A Silent Legend

". . ." some say he's just a phantom Part of D&DT

[master-lt-surge]

With crew, pokemon, and material in tow, Surge and Tucker went to work on the renovations for the cave. Upon getting close, the sounds of a pokemon battle could be heard. Concerned, Surge ordered Raichu to drop his materials, and come with him to check it out. Tucker knew to stay behind and wait for further orders.

Reaching the wide opening of the cave, a loud thud was heard deep in the cave, fearing the worst, he and Raichu charged in head first, ignoring caution to focus on helping whomever or whatever was in the cave. Running into an opening, Surge spotted a trainer and a pikachu resting on some rocks, and some digglets fleeing from the chamber. With a twitch in his eye, he runs over to confront the trainer.

"Hey kid, what do you think you're doing in here, don't you know its dangerous to just waltz into an unmarked cave and start making a ruckus?! You could have been seriously injured or worse, your pokemon could have been crushed by debris.The digglet that live here have made this cave a hazard zone and my crew and I are here to make it safe, so I suggest you either get out of our way, or get your pikachu there and start liftin lumber and clearin rock because we're on a tight schedule." He stares sternly at the trainer awaiting a response.

[phantomchampion]

It was not long after the former champion and his partner took a short break to rest that the duo began to hear some rather angry footsteps. Heavy, evenly paced, and strong, Red could only think of one person it could be in this small town- and as soon as a fearsome, militaristic voice boomed inside the cave, his suspicions were confirmed. 

"Surge," Red greeted simply, inclining his head ever-so-slightly in the man's direction. It had been a long time since he'd last seen the lieutenant, but he still looked almost the same (the years gone by had still left their marks on him, though). As a child, he had never been intimidated by the man- he'd respected him greatly, but was never intimidated- and now he felt as close to the lieutenant's equal as he ever would be. It was true that Surge held more official power than he would ever take up, but he was an adult now, and they were both powerful trainers.

...Though that didn't mean it was his place to ignore Surge in an area under his jurisdiction. Without so much as a nod in acknowledgement, Red simply turned his head and looked towards the cave that stretched out before him. That was a lot of work to be done, but... Well, with the military man of Vermillion glaring behind him angrily, he couldn't exactly keep training, so what could he lose in helping out? Crimson eyes flickered over towards  Surge- did the man even recognize him now that he was an adult too?- and he held his gaze for a long, silent moment as he thought. 

"...Alright."

[justatravellingmerchant-blog]

Riley gave a soft nod, his eyebrows furrowed at the thought of lost business. If that happened, he’d have to return to Canalave and to his family. Along with that, he’d have to apologise to them and most likely take up the whole knight deal. That wasn’t a thing he liked. Not one bit.

Turning his attention back to Red, whom had already started walking, the merchant had to pull the Ponyta in the right direction from the reigns, and followed along, trying not to loose the other in the crowds. He took in a soft breath, almost like a gasp as he remembered his two other Pokemon travelling with him, his Lucario and Swablu. Would they know where to go? Riley had faith that the Lucario knew, but what would his little Swablu do if she lost him?

Turning his attention back to Red, he decided to try and strike up another conversation with the shorter man. "So.. um.." He began to scratch his cheek shyly, unsure what to say. "Um.. Do you know how much it’d be to spend a night or two at this place?"

[phantomchampion]

Pika, as if sensing the merchant's quiet distress (though didn't pokemon have a strange ability to do that anyways?), looked back at him and twitched his ears once. Then, after giving Red's cheek a soft nudge, he hopped off of his shoulders and headed towards Riley's pokemon- presumably to help them just as Red was helping Riley. Like trainer like pokemon. ...For the most part.

Red, on the other hand, simply stared straight ahead as he maneuvered through the traffic in the streets. It wasn't that he hadn't heard Riley- in fact, he was searching for an answer at that very moment- but if he didn't stare forwards, he'd just stare at Riley's face or wherever he was looking; staring was his worst and hardest to shake habit. After a few moments, though, he glanced over his shoulder slightly, as if to make sure he had his new companion's attention.

