The Bowery Presents
todays bird
Cosimo Galluzzi
Jimmy Eat World
Sade Olutola
Product Placement
Love Begins
roma★
hello vonnie
❣ Chile in a Photography ❣
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Kiana Khansmith
𓃗
ellievsbear
The Bright Sessions
Cookie Run:Kingdom Official!
One Nice Bug Per Day
d e v o n
blake kathryn
PUT YOUR BEARD IN MY MOUTH
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@hoenn-tides
(( Hey all, sorry for the inactivity, but I’m going to be dropping both Skye (skyedxncer) and Nat (hoenn-tides) – and possibly repurposing those blogs, so unfollowing is recommended. I had an awesome time here while it lasted, though, and it’s helped springboard me in my writing. Thanks, everyone, and I hope you have a good one! ))
unexpected;&
hoenn-tides liked for a starter
♔ ||: ✂———𝕷 ɪ ᴀ ʀ , ʟ ɪ ᴀ ʀ ♥ :||
Sometimes when Maia was taking one of her infamous naps in the middle of the woods, Eon would take the liberty to leave her side in search of someone for her to actually spend time and interact with, rather than allowing her to sleep the day away. Hence had she decided to traverse out of the area Maia had been in and sought out for someone for Maia to interact with.
Trotting through the forest leisurely would not be the fastest way to do something like that, but of course it was not as though it was her first priority. Finding someone would be considered rare seeing that it was in the middle of the forest after all.
.. And that rare sight had been found. A person that had seemingly wandered into the woods unassumingly ventured through the foliage with ease, not seeming lost at all. Or maybe they were. Eon was an Espeon, she couldn’t tell, or rather, was too lazy to figure it out in her head. What’s the fastest way to get someone to follow you? Why, Teleport it is. Cue a light psychic glow forming around Eon and the stranger, then the both of them appearing right in front of Maia, with a loud ‘thud’.
Waking up ungraciously and with leaves stuck in her hair, she somehow managed to maintain her composure and stand up, dusting off whatever branch or leaves that were on her lap and what not, before turning to acknowledge the person that seemingly had appeared together with Eon.
❝ ..Hm? Are you speaking to me? ❞
Random teleportation hadn’t exactly been on the list of Nat’s to-do things for the day, and it certainly wasn’t anything she generally expected overall.
Everything else up until then had started out predictably enough; Klusmos being too lazy to get up for a walk, the others preferring the comfort of home, Angel being the exception but eventually getting bored and deciding to doze off in her arms... And then the odd Espeon had appeared - belonging to a trainer, Nat had guessed, since it was rare to find that particular Eeveelution in the wild - and, for whatever reason, had thought it would be a brilliant idea to use Teleport.
Cue frantic flailing and stumbling on Nat’s part, while Angel dislodged from her arms and crashed into the ground with a plaintive, “Vuivee!” She jumped back to her paws, shaking out her fur, before leveling a sharp look at the Espeon - a rather impressive sharp look, considering her fluffiness and lack of size.
Blinking, Nat turned in time to see the other person stand. The other trainer seemed to have been napping, oddly enough, but Nat dismissed the thought in favor of a quick, “Hi there.” She nodded at the trainer’s response. “I guess this Espeon’s yours?” Nat asked.
Lakeside { Nat & Dee }
“Yeah! That was it!” Dee was a little slow to remember names. “You’re Nat!”
As she returned the smile, Dee giggled at the Swampert who was peering at her. Absentmindedly, she rocked on her heels. A satisfying sound came from the grass as her feet put pressure on the ground. When Nat asked her about Lake Verity, she shrugged.
“I’m not quite sure myself,” Dee replied, watching the lake. “I don’t normally get the chance to come here.”
That was true; sort of. A majority of the time she was out training, sleeping, or avoiding duties. It tended to be the latter. Most likely reading her mind, the Alakazam gave Dee an accusatory prod.
“Unwillingly,” her laugh was bright and clear. “I got dragged out of bed by Alakazam.”
Dee vaguely remembered where it was Nat had come from. She’d heard of her somewhere, or been introduced quickly but there was the struggle to recall. It wouldn’t hurt to ask, she supposed, since her memory was far from top-notch. Half-skipping over to where the blonde woman sat at the lake, she elegantly perched herself lower on the edge. Dee’s fingertips played with the water as she began to speak.
“You’re from Hoenn, right?” She asked, mumbling slightly as the cool of the water distracted her. “Don’t you get sick of it? A lake isn’t super duper exciting after a whole lot of sea.”
While Klusmos decided that this person hadn’t given him any reason not to trust her and turned his attention back to the water, Nat hummed in agreement to Dee’s statement.
Frankly, Nat would love to spend more time just enjoying Hoenn’s many water routes and various bodies of water, but League duties came first. Sure, it was great to feel like she was having an impact and helping stand as a protector of sorts for the region - and yet her free time was dearly missed.
