✧Unova✧

gravity falls

"Normally, probably not, but Soleil knows what she's doing, I promise."

She whistles, getting her Houndoom's attention. Immediately, the fire dies down, and the Pokemon turns to face her, tail wagging.

"Good job, girl," she smiles, as she heads over to take a peek, picking up the tray carefully.

"Woah!! Now that's cool!!"

"  YOU  SHOULD  VISIT  HOENN  SOMETIME,  if  you've  never  had  the  chance.  i  bet  you'd  really  enjoy  it  if  you  like  alola  and  unova.  "  in  any  conversation  regarding  the  qualities  of  travel  destinations,  the  chance  of  her  bringing  up  her  home  region  was  high.  it's  underrated,  what  can  she  say?  plus,  there's  something  for  everything…

she  beams  when  he  mentions  their  shared  passion,  their  work  in  conservation.  it's  always  a  good  thing  to  have  in  common,  especially  hearing  that  he  did  much  of  the  same  work  that  she  did!

"  oh,  dude,  that's  awesome.  we  should  definitely  swap  ideas  sometime  -  i  feel  like  i  get  sick  of  saying  the  same  thing  over  and  over,  even  though  i  know  it's  all  important.  "

her  posture  is  certainly  more  relaxed,  now,  legs  stretched  out  before  her  and  arms  behind  her.  pearl  has  settled  in,  too,  sat  between  her  legs.

"  oh,  nothin's  wrong  with  being  predictable!  it  just  means  i  don't  have  very  interesting  answers  when  people  ask  me  what  i  like  to  do.  "  she  chuckles  a  bit,  tilting  her  head  up  to  face  the  sunshine.  "  i've  never  been  big  into  video  games…  i'm  not  super  techy  like  that.  "

"Def' will let ya know if I go!" A determined nod. "And yeah, I get whatcha mean. It's all important, but I feel a bit like a robot sometimes, sayin' the same stuff on repeat."

His own posture had been relaxed from the get go. Seems like he was just a laidback type of guy. Would probably take a lot to grind his gears.

"I think yer answers are plenty interestin'!" A grin, pulling out his Nintendo Switch from his fanny pack. "An' I dabble in gamin'. Rox gave me her old one along with some game recs. Took me a bit to figure it all out, but I can totally work this thing now!"

IT  WAS  A  SIMPLE  MISTAKE.  surely,  there  had  been  plenty  of  people  before  her  with  a  disappointingly  low  amount  of  schooling  fish  in  their  aquariums,  whether  on  purpose  or  on  accident.  as  long  as  elesa  is  planning  on  fixing  it  -  and  she  is  -  everything  will  be  fine.

when  elesa's  voice  starts  pitching  higher  with  worry,  her  attention  snaps  away  from  the  tank  before  them  up  towards  the  other  woman.  she  can't  help  a  bit  of  a  laugh  from  slipping  out  of  her  lips,  but  she  still  holds  out  her  hands  in  a  calming  gesture.

"  hey,  hey,  it's  alright.  he's  got  some  friends  in  there,  he's  not  totally  lonely.  "  the  pyukumuku  and  mantyke  are  really  cute,  too,  and  they've  caught  her  attention  again.

the  rest  of  the  apartment  is  so  classy  and  clean,  it's  a  little  intimidating  to  look  around  at  -  kendria  is  happy  to  focus  on  the  marine  pokémon…  or  on  the  stunning  woman  beside  her.  way  to  go,  ken.  she  almost  misses  elesa's  question,  but  catches  the  tail  end  of  it  enough  to  turn  to  look  at  her  again.

"  huh?  "  well,  now  that  she  mentions  it,  she  is  sort  of  hungry…  she  chuckles  a  bit,  shy,  and  shrugs  in  reply.  "  oh,  sure!  sorry.  that  sounds  good.  "

Kennie's words did reassure her enough to get her usual cool back. Breathe... Okay, she's good now.

"...Come to think of it, I'm not sure what you enjoy eating."

Elesa tilts her head slightly. "Mind walking with me to the kitchen to see what you enjoy the most out of the snacks I have?"

...is she consider it now? Give her a second... maybe two...

...no, at the third she shakes her head.

"I don't think I have any artistic instinct, actually. I like dressing up in nice clothes, but designing them is hard.

She leans in, tone of voice quiet and hushed. "I can't draw either. It's not a requirement at all!"

"Welllll... I don't have anything to do, right now.

So? Where are you bringing me?"

"...I know a café nearby that's got the best sweet dishes in the area?"

Even though he could probably make them even better, pastries being his area of expertise and all that, he had to give it to the chefs at that café. Pretty dang good.

Norman shuffles awkwardly, tugging on the collar.

"... I'm not really used to people saying that," he says. Is it a bit decrepit? Probably, he's unused to being complimented. Cheeks turned a shade of red, while moving rather shyly.

