#roc application

In Character

Character Name: Hilda T. White

Generation: V (Pokemon B/W)

Profile: 

— Personality Preview —

* Tom-boy: Touko, despite her obviously feminine appearance, has always been one of the guys as a child. While most little girls played with dolls quietly inside, Touko was out in mud puddles and gallivanting through the nearby forest that surrounded Nuvema. That doesn’t mean she’s totally anti-girly; growing up had made her get in touch with her inner, womanly self. Now it isn’t strange to find her getting dressed up and actually giving off some amount of womanly charm (even if she still believes shopping is an activity from hell, make-up is a woman’s war paint to her).

* Adventurous: She adores adventures in all forms — always seeking out the treasures hidden in an ancient ruin or hidden doors left undiscovered in abandoned houses.

* Passionate: One thing she doesn’t lack is passion. Passionate in everything she does (whether it be a part-time job or a simple game of cards), she isn’t one to back down from a challenge even if it seems the world is against her finishing it. Although this may be one of her most redeeming qualities, this particular point is also a negative trait for the girl. Because of her passionate response to everything she does, she can seem overbearing and merciless to others.

— History Preview : Much Longer … simply took a paragraph from the whole thing —

Despite the challenges that Team Plasma provided against her, Touko also went around challenging the Gym’s in order to gather enough badges to challenge the elite four and champion. The bond with her slowly growing team and her fierce, stubborn determination carried her through each challenge, and soon she found herself standing at the entrance of Victory Road. Although the battles were hard, she somehow managed to defeat the Elite Four and current champion – however, desiring her freedom over obligation, she graciously turned down title of Champion after registering her name in the Hall of Fame.

Roleplay Sample: 

The one thing Touko steadfastly admitted to hating was winter. She couldn’t stand the nipping cold one bit. No matter how many layers of thick, winter clothing she put on the icy air seemed to easily slice right through it; and how she hated the blindingly white snow that blanketed the ground during this season. Not only was it a chore to stay nice and warm in the frigid air, but she also had to take care not to let the crystallized water melt and soak through the fabric of her pants or seep through the leather of her boots. The whole ordeal was an unwanted job within itself – but it didn’t compare to the situation the girl had put herself into just recently.

Most people would have probably prepared for a trip through snow-capped mountains by buying the thickest, warmest clothing possible, along with the necessary hiker supplies such as rope, an emergency food supply, a roll-up sleeping bag, even a box of first aide necessities for good measure! Everyone, even the youngest of children, probably knew this amount of common knowledge; everyone except Touko of course.

To get to Snowpoint City (the place the young girl had set as her ultimate destination), one had to travel through the many caves and tunnels of Mt. Coronet. From where she had started from, which was a place called Celestic Town, it would be hard to believe that such a sunny and slightly warm atmosphere would suddenly turn merciless and freezing. It hadn’t occurred to her (despite the city being called Snowpoint City), that along her journey she would stumble across a wintry terrain being plagued by a blizzard no less. With her short-shorts, tank-top, high-cut black over jacket, and light traveling boots, it was clear as day to tell that Touko was anything but prepared for the road ahead of her.

Her body trembled violently in an attempt to keep itself warm, her numbing fingers fumbling uselessly at the zipper that separated the contents of her bag from the outside world. If only she could grasp that pesky metal handle, then she’d be able to pull out the warm coat and thick sweatpants she kept on her in case of sudden emergencies such as this. The zipper seemed to taunt her as each attempt at gripping its surface ended in failure; her recently slightly panicked state escalating a few notches.

‘Why won’t you open? Work with me here! You’re my fingers so do as I say, damn it!’

All sense of coordination she usually had was lost in the freezing blizzard; even the small cave she had taken shelter in was proving little help to fend off her snowy stalker. Then, with some stroke of devil’s luck, the zipper on the bag finally slid open to allow her entry. In her haste, she practically shoved everything (from Pokéball’s to her carefully kept stash of medical supplies) out of the bag, her ears not even picking up the loud clatter they made when hitting the ice-covered surface of the ground beneath her.

‘Why didn’t I listen to Cheren when he repeatedly scolded me for being so rash? I swear, if I make it out of this alive I’ll change my whole persona.’

