JiMing

IC: Lachina/Mercury The duo set down in Slateport City early the next morning. The Altaria had been a speedy alternative to riding on Oggie's back, taking only a few hours to fly over ocean and grasslands. Upon stepping down, Mercury looked around. "All right, we should be able to get a ship out of the harbor." He looked around, idly adjusting the backpack that Keith had supplied. In it were rations to last a few days in the wilderness, a sleeping bag, a small tent, and some tinder for a fire. A length of rope, 20 feet, was coiled on the side. An identical backpack had been given to Lachina. The streets of Slateport were mostly deserted at this early hour, only a few shopkeepers and dockworkers going about their business. Mercury glanced to Lachina and shrugged. "You know where the shipyard is?" Lachina shook her head, and shrugged. "Nope. Honestly, I haven't ever been outside of Almia in well, my entire life... I'm not very sure what's going on here." she replied, and turned around to pat Aolani on the back. "Nice work, you're a strong bird, aren't you?" Aolani didn't respond, and so the Ranger turned around, observing the city. "Hmm. I'm used to seeing a lot more green, to be honest... Even Pueltown had a lot of vegetation around." she muttered, seeming distracted in that moment. "...Nevermind, let's see if there's a map around, then..." Lachina said, slinging the backpack around her. Shortly afterwards, they were in the shipyard. Mercury looked over departure times and ticket prices and chewed his lip. "There's a ferry leaving for Vermilion City in just an hour or so. We still have time to get tickets, unless we want to wait another two days." Lachina frowned, and looked back at Mercury. "Hmm, if we're leaving now, I think you should be the one to get tickets..." the Ranger said, and looked around. "People have been giving me dirty looks for my Ranger outfit, I can tell... They're acting like I'm the one with silver hair and bags under their eyes." she said disdainfully, but blinked and looked to the other trainer. "...No offense, of course." Mercury sighed. "Maybe you should dress like a normal human being then," he muttered. Nevertheless, he went up to the ticket counter, pulling out a few crumpled bills. "One adult and one kid for Vermilion," he told the booking clerk, passing the notes over quietly. He pulled out his ID for the clerk to check, and received the tickets. He stowed them in his jean pocket quietly, looking around. "Let's go ahead and see if we can board," he said to Lachina, nodding to the ship in question. Lachina looked back at Mercury with a raised eyebrow and crossed arms. "...Kid, huh?" she repeated unamusedly, but then sighed. "Thanks though, I'll try to pay you back later." the Ranger said, walking up near the ship, as Aolani followed her. Mercury shrugged. "Don't worry too much about it. I still owe you for not arresting me." He followed the ranger and her dragon-type onto the ship, presenting the tickets to the necessary person and handing one to Lachina after they'd been punched. The pair were handed a set of keys and directed below deck. "i'm honestly a bit surprised they had last-minute accommodations," he said as they were led to a cabin. Two beds were crammed into the tiny space, leaving little room to stand. Laching shrugged at the first thing Mercury said to her. "It's no biggie either, you're the one with information." she replied, before being led below deck. The Ranger leaped onto a bed, taking a deep breath, while Aolani tucked her feathers in and tried to get comfortable in the space. "Not the most ideal of sleeping conditions.. But it's heck of a lot better than laying flat on a hard dirt road." Lachina said, as she looked up at the ceiling for that moment. Mercury nodded, moving to sit on the other bed. "Agreed." He sighed lightly, leaning back. "We'll probably spend most of the trip up on deck anyways, so no worries." He closed his eyes, settling onto the bed. "So, what's your story? Why'd you decide to become a ranger?" The Ranger paused, and looked over at Mercury. "...Hmm. Let's see how I can sum that up...." she muttered, and pondered for a bit. "...I grew up surrounded by nature and Pokemon, back in Almia... So I partly wanted to be a Ranger just to watch and preserve all that, help the life prosper. But what really made me beg my parents to send me to Ranger school, was hearing stories of Rangers, especially that of Kellyn." she explained, and rubbed the back of her head. "You saw Keith back there, Kellyn was his rival back in the day... Long story short, the president of Altru Inc., Blake Hall, tried to use a machine to control every Pokemon in the region, and awakened a Darkrai, and sicced it on the Rangers trying to stop him. But Kellyn, after an adventure that sent him all across Almia, stepped up and saved the day." Lachina said, and closed her eyes. "...I guess hearing that, made me wonder if Rangers could have adventures like that... And I wanted to go on an adventure, be a hero, while still helping nature and Pokemon.... And that's why I'm here now." Mercury listened quietly, nodding thoughtfully. "Very noble," he said when she'd finished. "Protecting nature, I mean. That's a cause I could get behind." He sighed, standing and unbuttoning his coat. As he shrugged it off, he reached into the inner pocket, pulling out the pokéball that held his Absol. With a scowl, he clipped it onto his belt and set his coat on the bed. "I'm going to head on up and crowd watch for a bit." The Ranger looked over confusedly, as Mercury was clearly bothered by something. "...Okay. I could use a moment to get into civilian clothes anyways." she replied, reaching into her backpack for her other set of