#oregistics

' oh, don't be such a sourpuss! it could be fun to have a younger brother...! '

There was something nostalgic about being back in Oreburgh City. While there wasn’t much he particularly liked about the place, - the air irritated his lungs and eyes - he had some very fond memories of it.  Memories, it seemed, that were both positive and strong enough for Volkner to agree to provide his service on maintenance on the mine’s machinery, even though he fundamentally disagreed with the use of coal as an energy source. It was mostly thanks to the local Gym Leader -- or, the former Gym Leader, now; Byron’s son had taken over the Gym approximately a month prior, while Byron had relocated. 

                 the moment riley picks up the aura of a new, approaching presence, he immediately knows who it is, and fondness swells with its recognition. that honest, headstrong but somewhat maladroit vigor is unmistakable, and riley smiles into the hand propping up his chin, one that only grows bigger as none other than roark walks up to meet him at the table he’s sitting at. 

                                    ‘  hey there! long time no see, old friend.  ’

           ❛ wh- ❜  there’s a chill that travels down his spine as the words register, weighing heavy on his heart just from the thought of such a thing occurring. there’s no way such a thing could happen. it had to be a joke, right? every ounce of his being wants nothing more than to deny, deny, deny until he’s blue in the face, but there’s no way he could do that - not when he knows who this was. her face was as sure as any of his stones, stoic eyes making this all the more terrifying.

           ❛ …wh-why? why would you say that? i wouldn’t die so easily, would i…? ❜

           ❛ should i not have said that out loud?  ...that doesn’t mean you’re in any immediate danger, per se. ❜  perhaps, that was a bit blunt.  thoughtful, yet stalling, she brushes aside the hair clinging to her shoulder and sighs.

   Again, she’s lost track of time. 

   Courtney huffs as she treks along a damp tunnel, the thumping of her boots against the beaten path the only noise breaking the deadly muffled silence. The source of light is, as she suspected, an exit, and with hands full of dirt covered items, Courtney finally emerges from the Underground. 

   The sun feels far too bright, but even while squinting she’s able to realize that her roaming in the tunnels has lead her to a different exit. In all honestly, she doesn’t mind- Sinnoh has been nothing but kind to her, and the thrill of exploring a new region is a feeling she’s gladly welcoming. Seeing what she’s been dealing with for the last months, pleasant distractions are more than welcome.

   If the thick smell of coal is anything to go by, she’s close to a mine... and sure enough, after a short walk she arrives in what looks like a town whose main thing is exactly that- mining.  Hey, maybe if she’s lucky there’s a place where she can clean all the stuff she dug out of the Underground’s walls. Some of this stuff is really starting to weight her down, and she could use some downtime to figure out what some of these rocks are.