She curled into herself as much as she could, the extra clothing she had taken from her bag offering little solace to the intense cold of the blizzard raging on just behind her. It was times like these she wished she kept a fire-type Pokémon handy in her party; though, times like the one she was in hadn’t happened before now. Her attention was dragged down to her foot when she felt something tapping against it, reaching out stiffly with her hand when she realized it was one of the Pokéball’s containing her beloved companions. Pressing the small white button in the middle to enlarge the round device, she let it fall from her hand as it split open to reveal a very startled looking Serperior.

“H-hey, S-Seraph; w-wann-na come c-cudd-le with m-me?” For Arceus sake, she couldn’t even form a proper sentence without stuttering like a fool; but she was glad she didn’t have to ask twice, her smarter than average snake-like Pokémon quickly adapting to the situation and coiling around the girl tightly to provide her at least some form warmth. Touko sighed, much happier now that she had the radiating body heat of her Pokémon around her. She knew that this relief wouldn’t last for long, it would only be a matter of time before the Grass-type became too chilled himself to keep the shivering girl warm. She would eventually have to return him to his Pokéball - whether he wanted to go back in or not.

‘Thank you.’

She couldn’t find the strength to speak anymore. It felt as if the numbness from her hands was slowly traveling through the rest of her body, making the cold seem not as harsh and an unshakable bout of drowsiness to wash over her. She had heard about something like this before, on a TV program her and her mother had watched a long time ago. Why was it now when she actually needed its advice, that seemed so important at the time, she couldn’t get her mind functioning enough to actually remember it? Her head fell to rest against the warm scales of the Pokémon coiled around her, who had just taken notice of his trainer’s strange behavior. The serpent seemed to catch on to what was happening quicker than the girl he was wrapped around, and in a desperate attempt to keep her conscious he let his head lower to her arm to do something he had never done in the entire time they had been with each other – he bit her.

‘Ow!’

It seemed to have had the desired effect as Touko snapped her head up with a sudden burst of energy to stare in disbelief at Seraph. However, the drowsiness caused by the unforgiving temperature hadn’t given up its attempt to overtake her consciousness yet, and soon Touko ended up in the same position she had been in previously.

‘What was it? What did the TV say about drowsiness in situations like these?’

Her mind was beginning to tune out the happenings around her, her Pokémon’s violent attempts at keeping her awake having little to no effect on the now half conscious girl. Noticing that nothing he did was working, Seraph flicked the end of his tail at a nearby Pokéball, causing it to soar across the short distance to the other side of the cave and slam against the frozen wall. A flash of nearly blinding light shot from the device, revealing a very unhappy looking Cryogonal who glared heatedly in Seraph’s direction. The serpent merely brushed it off, quickly conveying to the other Pokémon the dire situation their trainer was in. Understanding what she had to do, the snowflake-like Pokémon dashed out the opening of the cave and into the blinding white of the blizzard – the urgent need of finding someone causing an insane amount of adrenaline to pump through her system.

‘That’s right. That’s what the TV said.’ Touko’s eyes slowly slid closed, all the energy completely drained from her body. Of course she wouldn’t remember something like this until it was too late. With a pang of panic that was lost within the darkness of her mind, her heavy eyelids shut completely as her grip on reality was severed.

In Character

Character Name: Chance Cannon

 Generation:  II (Johto native, but is roaming the regions)

Profile: 

Chance is a street performer, relying on a combination of flashy juggling skills, adorable fairy star pokemon and luck to get him through life. He has an incredible desire to be noticed and to be the center of attention, but this doesn’t mean he’s totally self-centered; you have to be able to give attention to receive attention. He values working hard and having fun while doing so, and dislikes things that are too serious or disinteresting.

While he was born in Cherrygrove city in the Johto region, he left at a young age to seek a more dramatic fortune elsewhere under his flashy stage name (which he will vehemently deny is his stage name if anybody has the nerve to ask). His greatest ambition is to follow in his father’s footsteps to become a well-known performer, and travels across the regions pursuing it.

 Roleplay Sample: 

Brightly colored juggling clubs flashed in the air, seeming to barely touch the nimble fingers that propelled them. To look at the face of the man who they belonged to, it would seem that keeping the whirling clubs in order was as easy as breathing, all according to his whims. This was only half true. Years of training had brought an ease and a muscle memory to the rhythm required, yet if he lost focus for but a second the clubs would slip. Chance allowed a sly smirk to cross his lips, half of his spectators were probably hoping for that case, perhaps even a little disappointed he wasn’t juggling something a little more dangerous. Well, they’d certainly be in for a surprise in a moment then.

