the original leading lady

I'm Kris, from New Bark Town. I've been everywhere--in Johto at least--and there's one thing I really wanna do...travel, explore, try new things and meet new people! Wanna join me?

[gottalovebikeshorts]

"Hold it a minute" Green's eyes narrowed at the appearance of yet another person following him. "You do look familiar. Where do I know you from?"

...Oh! The elusive Viridian gym leader made an appearance. Kris remembered stopping by his gym when she had visited Kanto before, however, he was nowhere to be found. 

"...Do ya really know me?" She looked at him, her eyebrows scrunching together. "Uhhh...oh!"

"You're Teal, aren't you!" 

Kris chuckled, giving the man a thumbs up. This was definitely him!

[gottalovebikeshorts]

suavespy started following you.

...

[Kris scrunches her brow; this is certainly someone she's never seen before. She can only think of one thing to say.]

Cool hair. 

What's your name?

[gottalovebikeshorts]

Kris & Ash: get on your bikes and ride!

[gotta-ketchumall-archive]

It was kind of weird to be alone. Not that it was really something Ash couldn’t handle. Besides, he wasn’t really alone with his buddy Pikachu by his side! Or, in this case, on his shoulder. The two were just enjoying walking with nowhere to go, Ash with his hands on the back of his head, Pikachu hanging on just tight enough not to fall, the two simply happy to be with one another.

Neither were even really speaking. In fact it was quiet enough that the sound of whizzing caught Ash’s attention from behind. The pair stopped and looked back, and were caught a little off guard to see the girl on the bike zip past them. Man, that’s fast, Ash was thinking, and as it turned out, he’d actually underestimated her speed! 

“Ah!” Ash and Pikachu’s jaws simultaneously dropped when they witnessed the crash, and the former was quick to run after her, Pikachu still in tow.

“Hey, are you okay?” he asked, offering the stranger a hand.

[gottalovebikeshorts]

"Gg...guhh."

How embarrassing. Totally uncool. With the stranger's help, Kris rose to her feet, paying a little attention to her scraped knees--they stung, but it wasn't too bad--before looking over at the passerby. 

"Yeah, I'm cool! Well." She glanced down at her knees. No blood in sight! "Yep, still cool." 

Her bike looked like it was in alright shape too, thank goodness. Kris surely couldn't afford a replacement. "Thanks for the help, uh...what's your name?" She kept hold of Ash's hand, giving it a steady shake as she continued talking.

"Oh, I'm Kris, by the way, nice to meet ya," she chuckled, and a little bit of embarrassment tinged her ears a light pink. "I uh, don't always screw up like that, trust me." 

She was so caught up in trying to save face, she was neglecting the growing pain in her knees and elbow. Which were, in fact, starting to redden quite a bit. 

[gottalovebikeshorts]

get on your bikes and ride! @elesa

[kamitsundre]

Elesa got off the Magnet Train. Her countenance was calm, but her heart was still racing. She had Skyla fly her all the way to Saffron City so she could board the train. She tried her best to blend: her hair in a top bun, some black glasses she “borrowed” from Grimsley, a sheer white blouse, a Sandile tan trench, skin tight jeans, and a pair of Tynamo heels. Though her identity was concealed, she did her best to not draw attention to herself while sitting on the train.

She looked over at all the busbusinessmen and the children with their mothers and noticed how peaceful they were, as if they were floating. She was fascinated by the speed of electricity in a matter of minutes she would be in Goldenrod City. This inspired her.

But, as calm as she was she heard a scream, “IT’S ELESA!”. She left the glasses on the train seat, her cover was blown. Without skipping a beat, she walked as fast as she could (walking because it’s very hard to run with heels in) and was out before anyone actually noticed her. Her heart was beating for all the wrong reasons now: this was supposed to be a trip where she didn’t need anyone to protect her from crowds, for once in her life could she not be adorned?

Still walking fast, not even bothering to turn around to see if anyone was following she witnessed a young girl crash in her bike. Elesa stopped and almost pitied the girl. But then she heard, “THERE SHE IS” and crowd of young girls and grown-men with acne problems started bolting towards her.