He pauses for a moment. "I mean... I don't mind being out of my comfort zone," Norman considers her words carefully and thinks for a moment.

What does he have to lose?

"Your style is what I'd like to call casual chique! It's comfortable clothing with a bit of pizzazz!"

Was that even an existing style? It was now.

It was actually nice that she got to fan over said types with another enthusiast. “Ahh, there is so many to chose from. Maybe you can tell me which one you would like to meet? That could be easier to make a decision, y'know~”

She then made a affirming nod with his inquiry about contests. It was true that was no contests halls around Unova, however there was still the Nimbasa theater and that was always worth checking out when she visited. "I'm still new to the scene, but it's actually something I've always wanted to do. Just never really had a chance before."

Which one he'd like to meet... Marlon thinks really hard for a moment.

"Can ya list them again? My brain didn't seem to store all of them." An apologetic smile. This lack of memory containment happened often when he got excited.

"Contests sound neat! What's it like to stand on that stage? Are the lamps warm?"

Besides, why would he pass up the opportunity to hold a totodile? Once upon a time, he would have declined without hesitation, but now his eyes shined at the idea of bonding with such a creature, even for a moment. "Does he bite hard? I'd be happy to! I just . . . don't wanna make him more upset than he already looks."

Or maybe biting was just the nature of a totodile. Nata still hesitates for a few moments, but steels himself deep down. He wouldn't let his own fear squander such an opportunity. Besides, maybe the totodile would like him?

"Nah, he's not tha' upset, I promise!"

Totodile seems to be relieved to be in Nata's arms though, and refrains from biting for now.

"His bite is pretty hard, though! Be careful, yeah?"

Way to make him feels nervous, Marlon. He doesn't seem aware of it, though.

"Can crush yer hand if yer not careful, whew!"

"Opal's a pretty name. My name's Roxie, by the way. 's nice to meetcha."

Did she need to say her name? She is quite famous... Still, she'd much rather be polite and introduce herself either way.

Although, that last part remained to be seen.

So, no, Marina was not surprised. However, she still raised an eyebrow at him, her regard suddenly like a physical force that would press down on him like a weight of considerable size. It could be argued that she was amused by him, or at the very least by his willingness to risk life and limb. After all, Lagiacrus made for formidable opponents; if he decided to look at its entry in the book again, he may very well find a section listing ways in which one of these leviathans could put an end to a person with horrifying speed and ease.

From simply mauling and devouring all the way to electrocuting with enough energy to make a thunderstorm blush, this book... was actually quite graphic in its descriptions!

Eventually she turned her attention away from him, and she contemplated. "On one hand, you really shouldn't get involved," she murmured, pinching her chin between her thumb and index finger. "On the other hand... you could make for nice bait."

There was a generous pause as she finally let a smirk dance across her features.

"Just kidding, you don't look very filling. Oh, by the way, call me Marina."

Her smirk faded quickly, as though it never happened, and back to thinking she went.

"You can help me lure it out of here. Out in open water it'll have more room to swim and fight, but so will we. Its electrical attacks could probably fill the whole sewer system, so-"

Marina stopped, froze, snapped an arm out and against his chest to stop him. She lowered herself into an almost combat-ready stance, ready to bolt or charge. It took no expert to know she had gone on high alert, and she was... listening. Listening for something with grave intent; her eyes turned into a steely, chilling stare.

Just around a corner, in a T-shaped section, snoring could be heard. Low, guttural, rumbling like distant thunder and amplified by the sewer's echoing tunnels. The sound alone made Marina bristle again, this time more noticeably than when she was bothered by the sound of flip-flops. She shifted her gaze towards her companion, head barely turning, and nodded. Still standing low she crept along the tunnel wall, closer and closer until she could peek around the corner.

Yes, there it was. A great and dangerous beast, long-necked and long-tailed, crimson horns for a crown and azure scales for armour. The Lagiacrus slumbered, curled in on itself, ignorant to the sorrows of its victims and unaware of those who had come to challenge it. Bright red stained its maw, the implications the reason for its 'well-deserved' nap.

Marina scowled, still peeking around the corner and her back pressed tight against the sewer wall. She did not turn to the other as she whispered to him, though she hardly needed to.

Why's he so normal about that... He doesn't seem bothered by the suggestion in the slightest. And why does he frown when she tells him she's kidding?

"...Oh."

Hmph.

"Alri' Marina! I'll call ya that!" Wait, so she does think he's good at being bait then? He's so confused right now. But hey! He can do that for sure! When he's about to shout something, she stops him in his tracks. Huh? Oh-- something's up for sure this time.

"...?"

Marlon follows after her after quietly discarding his flip-flops. His stance is also low and careful, and when he peeks around the corner, he's met with... Hm. Has he seen this before? It looks pretty cool, almost like a dragon. But she said it was Electric and Fire-type? Interesting.

A nod is all he gives her as he steps forwards, into the den of the monster. He cups his hands around his mouth, before yelling as loudly as he can.