A swift nod was the signal he gave to the small troupe of Cleffa who stood in front of him. Two of them squeaked affirmation, moving to twirl and dance whimsically in front of him, merely a sideshow for his final trick. The third gave a soft cry and leapt in the air, timing its jump to slip seamlessly into the gap he had made in his juggling pattern for it. The audience applauded politely, but were ultimately unimpressed, he’d already tossed the small star pokemon earlier in the performance. “Ladies and gentlemen,” Chance cried, his voice clear and projecting to reach the ends of the crowd, “I present to you, Calliope!” as he called the pokemons name, it reached the arc of its toss and in a small poof of smoke, transformed. The crowd gasped as the now heavy steel aron crashed down into the jugglers waiting hand and was tossed again, where at its peak once again transformed into something else, the cycle repeating, each form the pokemon took more challenging to catch than the last to the crowds immediate delight. With a final squeak, the pokemon gave one more transformation, reverting to its true vulpine form and alighting upon its masters head as he neatly caught up the juggling clubs to sweep into a carefully balanced bow. With a final flourish, the zorua leapt of his head, transforming again into a lotad, whose domed head served as a collection hat for the impressed crowd.

In Character

Character Name: Skye

Generation: II

Profile: Skye has been taught to wear a smile on her face ever since she was little. A smile can manipulate others into doing what you want but most importantly it helped hide the truth. She only finds happiness with her Pokemon now, and even then sometimes they just remind her of better times that are now gone. Skye will help cheer up anyone and will help those in need. Since she believes that she will never feel happiness again she wants to at least help spread it.

Under the smile and the kind exterior though Skye is extremely jealous. Everyone seemed to go off and live their dream while she was trapped. Nobody was there when she needed them the most, making her extremely dependent on her Pokemon. Skye also doesn’t take anyone’s bullshit. She can tell when someone is lying or pressuring someone else and won’t hesitate to call them out on it. Sometimes she is more tolerable if its directed to herself. Skye tries her best to seem fine and that everything is okay so others don’t worry about her.

Skye had been adopted by an older couple in the small town of Cherrygrove. She never knew her real parents and she often wondered why they had given her away. Her mother had always dreamed of being a Kimono girl and forced her dream on her daughter. She got an Eevee as a gift one day from her mother and ever since then they had been inseperable. Skye had become close to two of the other kids in the town but unfortunately had to move away at the age of thirteen.

While training Skye had trouble making friends but eventually became close with an older girl named Melanie and her twin brother Cameron. Overtime Skye and Cam began dating and even when he went away to travel they decided to keep the relationship. When he came back for occasional visits he always brought Skye back a Pokemon which is most of her team now. One day he got sick though, and the sickness just got worse. After he died Melanie left the Kimono girls leaving Skye alone with her Pokemon. A couple of months later her mother also died. She travels around Johto now, just trying to find a purpose and does everything she can to put a smile on other’s faces, knowing that she can’t smile.

Roleplay Sample: It hadn’t been that long since Skye had last visited her hometown. She had no idea how long she was going to stay, but it would most likely be the last. Out of all the places on Johto this was the place where she belonged the least. There was nothing here for her anymore, just some memories and an empty house. Johto just seemed empty to her now, maybe she would travel like she had always wanted to. Where would she even go though? It’s not like she knew anybody. Her childhood friends likely had no memory of her now, one she hadn’t seen in ten years and the other became a famous movie star.

Skye hadn’t even realized she had entered the town. Standing in front of her house she entertained the thought of going in for a moment but decided against it. She felt a slight tug on her wrist and looked down to see her Sylveon staring up at her. Orion looked worried, Skye felt horrible since that’s how he looked at her lately and she didn’t want to worry him. Petting the Sylveon on his head he simply tightened his feeler around her arm as she led them away.

Character Name: N. (Natural Harmonia Gropius)

Generation: V

Profile: Quite literally, N was raised to be a king. Abandoned as a young child and raised by Pokemon for quite some time, an ambitious man by the name of Ghetsis found N and deemed the child the perfect pawn to use in his plot to obtain control over Unova using the legendary Pokemon. N was raised to be the perfect hero; not only were his motives pure and noble, but his ideals soared to heights that even Ghetsis could not have anticipated. Perfectly molded through years of conditioning, exposure to abused Pokemon, and possibly even abuse at the hands of his adoptive father, N grew up to be a self-assured, intelligent, and somewhat twisted individual.