clothes. "Have fun watching up there, maybe I'll join you soon." Lachina said, slightly waving bye to the trainer. Mercury nodded, walking out of the room and going back up. The added weight to his belt felt like a boulder. A day would come, he knew, when he would have to send the twisted creature out into battle. He would have to tell Lachina about it before-hand, but... how would she react, he wondered, if she knew that he carried a monster like that with him? She had been lenient thus far, but if she knew about the Absol, she might pressure him to turn it over or even destroy it. He couldn't bring himself to kill something like that, something that hadn't chosen this fate. The Absol, Styx, was a danger to itself and everything around it, but it hadn't decided to become that way. It had just happened. The aura that surrounded the ball attested to that, the black lines of corruption shooting through the jagged, shattered red. Maybe he could fix it. The thought made him stop in place for an instant. He could manipulate aura. With Anubis' help, perhaps he could remove the corruption, restore the pieces the aura had lost... Yes, he would attempt that. Until then, he would keep the creature secret from the ranger. No sense in worrying her. After a while, Lachina went up above deck, this time not in her Ranger uniform. She wore a teal t-shirt, faded jeans, and brown boots, though still wore her capture Styler, hoping it could pass for a watch. The undercover Ranger walked around, finally catching up to Mercury, who she approached. "Yo." she said with a wave, turning her eyes to the ocean. "The water's pretty nice, huh? Maybe if we're lucky, we'll see a Mantine surface next to the boat, otherwise it'll just be the Wingull above our heads." Lachina pointed out, chuckling. She could tell Mercury was still brooding over something... But didn't take a look at his Pokeballs, and so still didn't know what the issue was. He leaned against the railing, looking around at the crowd. As she approached, he nodded to her. "Might even see a pod of Lapras, if we're lucky." He smiled lightly, brushing his hair back with his fingers. "Here's hoping it's a quiet trip. Save all the excitement for when we get there." Lachina chuckled at that idea, but looked over at Mercury, still wondering what was up. "Everything good? You seem like you're brooding over something." the Ranger asked, raising an eyebrow. "What's up?" Mercury's brow furrowed. "I'm not brooding," he said defensively. "I just have something to think about right now." He looked away from her. Why did he care what she thought, anyways? She was just a kid, even if she was a ranger and very mature for her age. Her opinion on the Absol didn't matter. He was the one who had captured it, so it was his responsibility. Still, a part of him said, he could probably confide in her. She could help make a well-reasoned decision. She might even have other ideas for solutions to the problem. No. He wouldn't tell her yet. Only if nothing else worked. He didn't want to concern her. Lachina frowned at his reaction, and stayed quiet for a while. "...All I was trying to do was help." she muttered, and turned away from Mercury, looking at the wide expanse of the ocean. The off-duty Ranger wasn't sure what to think of the trainer. Sometimes, he was lost, confused, and well-meaning. Other times, he was cold, distant, and harsh. But he had important information, so she would still have to put up with all of it. "...This is going to be so much fun, won't it..." Lachina sighed. The silver-haired trainer sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He hadn't meant to put her off. The normally-upbeat girl had shied away when he snapped, and guilt tugged at him. "Sorry, I'm... not used to dealing with people yet," he explained. "I just don't want to distract you from what we're doing right now. We need to stay focused on the mission. I'll explain after. You might even be able to help me." He tried to smile, but failed. He hadn't been social in the six weeks he could remember, and Lachina was still young, still sensitive. He would have to try and do better, be more gentle with her. The Ranger didn't turn around, still looking into the ocean, not letting Mercury see the frown of confusion on her face. "...Alright. If that's how you wanna handle that." she said, and sighed. "It's fine. I'm a Ranger. First thing I've been taught to do is if I see someone who's having trouble, to offer my help." Lachina explained, and turned around finally. "Even if I'm out of my uniform, my training's stuck. Though, I'm holding you to your promise. After we figure out the situation at Two Island, you'll have to explain what's going on to me... Alright?" Mercury nodded, locking eyes with the under-cover ranger. "I promise. As soon as we're done there, I'll tell you... everything." Everything. The Absol, the few details he could remember from his past. Lachina would be the first person he confided in. He would stop looking at her as an ally, and start considering her as a potential friend instead. "I'll just say, for now, that I'm making a tough choice, and it might have lethal consequences for me or... someone else." "...Sounds serious." she muttered in response. "Alright... Well, when the time comes, I'll see what I can do. You can trust me when I say I'll give it my best effort...." Lachina said, holding out her hand to Mercury. She still only had a hint of who Mercury was, and what he could do... But she wasn't going to let that stop her. The Ranger was going to do her best to help, and that was final. Mercury shook her hand softly, smiling. At that moment, the ship's horn blared and they started to pull out of the harbor. The trip to Kanto began.