Elesa darted towards the young girl and, in a low and inconspicuous voice muttered, “Excuse me miss. May I borrow your bike? I will meet you at the edge of the Iris Forest*”

[gottalovebikeshorts]

Kris had only managed to stumble to her feet and dust off her knees before looking up at the unknown woman before her. Judging by her dated early-2000s hairdo, it could be rightly inferred that Kris didn't exactly keep up with the fashion world, and aptly had no idea who this woman was. 

But she looked like an angel. A princess! Long hair and longer legs, a clear, porcelain face, and a keen sense of dress. That must be a princess. A modern day regal. 

"Uh," Kris spoke up, trying to piece together a reply. After all, this was quite an unusual situation she was in. "Y-Yeah? Sure, uh, I'll meet you there," she stammered as the model took her bike and retreated off into the woods. 

"Oh." Kris watched her leave, then turned to look at a crowd behind her. Were they following the beauty queen? She watched them disperse, and waited for them to clear up some more before following the stranger's tracks. 

"Hey...hello?" She called into the Ilex Forest. "Are you there, uh, miss?"

[gottalovebikeshorts]

get on your bikes and ride!

Some people didn't really care for winter. Heck, Kris was a fan of the Springtime herself. But there was something undoubtedly refreshing about the season. Perhaps it was the crisp, cool air against your face, or the festive friendliness that was going around this time of year. 

Either way, taking advantage of an upbeat mood, Kris was enjoying her day with a late-afternoon bicycle ride on a quiet Johto route. Her pigtails, along with the legnth of a scarf wrapped around her neck, whipped in the air behind her as she peddled at increasing speeds. She kept going and going until she reached a thrilling fast...approaching the busy Goldenrod city. Agh! Too fast, too fast!

Kris came to a jarring stop, one so sudden that she ended up crashing--thankfully, not badly enough to be too terribly injured. But.

Just in time for you to watch it happen.

[underworld-boss]

“Someone is mighty cautious” Giovanni replied. Not that he could blame her, of course. “I’m sure if I were to do anything illegal, your fellow Dex Holders would be sure to stop me. Of course, that would be assuming I would be doing illegal activities. Especially after my…chat, with the Pokemon League.”

[gottalovebikeshorts]

"I have good reason to be, don'tcha think?" Her eyes narrowed, her frown not even close to lightening. 

Kris's brow furrowed in some sort of confusion. "Your chat? What exactly did that conversation entail...?" 

[underworld-boss]

Giovanni gave a small smirk to the young Dex Holder. “Of course my dear. I’m still young and have many things to still accomplish.”

[gottalovebikeshorts]

"My dear?" Kris frowned, a short little growl escaping her throat. "I'm not your anything, and your 'to-do' list better not have any illegal activities...!" 

"'Cause if you are up to something, you better believe I'll put an end to that!" 

[gottalovebikeshorts]

underworld-boss started following you

Giovanni. Now there's a name that Kris knew all to well. She was familiar with the man's exploits in Kanto, and his ties to the Rockets that caused a ruckus in Johto years back. Of course, coming into contact with the boss was nothing to be happy about, but it was an unfortunate situation Kris was caught up in. 

"...You're still around."

[gottalovebikeshorts]

littlemisslyra started following you.

It didn't matter if Kris had been away from New Bark for three weeks or three years, the windy weather of Fall was always expected to stay the same. However, its residents were another story; when Kris and her neighbors departed on their journeys so many years ago, they each began to write a story of their own. Although they sometimes made a cameo in a chapter or two, their plots went in different directions. 

The autumn breeze pushed away Kris's pigtails as she parked her bike outside of her parents' house. She was about to head indoors when she noticed a vaguely familiar face.

"Hey," she called out, waving to the girl. "Lyra, is that you?"

[mamamiyamoto]

gottalovebikeshorts started following you

[mamamiyamoto]

Miyamoto caught her realization with a smile. It was neither malicious nor particularly chipper, but rather read ‘I’ve seen that expression before’.

“That’s quite alright. Not too many people know me. Despite my fair share of travel, I’ve been keeping to myself until just recently. My name is Miyamoto. It’s my pleasure to meet you. And may I ask for yours?”

[gottalovebikeshorts]

"..Aah, I gotcha..." 

Kris nodded after hearing out the other's explanation. She could understand where Miyamoto was coming from; you could say that Kris had been somewhat of a social hermit these days as well. 