N has always felt like an individual caught between worlds. He learned to speak Pokemon before he learned to speak any human tongue; he identifies very strongly with his Pokemon counterparts. However, his form is nothing but human, something that N is more than aware of—and the disparity between the two worlds has caused him nothing but internal anxiety. From an early age, N learned to cope with this through his love of mathematics—while his mind was often anguished with the guilt and self-loathing that, to N (and partially thanks to Ghetsis’ teachings), was synonymous with being human, math was a constant. It never changed, it never did anything that he didn’t predict, and it became a lens through which he could more easily understand the world. Through N’s favoured calculated, mathematical lens, the world was black and white.

After a certain young trainer lifted this monochromatic, simplistic worldview from N’s sight, he panicked. His entire life—the almost messianic role that Team Plasma had set him up to be—was a lie, and everything that he had brought up with was an intricate falsehood. Terrified, confused, and insecure, N fled Unova, seeking somewhere where he could hide.

And then, of course, his dragon brought him back.

Two years brought N a modicum of inner peace; they brought him a new perspective, and he attempted to let go of his father and make amends. But that doesn’t mean that N has been able to completely let go of his issues, and while he means well, he still has no idea how to interact with most of humanity. He comes off as condescending, albeit earnest, at best, and at his worst he is little more than a petulant child. Anyone who wants to befriend him needs a world of patience—but if anyone were to get through to him, he would prove to be a loyal, intelligent friend.

Roleplay Sample:

The castle was ruined. Empty. Desolate. Home. The ruins of the place he’d been raised in; the ruins of his prison. The two were irrevocable in his mind; the fear and pain were all intertwined with the thoughts of family, with the ghosts of his sisters and Pokemon friends.

He could feel Ghetsis here.

N truly didn’t know why he chose to stay.

The ruined castle had a sort of magnetism for him; a draw far more potent than any of the lies that Ghetsis had told him. It was his past, present, future—and almost as importantly, he could ensure that almost no one would go looking for him, save for Zoroark—his near-constant companion, closest friend, and only confidante.

N walked down the ruined hallways, his footsteps echoing eerily. His strides were long, confident, his grey eyes blazing. However confident his posture was, however, his internal state did not match. The confidence that he exuded, the imperial nature of his actions—it was all carefully trained, reflexes honed in childhood. Almost autonomically, N strode into the throne room, his expression carefully neutral.

He sat before the throne, staring up at the broken stained glass. He was alone.

It was better this way, apart from people and Pokemon; save for the other heroes. The heroes. N reminded himself that he was not fit to be one, never had been.

In Character: Character Name: Red  Generation: I, II, IV (also appears in V) Profile: Red is a young man whose reputation proceeds him. Not only did he manage to take down an entire crime syndicate (almost) single-handedly, but he also defeated the Elite Four and became the champion of the Kanto region. Not long after he achieved all of that, however, he vanished. Not even his own mother knew where her son had disappeared to.

Those whom have met him might describe Red as intimidating- he hardly speaks, even in battle. In fact, most of the commands he gives his Pokemon are nonverbal cues. His face is normally blank, as well. The truth of the matter is, Red is someone who hates being in the spotlight. Never once did he seek recognition for his actions; he stopped Team Rocket simply because it was the right thing to do. Red has a very strong sense of right from wrong, and has the bravery (and arguably, the recklessness as well) to back that up.

Despite his silence and apparent inability to smile, he actually has a very dry, self-deprecating sense of humor and sometimes pokes fun at his friends. However, he is not very good at reading people or socializing with strangers. 

Roleplay Sample: Had it really been three years since he had last been home?

Red knew he wasn’t the best at keeping track of time, but when Leaf marched all the way up Mt. Silver just to drag him home and chastise him for “being away for Arceus-knows-how-long and worrying your poor mother,” he was thoroughly shocked. Maybe he should’ve been paying more attention. Regardless, he went back home with Leaf that same evening without protest. 

Pallet Town had hardly changed in the time he’d been gone. It was still the small, sleepy town he remembered dreaming of leaving when he was a kid. The neighbors, most of whom he hardly remembered, were all ecstatic to see him. However, none of that compared to the look on his mother’s face when she saw her son standing in the doorway after three years of not hearing from him. She cried, hugged him, and made him promise never to just vanish without a trace ever again.

