" the referee called out. Caitlin strode over to Cynthia and gave her friend an awkward but nonetheless, meaningful, hug. They had really done it. Through team work and determination and hard work and..some other..cheesy stuff…by golly, they’d done it!

"And now, time for tug-of-war!" the cerulean-haired man yelled.

And just like that, Caitlin’s heart dropped as she remembered. This game-obsessed island wasn’t where they should have been.

[garchampion-cynthia]

Cynthia couldn't believe it. After a whole day of misery, where she had been forced to endure the humiliation of Caitlin returning home to a ruined villa, a mess she'd then been forced to clean up, but not without tripping onto hard floor, slipping on Gastrodon-slime, wrecking Caitlin's bed, having to carry all her bags, getting washed away by a huge wave, pulled into a competition she still had no idea what it was...

Wow, in retrospect, today had been a really long and awful day.

But now, they had won! The rush of victory filled Cynthia's body, and every aching muscles and bone was soothed. She found herself smiling, and suddenly Caitlin was right there next to her---

The hug was a bit awkward, but that was just how Cynthia liked it. Wouldn't really be Caitlin otherwise. She patted the woman on the back (it felt a bit strange to move her hand underneath Caitlin's hair to pat her skin directly, but Cynthia was a weirdo).

Perhaps Cynthia was shallow for letting a simple victory overjoy her so much, but it felt exactly like what she needed right now. Not even the announcement that they were going to participate in tug-of-war next managed to bring Cynthia down... Okay, that was a lie. It made her tense up and groan.

Walking over the beach, they headed to the lines drawn in the sand, with the rope lying on the ground. For fairness' sake, the competition was devided between genders, so Caitlin and Cynthia wouldn't face any of the beefcakes on the beach today.

"Let's see who you blondes are up against this time..."

The man spoke, and Cynthia was turning to Caitlin. "Let's just keep our winning streak going." The winning streak of one victory. "I'll have you know, I've figured tug-o-war out." Cynthia looked genuinely proud of this. "You gotta use your legs instead of your arms. Take baby steps, too." She whispered these comments, to make sure nobody would hear her master strategy.

Called to the ropes, Cynthia and Caitlin would soon face their next challenge, Cynthia bending forward to pick the rope up with a confident, strong grip.

[blessedtamer]

Machmaking 101 || Cynthia / Clair

[blessedtamer]

It was madness.  Blades, teeth, tails, every inch of the male’s body was a weapon, each gnashing and slashing at their foe.  It was a Garchomp-eat-Garchomp world, and by Arceus, they would prove better than their ancestors.  Two males launched forward, mutually attacking their greatest risk—once he was gone, they’d be left to fight each other for the prized female.  The smaller of the three attacked first, his fin blade poised to strike Garchomp’s neck—

—but he was too slow; Garchomp ducked and spun, his thick tail swinging like a wrecking ball into the small one’s stomach.  He went crashing into his momentary ally, who swiftly dodged and jumped on Garchomp, his mighty jaw gripping the base of Garchomp’s tail.

"Incredible," came a voice that was nothing more than a whisper; in the roars of the cave, it was as if the blonde hadn’t said anything at all.

Clair, however, was pumped; this was what she was waiting for!  Garchomp was powerful though he was young; she’d have to thank Lance for that—not even her immense pride could hinder her joy at seeing her Pokemon’s prowess both on the battlefield and in the wild.  “Yes, that’s it!” she cheered to herself, her fists clenched in overjoyed anticipation.  “Get him!”

The three males continued to thrash and slash about, making their way dangerously around the cave; multiple times one would be thrown into the walls—but in the tussle, Clair couldn’t be sure which Garchomp was hers.  She moved from her seat on the rock and, with a slight backwards glance towards the other woman, made her way forward, closer to the fight.  It couldn’t last much longer—soon, very soon, a winner would stand and roar his victories.

And roar he did.

It was almost comical, really, although Clair was too filled with adrenaline to understand this.  Her Garchomp was almost too powerful, too battle-fixated for the wild Garchomp who faced against him; they didn’t stand a chance.  The Gym Leader didn’t move from her spot from behind a stalagmite; Garchomp was moving towards the only unpaired female, and she would not be in the path of a refusing femchomp.

[garchampion-cynthia]

Cynthia was amazed as she watched the battles raging before her. The sounds were almost overwhelming, echoing through the caverns and causing the earth itself to rumble, but the Garchomps didn't care in the slightest; Cynthia herself even lost her balance for a second, needing to grab onto a stalagmite to prevent herself from falling over.

Once she found her balance again, the blunette came back in her field of vision. Unlike Cynthia, she seemed unfazed. And not just that; she looked thrilled. Cynthia even lost interest in the Garchomps for a moment, instead taking a better look at this stranger up close, studying her face and her body language. She was indeed awful curious, and Cynthia wanted to ask more... But she expected that interrupting the woman's focus would result in her attempting to bite off Cynthia's head.

A familiar roar snapped Cynthia's attention back to her Garchomp. She had just come face-to-face with a young, powerful-looking Garchomp, the two beasts staring at eachother. The blunette saw, for some reason, this as a chance to approach even closer to the battle. (The phrase "I hate to see her go but I love to watch her leave" came to mind, for reasons unsaid), but Cynthia remained where she was, within earshot so she could still here the blunette's cheers. Meanwhile, the two Garchomps were facing eachother. Perhaps a lesser Femchomp would have gladly partnered with such a strong mate, but Cynthia's Garchomp was not a lesser one. So, when the younger male approached, Cynthia's Femchomp let out another roar...

And charged!

With a swift rush, she crashed her weight against the male's body (some might call it a dragon rush), forcing them both forward, grinding them against the cavern floor in a way that carved up the heavy rock. Utilizing the element of surprise, she opened her fangs and placed a sharp bite! Cynthia couldn't see what happened next, but the two fighters broke up, Cynthia's femchomp on one hand and the young male on the other!

"You can do this, Garchomp! You are older and stronger than him!"

Cynthia's Garchomp couldn't hear her, of course. There were much too many noises, and she was locked in battle. However, the words just slipped out of Cynthia either way; not encouraging her Pokemon would just feel wrong.

[pinksophistication]

Maritime Misadventure II Cynthia & Caitlin

[pinksophistication]

Caitlin was kind of VERY competitive.

That nature came from always getting what she wanted. Materialistically speaking, of course. As for winning titles and sports, she was notorious for being a bit of a….*cough* sore loser *cough*.

"I have some experience in tennis," Caitlin retorted. Experience that came only  because her parents dragged her out to play for fear that she would form some sort of vitamin D deficiency. 

Now chess, that’s where it was at.

Getting into the infamous volleyball pose of sticking her butt out, Caitlin was ready to go. She watched as the ball was passed back and forth just before Cynthia let out a killer spike that went….out. Caitlin halted, her eyes wide at Cynthia. “Not bad. Just a little too much power there, Cynth.”

The whole world went into slow-motion as the ball shadowed the sun to cross over to their side. From the back row, Caitlin set it over to Cynthia, who promptly passed it over back to the Elite. Rushing over to the front row, Caitlin could feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins. They had to synchronize, feel the groove, get into the rhythm. This was where it counted.

Step, step,…. jump, boom! 

Within seconds, the ball soared over the net and was just about to land on the soft sand before the woman made a ferocious dive to dig the ball up to her partner. The aristocrat grit her teeth as she watched the male from the other side quickly  toss it over to the net. Just like that, they were back to square one.

With a glint in her eye (and something that could have been interpreted as a snarl from..certain…angles), Caitlin rushed over to the front row and blocked the ball. The white sphere made contact with the sand and they’d landed their first point. 