Nat chuckled in response. “I’m afraid it’s the opposite for us,” she mused, running her hand along Klusmos’ side briefly. “I’m the one who dragged this lump out of bed at the crack of dawn.” A low huff told her that he technically hadn’t forgiven her for that, but she simply smirked at the Swampert in response.
After a moment, Klusmos slipped away from Nat’s side to slide into the water. He stayed within a three-yard radius, but decided that he had the right to enjoy the lake after being woken up so early.
Turning her head from the Swampert to the speaking trainer, Nat shrugged. Her gaze drifted slightly to the mostly-still surface, which was only disturbed by the native Pokemon or the gentle wind that tugged at the waters. “Yeah, I am. Lakes have a different feel to them, though - I used to think they were a lot more boring, being so still in comparison to rivers and oceans, but there are a lot of little things that are much clearer here, if that makes any sense...?”
Under My Umbrella // Wylie & Natalie
The boy didn’t really know how to respond to the praise. It was definitely welcomed, but he didn’t know how to react. Wylie never got praise. Especially not on something like this, that was so important to him. The last time Wylie was commended for something, it was because he’d managed to survive a near fatal beating by a group of bullies at school. He was being praised by his doctor for being able to tough it out and managing to get to the hospital, so he could be helped.
That hardly counted, though. “Well, I hope you stay safe.” He said quickly. Nat was very nice towards him, and he’d hate to see anything happen to her. Or to anyone, really. It wouldn’t be good to see anyone at all get hurt. Wylie bit his lower lip, nervous at what she was going to say next. The moment she asked about the badge, the boy visibly perked up. She was actually interested in something he’d accomplished? That was more rewarding than actually earning the thing itself.
“It’s my very first badge. I haven’t challenged any of the Gyms in Sinnoh— I’m not really supposed to be battling. But I couldn’t help myself. And I hope that, one day, I get to challenge the Elite Four and become a great trainer!” The passion and drive were definitely there. The only problem was getting over his irrational fear of Pokémon. Wylie sniffled softly, before giving Nat another bright smile. He was growing fond of her already. The boy hesitantly lowered his hands away from his face. He had a feeling she wouldn’t strike him.
However, he was still on edge. There was no telling how a person would act, especially so soon after meeting them. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that!” The kid said, perhaps a little too quickly. “I don’t always meet someone who wants to listen.” Wylie directed his gaze back out towards the rain, hoping she wouldn’t stop listening because of what he’d said. People were disappointing, in a word. He was preparing himself for another disappointment.
Wylie was such a sweet child. Nat smiled at him, replying, “Thank you. You stay safe as well, alright?” Which staying outside, alone, in the rain, did not really describe. She didn’t want to think of what would happen if some less than lawful people took advantage of the undefended boy.
“It is? Congrats, then! I’m sure that you’ll work your way through the gyms quickly - and maybe one day I’ll see you on the other side of the battlefield, if you ever decide to return to Hoenn.” His enthusiasm was infectious, really. After a moment, though, Nat tilted her head slightly. “You’re not supposed to battle? Is it because you’re too young, or...?”
Blinking at the sudden words, Nat briefly decided to sic Poseidon - with a Mega evolution on top, of course - on whoever planted such an idea into Wylie’s head before reassuring, “No, no, it’s fine! Listening is an important skill, it’s a pity that not many people like to exercise it, but I’m perfectly okay with speaking with you. Do you spend a lot of time with really stuck-up adults? Because I think people like those just like to hear the sound of their own voice,” she added lightly, trying to bring back his gaze and smile.
Under My Umbrella // Wylie & Natalie
The redhead looked up at her, unsure of what to say. It would be an understatement to say that he was nervous. He always got nervous around people of influence, especially someone with such strong Pokémon. The kid really wasn’t sure of how to react. She wasn’t mad at him? Really? That was new. Wylie looked down, still apologetic.
“I’m s-sorry, Miss Maes… I mean, um, Nat.” He had always been uncomfortable with calling adults by their first names. Most adults tended to disapprove of that kind of thing. When she asked for his name, though, Wylie froze a little. He had always been told that, if someone asked, he was not to tell them his last name. ‘Then, if you fuck up, they’ll be able to trace me to you.’ That’s what Frederic always said. So Wylie took his words to heart.
Sniffling, the boy responded. “I’m Wylie.” He said. “My brother’s the Gym Leader here. It’s… It’s really nice to meet you!” There was so much sincerity in his voice. Wylie didn’t meet someone so nice very often, and it was a nice surprise. He smiled at her, but it was timid and weak. That’s how it always was, nowadays. “Sorry about that. I was in Hoenn last week, my dad entered a contest there. You were on the news! And so was the Champion, and the other Elites! I don’t remember it much, but you said something about Team Aqua and Magma.”
Now that Wylie knew it was safe to be around her, he was a bit more talkative. Still keeping his hands up, as if to guard himself, the boy continued talking. “I challenged one of the gyms, too. The first gym! And it took me a couple tries, but I beat it! I even have the badge!” The boy beamed. Nat was easy to talk to. And he was certain that she wouldn’t shoot him down, like so many others had.