EDIT: Okay that kinda freaked out. Here are my PC suggestions for Blade's contest... Also the first to submit a female PC profile. #3fast5u Name: Aurelia Gender: Female Hometown: Littleroot Town Age: 18? Appearance: Aurelia's skin is oddly pale for Hoenn's weather, and she stands at around 5'6 with a slender build. She possesses silver hair and amber-gold eyes, and wears her hair in a ponytail. She wears a solid black tank top, with white gloves that cover up just past her elbows. She also has a white skirt that goes down just halfway before her kneecaps, and black stockings that also just barely reach her knees, with purple dance shoes as well, tied with black lace. Her hair is also further decorated with a purple flower pin. Aurelia's duffel bag is primarily black, with a purple Pokeball symbol on the side, with other markings in that same color. Name: Rolando Gender: Male Hometown: Littleroot Town Age: 18? Appearance: Rolando's skin is tanned, and is around 5'8 with a slightly athletic build. His hair is red while his eyes are green, and he wears an orange wide-brimmed hat with a brown belt. He forgoes wearing a shirt, instead wrapping his chest with a sarashi, while wearing a loose-fitting collared orange jacket over it, which reaches halfway down his waist and has very short sleeves, and also has tan stripes running around the edges. In addition, he also wears green fingerless gloves. Rolando also wears tan cargo pants that reach down to his knees, and orange and green athletic shoes. Rolando's backpack is primarily red, with an orange Pokeball symbol on the front, and other orange marks running around it.

IC: Dahlia Seaton Dahlia blinked, not having follkwed Taylor's gaze, nodding at the painter's words. "Alrighty... Really nice to meet you, though!" she replied, giggling also. "You're a really cool and nice person, I'd like staying in touch even if we can't meet up in person for a while... Then we'd still get to know each other better..." the middle Seaton muttered, feeling disappointed Taylor was going, but glad to have met her.

