light it up.

“Ah! Hello there. It’s nice to meet you too.” Whitney smiled, extending her hand out at the young trainer. “Dawn? It’s nice to meet you. Are you new around here? I haven’t seen you before. Or at least I don’t think I have. Where are you from?” The pinkette bit down on her lower lips slightly, giggling as she gave the younger girl time to answer her questions.

After shaking her hand, she placed her hand down by her sides. “Are you going to need some help around town? I do know the place quite well. Maybe I can give you a small tour. There lots of pretty places here in Goldenrod.” Not really giving the other girl much time to process everything she said, the girl spoke again, “Maybe even show you some of the cool places to hang out around town.”

Whitney's offer takes her a little by surprise, too, but it's one that she's all too willing to accept. Given the fact that she'd had a little trouble navigating through the crowded streets before, the extra help seemed almost like a godsend. "A tour? I'd love one-- ah, but only if it's not too much trouble, Whitney." She adds hastily, bowing her head an inch lower. Oh, the kindness of strangers. Goldenrod was seeming to be more of an inviting place. She has to wonder about the pinkette's other plans, though. Surely a young, pretty girl like her had better ones that didn't involve showing travelers around town, right? 

“Why oh why did dad feel the need to study the mature female Abomasnow during hibernation season?” She groaned into the snow storm. Her scarf fluttered around her erratically as she trudged through the snow.

Her usual casual summer outfit had been angrily replaced with a decidedly ugly beanie with equally as ugly ear flaps, a white scarf that annoyed the hell out of her a large blue winter coat that restricted her movement like crazy, stockings that provided very little warmth, and boots that clunked with every step she took.

That is to say, May wasn’t entirely happy at the current moment. 

She took a moment to pause and look around on the current level. Nope. No Abomasnows here either. She knew she should probably be actually searching for them, instead of just looking around and shrugging her shoulders, but dammit it was cold. May just wasn’t mentally equipped to deal with the cold.

It's not so bad this time 'round, she muses to herself contentedly, blowing away some steam before taking a small sip. She's stronger now, equipped with proper snow-boots (which are pink, just like her old ones), and a thicker red coat. The trip to Snowpoint City this time would be easy as pie. 

She turned her head to look out the window, simply for the sake of having something to look at. The sign outside the door should be taken literally when it reads "Snowbound Lodge, A warm bed and little else." No paintings, no ornate furniture, just tiny window with a picturesque view of the falling snow. Although, there was something else that caught Dawn's eye, a person wrapped up in a big, blue coat, trudging their way through the snow. A curious sight, Dawn thought, blinking at the figure.

“Hello. Nice to meet you as well, Dawn. Ah, I see you’ve heard of me. I’ve expected to meet you.” Implying that Sabrina had foresighted Dawn’s introduction and meet. “It’s nice to finally greet you.”

“Hm, hmm?” He asked, turning around and noticing a figure standing behind him, eyes wide and tentative. “Dawn,” she had said in response to his question. The old man scratched his head, searching for a memory of the girl. Sinnoh, his mind searched through the contents in his brain. Sinnoh and Rowan.

“Ah! It’s you, dawn!” he exclaimed, his thoughts finally connecting the name and face to their past encounter. “It’s nice to see you, Dawn! What brings you here on such a sweltering day?” The Professor laughed heartily upon seeing his old .. friend? Yes, Dawn was a friend as were all the other trainers. He’d like to think of her as family, but he couldn’t even remember her name up to minutes ago.

“Take a seat, Dawn,” he gestured with his hands to the seats near the entrance of the lab. “Ahh, some iced-tea please,” Oak instrcted his aide, who ran in a flurry to the small kitchenette. Reclining slowly into one of the seats, he folded up his hands and repeated his question.

She lifts her chin slightly, just to peer over the man's shoulder. Perhaps he was working on something? Or maybe the heat was getting to him? He did look a little frustrated... Either way, he gave no longer gave any indications of it as he continued in his usual pleasant way. She gives a single nod in response to his offer, flashing a small, appreciative smile at the professor's way as she took a seat.  "Well, I was just in Viridian City and thought I'd pay you a visit, since it was so close." She explains. In contrast to elder man's relaxed posture, Dawn sits up straight with her feet firmly on the ground and her hands clutched in her lap. 

She eyed the little Leafeon that circled at Dawn’s feet, and smiled. She had encountered Eevees in her journey, but this evolution was something she didn’t see often. Back in Kanto, Vaporeons, Flareons and Jolteons were natives. It was difficult to see even Umbreons and Epeons and the Glaceons and Leafeons were even more of a rare sight. “She’s a beauty,” Giselle gushed, her hand reaching out to let the little Pokemon familiarise herself. “Eris,” she repeated after Dawn, a gentle smile tugging at her features. Giselle turned around, not forgetting the Luxray that had mewed at her earlier. “.. and Luce, yes?” She giggled at the scary-looking Pokemon’s attempt to mew. 

“I’m from the Kanto region,” Giselle said, brushing a bang away from her visage and reaching to sweep her hair away from her neck. “I’ve been travelling for quite some time though.. I’ve been to Sinnoh, and that’s where I met Sableye. Mmm, you’re from Sinnoh aren’t you?” She guessed, as she eyed Dawn’s party. 

It was a delightful day, really and Giselle did enjoy the company. She often travelled alone, and human company was something that she relished. Back in Pokemon Tech, Giselle was the rose among the thorns, and she had few female friends. The chance meeting with Dawn was a nice change in context, though Giselle fumbled for topic to talk about. What could she talk to her about, though. Interests, Pokemon .. boys? She shrugged, and bit her lip - a look of slight discomfort crossing her face.

"Don't let her cute looks deceive you. She's a mischievous one." Dawn says lightly, a tinge of amusement in her voice as she gazed down at her Leafeon, hand rubbing the top of its head. "She won't play unless it's at another person's expense." A terrible way to describe one's own pokemon, but they're honest words, and there's a small hint of affection embedded in them. "But Luce, here...she's a lot more friendly. She has a little trouble discerning between friend and foe, so that's why I left her with my Lucario. He's the level-headed one." A look is directed at the other two pokemon's direction, where they were continuing to pick fruit. Luxray seemed to be taking a lot more care now, after Giselle's gentle warning.

When the brunette brings the word 'Kanto' into the fray, Dawn can't help but think back to her last trip there. A fairly quiet and natural region, she remembered. In some respects it was similar to Sinnoh. It takes her by surprise when she correctly guesses where Dawn's from, these feelings made apparent with the subtle widening of her eyes. "Y-Yeah!" She confirms with the girl, returning to her usual calm disposition. "You could probably tell from my pokemon, right?" She says, laughing at herself a little for being so surprised. Such a thing was obvious when one looked.