Indeed, Cynthia, things were getting very exciting.

[garchampion-cynthia]

Cynthia let out a cheer for her friend+teammate when the girl scored. "Way to go, Caitlin!" She pumped her fist with a happy hop, cheering on the Elite who had, despite Cynthia's earlier theories,  actually proved to be pretty handy out in the court.

This, of course, meant that Cynthia had to step up her game. She wouldn't let Caitlin be the only one to shine today! This was like a Pokemon battle; merely competing in one was fun, but winning would give her that sweet, sweet satisfaction.

Next up, it was their opponents turn to serve. The white ball came over to the net, and Cynthia gave it a bounce over to Caitlin, who managed to get it back to the others. This game of back-and-forth continued for awhile, until the man finally landed a spike! Only Cynthia's quick dive to the ground, crashing on the sand, hand in front of her protected them.

Cynthia was still on the ground when the referee called out 'Another point to the blondes!', so evidently, everything worked out for the best. Getting to her feet, Cynthia gave her friend an encouraging pat on the back, and then, things finally started turning around, despite Cynthia's earlier mistake.

The champion even managed to score some points herself. And all of a sudden, the two women were in the lead. In fact, they were pretty close to winning. Maybe they even would have won, hadn't Cynthia, in her charge to get the ball, failed to notice massive amounts of blonde hair that got tangled in her, causing the champion to trip.

Landing face-first in the sand, Cynthia let out a groan. Geez, why is Caitlin's hair so long. (Any comments about a pot and a kettle would be ignored, thank you very much.)

"We aren't going to lose, are we?" Cynthia didn't ask it to know, she asked it as a challenge. Lying on the ground, she shot Caitlin a look that said only one thing.

Let's win this.

[pinksophistication]

Maritime Misadventure II Cynthia & Caitlin

[pinksophistication]

Everything else was a blur from there.

How Caitlin was able to gather up enough energy to walk to the rest of the strangers was beyond her. Exhaustion, anger, a longing to go home, whatever it was she felt, it was enough to drain her mentally and physically. She couldn’t even answer Cynthia’s question, just barely lifting her head up to meet the other blonde’s gaze with glassy eyes.

…Speaking of Cynthia’s question…

The blue man who had blown the whistle just seconds before pulled the pair, yet again, towards a plot in the sand clearly marked with white lines. 

A sly smile creeping its way up onto her face, Caitlin eyed the tall net dividing the large plot. Well, well, well. If it wasn’t her old pal, volleyball. All the hours spent watching Misty May-Trainer play was going to go to good use after all. Oh, and, uh, all the summers spent retreating to the beach with her family would probably help too.

With a pompous huff coming from the blonde, Caitlin tried to reassure Cynthia with the statement, “Don’t you worry your pretty little head, Cynthia. I’ve watched Misty May-Trainer enough times to know what I’m doing!” Key word: tried. 

The bluenette man playing referee, the whistle was blown and the game began. With the white ball in her hand, Caitlin let out a short exhale before she threw it up and served it to the other side. 

Gee, you’d think they’d be playing for a prize being so serious about it.

[garchampion-cynthia]

Caitlin had that look right now. That sly smirk, that look in her eyes that just yelled that she was planning something wicked right now. Cynthia couldn't help but feel a chill move down her spine, despite the heat of the beach.

The champion returned Caitlin's confident reassurance with a raised eyebrow and a baffled expression. "You ever practiced sports?" Cynthia asked, genuinely surprised. "I kinda figured you were a shut-in."

In the end, though, Cynthia returned the smile, but whether that was because of Caitlin's reassurance or her compliment, nobody knew. Positioning herself in front of Caitlin, she put her feet down proper in the ground, standing strong. Yes, this was an athlete's pose.

"Ready when you are, Caitlin. Let's show them what our teamwork can do!" Excitement was evident on Cynthia's face; she was getting serious! And when Cynthia got serious, she couldn't help but look, some would say excited, others would say smug.

The white ball passed by Cynthia, to their opponents, a man and a woman. They bounced the ball between the two of them, and then passed it over the net...

Tales of Cynthia's jump that day would be told in ages to come. The match had barely even started, and the first opportunity she got, Cynthia had charged forward like a Sawsbuck, before jumping high in the air like a Blaziken, the sight of Sinnoh's champion up in the air, hair glittering in the sun, limbs elegantly extended, burning into the eyes of everyone present.

Or atleast, that's what Cynthia imagined as she smashed her hand against the white ball, watching it spike down on the court as she landed against the sand, listening to the referee make the call.

"It's out!"

Cynthia froze up. The ball was passed back to them for a second serve, Cynthia needing to break the silence. "...It's getting exciting, isn't it!"

After all, what was a match without some tension?!

[blessedtamer]

Machmaking 101 || Cynthia / Clair

[blessedtamer]

It was one of the most thrilling sights Clair had ever seen.  Tens of massive, spiked dragons thrashed on the cavern floor below; the males roared their frustration.  Claws swiped, jaws gnashed, and tails swung mercilessly at their battle-ready opponents.  The dust settled momentarily—a lesser female finally accepted a mate—before rising up to the stalactites once more from an explosive bellow of desire.  The coupling of Garchomp, her grandfather told her, was one of the more violent of all the dragon species.  It was something Clair couldn’t miss, considering this was her own Garchomp’s first season as a fully-grown adult.  Despite evolving last year, dragon physiology and season dictated their reproductive lives.

Gravel being moved caught the Dragon Master’s attention, snapping her out of thoughts of baby Gible.  She turned her head quickly, her icy blue eyes narrowing at the intruder: clothing?  A wave of blonde cascaded in front of her as it was flipped over a shoulder.  How pretentious.  Clair frowned as she retained eye contact as the person took the seat next o her.

“You should leave now before you get hurt,” she whispered harshly, turning to watch the scene below.  Garchomp walked between the fighting males, his head held high, his expression intent.  “This is no place for amateurs.”  Her eyes returned to the woman, whose face she hadn’t care to scrutinize before.  Though Clair had never seen the woman before, there was something familiar in her features.

The scene below quieted once more, much sooner than the Dragon Master had expected.  Soft vibrations became bass-heavy growls that seemed to shake their entire world.  Her stomach swelled with tingling excitement, the hairs on the back of her neck prickling.

The main event was about to begin.

[garchampion-cynthia]

Cynthia wasn't here simply to study the mating of Garchomps. In fact, the thought creeped her out just a little bit; it felt almost voyeuristic, sneaking around to check out Garchomps getting busy. She didn't even have a fancy title like 'Pokemon Professor' or 'Dragon Master' to fall back to. No, she was here with a mission...

A mission she briefly forgot when faced with this mysterious blunette. Cynthia heard her harsh tone, met her stern gaze, and suddenly, the blonde felt more interested in her than the Garchomps. How typical.

"I can handle myself." Cynthia spoke matter-of-factly, her tone cool, dismissive of Clair's warning. "I suppose you can, as well?" There was a light hint of teasing to Cynthia's words, but she made no sign if that was intentional or not.

Cynthia would gladly have talked more with the woman, but a roar soon echoed the cave, pebbles falling from the ceiling as it trembled. For a moment, Cynthia was stunned, her focus shifting from the blunette to the Garchomps below.

Two males had ganged up on a third, growling and roaring to intimidate, while the others circled around them, studying the fight to break out. Cynthia's own Garchomp was there, ready to attack.

And too fast for Cynthia's eyes to follow, one of the males had lashed out at the challenger with the blades of his arm, aiming to impress a mate by beating the competition.

The sight made Cynthia speechless for a second, but once she found her words, she simply muttered; "Incredible."