He told his mother that he’d stay with her for at least few days, and had every intention of keeping true to his word. It was the least he could do, after all. Pikachu was perched on his shoulder as he stood at the southern edge of Pallet Town, hands in his pockets, just thinking. The waves were gently washing against the shore, and Red wondered vaguely when the last time he saw the sea was. In the distance, he could see the ruins of Cinnabar and the surrounding islands. Suddenly, a thought dawned on him. 

He felt at peace. 

In Character

Character Name: Will!

Generation: II/IV (Johto)

Profile: When it comes to finding a representative of both mystery and drama, one needs to look no further than the first member of the Johto Elite Four. Despite having a what some would consider a ridiculously tragic childhood filled with abandonment, difficulty with his ever-present psychic abilities, and running away to join the circus (no, really), Will was able to turn things around and make it through his tumultuous adolescence with a few minor hiccups. Perhaps the most notable of these "hiccups" was a short stint in Team Rocket, a group that changed his life drastically, for better or worse. 

Regardless, the psychic and Thea, his close pokemon friend were given an opportunity to turn life around. With all their flair and ability they were brought into the reformed Elite Four and reside at the Indigo Plateau, though take occasional trips for engagement in Will's second "career" as a magician. 

Roleplay Sample: Early hour sunlight streamed into the room as, amidst a colorful variety of plush pillows and soft blankets, an exhausted, sleepy Will continued to snore. He stirred very little as the official announcement made its presence known - a receptionist's voice echoing something about a challenger being ready to battle. The psychic nuzzled further into his pillow and clutched his arms more tightly around the stuffed mime jr. he'd been cuddling with through the night. With little happening in the area of awakening, another call was sent into Will's room several moments later. This time, at the first syllable the young man shot up, a bit of drool still trailing down his chin as he instinctively threw his mime jr. across the room. 

"Holy Mother of Mew," he said angrily below his breath, using his pajama sleeve to wipe his face before reluctantly moving out from the warm blankets and off of the bed. His bare feet were met with cold hardwood - a sensation that annoyed him nearly as much as the streaming rays of light that greeted his eyes. Will yawned, and again, the familiar receptionist's voice filled the air via speaker. Rolling his eyes, the Elite pressed a button on a phone attached to the wall of her room and spoke into it with the best fake-nice voice he could muster.

"Goooooood morning! It certainly is the greatest of mornings, is it not? I mean, I don't think I coulda slept for one more second because it's such a beautiful day already. Wow!"

A squawk sounded in the background, and Will's eyes flashed to the xatu sitting regally upon her perch. A sincere smile appeared upon his lips.

"Anyway, I got the message! I hear ya loud and clear - a challenger is here! Let's see, I'm not actually dressed or anything, so y'know...tell them to just sit tight. Or leave. Whichever one they'd prefer."

Will placed the receiver back into its slot and headed into one of the places where he was certainly the most comfortable - his closet. The psychic's closet was the most MAGICAL, most AWESOME, most WONDERFULRIFIC place ever, and it was filled with sequined tailcoats, silky cravats, both patterned and plain, and an extensive variety of hats of every shape and size. Also, masks. Dozens and dozens of beautiful masks. 

In a sudden whirlwind of action, Will had gotten dressed to impress and one step closer to being ready to battle the challenger that awaited. He gazed at his reflection in the mirror, his pink, sparkling waistcoat accentuating his wide-set hips, and his white patent boots complementing his similarly colored mask with its explosion of pink spritzee feathers. Will grinned and walked over to Thea, motioning for her to follow him to the League building. The pair made their way inside and quickly noticed the unhappy trainer who had been kept waiting on them for so long. 

"It's about TI-" they begin before being promptly cut off by Will.

In Character

Character Name: Pokemon Ranger Jenna Kimberly

Generation: III

Profile: Jenna is an all-around solid person, level-headed and good under pressure. She’s polite, but not the most approachable.She takes her job seriously and isn’t always the most tactful when dealing with lost trainers who are making stupid mistakes. She means well and she comes across just fine—unless you’ve ticked her off.

She joined the Pokemon rangers because she wanted to help people and Pokemon stay safe and maybe make the world a little better. Yeah, Jenna has ideals too, even if she keeps quiet about them. She loves her work, she really does. It’s rewarding and if it’s hard, well, she’s a hard worker.

She moved to the mainland from Pacifidlog Town when she was fresh out of school. She got her certification at the Pokemon Safari and now splits her time between working there as a tour guide/ecology assistant and travelling the region like many of her colleagues, keeping an eye on pokemon battles and making sure everyone’s staying safe. She occasionally works with local gym leaders if there are problems with pokemon habitats in the area. The rangers are also on call in the event of a natural disaster.