"Not too much," the ravenet said quietly, before looking back to the street in front of him once more. "Lots of competition. Should be cheap." After all, Viridian was a bustling city where you couldn't afford to be pricey. Not when someone was sure to be selling the same thing as you for cheaper, at least! Though if Riley thought he was going to have trouble paying, well... Red probably wouldn't mind helping him cover the cost. It was only fair, seeing as how he was the one who was showing him the inn.

[phantomchampion]

Tunnels and Trainers || Lt. Surge and Red

If Red held his breath and let his eyes slide half-shut, he could almost imagine he was back home- back on Mount Silver. Surrounded by a single color and hearing only the distant sounds of wild pokemon he could not see, he felt... Comfortable. He hadn't come to Diglett Cave to miss a place he wasn't supposed to call home, though; rather, he'd come to train with Pika. The cave was isolated and full of pokemon weak enough to be no true threat, but strong enough to help them overcome their weaknesses. It was perfect for training, but apparently, also perfect for nostalgia. 

As a small diglett peeped its head out of the ground, drawing nearer and nearer in a way it thought was sneaky, Red didn't even need to think twice about what to do. Ground-type pokemon, unaffected by electric attacks; a cave that surely would not fare well with loud sounds;  an opponent with good health. Perfectly in sync with each other, the trainer and his companion exchanged glances just as the ravenet extended a hand, one finger twitching downwards ever-so-slightly. It was a minuscule, barely perceptible sign, but it was more than enough.

The electric mouse leaped into the air, curling in on himself as he brought his shining tail down upon the opponent just as it appeared above ground once more. The slam and the diglett's defeated cry rang out and echoed in the cave system, but the sounds were much quieter than any thunderbolt would have been. Red may have chosen to ignore most of his common sense, but he wasn't that idiotic.

[isshuojou]

"Red y’say?" Much like the color? Made sense. His eyes did resemble much of the shade to represent it and all. It was an uncommon feature she must admit, only once had she really seen it on someone else, and that was her long-time rival and neighbor. “I think it suits ya.” Rosa answered with a finger pressing on her lips as if she was going to be making the ‘shh’ gesture.

“We’re fine. Don’t worry.” The brunette answered, her hands gripping to the edge of her clothing and trying to strain it as dry as she could. Dress… She clearly picked one of the better outfits to go out on her stroll.

"Psshh… Don’t worry your head over the small details." Rosa was quick to give the male a wave of reassurance and an attempt to show that the soaking mess that she was not as bad. It would dry out…. soon enough. Maybe they were more stuck in a jam than she had originally thought.

"I don’t suppose you have a place nearby where we can set these to dry?" Though, chances of that being probably were slim.. He was most likely a traveler like herself, coming from far to trade and visit in the busy city.

"If not provable, we can most certainly look for a tavern nearby." Bad thing for herself was that she wasn’t so familiar with the area.

[phantomchampion]

In response to Rosa's question, Red nodded silently, not knowing any other way to respond. He supposed he could have told her his real name-- his normal name-- but what would be the point in that? It wasn't as if anyone knew it anymore. Hell, he would have probably forgotten it himself if it wasn't his own name. 

The ravenet blinked once or twice at the gesture that was almost a shushing one, but didn't actually seem to be. Why was she...? Well, she seemed like the type to voice it if something irked her, so he was going to quietly assume he was alright for now. After a thoughtful pause, he removed the cape that rested on his shoulders and held it out to her- gingerly, as if unsure if that was an acceptable thing to do. 

It wasn't that odd to see someone wearing a cloak in Fuchsia of all places, and it more than likely would cover more of her than it did him. She could wear it to hide her wet clothes if she felt embarrassed, though his current residence wasn't too far away, so it was unlikely they'd run into anyone else, but... Well, he was never sure how a lady's- or any proper member of society, really- mind worked. 

" 'M staying nearby," he murmured quietly. "Extra clothes there. You can dry those-" he nodded at her own soaked garb "-if you want." Truth be told, the extra clothes were his own (he wouldn't dare lend anyone else's to a stranger), but while he was skeptical that they'd even fit the girl, they were admittedly better than nothing. 