[pinksophistication]

Villa Disaster II Cynthia & Caitlin

[pinksophistication]

With the throbbing sting of salt in her nose, Caitlin flipped her heavy hair out of her eyes and tried to regain her composure. Well that could have gone better. Caitlin looked around, trying to track the older blonde. Getting knocked down by the wave was enough to make her regret the decision. Luckily, Cynthia was nearby - unscathed and a-okay.

That relief didn’t last long, however. Following Cynthia’s lead, Caitlin also took note of the houses, something she would later come to regret.

Something was wrong. Off. The houses in the distance didn’t ring a bell, nor were there a ridiculous amount of umbrella trees planted in the ground alongside the white beach chaises. Where was the Lockwood’s grand mansion? The one that anyone could see from miles away? Or even that dingy little blue beach house off in the corner? This, this wasn’t right…..this wasn’t the coast of Undella! Caitlin knew Undella better than anyone! It was something she prided herself on! 

Gulping, Caitlin’s eyes frantically flickered over to meet Cynthia’s. Perhaps not the wisest decision at the time. “N-neither do I…” Yup, it was freak-out time. 

"Although, I-I’m confident we could go ask someone. Land’s a good sign," she weakly offered. With a heavy heart, Caitlin led Cynthia as they trudged their way over to the coastline. 

They didn’t have to go too far. Out of seemingly nowhere, a man with blue hair popped out like some sort of beach Ranger and remarked, ” Hey! You two are just in time for the first event!” before pulling the two puzzled blondes along.

[garchampion-cynthia]

"You don't know?" Cynthia repeated, baffled. How couldn't Caitlin know, she was the one who lived her! If Caitlin didn't know where they were, that meant... They were lost.

Hesistantly, Cynthia stepped forward, feeling like a Quagsire slowing dragging itself up to the beach. She was soaked from top to bottom, and her body was heavy. She would have complained to Caitlin, had the two of them not been ambushed by a bluehaired stranger before she could complain.

Just like that, the two were dragged along, and before they knew it, they were surrounded by strangers. One of them, a nice-looking woman with black hair, eagerly spoke up when they arrived. "Great, now we have all all the teams!" She gestured towards a man, who spoke out to the gathered crowd.

"Alright, looks like all of you have gathered! With that said--" Cynthia couldn't help but be amused by the man's tone of voice. He just sounded so genuinely into it, like some kind of terribly excited PE coach. "-- we can officially start our Beach Games Battle!"

Oh.

"Everyone, into your groups and get ready to get started." He blew a whistle, and just like that, people began to group together, and only after having stood there baffled for a bit, Cynthia realized she and Caitlin were standing still. Stealthily shuffling to side, the champion approached her friend.

"I guess we a team then, or...?" But more importantly. "And what's going on? You didn't tell me there was some kind of competition going on today!"

Today's disasters just wouldn't end!

[pinksophistication]

Villa Disaster II Cynthia & Caitlin

[pinksophistication]

You just had to do it, Cynthia. The ex-Champion of Sinnoh just couldn’t wait to challenge someone to a little competition.

Too prideful to back down from such a trivial challenge, Caitlin responded back with an indignant, “You’re on!” The bravado in her voice was merely a facade, however, for her confidence waned as soon as the statement left her mouth. Cynthia had already gotten an impressive head start. The woman’s ankles were dripping wet with water drops while Caitlin’s….Caitlin’s were still dry.

Frenetic energy and adrenaline were the only things the girl fed off of as she sprinted forward against the current. She did not want to lose, she did not want to lose, she did not want to lose. She’d already lost too many Pokemon battles against the ex-Champion, she couldn’t lose a physical race.

In her desperation, the thought of cheating crossed her mind. She could control Cynthia’s body with her telekinesis, but the flaws in that plan were painfully apparent. Cynthia would’ve taken note of the act and called Caitlin out on it, accusing the teen of cheating. No sense denying something like that, because, ahem, that would’ve been the truth.

Although, Caitlin’s mind began, who’s to say a little wave couldn’t slow or oh, maybe knock Cynthia down? The currents were getting awfully rowdy at this time. A sly smile taking form on her face, she proceeded to put her mischievous plan into action.

Concentrating, she managed to make the incoming wave charge in stronger and faster than Cynthia would expect. However, Caitlin had underestimated the strength of the sea surf. Not only would Cynthia be taken out by the wave, but so would Caitlin.

With growing eye whites, the blonde could only watch and anticipate the monster wave take out its creator.

The girl with the pink bikini was knocked down onto her knees only to pop right back up to the surface, red-faced and sputtering salty seawater.

[garchampion-cynthia]

"C'mon, Caitlin!" Cynthia teased/goaded the girl from her comfortable head start. She was assured of her own victory. "You aren't going to lose to-- w--woah!" Cynthia's confident tone swiftly waned when a killer wave came in her direction, the blonde stopping and raising her arms in an attempt to protect herself... Forces of nature (aided by a healthy dose of Caitlin's telekinesis): 1 Cynthia: 0 The older woman was thrown backwards by the wave, water and Cynthia both crashing against the poor rich girl in the back, and for a few moments, there were nothing but tumbling and rolling around, knocked about by waves. "Haah!" Cynthia let out a gasp for air when she could finally raise her head from above the water's surface. The way her long, blonde hair glittered from the sun and water when she threw it up was such a romantic image... Her red cheeks, runny nose and eyes squinted from seawater, however, was not. "M--Mebbe race wabnt good idea---" Spurt spit cough. She put her hands to her eyes to clean herself, but her hands were soaked in saltwater, so that wasn't really a good idea. When she finally could see proper, she let out a helpful chuckle. "Hhheh. yoo look---" She tried to clear her throat. "Hebbarious." Taking a hand to her hair, Cynthia discarded a piece of kelp that had gotten stuck in it. Looking at the way Caitlin's immense amount of hair looked when soaked down, Cynthia chuckled. She would later blame being knocked around by the wave for laughing at her friend in this moment of mutual need. When things finally cleared up for Cynthia, it was obvious they had been forced away some distance. Their belongings weren't really in sight, and Cynthia couldn't really recognize the houses further up the shore. Looking left and right to the shore, Cynthia wobbling a little on her legs as she stood upright, she tried to make sense of the whole thing. Atleast her voice had cleared up. "That was... sniff... something. I have no... sniff... idea where we are." Somewhat.

[garchampion-cynthia]

Strike a Blow for Good Health! || Cynthia & Maylene

[sumomomoandmo]

Maylene was quiet for a moment, really taking the situation in, her very nearly neon pink eyes glancing down to the hand on her shoulder, then back up to gaze into Cynthia’s eyes. One could practically hear the ticking as gears ground in place in her head. “So wait, you…want to be…my apprentice?” She squinted, putting the last piece of the puzzle into place, before her eyes opened up wide, practically sparkling.

"Whoa! That’s crazy, but I accept, right away! The Great Cynthia is my kouhai now, haaaaa!" She jumped up and latched on to Cynthia’s shoulders, affectionately holding on tight in a very strange hug, her whole body wrapped around Cynthia’s torso. "Okay! Let’s go to the Gym right away! We’ll get you changed, do some measurements, all that good stuff, and we’ll pick out a workout routine for your body type and fitness needs! I’m really excited!" As if one could not tell.

She urged her body forward, not immediately she was still latched on to Cynthia, and managed to lose her grip and just fall to the floor. Maylene recovered gracefully enough, standing back up and walking at a determined and excited pace out of the ice cream parlor and across the street to the Gym’s entrance.

Inside, the Gym was abuzz with activity; there were as many people training their own bodies as there were training Pokemon, and some of the more fit member of the Gym were actually sparring with their Pokemon directly, or tackling the same equipment simultaneously. It really was a sight to behold. Especially for those into watching people flex rippling muscles.