In near-complete relaxation thanks to the storm in the background, Nat let her gaze drift from the rain and to the young boy. “Don’t worry about it,” she replied dismissively, shrugging. It wasn’t like he’d know to call her ‘Nat’ before she told him; she’d made sure that very official things had ‘Natalie’ scrawled all over them, so it made sense that such was the name the general public knew her by.
Nat desperately resisted the urge to coo - he was adorable, really, but he probably wouldn’t react well to a condescending tone - as she responded, “It’s nice to meet you too, Wylie.” On the other hand, the smile on his face was - brittle, for the lack of a better word. She resolved to make it at least a little brighter before they parted ways.
When he mentioned the news, she blinked and tried to think back. “Oh - yeah, I remember that.” Including how a couple of other League members had insisted that she not have Poseidon out and ready to Dragon Pulse anyone who got too close. Spoilsports. Chuckling, she shook her head before continuing wryly, “To be honest, I just rambled a bit about how both teams may or may not have some new people starting them back up, so people should be careful when going about daily business. Nothing too interesting.”
It did remind her, though, that she was supposed to be keeping an eye out for suspicious activity. What sort of suspicious activity, she’d asked, and they’d responded, suspicious suspicious activity, which was a useless response. But okay. Sure, she’d keep an eye for suspicious suspicious activity, why not. Still, Nat brushed the thought away as Wylie talked, and smiled back at him. “That’s great, nice job on that!” she praised. “Is that your first badge, or do you have others from different regions?”
Under My Umbrella // Wylie & Natalie
This whole situation was a little strange to Wylie. First, a kind stranger had offered her help, And now he was standing under the same umbrella as a Pokémon. Wylie had never been brave enough to stay in this kind of position before. But the Eevee didn’t seem to mean him any harm. In fact, the creature seemed more curious than anything as to the cause of his discomfort. But Wylie wasn’t taking any chances.
The way this woman talked seemed familiar. There wasn’t anything special about it, of course, but there was just something about her… Wylie pushed that thought aside, however, and focused on what she was saying. It confused him. How could someone feel guilt over someone they’d never met? It was just baffling to the eleven-year-old. “But—how? You don’t even know my name.” He pointed out. Perhaps he was staying on the subject too long. But it really was immensely confusing.
Wylie couldn’t place where he knew her from. But now he was absolutely certain he’d seen this woman somewhere before. He thought over the possibilities. He definitely didn’t know her from Sinnoh. She didn’t live here, and he could decipher that just by the look of her. But his dad had dragged him to a contest in Hoenn recently…
Oh, no. That was it.
Wylie’s breath hitched. He’d just met one of the Elite Four members, and hadn’t even known it. Now he recognized her face, her voice. Her name was Natalie Maes, the water type Elite of Hoenn. Now, incredibly embarrassed, the boy hid his face in his sleeves. “I’m sorry, miss!” He said quickly. “I really shouldn’t have held you up. I didn’t realize…” Wy frantically tried to apologize, knowing that Frederic would not be happy about this.
“I’m so sorry, miss Maes. I don’t want to bother you.”
Nat frowned slightly, tilting her head as she searched for a different way to phrase it. “It’s... just being nice, I guess,” she tried. “I think everyone deserves to be treated at least with enough politeness, and even more so with strangers, since you don’t know what they’ve gone through, or such.”
Actually, the way this boy continued to not understand that concept was nothing short of worrying. What had he gone through to make this idea so far fetched to him? Nothing good, Nat supposed - or maybe just a reluctance to be let down?
She started, however, when he hid his face behind his sleeves and apologized to her, although a little bit of the confusion dissipated when he continued to speak. “You’re not holding me up at all,” she quickly reassured. “I’m just taking a breather, and the rain really is nice...?”
For a second, she wondered when he’d found out her name, before realizing that it was probably due to her status as part of Hoenn’s League. At that point, the last of her confusion vanished. “So, Angel isn’t enough of a disguise?” Nat sighed, half to herself. In her hood, the said Eevee shuffled and snickered in response, putting her front paws on Nat’s right shoulder and butting her head against her trainer’s ear playfully.
“You’re not a bother at all, don’t worry. And please, call me Nat,” the water specialist insisted softly, a touch of a smile on her face. “The only ones that call me otherwise are the really stuck-up challengers or the stacks of paperwork that I have to take care of.” She shook her head wryly before inquiring, “What’s your name?”
Startle { Nat & Dorothy }
Nighttime walks were a common hobby of Dorothy’s, especially after an exhausting day of battling. This time, though, it was more of an early morning walk. It had been on of those days of endless trainers, seemingly one after another, stretching into the late evening and eventually early, early morning. There had to of been a line outside the gate; hardly time for any type of break.