IC: Dahlia Seaton Dahlia nodded, and reached for Taylor's wrist, quickly inputting her own number on the painter's Poketch, rubbing her head after she was done, shifting her feet as well. "Umm, that's that, then." she mumbled, smiling at the other girl. "I-it's nice meeting you, though! You seem like a really nice person, keeping contact's a pretty great idea..." the middle Seaton said, looking around afterwards, not sure of what to do now.

IC: Dahlia Seaton Dahlia blinked, as she hadn't yet brought up the contact screen of her Pokegear, and scratched the back of her head. "Um, uh, could you-nevermind..." she muttered, handing the painter her Pokegear. "Um, just input your number there, and I'll do the same for your device." the middle Seaton said, a bit awkward still. The Turtwig kept trying the single Razor Leaf technique, its speed slowly but surely improving. As the Tiny Leaf Pokemon looked back at Axle with excitement, Coco watched and applauded happily, very impressed by the small Pokemon's progress.

IC: Dahlia Seaton Dahlia looked at Taylor, smiling and hoping things would turn out alright for her, chewing on her Pecha Berry thoughtfully. She was caught off guard when Taylor suggested keeping in touch, but nodded happily. "Yeah! That would be great!" the middle Seaton said excitedly, pulling out her Pokegear. "You seem like a very nice person, and I'd love to get to know you better..." the gardener explained, and rubbed the back of her head, feeling somewhat awkward for some reason, though she was curious as to what Taylor was looking at.

IC: Dahlia Seaton Dahlia frowned again when Taylor mentioned being driven out of her home thanks to the Darkrai, but nodded at her question. "Yep.. Born in Olivine, lived there ever since." she explained, and sighed. "Grew up a gardener, growing berries and flowers, it's pretty much what I wanna do for the rest of my life.." the middle Seaton said, and sighed. Thinking for a bit, she reached into her backpack, and pulled out a bag of Pecha Berries, taking out one to eat, and offering the bag to Taylor. "That's what you wanna do for painting, right? I think... I think if it makes you happy, you should prove your Dad wrong and keep doing that." she said, smiling. The Turtwig listened while looking at the Budew with wide eyes, and reassured Axle she would keep practicing. Immediately after, she followed up on the promise, and went back to attempting single leaf shots, trying to get a feel for how to fire them off quickly.

Dahlia looked curiously at the phone, beaming when she saw the subject of the painting. "Oooooh... It looks wonderful!" she exclaimed, continuing to stare at the painting. "You're a really good painter! Floaroma Meadows, though?" the middle Seaton repeated curiously. "That's been a place I've always sorta wanted to go to... Do you come from Sinnoh?" The Turtwig thought over Axle's advice, and tried again. This time, her leaf came out a bit faster, to which the small Pokemon seemed excited about, and looked back at the Budew excitedly.

IC: Dahlia Seaton Dahlia listened to Taylor go on about painting and her family, frowning a bit after. "...So your Dad doesn't like it when you paint..?" she asked, seeming concerned since it seemed Taylor was also distressed about that. "I'm sorry to hear that... I'm sure your paintings are great." the middle Seaton offered, smiling at the other girl. "Sorry about your grandpa too..." The Turtwig tilted her head as she listened to Axle, trying to understand the instructions. The Tiny Leaf Pokemon turned around, and managed to fire off a single Razor Leaf, though it was still considerably slower than the Budew's demonstration earlier. IC: Dahlia Seaton Dahlia listened to Taylor go on about painting and her family, frowning a bit after. "...So your Dad doesn't like it when you paint..?" she asked, seeming concerned since it seemed Taylor was also distressed about that. "I'm sorry to hear that... I'm sure your paintings are great." the middle Seaton offered, smiling at the other girl. "Sorry about your grandpa too..." The Turtwig tilted her head as she listened to Axle, trying to understand the instructions. The Tiny Leaf Pokemon turned around, and managed to fire off a single Razor Leaf, though it was still considerably slower than the Budew's demonstration earlier.