"I’m baaack! And I have a new gym trainer with me!" Maylene announced in a loud but routine tone of voice, a typical day’s announcement. She was met with equally routine cheers and calls of "welcome back" and "good to see you", up until Cynthia followed in after her.

And then the place was quiet.

[garchampion-cynthia]

"...Apprentice, yes." Cynthia agreed, with a brief moment of hesitation.  She feared what wicked schemes the pink girl would cook up, but seeing her suddenly SHINE UP so brightly made Cynthia smile right back. Yes, that made it all worth it. Even more so when the girl jumped against her, giving Cynthia the satisfaction of getting to hug the adorable gym-leader.

Patting the girl on the back, Cynthia wondered just how long this hug would last. And then, with a light thud, Maylene was on the floor. "A--Are you alright...?" Cynthia asked, but the look on her eyes were less worried and more squee-ing.

Not that Cynthia ever 'squeed'.

Before long, the two of them had made their way to the Gym, Cynthia still smiling lightly. When peeking into it, she was a bit bent forward so she would be a bit more at Maylene's level, until it was time to head in. Then, Cynthia would straighten her back, waving at the trainers in the gym as she and Maylene made their way inside.

"Pleasure to meet you-- Hello -- Thank you---" Cynthia spoke to the still baffled trainers, doing her best to show them some courtesy. Leaning forward, Cynthia whispered to Maylene. "Can we train somewhere more private than out here?" Cynthia didn't feel too comfortable out here-- not to mention, she didn't want to ruin these students impression of her while taking orders from Maylene. But at the same time, she felt slightly awkward about it; she didn't want Maylene to think she demanded special treatment.

 That's why Cynthia went for a metaphorical low blow. "If possible, I'd prefer private lessons from my Senpai."

[blessedtamer]

Machmaking 101 || Cynthia / Clair

It could have been just like any day in Sinnoh:  the beautiful mountains, the chilling breeze and the colorful wildflowers alike made the scene exquisite to even the most particular of painters.  Of course, for the self-proclaimed world’s best Dragon Master, today was not like any other.  It could be said that she wasn’t in her natural element and was therefore out of practice— the weather was far too cold for her liking — but it could also be said that she just didn’t want to be there.

Regardless of her personal feelings on traveling so far from home, Clair followed her dragon as he sniffed and searched the rugged terrain.  They were headed to the well-hidden Wayward Cave, a place often gone unseen by the many travelers on their passage through Cycling Road.  It was here that the Gym Leader coerced her cousin to bring her so she could catch the powerful dragon, and it was here that they would return.

Garchomp mating season was certainly not something just anyone could witness, and that made the long journey worth her shivers.

The impressive creature extended his head into the sky and sniffed, his golden eyes narrowing.  Garchomp turned to stare at Clair for a moment before jumping off the bridge and down into the thick grasses below.  Startled, the Gym Leader rushed to the railing, her hands clasping the cool metal, and watched him race to the cave entrance.  She quickly judged the distance, calculating her fall from the bridge to a nearby branch, and from the branch to the ground.  It was just low enough for a free-fall.

Let’s do this, the Dragon Master thought with a smirk.  Placing both boots on the railing, Clair balanced for a moment before leaping.  She fell through the air with great speed, however her quick reflexes rendered that into nothing: with concentration, she flexed her wrists, grabbing one of the taller branches before swinging herself forward, landing expertly on a thicker trunk below.  Without breaking a sweat, Clair landed in the grass with a thump, stood up and wiped the dirt from her clothes — her usual jumpsuit was abandoned for a more practical ensemble.

That done, she was immediately chasing after her dragon, knowing exactly where and how far she was from Wayward Cave — the place was too special: filled with the shy Gible, how couldn’t she remember where it was?  Clair’s boots swished through the dewy grasses, and though her pant legs got damp, she continued forward until she was at the cave entrance.

She was greeted by low grumbles, roars, and intense thrashing.  The dragons had already begun their ritual; she’d have to be careful.  Ooh, this is so exciting! Clair thought gleefully, tiptoeing inside and finding a secluded — but very open — spot by the far wall.  She spotted her very own Garchomp prowling through the stalagmites, his poise confident.  Strutting, almost. 

Clair grinned, a rare expression, and allowed herself to relax as the dragon’s roars picked up once again

[garchampion-cynthia]

Wayward Cave was incredibly impressive; even Cynthia, who prefered old and ancient things left by man rather than nature could admit that. She had made her way through tight, narrow passageways, following the signal sent by her Garchomp's tracker to her Xtransceiver. Though Cynthia's Garchomp was well-trained, Cynthia knew that during mating season, she would prefer to go on alone, the idea which caused Cynthia to smirk just a little.

Obviously, a Garchomp had to impress if they wanted to score themselves a good mate, and being followed by your trainer didn't exactly help first impressions. So, with her Garchomp released from her Pokeball for the time being, Cynthia followed while making sure to stay out of sight, until the tight tunnels broadened and turned to large, rocky chambers, the sound of running water utterly obscured by the roars and cries of dragons.

Finally.

Walking up to a natural rise, Cynthia overlooked the cavern. Multiple Garchomps, some just swaggering about, some growling and roaring, but everyone getting ready to put on their best display, like actors before a big show. Tiptoing a little, Cynthia tried to look for her own Garchomp, but quickly retreated behind a stalagmite instead, quick reasoning dictating that being seen by Garchomps in heat and eager to impress potential mates, not the most reasonable of creatures, had to happen on her own terms.

Sneaking behind the rocks, Cynthia employed stealth of the highest degree, moving fast until she finally saw her own Garchomp, a sight that made Cynthia smirk. Like always, she had an air of superiority; she was the Pokemon of a Champion, and she knew it. Nose in the air, she ignored most of the males that approached her, even shoving some of them away when she walked past them.

Cynthia, on the other hand, had never heard so many dragons roaring, communicating through their growls and grumbles. It was awe-inspiring, to say the least, and hard to not get impressed by the ferocious dragon-types. Evidently, Cynthia was not the only one that felt that way, as the Pokemon who normally made the cavern their home had escaped or gone into hiding.

Now in a more obscured location by the wall, Cynthia put her hand on her chin; a thinking woman's pose, studying the Garchomps movement, and how her own Garchomp was currently ignoring some Garchomp that offered her what looked like some fashion of pretty rock. Good.

Cynthia was here for two reasons: one of them was simple curiousity, wanting to study how Garchomp breeding season was really like. But, the more important reason was simply that Cynthia wouldn't let ANY suitor woo HER Garchomp. No, only the best was suited for HER beloved Garchomp, and Cynthia would ensure that herself if she had to.

Gone out of hiding, Cynthia watched the Garchomps from afar, but, in the corner of her eye, she could see that she wasn't the only one that had considered this a good vantage point. There was somebody else there, and it took Cynthia a moment to realize the blue was not from a Gible, but from a human woman she could SWEAR she recognized.

Cynthia wondered for a moment if she should approach her, for a moment distracted from the Pokemon to instead study her fellow explorer.

[pinksophistication]

Villa Disaster II Cynthia & Caitlin

[pinksophistication]

One could never win a fight against Cynthia. The ex-Champion could be as thick-headed as a Bouffulant. That being said, her resilience was probably why she was able to attain the rank of Champion, in comparison to Caitlin’s mere Elite. But don’t let it be said that nothing good came out of losing a fight. While Caitlin was ever-so-eager to play the role of the gracious hostess, that’s not to say she wouldn’t take her fill when she wanted or better yet, needed to. Like Cynthia had said, the monstrosity of her thick, blonde hair was something that had to be taken in consideration, wasn’t it?