More than half she’d beaten, perhaps even eighty percent. Of those eighty percent, a fourth put up a considerable amount of willpower. Golurk finally had the chance to participate since usually it scarcely does, being the last Pokemon Dorothy sends out.
It annoyed her more than anything, the unexpected boast of people. The gates had to remain open hours after the set time. But, of course, keeping them waiting surely wouldn’t due. Even though the set time is considered a guideline the Elite’s try to wrap up around, never does the gates close until a challenger doesn’t appear within two hours of the last.
Finally did that happen, and Dorothy had to get out of her stuffy chamber. She feared if she stayed another might arise.
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“We didn’t really expect anyone either,” Nat chuckled sheepishly. The Mismagius at the other trainer’s side seemed to take some amusement from the situation, which Nat couldn’t help but sort of agree with. “Angel’s a bit touchy about ghosts, as I’m sure you’ve noticed by now; run-ins happen every so often, so don’t worry about it.”
Feeling Angel press herself against Nat’s neck nervously, the water specialist sighed and tried to soothe the spooked Eevee by running a hand over her fluffy fur. “Angel,” she tsked disapprovingly. “Come on, you little baby.”
After a moment of reluctance, Angel peered at the stranger warily, keeping a careful eye on the ghost as well. Shuffling her paws uncertainly, the Eevee let herself get pulled off of Nat’s shoulder and into her arms. “Vui,” she murmured apologetically, twitching an ear. Then, gathering her courage, Angel stuck her head out a little to sniff at the other lady. Who was not scary. Very purposefully, she refrained from looking at the Mismagius.
While Angel made an attempt to claw past shyness and fear, Nat blinked and felt like this person was familiar from somewhere. Which... did not help at all, of course, because she felt like that around a lot of people.
Suffice it to say that remembering brief acquaintances was most definitely not one of Nat’s stronger suits. Particularly if she was preoccupied with something boring, at the time. So... maybe she’d seen her on a pass by the Unovan League, maybe? The trainer certainly had the same kind of air that some of the more experienced trainers tended to carry, so that particular thought shouldn’t be too far of a stretch.
...Right?
Deciding it would be quicker to just ask, Nat offered a hand. “I’m Nat, nice to meet you,” she said. “And pardon me if I’ve met you before...?”
Drizzle { Nat & Teris }
▒▬ ♦ He wouldn’t be lying if he said that he noticed the Lapras stopping out of instinct which he found to be really smart in the eyes of the ice type. He would have chuckled out of amusement if it wasn’t for the fact that the girl would surely ask what was so funny. He felt it better to just keep quiet. “Hey, ye’ never know, poppet. Ya’ got fishermans blood in ye! Ya’ could be unnatural at it!” He retorted back, pushing open the entrance more to let her board as he rolled down a rope ladder to help her climb up since they were no where near a dock. He reached out once she would climb up, helping her into the boat as he patted the dust off his hands after pulling the rope ladder back up. “Welcome aboard the Madam Rose. Me humble abode and pride n’ joy.” He beamed happily, his face lighting up like it really was everything to him. He grinned, walking over to the stirring, turning it clockwise so that it was going into a completely different direction now. He looked over his shoulder to see where she was. “Now… how ‘bout we get out this fog and into an area with some nice pickings for fish. Imma ahow you how to really fish!” He explained, looking at her to see her expression just as it started to rain. “….?”
As Teris helped her on board, Nat chuckled lightly. “Well, maybe, maybe not. Can’t say I’ve ever tried, although I did manage to tangle several lines around as a kid.” Needless to say, her dad had put all of his nets and rods and lines away after that occasion, knowing all to well how dangerous it might be for a kid to get stuck in them.
Seeing the man’s face light up at introducing the Madam Rose brought a smile on Nat’s face. “How long have you had this boat?” she inquired curiously, looking at the vessel’s features closely. She got the impression that it was slightly worn with time and use, but well taken care of, and definitely well loved.
Kata watched from the water, but once she made sure her trainer had managed to get onto the ship without much trouble, she dived underwater briefly before coming up a little closer to the front of the ship, but still carefully along its side. She was pretty sure this stranger meant no harm, but that tinge of deception made her wary of leaving her trainer alone and nearly defenseless. Trilling, the Lapras indicated to Nat that she had no intention of returning to her ball.
Giving Kata a thumbs-up, thinking the Lapras just desired more time outside, Nat turned back to Teris. “I’d be glad to, but maybe afterwards. Kata and I really should be looking into the...” she trailed off, gaze drifting up to the skies, brows furrowing in thought as several heavy drops of rain started to fall.
“I don’t know about you, but earlier it didn’t seem anything near the weather for rain, and it was supposed to be exceedingly hot and clear today,” Nat said carefully, looking around as the wind started to pick up. “Rain Dance, or... something related to that fog?”