She’s pretty content with her life at the moment. She’s moved up the chain of command at the Safari and now oversees a team of four or so when working in the field. As for her goals, she’s just looking to do her job and do it well. This is the job she’s wanted her whole life and she's determined that she and her pokemon team to be able to perform it to the best of their abilities.

Roleplay Sample: There was something kind of peaceful about the ocean in the morning. That was one thing that she missed about being away from home; you didn’t get the ocean in the same way. The Safari Zone was on the coast but it was on an inlet, sheltered and quiet. In Pacifidlog Town you took the full brunt of all of the ocean’s moods. There were pros and cons to that.

                Jenna surfaced and shook her hair out of her face. The water around her glowed as her Lanturn circled her lazily, its light creating beautiful streaks in the water. She floated on her back for a moment, eyes closed, counting down from thirty. She would get out of the water when she reached zero.

                Twenty-nine…twenty-eight… She could hear her Altaria chirping as it flew overhead, making its way up and down the coastline with bright interest. As a Swablu it had been brought into them while she’d been working in Fallarbor Town, sick with soot inhalation from the volcano. You’d never know to look at it now.

                Fifteen…fourteen... A nudge against her hand. Her Lanturn wanted attention. Cute little guy. Affection diffused its way through her chest and she blindly moved her hand along its back. Calm moments like this were to be treasured.

IC;;

Character Name: Red. He's very defendant about the other fractions of his alias.

Generation: It has to be either I or II, although he might seem uniquely odd because he is basically subject to my interpretation. 

Profile: 

It all started with a mere request: "I want you to complete the PokèDex!" The expectations of Professor Oak didn't limit the hidden abilities of the child he had deposited the task onto. Red received his first Pokémon, and sought out all 151 Pokémon.

While catching all of the known monsters native to Kanto, the child managed to conquer the Gyms, one by one, alongside his companions.

Surely, expecting him to become the Champion of the Indigo League was a bit too overwhelming at first, but he had done it. At thirteen years old, Red defeated the Pokèmon League and earned his title as a true Pokémon Champion.

His goal? Red isn't exactly sure of what he's going to do next... but maybe, he'll be sure to catch them all.

______

Red, at his very core, is a naturally predisposed optimist that seems to always make the most rash of decisions. Despite his calm and passive exterior, he is actually a very expressive person who isn't much different from your average trainer. At first glance, he may seem very intimidating, but Red has decent mannerisms and is very easygoing. 

However, he is very prone to jealousy and stress due to the lack of contact he receives. Red does suffer from occasional depression that is triggered by the harsh conditions he resides in, and his own feelings of loneliness. Red is somewhat patient, but he has a quick temper if you point out that he is "still a child", or if you insult him or any of his friends. He seems to hold really nasty grudges against people who bus him over the wrong way.

Roleplay Sample: 

The twinkling stars above dangled from underneath the boundless midnight sky. No noise except for the rustling of grass was heard. The nostalgic atmosphere of Pallet Town, his home, welcomed Red once more. A pleasant grin laced itself onto his radiant features, crimson hues shining in exhilaration and wonder. The aromatic scent of the native oak trees and budding wild flowers greeted Red and enveloped him in a feeling of long-awaited bliss. Remorsefully, he couldn’t feel the warm breeze yet; the numbing cold still ghosting on his skin, nipping and safeguarding him from the warmth he craved.

To his right stood his rival’s home. Oh, how he had missed his peppy childhood. The same wooden signpost bravely stood on its own in front of the house, soundlessly proclaiming, “Green’s House”. A jubilant smile spread across the champion’s face; he’d have to note that he should pay an unexpected visit to Green’s gym in Viridian. Turning his heel, the shuddering sound of the grass that crunched beneath his shoes filled the emptiness around him. Red shuddered from an invisible numbing cool as he did so.

“Red’s House,” the small signpost to his left whispered, yet without an audible noise. His breath hitched, as if he were being strangled silently as the warm and naïve expression on his face faltered. Red pursed his lips, pressing his previous smile into a thin line. The male’s face shadowed. He hadn’t stepped beyond that old door in years. Taking small steps, he made an effort as not to attract attention. From beyond the drapes, he could make out a shadow, a solitary outline of a female, sitting alone at a table. The glowing, golden light that emitted from the glass seemed warm, but Red couldn’t feel it.