“Alright then,” Caitlin droned, false somber dripping in her voice. As much as she wanted to wipe that smug look off her guest’s face, she got what she wanted in the end.

With an elated mindset, Caitlin put on her pink bikini and pulled out her beach bag. Her prepacked beach bag. In other words, towels, a bottle of sunscreen, and a pair of sunglasses had already been placed inside beforehand. One always had to be ready at a moment’s notice to go down to the beach, even for a spur-of-the-moment decision like this one. It was a good idea in most cases, with a few exceptions. This case was one of them. Oh! The agony of picking one damn bikini.

When Cyntha finally, finally got out of the room, the ex-Champion was greeted to the sight of a grumbling, impatient teen leaning against the wall for support. Nevertheless, Caitlin was a girl and understood the struggle of picking out clothes. Cynthia was, by all means, forgiven for her indecisiveness.

Caitlin blinked at the blonde before letting out a laugh that rang through the hall. “Don’t be silly,” Caitlin began, “we share the private beach with the rest of families down in this neighborhood!” And with that, Caitlin began to make her merry way down to the private beach. Right. Behind. Cynthia. The sudden bravado from Cynthia struck Caitlin as odd (seriously, did she know her way around the area?), but the Elite shook it off.

A short stroll later, Cynthia managed to lead the both of them without getting lost. With the sun beginning to set, the sight was gorgeous. The water reflected the setting sky’s pink and orange hues. The air was warm and nowhere near the blaring daytime heat that was prevalent just a few hours ago. Never being one to skip sunscreen, the blonde took the time to put it on as the two set up. Once the preparation was out of the way, Caitlin wasted no time getting into the water. 

Her feet sinking in the soft, fine sand, her arms gingerly tested the water. Whipping her head around to face Cynthia, she called out, “Come in! The water’s just fine!”

[garchampion-cynthia]

In secrecy, Cynthia had more than once been forced to rely on her gut feeling to navigate down to the beach. Pride might somewhat have gone before reason, and by then, admitting to Caitlin she was just guessing, and that she needed her help in finding the way would have been far too humiliating.

Cynthia couldeven imagine the smug look, masquerading as gentle friendliness. This was just the motivation Cynthia needed to lead their way to the beach, hoping that it was the right one. And once they arrived, Cynthia just had to hope Caitlin wouldn't hear her sigh of relief.

Following her friend's lead, Cynthia applied sunscreen to herself. "Caitlin..." She started, and would have continued with 'would you like me to apply it to your back', but once she looked at the teen, she had second thoughts. "...Never mind." Cynthia could see her back was already well protected.

Feet dipped into the water, slowly and supiciously. "Huh." Cynthia elegantly voiced her opinion. "It actually is." Now, it wasn't so that Cynthia didn't trust Caitlin, it was just so that the champion felt that some things changed with age. Like, for example, what temperature one would deem as 'fine' when it came to bathing.

Standing there, in the water, the beach mostly empty other than herself and Caitlin at this time of day, Cynthia felt a nagging desire grow within herself. A need. Staring at Caitlin, that want became too powerful for Cynthia to resist.

In slow motion, one would see Cynthia raise her leg. It would leave the surface of the water, and with it, plenty of water would follow, aimed right towards Caitlin. It would splash against her, and with that, Cynthia would turn around, aiming herself at the ocean.

"First one in wins!" She had barely even said this before she ran forward--- a bit awkwardly, since she was up to her ankles in water, but ran she did. And once she was in deep enough, she'd dive forward, briefly submerging herself in water before she'd stand up, hair a shade darker from water, soaked from head to toe.

[pinksophistication]

Villa Disaster II Cynthia & Caitlin

[pinksophistication]

While Cynthia’s body language clearly displayed her uneasiness around the teen, Caitlin took no notice. Not because she couldn’t (she wasn’t that oblivious), but simply because she didn’t want to. To be honest, her actions scared poor old her just as much.

No need to fret because thankfully, Cynthia understood social cues and knew not to linger on such a petty blunder on Caitlin’s part. While Caitlin did feel responsible for contributing to the mess, one couldn’t say that she didn’t mind basking in Cynthia’s interpretation of the event.

Before they could spiral deeper into the game of ‘let’s see who can be nicer!’ Caitlin needed to react fast to Cynthia’s offers. The beach sounded nice considering that the day was beginning to wind down.  As for dinner, restaurants in Undella typically needed a reservation beforehand. Yep, the community was that high-end. Sure, there were a few, laid-back joints, but diners and their hideously checkered floors weren’t exactly Caitlin’s cup of tea. Some diners even served breakfast. For dinner.

“The beach,” Caitlin sputtered, images of folksy greasy spoons flashing before her very eyes. Or rather, her mind. Wait…how did that work? Agh, never mind. Best to shift her focus to the other problem at hand.

Cynthia’s question certainly took the psychic aback. Why on earth would she ask such a thing? Was she suggesting that Caitlin’s home wasn’t open or didn’t have enough guest bedrooms as it is? With knit brows and a mouth agape, Caitlin shook her head in confusion before asking, “Why would you need to-“

Nothing good could ever come out of having a mouth move faster than one’s brain. The realization of the lack of beds the villa had struck Caitlin. She could’ve sworn this particular villa had a futon. Or heck, at least an airbed! Or maybe that was only the villa in Pacifidlog.

Needless to say, the lady’s teal eyes shifted indecisively between Cynthia and the bed. Cynthia. The bed. Cynthia. The bed. It was only when she had done this little swticheroo act a few more times that she became aware of how inconsiderate her actions were.

By all means, Cynthia was the guest! And the guest was to always be pampered and provided for by the host, no matter how much it kills her.

Departing from her bed was always such sweet sorrow. Caitlin reached a hand out to stroke the new comforters of her bed one last time before standing up. “You’ll be sleeping on the bed,” she ordered. Crossing her arms indignantly, Caitlin tilted her head up o make her point. “No ifs, ands. Or buts. That’s that.”

Grinning, she looked back at Cynthia before her smile fell. “Say, the sun’s beginning to set. We’d better start packing for out little trip.” Making her way over to her dresser, Caitlin pulled out a drawer and lifted a bikini. In pink, of all colors. “If you don’t mind,” Caitlin began, nudging Cynthia towards the door, “I’d better go change.” The door slam that proceeded ended their conversation.

[garchampion-cynthia]

Caitlin had insisted on that Cynthia wouldn't protest her decision to sleep on the couch, but if Caitlin thought Cynthia would just back down, the girl was, for all her psychic powers, still unable to comprehend just how Cynthia's mind worked. After all, when it came to self-sacrifice, Cynthia was a gold medalist. "I couldn't impose on you like that, Caitlin. I will sleep on the couch." Cynthia said, in clear defiance of the 'no ifs, ands or buts' rules Caitlin had established. "It's your house, your bed--- Plus, there is no way all that hair will fit on the couch. No, I will sleep on the couch." With that said, Cynthia felt proper heroic and noble. Caitlin was free to shower her with flattery and admiration if she so wished. In fact, the almost smug expression on Cynthia might suggest this wasn't entirely out of kindness. Maybe, just maybe, this was all an in-depth attempt from Cynthia to annoy a certain teenager.

Not that it mattered. Before she knew it, she had been shoved out of the room. Had Caitlin even listened to what she had said? Cynthia had no idea, and right now, she was staring straight at a wooden door. The blonde stood there for a while, before she shrugged and turned around. If they were going to go to the beach, Cynthia would better have to get ready, too.