"I'm Kris, just Kris," she offered a hand, it was the polite thing to do, after all. Miyamoto didn't seem to give off any villainous vibes...

[mamamiyamoto]

gottalovebikeshorts started following you

“Oh…! Good evening.”

[gottalovebikeshorts]

"Hello, miss--" Kris started off politely, halting mid-sentence once she recognized the emblem on the woman's top. She continued, with caution. 

"I haven't met you before! Then again, not having seen much past Johto, I haven't met a lot of people. What's your name?"

[gottalovebikeshorts]

crimsontrainer started following you

[That face.

It was familiar--perhaps she'd seen it in the newspaper many years ago, yes, that's right, under the headline "BOY SINGLEHANDEDLY STOPS CRIME SYNDICATE". Was that the face of the renowned trainer? 

Although Kris had never challenged the Kanto legend herself, she'd heard of him. Somewhere. Some long time ago. Red? Orange? Or was it Burgandy...]

H...ey, guy! Nice to meetcha! 

[gottalovebikeshorts]

morrty started following you

Long time no see, Morty! How's the gym been, any tough challengers?

[radneighborbrendan-blog]

Olivine Port

[radneighborbrendan-blog]

Brendan and Kris ordered, and when the food came, he began to chomp down with vigor, like he hadn’t eaten in weeks. In between mouthfuls of food, he stopped.

“Oh, Hoenn? It’s a cool place I guess,” the boy tried to put a positive spin on the region he’d lived in for nearly all his life. “I think you’d like it! There’s a bunch of seaside towns and cities.” He started rattling some names of places off. “— and there’s Pacifidlog Town! It’s quaint, but the real kicker’s that it’s a town built on rafts and logs floating on a coral reef! Nothing quite like it. And Sootopolis City is inside this pristine white crater formed by a volcano. Uh, there’s Mossdeep and Lilycove City too, but the atmosphere of the former two blow them away. In those places, the summers are more than favorable. When I say humid, I mean Fortree City humid! The place is a bunch of tree houses in a tropical forest.”

“Enough about Hoenn, though! Tell me a little more about Johto,” Brendan’s eyes widened in marvel over the countless things in the region he probably hasn’t experienced. He was glad he met the blunette; she’s easygoing, she likes bicycling, and, well, she’s pretty cute!

“You bet I battle! I’ve even beat a few of the Gym Leaders in Hoenn. Actually, my dad’s one of ‘em, but that’s beside the point. It might not be all eight badges, but I’m proud of the six I’ve managed to earn so far. What about you? I mean, obviously you like to bike, right? But, uh, do you battle too?”

[gottalovebikeshorts]

Kris hesitated for a moment before bringing her burger to her mouth, but once she saw how tenaciously Brendan attacked his sandwich, she had no qualms bringing the same energy to the table.

"A floating town, a city in the trees--dude, that's...man! Hoenn sounds awesome!" Kris's aquamarine eyes were wide-open with interest. "Yeah...I gotta go there for sure," she nodded to herself. It sounded like there wasn't a region out there that was quite like Hoenn, and judging by how well she was getting along with Brendan, the people there seemed to be pretty cool too.

Eating the hamburger was a routine motion for her. She chomped away, and almost predictably, bit off a little too much for her to chew. Kris covered her mouth, if only to be polite, while swallowing a chunk of her sandwich. 

"Johto, huh?" Disregarding the slightly feminine motion of before, Kris talked with her mouth slightly full. "We've been growing a lot lately, kinda used to be this really traditional area, or whatever. You'll see that in Violet City, Ecruteak, Mahagony Town... Well, maybe that's not the right word--but a lotta new stuff popped up these last few years! A state-of-the-art safari zone, an awesome dome for this sport you do with your Pokemon--it's called Pokeathelon. Hmm...We live by a mountain, so it doesn't get as hot as Hoenn..." She paused, taking a drink of water.

"This region has a lot of character; every city has it's own personality and I think that's really cool. I love it. But I've pretty much been here all my life."

When Brendan mentioned battling, Kris sat upright in her seat and pushed her cleared plate aside. "You got that right, Brendan! Well, I've been taking a little break from battles, but I love it." She almost slammed her palm to the surface in front of her. "Bren, we should battle--well, no, we gotta let our food digest first. Yeah. Don't wanna get sick or anything from excitement."