Tranquility { Nat & Bonny }
“Knock louder next time.” Bonny pouted, completely joking. It didn’t matter much to them, but Bonny was incredibly easily scared. Of course, it was only Nat, and she would never do anything to take advantage of that. Probably. Well, there was that one time all the Elite Four members sabotaged them, but that was ages ago. Bonny doubted that any of them still remembered that, actually. The Champion just gave a little nod of thanks at her returned compliment.
Angelique was more than happy to get a little visit from Nat and Angel. She always appreciated the company. Giving the Eevee a little chirp of hello, she was quick to spark up a conversation. Maurice and Les couldn’t be less interested in the presence of someone new inside the room. At least, they weren’t interested in Nat’s presence. Les tended not to like Nat, and Bonny could never figure out why. So the Sceptile took to actively ignoring her and Maurice just slept through it all.
Chii and Dalia wasted no time in entering the conversation between Angelique and Angel. Bonny couldn’t help but smile at the sight of it. They all seemed to brighten up, in different ways, when someone came to entertain them. The Champion, however, turned back to their friend. “I guess that’s true. I haven’t heard much screaming lately.” They laughed. “Every once in a while, sure, but that’s usually due to a rather unfortunate loss of some trainer in the last room.”
“I was trying to teach Angelique how to make a flower crown. Poor girl had a bit of trouble with it, though.” They chuckled. Angelique, though she was frustrated easily, never gave up on anything. “It’s some kind of weird anomaly or something, but I actually don’t have any paperwork to do. I actually finished it.” Now that was a surprise to them both. Bonny was a chronic for procrastinating on everything, all the time.
“And I’m not kidding, either!”
Eyes marginally softening, Nat made a mental note to - try - and avoid scaring the poor champion too much out of their wits. They had to stay sane, after all, Nat thought wryly. Although being a part of the League in the first place tended to guarantee a lack thereof... Still, she grinned and bopped Bonny’s nose gently. “Mm, I’ll keep that in mind for next time, but no promises,” she teased, singing her words.
Angel purred happily to Angelique, easing into a playful crouch with tail wagging with vigor. She cocked an ear at the flower crown on Angelique’s head, and curiously crept a little closer to sniff at it before bouncing back a couple paces. “Vui,” the Eevee called, rolling onto her back and waving all four paws in the air.
As a couple of Bonny’s other Pokemon approached to chat, though, Angel righted herself and eagerly launched herself into a discussion about recent boredoms and excitements, mostly just catching up with the other ‘mon. In the meantime, Nat snickered. “I’ve heard a huge range of raised voices, both beyond and before my room,” she told Bonny with no little amusement. “Some are happy and some are annoyed and some are sad, but all of them are so loud, I’m surprised that nobody’s panicked over a false alarm yet.”
“Flower crowns, huh?” Nat couldn’t say she was surprised - what else would one do in a room filled with flowers? Bonny’s next statement, however, did come as a surprise. “Well done!” she praised with a light laugh. “No paperwork at all? That deserves a celebration or something.” Nat grinned at them. “I’ve gotten through the worst of my stack of papers, and I think I’ll end up having them all done by tomorrow.”
Under My Umbrella // Wylie & Natalie
This woman struck Wylie as nice, somehow. Not many people would shield someone from the rain just because it was the right thing to do. Most people would have assumed he had forgotten his umbrella and walked away. And, while Wylie had come to expect that sort of thing, he never failed to appreciate when someone did the opposite. Wylie hugged his arms to his chest, giving the woman a grateful smile.
That is, until she said someone would worry about him. She probably assumed that his parents would worry. That statement could not be less true. There was nothing in the world that could get them to care about Wylie. Nothing except the media. Were anyone to suspect that anything wrong was happening, Frederic would just laugh it off and promise that Wylie was just having some troubles at school.
Which was true, but it definitely wasn’t the whole truth.
“Maybe.” He said softly. If no one else, Vivian would probably care. Vivian had a tendency to worry about him, whether or not it was well-deserved. Wylie couldn’t help but admit that he didn’t mind it. he liked knowing that someone cared about him. Whether it was an old friend or a complete stranger didn’t matter. Every once in a while, someone nice would come along. It was rare, but it was wonderful.
Wylie nearly jumped at the sudden sight of the Eevee. He hated to admit it, but Pokémon scared him. The creature didn’t seem to mean him any harm, but Wy was definitely more on guard than he had been before. Or, maybe it wasn’t really fear of being attacked; perhaps it was something different entirely. Either way, Wylie was extremely put on edge by the appearance of Angel. He ignored it as best he could and tried not to upset the woman.
“Guilty?” He repeated, stunned. “Why would you feel guilty?” That one threw him for a loop. Wy knew what guilt felt like, of course he did. But he didn’t know why a stranger would feel guilty for just leaving him be. It made no sense to him. “I guess it is nice out here, though.” He nodded. “It’s been a long time since I had to be out here in a rainstorm like this, but I don’t mind it.” A soft smile graced his face.
“Things are always prettier when there’s no one around to say it isn’t.”