Which no doubt would take awhile. Because with no teen to decide for her (and not daring to ask Caitlin), picking which of her multiple swimsuits she should pick was a riddle for the ages. She had considered a one-piece at first, to contrast Caitlin's choice, but by now, she had narrowed it down to a bikini. Or, well, technically two.

Black, to match her usual choice of attire, or white, to try and dress brightly for once. Cynthia would be mulling this over for awhile, in her heart hoping a random trainer would barge in and help her.

That didn't happen.

Instead, Cynthia had to face the fact that she was an adult woman, which sometimes meant making adult decisions. In this particular case, that meant taking the black one because it was the closest one, and swiftly put it on and tie it together while hoping Caitlin hadn't been forced to wait too long.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting." A pair of sandals and a shirt and sunglasses currently forced down into the beach bag complimented the look. "So, are we going to the public beach, then? Or maybe your family owns a private beach somewhere in the area?" Cynthia wasn't even sure herself if that was a joke or a serious question. It felt like it should be a joke, but you never knew with Caitlin.

Cynthia said this while already starting to walk down the road to the beach, doing all that she could to ensure that Caitlin wouldn't need to drag her by the hand again. Cynthia did have some pride, and while holding hands was definitely not something she minded, being lead around was mildly embarassing.

[pinksophistication]

Villa Disaster II Cynthia & Caitlin

[pinksophistication]

Along the way, Caitlin didn’t bother to give the native passerby shooting her odd looks a second glance. Nor did she even falter in her steps as she zigzagged and maneuvered her way through the maze of aimless tourists. One thing she couldn’t block out? Cynthia’s suggestion.

"If you don’t want the old bedsheets, maybe I can have them? I am fairly sure my Garchomp left her scent on them, and that could be useful if I need to find her a mate—"

Oh gawd, why even ask? “By all means, Cynthia, take them! I, erm, wish you luck…in…your Garchomp’s mating…endeavors,” the red-faced girl managed to stammer out. She did not one want to wake up in the middle of the night only to find a confused male Garchomp right next to her.  The sooner Caitlin got that image out of her head, the better.

Once inside the Furret Furniture Store, Caitlin let out a sigh of relief. Maybe it was the crisp, wooden smell in the air or the homey ambience that stirred up thoughts of apple pie and warm, fuzzy blankets (or that the furniture store provided a visual distraction from the mental image Garchomps mating). If she didn’t know any better, it’s like she hadn’t even left the house! You know, once she blocked out the gazillion different types of sofas and price tags all around her.

Assuming that Cynthia didn’t know the layout as well as Caitlin did, guess who led the way through the building. Weaving through the various living room setups the store presented, the blue-eyes beauties were exposed to the many, many different tastes of home decorating.

Want a zen-styled room? Add earthy tones and exotic character paintings.

 A modern taste? Fresh, vibrant colors in funky geometric shapes are the way to go.

Or so the tips scattered throughout the store said. But sorry, Caitlin didn’t want a nature or geometric-themed bedroom. Her clothes were an extension of her real sense of style – pink, elegant, and posh. So it should come as no surprise that that type of thinking translated into her bedroom’s interior design.

And wouldn’t you know it, there just so happened to be a ‘Perfectly Pink’ section in the building. How convenient. A pink paradise, there were more shades of pink than the Cradily Crayon brand could ever come up with. Strangely, there weren’t any other color-based sections throughout the building. Golly, it’s almost as if someone demanded requested such a section. 

Pure glee was transformed into Caitlin’s features as she eyes the pink-hued items hungrily.  This one, this….and that. Needless to say, it didn’t take long before her arms were full with an assortment of bedroom accessories. And, erm..Cynthia’s as well. One of the girl’s more undesirable features was gluttony – a trait that, try as she may, she couldn’t quite squander. In truth, she didn’t need brand-new pillows, sheets, comforters. She had a few more of such items locked up in the attic collecting dust every passing day. The situation just called for new ones.

The problems of the extravagantly rich.

Pleased with her selection, Caitlin nodded towards Cynthia, who, by now, must have been questioning why she even bothered to follow the Elite into the store in the first place. After having the item ringed up, the pair took their jolly ol’ time getting back to the house. Caitlin walked right into her bedroom only to see a wooden bed frame – no crack or splinter in sight. Was it true? Was her bed really back into its restored and glorious state? Caitlin dropped her bags, took a few tentative steps toward the bed, oh heck, she scampered over to her bed and jumped right in, bare mattress and all.

It was just like she remembered. Just to be sure, she hopped on it few times before Bob could dare to leave her with an incompetent bed frame. The bed responded by lightly bouncing back to her push. Yes! Her bed was back into its old self! After putting on the bed sheets, the comforter, and throwing the pillows without a care in the world as to where it would land, the bed was back into a pink Shangri-La. Sprawled out on the bed, Caitlin was more than spent by the day’s turns of events. She could think of nothing better than resting her tired bones on her soft bed. Closing her heavy lids, she was just about to sink deep into –

CYNTHIA!

Sitting upright, her sudden movement jolted her body and mind out of her sleepy daze. How could she have possibly forgotten her friend’s presence? A friend that was right in front of her? How insulting that must have been to the older blonde. 

Making an astonishing recovery, Caitlin acted as though she hadn’t let herself succumb to a 1.529 second sleep. Or that she’d scared the bejeezus out of Cynthia.

Clapping her hands resoundingly, the pink-clad girl chirped, “Cynthia, I want you to know that I’m grateful. For your help today. If I didn’t have you assisting me, I don’t know what I would have done.” It was true. While it was Cynthia that made the mess, she didn’t fail in helping Caitlin clean it up. And accompanying her to a little shopping trip down the street to the furniture store.

[garchampion-cynthia]

"...You shouldn't wish me luck." Cynthia interjected, but felt dubious on elaborating on the whole Garchomp-mating-season-thing. Cynthia's cheeks even reddened a bit over the awkward conversation, like it hadn't been she herself who had started it. Cynthia did feel she couldn't just drop the topic, though. "But with that blanket, I can probably lure a good mate and ensure that my Garchomp--- Well, you know what I mean."

Inside the Furniture Store, Cynthia was pleasantly surprised. It had a rather homely atmosphere, far unlike those big warehouses she had gotten used to visiting in her childhood. Cynthia didn't even feel sleepy the moment she entered the store, which certainly was point in the stores favour!

Having absolutely no experience with this store, Cynthia followed after Caitlin, turning her head left and right like she was on a furniture safari, even though the way she followed Caitlin was less Safari Zone and more Amity Square.

Arriving in the 'Pink' section, Cynthia was legit amazed at how incredibly many shades and patterns of pink existed, and how Caitlin were just picking them off the shelves like a kid at a candy-store, a metaphor Cynthia felt increasingly apt the more pillows and blankets and tableclothes Caitlin took.

Cynthia did feel a bit relieved, an expression that quite blatantly showed on her face, that Caitlin finally seemed content once again. And when her friends were happy, Cynthia was happy. Power of love, and all that. Cynthia even happily carried some of the many shopping bags Caitlin had needed to carry the items home.

Back at the villa, the house was more or less restored to the pristine state it had been when Cynthia arrived. Sure, a broom or two might have snapped during the clean-up, but their deaths had been for the greater good. Even the bedroom looked just as fancy as before, the bed more than just restored; it was possibly improved.

Cynthia stared at Caitlin when she jumped on the bed. It was a rather straight sight, but Cynthia made sure to not look away as Caitlin hopped on it, watching the bouncing of her... hair. "Looks fun." Cynthia added, but Caitlin was much too busy making herself comfortable, lying down and...

....

"...Caitlin?"

