#voltedtackle

❝ Well now what a pleasant surprise. I'd never expect to see you in these parts Friede. You're looking well. ❞ Augustine's smile doesn't falter. It was always nice to see fellow researchers even when one was out and about on their own journeys.

@voltedtackle liked for a starter

"So this is a Tera Sphere," mused the thief as he raised the stolen sphere up to the light, inspecting it carefully. It had some weight to it, but it didn't sparkle nearly as brilliantly as the rumors had said— in fact, it was quite dull looking as is. Perhaps it needed to be activated to shine as bright as he had heard.

As he turned the orb over in his head, he wondered how valuable the gem enclosed inside was. Could he find one larger than this somewhere? How brilliant would a gem like that shine? The thought brought a smile to Beryl's face.

Then his attention turned to the man he had swiped this interesting bauble from. Tossing the sphere up and catching it with a tighter grasp, the thief flashed a confident smirk.

"Do you want this back?"

AWWWW THANK YOU SO MUCH PLUTO! Genuinely, its good to hear that—I wouldn't call myself Monster Hunter's biggest fan or even an expert, but its a fun series to enjoy. Knowing that you guys appreciate my hard work brings me joy.

"...It's funny, isn't it? The first time we have the opportunity to speak on less than hostile grounds, and you choose to give me advice, Friede."

It wasn't that Amethio didn't appreciate the other's words; after all, he held a deep respect for Friede and his strength as a Pokémon Trainer. But...It had been well over a year since the two had last seen one another face-to-face. Honestly, Amethio still doubted he could ever beat Friede as he was now, especially on the off chance the other wanted to battle him.

But...He had to wonder. What could have spurred the other to give him advice like this? Was it personal experience? Or, just a genuine attempt to be helpful...? ...It was mildly frustrating that he didn't know Friede well enough to know for certain. But...Maybe the other wouldn't be opposed to being on friendly terms, now that Amethio had no reason to get in Friede's way anymore.

But...On the other hand, a part of Amethio did feel some chagrin at just how true those words rang...He'd experienced that himself quite a bit thanks to the Rising Volt Tacklers, ironically. And, ultimately...It'd led to him finding the path that he'd needed to walk, even if he still had a long way to go to become a truly strong Trainer.

❝ Marina! I saw a Rajang. ❞

"Did you?"

Marina adjusted her grip on her whetstone, then dragged it across a lengthy, ice-cold blade with the distinct sound of metal being scraped. She did not bother pretending to be shocked since Guild reports indicated a Rajang prowling in the area. It was why she was sent out to begin with, after all. Neither did she pretend to be concerned for his wellbeing.

This man, Professor Friede... to say he was strange, or 'eccentric' if Marina was being nice for once, would have been an understatement. Lively to an obnoxious degree, courageous to the point of bordering on recklessness, he actually reminded her a lot of Venalos' own scholars and researchers. In all honesty, she had little respect for them. After all, there was no benefit to be had in potentially throwing one's life away just to figure out what an up-jumped murder monkey's favourite place to scratch its butt on was.

However, Friede was easy to talk to (and even easier to look at), so for now she gave him a pass.

"Come here," she ordered, replacing her tool and weapon with a small medical kit, "I'll get you patched up."

a novel i'll never publish starters // accepting !

"i'm pretty sure i can find helioptile here, according to the pokedex." and yet none have been spotted. a simple request to catch helioptile for someone has proven to be a little more difficult than expected. "maybe i'm in the wrong area..."