Nat’s brows furrowed and she frowned slightly at the boy’s response. Maybe? Only maybe someone would worry about him? That didn’t sound healthy in the least - frankly, it was worrisome. But Nat refrained from treading in those unknown waters.
She’d do what she could now, maybe, as a random passerby who just so happened to care, but she didn’t have any right to dig in deeper. Didn’t know what kind of memories she’d be accidentally dredging up, didn’t know how the boy would react. So Nat pulled herself back from the topic, focusing instead on what she could and should do.
Angel cocked her head at the boy’s reaction to her, one long ear falling to the side. He’d not-quite startled at her, but his posture hinted at guarded wariness bordering on fear. Unsure of what to do, the Eevee made a move to nose closer, curious, but was pushed back with a gentle touch from her trainer (her movement had almost overbalanced Nat). Twitching her ears, Angel shrugged to herself before tucking into Nat’s unused hood, behind her neck and out of sight.
“Yeah.” Nat gazed at him, considering. “Well, I doubt I’ll randomly run into you again, so I won’t have a clue as to what happened to you afterwards,” she attempted to explain. “Others say no news is good news, but not knowing will make me think something bad happened, and I’ll think that I could’ve changed it if I just stuck with you. So I’d end up feeling guilty for something that may or may not have happened.” The explanation came out a bit jumbled, in her opinion, but she hoped that the boy got the point.
Thinking over his words, Nat nodded. “The rain’s always been a soothing sound for me,” she murmured. “Most people seem more concerned with getting out of the downpour, though, rather than complain about the mud or wetness or whatever it is that they can’t do because of the weather. That comes after they hide themselves away under a shelter,” she added wryly.
Stretching Legs {Nat&Lavender}
↔✿; It was just another day in good ol’ Johto. The sun was shining, the air was chill and winter had finally passed away with its exhausting breeze, illuminating the Earth with patches of sunlight that peeked out through the thick clouds that threatened to drop rain at any moment. It was beautiful and no one would be crazy enough to say that they hated it. It was relaxing and for once, the young boy didn’t feel upset to be back home. This was his favorite time of year. Lavender lifted his western styled hat, his hues glancing up at the sky to check the weather before turning back to tend to the Miltank that dotted the field in blots of pink from yards to feet away. He chuckled, patting the side of one of the cows who mooed affectionately in return once he brought out a handful of yummy oats for them to nibble on. “That’s a good girl…” He mumbled to the Pokemon, petting its head in gentle bliss as he looked out to the field to make sure everyone was okay as they fed on the Earth below. He smiled. It was moments like this that he actually enjoyed being on the farm and being forced to stay and help the family business. It was relaxing and he was sure all the Pokemon were happy that he was finally back home. It wasn’t until he heard someone calling, just beyond the fence, that he turned to look over his shoulder at a girl who stood on the other side, looking back at him and calling. He blinked. Why would she want to talk to him? Perhaps she was lost? He walked over, pulling away from the Miltank who looked upset that he left so suddenly and was no longer petting her. “What can I do you for ya?” He asked once he came all the way up to the fence, pushing up his cowboy hat to get a better view as his arms folded over the top post as he leaned over a bit for support. He looked up at her with curiosity. “You’re lost…?” He replied, realizing that that was why she approached him so suddenly.
Ignoring the smug clicking and clacking of Kris being as opinionated as ever, Nat stepped closer to the guy leaning against the fence. It looked like this area was a farm, of some sort...? Miltank, Nat supposed, spotting the bovine Pokemon a short ways away. A quiet murmur under her breath - “Kris, no funny business, you hear me?” - which was replied to with a haughty caw of dissent - and then Nat turned her attention to the stranger who would hopefully be helpful enough to point her in the right direction.
“Yeah, I’m afraid I don’t have a clue as to where I am right now,” Nat admitted sheepishly. “Could you direct me to the nearest ci...” She trailed off as Kris bristled, rattling her metallic feathers in agitation. Glancing at the aggravated Skarmory, Nat raised a brow in a wordless inquiry. Kris snapped her beak, cawing again sulkily.
Well... Nat knew that all she really wanted was some time outside. Which she hadn’t been giving her, due to League duties keeping her relatively busy. Still...
As Kris turned her head, Nat sighed and changed her question. “Is there a place nearby where we can exercise, a bit?” she asked, causing the Skarmory to perk up. “Or... if there’s any way we can help you with something or another? My Skarmory hasn’t had anything to do in a while, so she’s throwing a fit; some work would be good for her, I think,” Nat elaborated.
It would be good for her too, come to think of it. She was spending too much time indoors than was healthy.
(( happy April Fool’s, everyone. Stay safe! XD ))
(( obviously I didn’t considering what I currently am. “hoenn-tides foundation” pfft. really, tumblr. the copy machine is utterly useless. XD ))
Rainy Days { Nat & Fuyuko }
Fuyuko couldn’t help but chuckle. “In that case, I’d be honored to eat your cookies. Not many people can say what you can about their baking.“ The redhead wasn’t the best baker in the world, so baked goods were a bit of a delicacy in her home. Being able to eat fresh-baked cookies for once would be nice.