[phantomchampion]

c'mon scoob

[phantomchampion]

[shaggy voice] zoinks

I guess it’s my turn to apologize for the inactivity! I do love rping, so I try to reply when I have the time, but I’ve just started my first year of college, so things are a bit hectic right now. Plus, I’m in my university’s marching band, so lots of the free time I could have had is now gone. Regardless, I am also sorry for my lack of activity, and hopefully, I’ll manage to get back into the swing of things soon!

[master-lt-surge]

"Marching band, what are you, some kinda of nerd or something" He scoffs, as the camera pans only to reveal a clarinet, 2 saxophones, a piano, a violin, and a drum set. "Yea, must be a nerd alright" No but seriously, all jokes aside, I think thats awesome. If I was in traditional school I’d so be taking music classes. What instrument do you play?

[phantomchampion]

"Marching band," he quietly repeats in affirmation; his brows twitch in an almost piteous stare. Only two saxophones? Back where he was from, they had fifty. Shades slide down from the sky and land on his face. "A cool nerd."  If you don't mind my asking, why aren't you? owo and I play the trumpet! doot doot

[justatravellingmerchant-blog]

Riley gave a thankful look to the other man, eyes practically sparkling.

"You would?" He grinned, bright and almost warm. "Thank you." And here he thought Red was an apathetic man whom didn’t care, it was rather thoughtful of him to offer. And it be awfully rude of the merchant to say no, after all.

The dark haired man nodded as Red spoke, as if he was taking in as much information as he could. "So I see. Then it be only natural for you to be here." Shifting from where he’d stood, Riley  moved away for the man with eyes the colour of flame. "Lead the way."

[phantomchampion]

The sudden liveliness in Riley's eyes took Red by surprise- though for what reason, he didn't know. Maybe it was because his quiet gratitude was just so... Sincere. It was unfortunate, but the once-hermit was far from used to honest merchants. That, and the company he was used to keeping- as much as he cared for his childhood friends- wasn't the most sincere crowd.

"S'nothing," the ravenet mumbled almost shyly, and definitely more quietly than usual. It was nice to have someone be happy to talk to him... So he wanted to help him. "Would be bad..." He paused, and a single gloved hand tugged on the string that tied his cape as he averted his gaze, eyes scanning the area quickly to reaffirm his location. "...If you lost business."

Then, without waiting for a reply, he began to walk towards their destination, checking over his shoulder every once in a while to make sure Riley was not too far behind. 

[phantomchampion]

[shaggy voice] zoinks

I guess it's my turn to apologize for the inactivity! I do love rping, so I try to reply when I have the time, but I've just started my first year of college, so things are a bit hectic right now. Plus, I'm in my university's marching band, so lots of the free time I could have had is now gone. Regardless, I am also sorry for my lack of activity, and hopefully, I'll manage to get back into the swing of things soon!

[isshuojou]

Regarding the activity post—

Read More

[phantomchampion]

Adding my own thoughts as long as it's alright!--

I completely agree with pretty much everything that Whit stated before. When I see a group whose moderators are barely active, I become discouraged. I neither want to post in that group or join it. I've also been one of those scarcely-around moderators before, so I know at least a fraction of something about how hard it is to manage a group, but even then, I managed well over 15 threads at once, as well as 3 muses, and activity never slowed down enough for a day to go by without a few posts from a few different people.

So yes, I'm a bit discouraged right now. I won't say much more, since Whit covered everything extremely well, but I will say I agree with the things she has said. 

--though I would also like to say that this group has a fascinating idea behind it, but no matter how many promotions for it someone might see, that doesn't change how discouraging things like this can be. 

[phantomchampion]

Panic! At the Flower Shop || Wally & Red

[pridefulstars-blog]

     Feeling nervous around the stranger, he took a step back and attempted to continue smiling. Even though they returned the greeting, it was nerve-wrecking to stay in such silence. In the past he might have been able to stay silent, but now that he was not... friendless, he talked a lot and enjoyed conversations. Perhaps the other was just cranky that he had woken him up.