Cynthia was less insulted and more confused. Caitlin jolting up didn't exactly alleviate her confusion, the sleeping blonde's behaviour a pure mystery for Cynthia right now. The fact that her heels had slowly inched back towards the door was totally unrelated to any of this behaviour.

"Grateful for what? I was the primary cause for this entire mess. If it wasn't for me, the villa would still be in tip-top condition." Cynthia still sounded confused; this wasn't her being guilty, this was her stating facts. "But if you do feel like that--- I am happy about that, atleast." Blushing a little again, Cynthia laughed, the relief making her a tiny bit awkward. "I'd still like to repay you if possible, though. Go to the beach together, treat you to dinner, or something."

Caitlin was many times wealthier Cynthia, so it would be more of a gesture than anything.

"By the way, you are staying the night, right?" Or, more importantly; "I'm sleeping on the couch?"

[cobaltaurora]

With the fresh breeze of a cool morning blowing through the valley, Lucas had an incredibly determined aura going about him.  Standing on the edge of the river between Route 205 and the Valley Windworks, he thoroughly searched for strong-looking Water-type Pokémon that could be on the breach of evolution. 

"Right! Today’s the day I do the Professor proud!"  Lucas had promised the Professor a report on whether the environment of a Pokémon could better influence its ability to evolve.  "My theory is Water-types may evolve quicker when they’re in water…” Tapping his pen on his lips, a gush of thoughts ran through Lucas’ mind. … Though, not all of these thoughts were related to his research at all. His mind trailed off elsewhere as he glanced off into the morning sky…

[garchampion-cynthia]

The Valley Windworks was on oddly soothing place to visit and for Cynthia, who had a habit of showing up just about anywhere in Sinnoh, dropping by the windworks was nothing strange. Partially, Cynthia visited due to the pleasant morning atmosphere, but studying the West Sea Shellos was always interesting, too.

Though, when spotting a familiar figure, her half-hearted study of local wildlife reached a stop. Approaching the boy from behind, she was surprised to note that he didn't notice her. Soon standing behind him, Cynthia noticed that Lucas was staring into the sky. Looking up, she saw...

Nothing particularly interesting at all, beyond the fact that the sky was rather blue and beautiful. Maybe he could see something Cynthia didn't (or he was just daydreaming).

With nothing discovered up above, Cynthia decided to instead focus on what was in front of her. Reaching forward, she placed her slender hand on Lucas' shoulder, patting him once before letting her hand rest there for a moment. "Lucas?"

A two-pronged assault to get his attention, the ex-champion did her best to spur the young assisstant to turn around. "Seems like we keep running into eachother."

[ahauntingtale]

New Chapter || Cynthia & Shauntal

It was a new day to try new things to add something new to the friendship between Sinnoh’s very own champion and the novelist of the Unova Elite Four. Shauntal’s excitement followed her all the way there! Today was dedicated all to the two of them finding something special that they could enjoy together. The adventure enthused the novelist, along with wondering what they would finally agree on. It was going to be an overall fun day.

Shauntal didn’t take long to become fully awake for once. She normally stayed up half of the night and had to sluggishly wipe the drool from her face in the morning. But today, she promptly wiped her face clean and got ready for the day.

The first stop was Nimbasa. Shauntal was personally a fan of the theatre, so she suggested that they go see the show that trainers allow their Pokemon to put on for the public. And today’s show was their own spin on MacBeth, which wasn’t one to be missed!

It was apparent that Shauntal was enthralled. It was only mid-way and she had shown every emotion one could think of. She laughed, she cried, she scorned, and made a few inhuman noises at the spectacle before her. These Pokemon were truly impressive!

Once the intermission came around, Shauntal rose to her feet and cleaned off her foggy lenses. She began to wonder how Cynthia had been enjoying the show. Shauntal was always the type of person who blocked out her surroundings when watching something such as a film or a play, or when reading. Her eyes stay fixated, not wanting to miss a single detail, and not wanting to lose sight of the trance a good piece of work pulls her into. She believed she had heard Cynthia let out a chuckle here and there, at least. After adjusting her glasses back onto her face, she looked up at the now pristine image of Cynthia’s face.

"This is quite the show, is it not?"

[garchampion-cynthia]

Cynthia wasn't always the most expressive woman. Unike Shauntal, she didn't wear her emotions on her sleeve. Rather than loudly and visibly express herself, she spent most of the play in her seat, legs elegantly crossed, with a smile on her face, the occasional amused chuckle escaping her lips at the sight of the Pokemon's valiant attempts at acting. That was how Cynthia expressed her enjoyment.

The show was an impressive display; Cynthia found herself surprisingly taken by the Pokemon and their trainer's acting. So the intermission became a much needed emotional break for the blonde, who remained seated a little bit longer than Shauntal. Turning to face her friend, Cynthia gave her a light smile, before raising a hand to dry her own, wettened eyes. "I'm really impressed by their performance."

Standing up, Cynthia put her hands in her hair to adjust the absurdly long blonde locks she had been forced to sit on. Safely hidden in her pocket was a list of activities she had planned to offer for the two of them to engage in; Cynthia had found herself planning, writing and crossing over various activities on this list for an awful long time over the last week.

Though, intermission meant one thing and one thing only. By standing up, Cynthia had hoped she could communicate that desire, but maybe she would need to push the writer along. "Would you like to head and see if they sell coffee or something at the entrance?" Offering or not, the two woman would have to leave their seat, as more and more people was getting up to their feet and slowly shuffling towards the exit for bathroom-visits and whatnot.

"I was a bit skeptical at first, when they had the Mismagius open the narration... But I was really impressed. They managed to pull it off." The tone of Cynthia's voice soon shifted, however, becoming more curious; slightly teasing too, perhaps. "Do you think you would dare get on stage with your ghosts like that? Or even manage to train them to become Pokeáctors?"

[thebubblyassistant]

Missingno Expedition! Team Ladylumps to Celestial Tower!

"Aaah!" The Celestial Tower was even bigger than Bianca remembered it! The young blonde stood in running-distance from her destination, pushed up her glasses, and simply marveled at it. 

There were some great memories here! Years ago, she’d done a lot of intense training, suffered some sad losses, and made great steps as a trainer on this very land. Bianca swayed in her place, hands clasped in front of her, beaming at the Celestial Tower with some sense of pride.

Her enthusiasm was interrupted by a bark. Bianca looked down to Stoutland nudging at her hand. They needed to get going, didn’t they?

"I know, I know!" Bianca stopped to check the time. “I hope she’s not waiting on us!"

A grunt from the ol’ girl said hoping wasn’t gonna be good enough. Stoutland started jogging ahead, intent on getting to her destination with or without Bianca’s lead.

Bianca’s hands clung to her bubble hat and her eyebrows curled up at her partner. “Wa-aiiiit", she whined, her pace picking up to a run after her own Pokemon. 

Stoutland looked back with a grin on her face and only ran faster. It was humored by the look of Bianca’s run, the idea of a race… she was going to win.

And win she did. Bianca finally caught up to Stoutland at the Celestial Tower entrance, and came to an immediate stop. Hands on her knees, the young woman took in deep breaths of air, trying to cool off and relax. “Okay… we’re here…!"

‘Stou-Stout!’ Stoutland was the one beaming this time, prideful of her success and happy to have made it. She looked around with Bianca. No sign of anyone else, so far.

Bianca stood up straight. She found that a little bit hard to believe. “Maybe she’s inside?" Her hand almost lazily made its way to Stoutland’s head, petting her lightly as she led her Pokémon through the double-doors. They were about to find out.

[garchampion-cynthia]

Predictably enough, the Celestial Tower was one of Cynthia's favourite places in Unova. The combination of history, Pokemon and mystery intrigued her something immense. She had been here a few times before, but she still loved coming. So, being asked to come here as part of a job was a lovely thing indeed!