She blinked in surprise. “Really? That’s quite the range of weather, wouldn’t you say? The weather in Kalos is pretty static, unless you go to a different part of the region, of course.”
“That’s good,” she replied with a smile. “We should get you dried off before you catch cold or something.”
“Hoenn’s weather is like a seesaw, frankly,” Nat chuckled. “Unless you’re in the desert or that one route where it rains 24/7, it’s a toss-up to see how wet or dry the day will be.”
“Same for you.” Nat shot her a returning smile - not as bright as it usually was, but better than nothing. Heading inside the house, Nat let Fuyuko in as Klusmos quickly went over to the corner to the right of the door, where a stack of folded towels sat. With a team of nearly all Water types, training tended to get extremely wet, so there was always a set of dry towels waiting on standby.
Thankfully, Klusmos shed water very quickly, although that often resulted in the thick welcoming mat becoming unbearably soggy... Well, it would be cleaned off later on.
The Swampert brought several towels over to the trainers, offering both his trainer and her guest a couple of them. Nat took hers appreciatively, wiping herself as dry as she could. Then, with a soundless sigh, she shook herself and glanced at Fuyuko again. “The kitchen’s this way,” she said, gesturing down the hall as she started in that direction.
Investigations { Nat & Emilia }
“If we’re dealing with an organization like Team Rocket, then we shouldn’t give our status away like that so easily. Especially since I’m the Champion…”
“That…might be for the best, if you don’t mind. Most people, especially in Goldenrod do know me as the Champion. I don’t want to tip off anyone if we’re dealing with them…”
“Right,” Nat nodded in agreement. She offered a dry smile. “Well, here’s to hoping they don’t pay too much attention to Hoenn’s Elite Four. I’ll be back in just a moment.”
As she parted with a brief wave, Nat considered having Angel out just to dissuade any thoughts of her being - well, herself. Eevee were coveted, yes, but not Elite Four material, and hopefully the less dull will only consider Eevee to be Normal types and not a Water to-be. So, with a quick toss, Nat’s Eevee popped out and rested securely on her shoulders as she slipped into the Radio Tower’s lobby.
An innocently quick discussion with a bored and distracted receptionist later, and a quick returning of Angel to her ball, Nat found her way back to Emilia’s side. “They didn’t see anything terribly suspicious going on in the Tower,” she reported softly. “But they did mention that some people were making a ruckus in the Tunnel, or so they think. That would be our next place to look out for, I think.”
Tranquility { Nat & Bonny }
Bonny had always hated going to work when there was nothing to do. Not that it was a rare occurrence; the mountains of paperwork the League provided usually left them with plenty to groan over. However, today just seemed like a lazy day. Maybe the Elite Four had more to do; challengers seemed to run through on a daily basis.. Bonny didn’t know anything about that, though. They hardly ever got a good challenge anymore. Not that it mattered much. Bonny had to keep their position, after all.
Lazy strands of sunlight drifted through the window. Bonny hadn’t really looked over the Champion’s room in a long time. It had been completely redecorated since the last holder of the Champion position. Bonny had planted flowers everywhere they could possibly be planted, and the whole place had been completely overgrown. Somehow, it still managed to stay pretty. But it was a beautiful burst of colour and fragrance that Bonny never tired of.
It wasn’t often that someone came along who actually liked the decor. But they had always been fond of flowers. Even their Pokémon often donned flower crowns most of the time. So that’s what Bonny was doing. Making those pretty little flower crowns. Humming something that was horribly out of tune, the champion’s hands flitted expertly over the soft petals. Angelique was trying her best to help, though her lack of fingers made it quite difficult.
Doing little things like this helped to pass the time. Not to mention, it strengthened the bond between Bonny and their Pokémon. Bonny gave patient instructions on how to make the crown, but Angelique was growing more and more frustrated. Trying to calm her down, Bonny finished the one she was working on. She gave a moody chirp of thanks. “No worries.” They laughed politely, placing the thing on her head.
Having been so distracted with helping Angelique, they didn’t hear the knock on the door. So when it swung open suddenly and an unexpectedly loud voice rang through, Bonny yelped in surprise. They jumped up, and upon realizing who it was, covered their mouth with their hands. Flaring bright red in surprise and embarrassment, Bonny laughed. “Nat! Knock before you come in, you scared me!”
Walking over to properly let her in, Bonny gave her a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. They had a tendency to be somewhat touchy with people they considered friends. Hopefully, Natalie wouldn’t mind. She should be used to it by now, after all. “You look so pretty today! Not that you don’t always look pretty, because you do, but… Well, you get what I mean. I hope.” Bonny smiled, endearing as always.