     The staring was not making him feel any better, actually he was feeling scared. Did he just meet someone dangerous or were they still half-asleep? What if this man was a criminal and they were judging if he was good enough? Was this the end of the line for him? Maybe he could somehow convince the other that he was very skilled! Though, that meant he would have to turn to a life of crime and he could never go back to Verdanturf... No, he was just thinking far too much at this point.

     As the other slowly warmed up to him, Wally calmed down and smiled widely. Meeting new people and befriending them was one of his favorite things, next to flowers! Well, he just might like flowers more, but that was not the point!

     "Wally o' Verdanturf!" He said and glanced at Roselia. Pointing at him, he spoke again. "An' Rose!" Looking back at the stranger, he blinked. "An' thee?"

[phantomchampion]

Red laid his palm flat against the ground, and Pika bounced up his arm and settled into his usual perch on the ravenet's shoulder. It simply felt wrong if the little mouse was not sat there, nose twitching and cheeks sparking; his weight on his shoulders was one that had become reassuring. With one hand now scratching behind Pika's ears affectionately, Red watched in silence as Wally introduced himself and his companion. ...He'd not seen many roselias before. 

"Red," he answered when prompted for his name; there was no need for anything more, especially since that anything more was all but nonexistent now. Few knew his real name, and next to none outside of Pallet Town knew what it was. "...And Pika," Red continued, nodding slightly towards the pikachu on his shoulder. It wasn't like it was necessary though, given that anyone with a brain should have been able to figure out who, between the human and the pikachu, was named Pika, but Red felt as if he should do at least that much. After all, Wally had given him such a warm greeting, and he was very aware of his bluntness. 

Something tugged at the young man's mind as he gazed at his newfound acquaintance, head tilting slightly as he thought. Now that he was (mostly) sure that Wally intended no harm, he had to wonder just what he'd been doing there. He could understand his presence in the field, of course- it was a lovely field indeed- but he failed to understand what business he had looking at him as he'd woken up.

"...Wally," Red began, making use of his newfound knowledge, "Just then... What were you doing?" 

[isshuojou]

Rosa had been given a great invitation to visit a more far off land, and as always, her curiosity got the best of her. Having had packed some of her essentials, she was on the next boat off of the region and on her journey to a new experience. Compared to home, the new land was more settled and still in tune with nature, much like in the smaller parts and towns. Even so, they had the same things for the most parts. The bigger city and their quite stocked bazaars. Though, as much as she enjoyed the crowd, she had heard about the seaside being quite a place to visit.

Her larger Pokemon was such a babe in compared to the smaller one when it came to running along and taking it all in. – then again, that could have easily been explained by the type advantage the shoreline had compared to him.

Rosa had noticed that there was company but didn’t take it as much as a big deal. They were minding their own business after all. Though, that all changed when she stopped paying attention to her surroundings and ended up falling into the great fun that is known as the big blue. It was there and barely audible… an apology from the other? Taking a look on up, she was able to make up his features.

Tall, quiet, dark and mysterious. Now these were the type of men that you would hear some stories about back home, but right here and right now, she was face to face with one. “Not your fault.” Rosa answered after staring for a bit and her hand waving around. “Wasn’t paying attention to where I was running to.”

[phantomchampion]

Though he was usually a rather observant man, this time, Red had somehow failed to realize the presence of the young girl and her pokemon until it was too late. They were all now thoroughly soaked, and though the crimson-eyed man's mouth had only twitched slightly downwards, the guilt he felt was immense; there was no fast or convenient way to dry clothes, especially if you were a traveler (and he suspected that she was, though he couldn't be for sure). Even if she told him that it wasn't his fault, he still felt he was duty-bound, if only by morals, to help her. 

"...Even so," he murmured quietly, eyes fixated on the now not-so-dry stranger in front of him. She had rather strange hair in his opinion, though that was as far as that opinion went- though he was admittedly impressed at how long it was. He could hardly take having shoulder-length hair, and it was rare for it to ever reach that length, for he usually cut it long before then. Her eyes were bright, clear blue, and for a fleeting moment, he was reminded of his friend of the same name. With her face now memorized, the ravenet bowed low, quietly hoping that the sincerity of his apology could somehow reach her.