Dahlia blinked at the Razor Leaf demonstration, and looked at Taylor. "Woah... That's interesting..." she muttered, and turned to the Turtwig. "Uh, do you even know Razor Leaf...?" she asked, rubbing the back of her head. The Tiny Leaf Pokemon nodded, and fired off several leaves in the same direction as Axle had demonstrated, though the move was very standard. She turned to the Budew, and turned her head, curious as to how to do the single Leaf shot. Dahlia raised an eyebrow, but turned to Taylor. "You said something about drawing?" the middle Seaton asked curiously.

IC: Dahlia Seaton Dahlia sighed in relief, as Taylor didn't press for details on how she got the Turtwig, and listened to Taylor's story with intrigue. "...Huh. Interesting. What kind of tricks do you have in mind...?" she asked the other girl, looking down curiously at the Budew. "Aww... My brother had a Budew once. It evolved into a Roselia, though." the middle Seaton shared, smiling at the tiny Pokemon. The Turtwig saw Axle approach, and raised a leg to try and wave, nearly falling over as she did so. Otherwise, the Tiny Leaf Pokemon looked at the Budew curiously, but gave back a friendly smile.

IC: Dahlia Seaton The middle Seaton winced a bit when Taylor caught her attempt to cover up who she got the Turtwig from, and looked down. "...From Erika..." she muttered, not sure if Taylor would believe that or if it was too much information. Dahlia blinked however, and looked down as the Tiny Leaf Pokemon was lightly headbutting Taylor's ankle. "...As far as I know, she hasn't fought... Definitely not with me." the gardener explained, and rubbed the back of her head. "Why do you ask?"

IC: Dahlia Seaton "Huh? What?" Dahlia said confusedly, when Taylor seemed to be postponing the battle. The gardener followed her gaze, and blinked, as she was looking at a very specific Pokeball. "Oh, her? That's the Turtwig I got from Eri-uhh, nevermind." the middle Seaton explained, grabbing the Pokeball off her belt and releasing the Tiny Leaf Pokemon. "Don't really have a name for her yet, since I only got her the other day..." The tiny Turtwig looked up, and smiled at the new face. Meanwhile, Coco turned around, waiting for a new order, only to see the two trainers talking to each other. The Buneary scratched the back of her head in confusion, but hopped over to the Quilladin, offering him a paw to lift him up.

IC: Dahlia Seaton Coco grunted when Armage clamped his jaws over her, causing Dahlia to wince. "Get out of there, Coco!" she called out, not actually sure of how the Buneary would pull that off. After some quick thinking, Coco reached out and gripped the Quilladin by her paws, and Bounced upwards, attempting to flip it so Armage would be slammed against the ground on the way back down.

IC: Dahlia Seaton "Ice Punch, and dodge!" Dahlia called out to Coco, leaving the specifics up to the Buneary. Coco spun her body to the side, strafing away from the vines, and used her momentum to swing towards Armage, her arm coated in ice. She hadn't let Celadon slow her down, and she would see to that this Quilladin wouldn't either.

IC: Dahlia Seaton Dahlia looked over at Taylor's Quilladin, as she nervously gripped Coco's Pokeball. "Alright... G-go Coco!" she said, as the Buneary was released from the Pokeball, looking over at Armage with anticipation. Dahlia rubbed the back of her head, still not used to battling, but nodded at Coco, confident in her abilities. "Alright Taylor... You get the first move." she said to the other girl, as both trainer and Pokemon waited to see what would be her first move.

IC: Dahlia Seaton Dahlia looked curiously at the girl named Taylor, nodding to her questions. "Like the flower, it's what happens when your Mom's a gardener... I uh, was traveling with my siblings, and our friends, have been doing so for the last few days..." the gardener answered, giggling slightly as she did, blinking when Taylor asked her second question. "....W-well just so you know, I'm not really as good as battling as my brother or sister..." she said, rubbing the back of her head slightly. However, the middle Seaton thought back to Coco's excellent performance in Celadon yesterday, and pondered. "...I could try a battle, though, maybe it'll work like you said..." she replied, nodding and gripping her Buneary's Pokeball, and looked around awkwardly. "Though uh, do we just battle here, or is there someone else that's better...?"