“I guess things aren’t too busy down on Victory Road?” They sighed. “I don’t know about you, but I haven’t gotten a challenger in ages and ages. I guess that means you guys are doing your job, though.”
Nat spotted the champion and grinned, only half-trying to suppress her laughter at their response. “I did knock,” she proclaimed happily, “several times, too. Guess I should knock harder next time, then?”
Chuckling, Nat returned the hug and the peck as well. She didn’t mind Bonny’s thing for touch at all. Sure, she might have mild claustrophobia in crowds, but crowds was the operating element there. With Bonny, she was more than willing to appreciate their tactile gestures of friendship. “No, no, I get what you mean,” Nat replied lightly with another chuckle, waving her hand. “Thanks - and same to you, too!”
Angel took the moment to bounce over to Angelique, who appeared to have a flower crown on her head. The Eevee chirped at her, trotting a circle around the other Pokemon as she called out a cheerful greeting.
“Well, if the lack of frustrated screaming is any indication, Victory Road’s been pretty quiet,” Nat responded, laughing. The maze of caves and tunnels was annoying to anyone who wanted to pass through it, to say the least. “So far, the only part of my job I’ve been able to do is the paperwork part,” she lamented. “On the other hand, I think the gym leaders are getting a workout.”
Breathing in the scent of flowers - just because she was a water specialist and didn’t like battling against grass types didn’t mean she had a thing against every bit of greenery in the world, after all, and Bonny’s room had always been like a breath of fresh air - Nat smiled. “So, how’ve you been killing the time?”
Lakeside { Nat & Dee }
Lake Verity was one of Dee’s most favourite places to visit. It was quiet, left alone by others. While it was a fair distance from the League, it gave her just enough time to relax. This time, Dee had decided to let Alakazam be her travel buddy, who bounced along cheerily as she did. It was typical for the Pokemon to mirror her own movements; not that it was a hassle. She quite liked it.
The Alakazam watched Dee as she gave a yawn, still not fully awake. Normally, she wouldn’t be up this early. It was so early, in fact, that dew clung to her shoes and left wet patches on her socks. Thankfully, it wasn’t cold enough that she needed a jacket.
“I think,” Dee yawned again. “I wanna take a nap once we get to the lake.”
Staying up late the night before watching a movie seemed like a brilliant idea at the time, but now, it was evident she’d made a mistake. Good thing nobody would be around at the lake to disturb her.
It was unfortunate as Dee realised she wouldn’t be getting her planned early morning nap. She spotted a blonde woman sitting at the edge of the lake with a hulking Swampert beside her. Dee made sure not to sigh too loudly. Whoever it was, she looked like someone previously met. Except, she couldn’t quite put her finger on who it was exactly. But whoever this other visitor was, she knew Dee’s name.
“Hiiiii!” She trilled, waving and smiling brightly. As usual, her Alakazam replicated the wave. “That’s right, I am Dee! The Elite Four one! I’d guess who you are in return, but I’m too sleepy for that. Anyways, it’s a nice morning, isn’t it?”
Nat grinned, relieved that she’d actually managed to get the name right. Klusmos cocked his head at the not-stranger; although he couldn’t remember ever meeting this person, his trainer probably had at some point while he’d been tucked away in a Pokeball.
“Well, to save your poor overworked brain some time, I’m Nat,” she responded lightly. “And yeah, it is a really nice morning - is it always like this around Lake Verity?” she inquired, curious. Mornings back in Hoenn tended to either be amazingly pretty or horribly gloomy, depending on the weather; but then again, Hoenn leaned toward the extremes of dry and wet, not so much hot and cold.
She knew Sinnoh was more chilly in overall climate, but it wasn’t cold all the time. At least, as long as you stayed away from Snowpoint.
Brushing the thought away, Nat smiled at Dee and asked, “Getting some fresh air?”
Lakeside { Nat & Dee }
leafydee
Nat rather liked Sinnoh.
Maybe it was because it had three absolutely humongous lakes. Actually, that was probably the entire reason. Oh, and the Sinnoh League seemed to be less stuck up. Maybe. She’d have to get to know them better to make sure.
Still. She liked the lakes. They were no match for Hoenn’s expansive water routes, of course, but she liked them nonetheless.
Which was probably why she was sitting beside one now, peering curiously through the surface at the water-dwelling Pokemon below, ignoring how the morning dew dampened her clothing somewhat. As ever, Klusmos was at her side and gazing into the waters as well, although with slightly less transfixion. After all, it wouldn’t do for them to be caught off guard by a wild Pokemon or something - not that anything seemed like it wanted to attack the Swampert, anyway.
However, his guarding did pay off as he noticed someone else approaching, and chuffed a quick warning to his trainer as the figure approached. Nat glanced up in time to see the person, and offered a smile. “Hi,” she said. Actually, this person looked rather familiar... Her brows furrowed for a moment, before the confusion cleared. Right. League member. Sinnoh’s Elite Four... Maybe? “You’re... Dee, aren’t you?” she inquired tentatively.