"Even so," Red continued softly, slowly, "I beg of you...  Please let me make this up to you." How could he simply let her be? It was his fault for not preventing his pokemon from being troublesome, and he could hardly stand the thought of leaving her with soaked clothing. ...Though he wasn't sure what he could do to help her, either; he supposed he'd just have to leave it up to her. 

The phantom-esque trainer retained his bow for a few seconds, then straightened back up. If he was going to insist on helping this stranger, he may as well introduce himself. However, for someone like him, who hadn't needed to introduce himself in quite a long time, it was easier said than done. "My name," he said, pausing briefly as he considered bowing once again (then dismissed the thought, slightly regretful about having done so already), "Is Red." 

[incompetentmisfit]

Mischievous Fox

[incompetentmisfit]

Ahh — someone else was wandering the woods too it had seemed. What a shortcoming it was to have been Hood at this point in time, seeing as it was unaccustomed for anyone outside of his criminal friends to see him in his cloak. Gritting his teeth, he nodded back and was moving to carry on. Only did it come to a realization that he probably had seen Arty pass by. Stopping in his tracks, he turned back to the raven haired fellow.

"Ah, sir, ye’ didn’t happen ‘ta come ah’cross a face like mine, did’ya?" 

[phantomchampion]

Even as the stranger had moved to pass him by, Red stood still, watching him curiously a little longer. He certainly did look just like the snickering man from earlier, didn't he? Well, it certainly wasn't any of his business. Just as he turned to leave, though, the cloaked stranger called out to him, and he glanced back. 

"I did," he replied bluntly, answering only as much as was asked of him; however, his curiosity was piqued, and he stared at the stranger, observing him. He reached one hand back to pet Pika, who was nestled snugly in his hood, and waited a few moments before continuing: "...Why?"

[phantomchampion]

Panic! At the Flower Shop || Wally & Red

[pridefulstars-blog]

     One of the activities he enjoyed was flower-picking, and it was a wonderful day to do so. By his side, he had flower master Roselia to assist him. They did this very often, and since he could not bring Gardevoir, he always brought him the prettiest flowers. Gardevoir had a special place in his heart, but he did love his other Pokemon friends.

     "Rose, come hither." The warrior called out to his friend, who had been looking at flowers on the opposite side of the patch. For several reasons, they could not pick all the flowers so it was time to move to a new location. Wally allowed Roselia to climb on him and carried the flowers. This was something that happened a lot, so he did not mind by now. Travel was easier when they used this method.

     Finding another area with flowers was easy with the help of Roselia. As soon as they found one, Wally set his bag on the ground and gently laid the flowers on it. While he did this, Roselia climbed off him and went off to look at the flowers to see which ones should be picked. Finishing the set up was quick, and he was ready to get to work. For some reason, Roselia called out to him.

                   He rushed over and saw why,                    this was no regular flower.

     Wally got closer to observe the stranger who was taking a peaceful nap, he had done this a little too loudly. Unable to react quick enough, he soon had a pair of crimson eyes looking at him.

          "——Good den."

[phantomchampion]

Though Red was rarely one to be phased by something, the sudden appearance of a face right above his after he'd only just woken up was most definitely jarring. Despite this, he was still a rather unexpressive man, and his shock only registered with eyes just a fraction wider and an incredibly intense stare. Just what business did this stranger have with him? And at such a close distance, too. Feeling more and more apprehensive, the ravenet edged away and sat up; one of his hands began to subtly pat the ground beside him, searching for Pika without turning to look for him. 

In spite of the green haired boy's amiable greeting, Red only felt at ease as soon as his partner pokemon nudged his hand softly with his nose. It was a relief to know that nothing bad had happened to his partner while he had slept- and quite frankly, if this stranger somehow turned out to be a threat, Pika was much more reliable than the dagger he always carried on his person. Of course, he wouldn't do anything like attack the stranger... As long as he didn't attack him first. 