IC: Dahlia Seaton "Yeah... I like the beach. Easy to reach when you're from Olivine...." Dahlia responded, giggling quietly. "M-maybe that's why I'm here now, to calm my nerves... Oh, but I shouldn't bother you with my problems." the gardener said, looking at the friendly girl with a small smile still. "My name's Dahlia... What's yours?" she asked. Dahlia didn't know who this brown-haired girl was, but she was being very friendly so far, something Dahlia appreciated.

IC: Dahlia Seaton Dahlia looked around at the beach, her melancholy expression still present, until she noticed the girl over by the rocks try to catch her attention. The gardener blinked, and was briefly confused, still walking over to the brown-eyed girl. She smiled at the stranger, waving slightly, though the concern didn't disappear from the gardener's face. "H-hi..." Dahlia said quietly, trying to be friendly even as she was sad and unsure of what to do.

IC: Dahlia Seaton "A while, huh...?" Dahlia repeated to herself, turning to everyone. "Um, in case you all don't mind, I think I might go take a walk, and uh, just take in the sights..." the gardener said, looking at the others. Both her siblings seemed caught off guard by that request, but nodded. "Sure, Dahlia, I'll give you a call when the crowd gets smaller." Olivia replied, smiling at her sister. "Just take care, alright? I don't want a repeat of Alistair..." the redheaded trainer muttered to herself, still upset over that incident. Aspen nodded in agreement, and hugged Dahlia. "Yeah... Um, stay safe..." he said, moving back and looking down, still seeming a bit hesitant to make eye contact with the others. Dahlia smiled at her siblings, and turned to the Hikaris. "Right. I'll be back when you tell me to return, don't worry..." she reassured everyone present, and began walking in a different direction. It wasn't long until she was out of sight from the others, and that was when her smile disappeared, and the middle Seaton sighed, a look of solemn and confusion on her face. So very much had happened in the last few days, and she was finding herself stuck, unable to fully process most of the new information. Dahlia frowned slightly, but kept walking, ending up at a beach not too far away from the ports. First her eyes turned to the ocean, taking in the calm crashing of the waves, staying there for a long time. Then the gardener turned her head, and kept walking, as she saw a girl who appeared to be about her age, with golden-brown hair and brown eyes, sitting on a rock. Dahlia followed her gaze, as that girl too was looking towards the horizon, still walking as she did so.

IC: Aspen/Dahlia/Olivia Seaton Aspen looked up again, as people had just began talking about middle names. Before he did so, though, Zach's Gallade teleported them to Vermillion rather quickly, catching the young trainer off guard and leaving him slightly disoriented. The youngest Seaton nearly dropped Saya's Pokeball, but he snapped to and caught it the moment his fingers slipped, breathing hard afterwards. "....Oh. Uh, middle names, mine's Benedict..." Aspen spoke up, rubbing the back of his head, hoping no one caught his near-accident. "Which is my Dad's name, so that's cool...." Dahlia nodded, not disoriented and having braced for the teleportation. "Uh-huh! And my middle name's June!" she said, before pausing. "Though... Poppy really wanted it to be Jane. He acts like that's my middle name, actually, even though officially, it's June..." the gardener shared, giggling lightly at that anecdote. "Matthew and Yuuki, though? Those are good names..." Olivia nodded, looking over at Zach. "Yeah. That's the name, how could I have forgotten?" she said, squeezing his hand and smiling. "Always thought it sounded nice...." the redhead muttered, before looking around at Vermillion. "....Hmm. Can't say I can see the port from here, should probably get a map, unless you or your brother knows the way around..."