Calmly pacing about the inside of the Tower, Cynthia was studying the walls. Her professional analysis? The walls were made of stone. Though the stonework was quite impressive, and the ages had made the walls sleek to the touch. She had arrived early just so she could admire the Tower herself for a bit.

The sound of the stone double-doors opening stopped Cynthia in her tracks, making her slowly turn around to face the new arrival. When Cynthia turned, her extremely long blonde hair fluttered, almost like she was acting in one of those cheesy movies, or maybe a hair commercial.

When she saw Bianca and her large Stoutland, the neutral expression turned to a small smile. "You must be Juniper's aide?" Cynthia and Bianca were--- slightly acquainted through mutual contacts, but they had never really had a chance to meet one on one before.

They were here because they had both signed up to participate in a hunt for the mythical Pokemon; Missingno! Cynthia herself wasn't sure if Missingno existed or not; sure, Dialga, Palkia and Arceus were all legends that had turned out to be true, too, so stranger things had happened. But Missingno just sounded so--- odd.

Walking forward, Cynthia brought forward her hand  to greet the young assistant. "It's a pleasure to meet you." Cynthia didn't have a hard time to talk to new people, but she wasn't always the most talkative person. But with Bianca, she felt like she had to be more sociable than usual. "So they want us to search for this mysterious Pokemon here...? Feels like an odd location."

The conversation starter might not have come entirely naturally, but Cynthia did her best!

[pinksophistication]

Villa Disaster II Cynthia & Caitlin

[pinksophistication]

In truth, Caitlin knew that the damage had been done. There was no humanly possible way to repair the broken legs. The wood had been splintered to the point where no amount of super glue could even finish the job. The only to solve the problem was to replace the legs - and that meant without Cynthia’s help.

Caitlin let out a deep sigh and pursued her lips. By now, Cynthia must have known that she was useless in this situation. It didn’t matter how good she might’ve been with ‘these types of things’ because the bed frame needed a professional’s touch. 

Luckily, Caitlin had one on speed dial.

Not that these types of things happened often. The blonde paid for quality items that would stand the test of mine (but apparently, not Cynthia’s touch). If only there was a warranty for such things. 

"Yes, umm, I did not personally break the bed, but my friend who was sleeping over did. Yes…yes. Okay, I’ll wait."

Within a minute, Bob (the guy Caitlin oh-so-conveniently happened to have on speed dial) was in her house. After scribbling her signature here and there, the two blondes were outside Caitlin’s bedroom, twiddling their thumbs. Something about having Caitlin’s scrutinizing eyes watching his every room behind his back made Bob just a tad nervous, so it was no surprise he quietly and politely asked both of them to exit. Yes, as much of a fan he was, even the ex-Champion had to go too.

"It’s….erm, clear, that Bob doesn’t want our presence," Caitlin rubbed her neck, “so…" Come on, think. Think, think, think!! What could possibly keep Cynthia busy at the moment…a simply, basic task. “let’s, go shopping….?" Such convincing language.

Trying to recover from the obvious blunder she had just made, the Elite cleared her throat and added in a stronger voice, “Shopping. New throw pillows, bed sheets, and a comforter are a must now. The old ones are bad luck now. Come on," she said, grabbing Cynthia’s hand, “there’s a furniture store down the street with the most charming accessories!"

[garchampion-cynthia]

The decision to call a professional rather than force poor Cynthia to put her carpentry skills to the test did relieve the ex-champion greatly. Though it raised some questions, like why Caitlin had a carpenter on speed-dial, and what kind of customers Bob usually had if he was forced to drop everything the moment Caitlin called.

The power of money, Cynthia supposed. Being a famous trainer, Cynthia wasn't exactly strapped for cash, but Caitlin was a whole different league. It was the kind of money Cynthia considered too much; how could you possibly spend that much money?

Maybe it all went to speed-dial carpenters.

When Caitlin made the call, Cynthia saw the chance to slip out of the room. The blonde no longer had an urge to escape through the window, so she didn't make a daring exit. Instead, she went back to her suitcase, feeling it was about time to get proper dressed if a stranger would drop by. Cynthia had an image to maintain, after all.

Not to mention, she didn't want to give this 'Bob' any of the funny ideas that might pop up if Cynthia didn't wore pants.

So when the time Bob arrived, Cynthia had cleaned up nicely; her (technically Caitlin's) bathrobe had been replaced with a pair of thin, black pants and a sleeveless teal dress shirt. Her heels were back on, too. Standing there, next to Caitlin, the ex-champion was silent and dignified. It was the Cynthia you saw on television: that cool trainer who couldn't possible leave an empty box of ice cream in the living room.

"Shopping?" Cynthia asked, sounding a bit confused, (but still all cool and heartthrob-like) but Caitlin pushed on, Cynthia soon finding herself being dragged out of the apartment by hand, only barely managing to grab her wallet on the way out.

"If you don't want the old bedsheets, maybe I can have them? I am fairly sure my Garchomp left her scent on them, and that could be useful if I need to find her a mate--" Putting that sort of thing aside, Cynthia and Caitlin were out of the house, heading towards Undella Town.

It was noticable that Undella Town was a tourist town. Most shops were themed towards the visitors that only dropped by in the summer, but there were a handful of luxury shops, too. It was a town for people like Caitlin, after all.

Dragged into the furniture store, Cynthia was pleased to see it wasn't part of any big chain, giving it a certain homely appearance.

Also, Cynthia still hadn't let go of Caitlin's hand, despite the fact that they were standing still in place.

[ahauntingtale]

The Library is Open || (Cynthia & Shauntal)

[ahauntingtale]

Shauntal let out a gleeful squeal that went along with two shaking fists near her face once she saw Cynthia on just about the same level as excitement as herself. It wasn’t hard to get her excited, and this was certainly something that would make anyone jubilant, so her anticipation was through the roof. “Marvelous, yes! We shall not rest until we’ve found it!"

Her eyes grew even wider behind her round spectacles. Had Cynthia read her thoughts? Did she slip up and think aloud? No, impossible. That could only mean that they felt the same way about the situation. All this time, Shauntal felt almost selfish to have wanted to take the time away from Cynthia, and possibly Caitlin, to have the champion as her own company. Yet the woman before her said what was exactly on her mind for years now. “My thoughts, exactly." She said in a more calm, and genuine tone than her spastic remarks earlier, although, the excitement was still there.

She began to nod in agreement, not letting the commands sink in quite yet. “Certainly, it must be something new, so archaeology, Pokemon, and…reading? Yes, of course, reading is definitely out of the question!" She stood firm despite the heartbreaking words she just heard. But it was true, reading wasn’t anything new to the novelette. Plus, she had just bought a book that she was beginning to realize would have to be put on hold.

[garchampion-cynthia]

Cynthia found herself squinting ever-so-slightly at the words 'reading is out of the question'. She could tell that the writer was excited about the idea, but that excited? Silently, Cynthia analyzed the woman in front of her, until she was once again sure it was definitely Shauntal. And then, once she was sure, she felt a pang in her chest.

Shauntal would go even that far for her? Immensely touched, Cynthia nodded in determination. "Yes, it needs to be something new. Something we haven't thought of." Cynthia herself had found her evening walk interrupted, but by now, she didn't care. Cynthia didn't have many friends, so the ones she had went before everything.

"What do you say we take a day or two to think about what we could do, and then contact eachother to make a list of our possible suggestions?" Cynthia brought up, partially because she felt a need to mull over what she could suggest to Shauntal without it being awkward. Cynthia enjoyed Shauntal's company a lot, but their tastes differed plenty in some areas.