By the time Red felt sufficiently at ease again, Wally's greeting had gone unreturned for more than just a few seconds, and he sent a belated nod his way. "Good den," he repeated, the softness of his voice at odds with the (slowly lessening) severity of his gaze. At the very least, this stranger seemed to be polite enough... Sans the initial waking him up and all that. 

The once-hermit stared at Wally for a few moments longer, looking over him with an oddly distant curiosity. The fact that the green-haired boy had simply greeted him when Red woke was enough for Red to lower his guard at least somewhat. The more he analyzed him (for lack of a better word), the less he felt the need to be on the defensive. He couldn't throw caution to the wind, of course, but... His eyes softened slightly. 

"Who..." A pause. "Who art thou?"

[justatravellingmerchant-blog]

Riley was still slightly frightened by the silent staring, his smile slowly wiping off his face, but soon noticing that it was and made sure it stayed. He coughed, excusing himself as if he was being impolite. He always hid his intentions, and if he was lucky, he could always get a new customer out of this quiet man. If not, well,  at least he tried. He wasn’t one to pester.

The Ponyta had nodded it’s head in a greeting to the Pikachu, and turned back to it’s surroundings while it’s trainer thought of something to say. "Red, hm? An interesting name! Lovely to meet you." Riley kept his usual business smile, while trying to think of what he had in stock and what price they were sold for usually. "No occupation, eh? Sounds fun." Patting his Ponyta, he let his smile drop for only a few seconds. "We’re here just to sell some things and then we’ll be off again. But when it comes to selling it always takes a day or two, since I spend the first day looking for a place to keep Ponyta." Turning to Red, his smile formed again. "But what are you here for?"

[phantomchampion]

As Riley continued to speak, Red continued to silently listen. In the middle of it all, though, Red suddenly glanced to the side, as aloof (and frankly, unsociable) as ever- but though his eyes seemed distant, they also seemed thoughtful. It wouldn't be good for Riley to lose time trying to find a place for his ponyta, would it? If he could just remember the way, there was a place...

"Over there," the crimson-eyed man murmured, finally looking back at Riley. He raised his hand as if to point, then realized that simply pointing in the general vicinity of something would not suffice; neither would vaguely mumbling 'over there' after staring in a seemingly random direction. Yes, perhaps it would be best if he clarified himself a bit more. "Towards that way," he murmured, nodding in the same direction yet again, "there is an inn with a stable. It's nice... Not too expensive." Due to Viridian's location, it saw many travelers throughout the course of the year; inns were prosperous in such a place, so it was never all too hard to find somewhere nice. "If you'd like... I can show you to it."

It very nearly startled Red when he realized he'd been asked something, though why it was so startling, he wasn't sure. Regardless, his shock registered as only a moment's hesitation and a confused blink. Why had he come here? "I know... I know the area; I live nearby." It wasn't a lie, per se, but it also wasn't the truth. He had simply come because he wanted to- because his feet led him here.

[incompetentmisfit]

Mischievous Fox

Taking a bath for the first time in a week, possibly two, was an event quite unlike others. First off, Hood tended to creep off into the forest and find rivers, rather than fill a little tub full of water and heat it with fire. No, he preferred the seclusion of nature, and to just get straight butt-naked and soak about in flowing water. That being said, he left his clothes neatly folded over the top of a branch. Needless to say, his Zorua, Arty, thought it would be a hilarious gesture to run off with them.

Upon leaving the river, with his body soaking wet, he was heading to grab his shirt and tug it over his body. Stunted to find the only thing left on the tree, was his cloak. Groaning, he draped the woolen item around his shoulders and began his hunt for his pokemon. It was safe to say, Arty had impersonated Hood, and gone off into town wearing his clothes to cause some mischief.

[phantomchampion]

There was no reason for Red to go wandering about in the wilderness other than that he simply wanted to. It was calmer out there than some thought, and it was rare for him to ever encounter someone else. At the same time, though, it wasn't so rare that it was shocking. So, when a brunet boy passed him by, gone as soon as he'd come and snickering all the while, it was natural for Red to be puzzled. It was also natural for him to just shrug it off and keep on walking. If someone wanted to giggle under their breath, then they could do so all they wanted; it was none of Red's concern. ...Well, it shouldn't have been, but as Red pushed through the foliage, what he saw before him stopped him dead in his tracks.