IC: Aspen/Olivia/Dahlia Seaton Aspen blinked when Zach put his hand on his shoulder, and looked up, nodding slightly at his words. "...Fair enough, yeah, Chrono was..." he replied, before sighing. "Alright. Thanks, I"ll... I'll try to help Saya. I think I can do it..." Olivia raised an eyebrow, blinking confusedly at Ryan's comment. "Uhh, I'm sorry?" she said, not really getting what Ryan's retort was supposed to be. Soon after though, Zach explained how they would have to go to Vermillion, and nodded. "Alright. I don't think I'd know where to find the ferries there, so you'l'l have to lead the way." "Vermillion... Got it." Dahlia said, smiling slightly. "Yeah. Lilycove's a pretty special place too, it's actually where Mom and Dad first met..." the gardener, explained, looking over at Olivia. "And where you got your middle name from." Olivia nodded again, rubbing the back of her head. "....Olivia Lily Seaton, yep. That's me...." the trainer replied sheepishly, before blinking. "...Huh. I don't think I ever got your middle names, or maybe I forgot?" she said, looking at Ryan, then Zach.

IC: Olivia/Aspen/Dahlia Seaton "Hmm. Not as upset? What, did you two already confess?" Olivia asked, pressing on with her teasing. "It's just like some movie, as you wallow in rock bottom, a light shines through and you find love... Or something like that." Aspen nodded to Zach, and sighed. "Anything would help, I-I'm afraid I won't be good enough a trainer for Saya...." the young boy muttered, and looked down, speaking again more softly. "Maybe I should have left her with Ellen. Maybe she would know what to do better than me..." The middle Seaton looked around at everyone, noticing they were all gathered. "S-so, now's about time to leave, I think?" Dahlia asked, trying to get everyone's attention. "Anyone, uh, even have an idea of how to get to Snowpoint...?"

IC: Olivia/Dahlia/Aspen Olivia raised an eyebrow at Ryan's resigned tone, but still smirked "Yeah, I'll do that when you focus on your girlfriend more, Ryan." she replied, not about to give up just because Ryan brushed her off. Dahlia blinked, and shook her head "N-no, I didn't say you were well, not-just friends, I was just trying to-" the middle Seaton said, slightly panicked at Ryan's interpretation of her words. "Well, you still seemed upset over what happened, I wanted to tell you again things would be okay, was all...." "....Thanks. I... Well...." Aspen paused, and realized he was actually carrying the Pokeball, and showed it to Zach. "B-back in Sootopolis, Ellen tried to rescue an Eevee in a burning building, remember...?" he asked, since Zach checked up on the two of them. "Well, I named her Saya. I put Saya in this Pokeball, and healed her at the Pokemon Center. Thing is, I uh...." the youngest Seaton sighed, and looked down at the Pokeball. "She was scared of Ellen when she tried to help, and scared of me when I tried to help..." Aspen explained, running a few fingers over the scratches the Eevee had left on his face the day before. "I was wondering if you were good with Pokemon, so I could maybe figure out how to help Saya more.."

IC: Olivia/Dahlia/Aspen Seaton Olivia listened as Ryan went on about Shannon, nodding with the grin still on her face. "Mm-hmm, yeah, alright, ladies' man." she said, smirking a bit more. "I can tell, you'll be on each other's minds until you see each other again... You do seem pretty apologetic after all, but she doesn't care... Isn't love beautiful?" the eldest Seaton asked, snickering. "Hey, she forgave you, right, Ryan?" Dahlia pointed out, smiling. "So don't worry about it, we'll head to Snowpoint, and then you can see her again, and it'll be fine." the gardener reassured Ryan, placing a hand on his shoulder. Aspen looked up, and blinked, noticing Zach looking at him, and paused. "Umm, Zach, there's uh, can I ask you for advice on something, maybe...?" the youngest Seaton asked in a quiet voice, as he gripped a certain Pokeball, seeming hesitant about what to do with it.