[radneighborbrendan-blog]

Olivine Port

[radneighborbrendan-blog]

Brendan walked alongside Kris, pacing himself so that she could keep up with her bike. He gave a small absent-minded nod.

“Really? I love local restaurants, they have that kitschy appeal to them, y’know? I’ve never been a big fan of chains,” Brendan paused, giving the girl a chance to chime in.

“Mm, that sounds fun! I was reading up on it, and it sounds like the place to be! Well… For Johto natives, I guess. I plan on checking out the boardwalk shops later on! Maybe get some saltwater taffy,” Brendan had begun drooling at the thought of the candy of his childhood.

Thanking Kris, Brendan stepped through the door, the ancient floorboards creaking and moaning. “Tired of it? No way! In Hoenn it’s a lot more difficult to swim because we’ve got Sharpedo everywhere. You’ve got to be so precise on what you bring with you into the water - no food, no red colored drinks, you get the idea. I’m sure it’s a lot easier to swim here,” he chuckled lightly at his perceived misfortune. 

The waiter sat them in a teal, lilac, and yellow colored booth, the epitome of kitsch. Brendan couldn’t contain himself. He flipped to the sandwich section of the menu, scanning the list up and down. “What sounds good to you? I think I’m getting some lemonade and a Vegetarian Club with avocado on the side.”

[gottalovebikeshorts]

"The boardwalk's always fun, yeah," Kris agreed with a nod. Whether it was exploring the shops by day or visiting the beach at night, there was something that drew her to the seaside city. She smiled, finding a kindred spirit. 

Kris listened to Brendan go on about the Sharpedo-infested Hoenn waters, interested in just about anything having to do with the region foreign to her.

"What's good--oh, food?" She managed to tear her thoughts from the rough-skinned Pokemon. Having visited the restaurant countless times, Kris didn't need more than a quick glance at the menu; she was basically a regular. "I've never had that, but it sounds pretty good. I usually just get the usual; I love a good cheeseburger, and they're great here."

"But yeah, if you're decided 'n all, I'd really like to hear more about Hoenn." The girl leaned forward in excitement. "I've barely left Johto, so I'm way interested," she started, taking a break to sip her water. "Interested in pret-ty much anything, dude. The water, the weather--what do you do for fun, do you battle?"

[cheshiicakes-art-blog]

feeling like 50 shades of experimental right now

[radneighborbrendan-blog]

Olivine Port

[radneighborbrendan-blog]

“Hey, don’t worry about it! I’m sure I’ve had worse accidents; I’m the king of klutzes at the most inappropriate times,” Brendan remarked sheepishly. 

He shot the cyan-haired girl a funny look. “Heh, something like that. I needed to get away from Hoenn for a bit. That humidity really gets to a guy, y’know? I’ll be sitting in my room sweating bullets, or I’ll walk outside and feel like I’m on a boat with the ocean breeze hitting me full blast.”

“And what brings you to Olivine out of all the cities in Johto?”

Brendan’s stomach let out a loud grumble. “Uh, hold that. Know of any good places to eat around here? I’m starved! We can finish talking in there if you’d want?”

[gottalovebikeshorts]

"The infamous Hoenn Heat, huh..." Kris nodded, as if she knew what she was talking about--due to her unfamiliarity with the region, she didn't--and patted him on the shoulder. "I've heard it's pretty rough, so it's a good thing you decided to vacation here a bit."

"Huh...well, there's a little restaurant by the water. It's a local place, since a lot of sailors go there the servings are pretty huge, but pretty well priced." Looking over her shoulder and back to him, the girl tried thinking of how to articulate her instructions. "Hey, let me play tour guide; I'll show you there!"

Walking her bike alongside her, Kris started down the sidewalk, chatting with Brendan as she went. "You asked why I'm visiting, right? Uh, Olivine is the go-to beach spot here in Johto! I was hoping to go for a swim and enjoy the sun before autumn started creepin' up."

They soon neared the restaurant, a modest looking place, its painted sign starting to show its age. Kris chained up her bike and went to the door, holding it open for Brendan.

"But I bet you're tired of that sort of thing, coming from Hoenn...?"