There was the same guy from earlier, clothed in completely different garments and looking distinctly less pleased than he had a few minutes ago. He glanced over his shoulder in a double-take, though he inwardly knew that he wouldn't be able to see the laughing boy, even in the distance, then looked back at the cloaked man. They certainly were exactly the same, and even if Red had been a talkative man, he wouldn't have known what to say. Eventually, he settled on a short nod in greeting.

[justatravellingmerchant-blog]

Riley was a little unnerved by the other’s eyes being so surprisingly severe, but quickly regained his focus.

"Ah! Viridian then." His face was etched with a fake smile, very bright and thankful, even jokingly called his ‘Buy wares from me’ smile. "Thank you, kind sir!"

His mind set on getting this seemingly aloof man to at least buy something from him, after all, Riley didn’t want to break his streak on getting people he meets to buy something from him always. Holding out a hand, he waited for the other, who’s eyes were still making Riley feel like he was being analysed, to take it and shake. "My name is Riley Guideville, I’m a Merchant. And you are?" Introductions were incredibly easy to Riley, even if the secretive tone in his voice would state otherwise.  His Ponyta seemed to be a little interested in the raven haired man in front of it, however it was more focused on the skies and was looking around, presumably looking for it’s trainer’s Lucario and Swablu, Lucario always wandering off for a bit and then coming back and Swablu being nearby, just flying above head.

[phantomchampion]

As soon as the merchant- 'Riley,' apparently- extended a hand, Red averted his gaze to stare at it for a moment. On one hand, he disliked the idea of touching people, but on the other, he didn't want to be rude. What an internal struggle that was, but it was resolved soon enough. The ravenet shook Riley's hand briefly, then returned his hand to his side. It was far from a so-called 'man's handshake,' loose and gentle, but it was close enough.

Then, without meaning to, Red returned to staring at the other man silently. It was a bad habit of his, but as someone who was more of an observer than a talker, he did it without meaning to. Besides, if Riley was a merchant, Red could afford to be at least somewhat careful. You never knew when one would try to drop the price far more than it should be, after all. 

The crimson-eyed man was silent for a moment longer than most would find necessary, as if he couldn't decide on how much to tell Riley. His nickname? His given name? Was his last name even necessary? While Red was in the middle of an internal debate, Pika chirped a happy greeting towards the ponyta pulling the cart.

"Red," he finally said, a bit bluntly. "...I don't have an occupation." And though it sounded strange, it was true. He battled others and he wandered around, and that was all he did. Quite an enthralling lifestyle, really.

[phantomchampion]

The sun shone bright in the sky, bringing a harsh light that would have been uncomfortable were it not for the clouds that hung overhead. While Kanto was generally a region with little distinction between the seasons, Summer still somehow managed to be a pain at times. Besides, Red was far from used to being in the heat and had long since forgotten how to deal with it. Perhaps the only thing that made the Summer heat better was the fact that he was in the middle of visiting Fuchsia. Truth be told, though, the only place that interested him at the moment was the waterside. 

Eventually, the ravenet found himself sitting on a rock, boots left in the sand, pants legs rolled up, and feet dangling in the water. A small distance away from him, Ras was playing in the water, Pika sitting on his head and cheering contently. Char, who couldn't quite afford to enjoy the water, lay dozing in the sunlight nearby. It was so incredibly ordinary that Red found it relaxing, the corners of his mouth quirking upwards just a bit. 

Despite the roughhousing that was going on between his two pokemon, Red wasn't in the slightest bit worried. After all, Fuchsia wasn't that popular, and this place didn't quite count as a beach; it was almost always deserted, even on days hotter than this. He didn't know the reason for it, but it was almost always true, so there was no reason to worr-

Before he could even finish that though, the sounds of a startled gasp and an unmistakable splash greeted his ears. Taken aback by what could only mean unexpected company, Red turned around, blinking at the now soaked stranger. He certainly hadn't expected this.

"I..." He mumbled softly, barely audible. "...My apologies."