A Trip Down Town

[Brooke Verity]

Brooke didn't seem to care for the moment that Soren followed her, she had anticipated his curiosity would need sating and so wasn't surprised to find him there when they saw what was going on. The boy certainly looked frightened, but was it really because he was just scared of ghosts? Or had Roxanne pulled a dirty trick? The others looked rather shocked too, it made Brooke wonder.

Her thoughts and questions were answered when she saw Sableye and Mightyena battle, Roxanne was a ruthless trainer – but she had talent, a big one at that. Brooke was even about to congratulate the girl on her battle until she came out with that when she passed Soren and her by. “You shouldn’t listen to everything the press say, girlie.” She hissed, her temper flaring already; Charizard gave a low grunt of warning to get the Professor to calm down, it seemed to work. She cleared her throat and straightened her jacket, “The papers have fanciful tales they wish to publish, but not all are true. What’s your name? You’re quite a talented trainer.”

[Roxanne Guy Jezek]

Roxanne gave a laugh at Brooke's explanation of the tabloids. "No offense given, Prof. I don't believe them much anyway, those tabloid types."

Her eyes actually did widen a bit when Brooke called her talented- THAT made her feel good! "Name's Roxanne Guy Jezek, Pyrite Town born and raised, at your service."

[Soren Forberg]

Soren watched the match between the strange girl and the boy she'd just scared with interest. That Sableye certainly packed a punch and the girl commanded it with the greatest of ease. He was about to congratulate her when she walked by, however that quip about he and Brooke made him choke on his words and he felt his face colour slightly. He kept a wary eye on Brooke as she quickly hissed a warning to the girl in addition to her compliment. He wasn't sure who she'd be more likely to attack - the girl or him. Thankfully Brooke's Charizard seem to be able to help his trainer calm down before anything unfortunate happened.

He adjusted his cravat and pretended to ignore any and all talk of the tabloids. He arched a silver brow at the mention of her home town. "Pyrite Town? So you're from the Orre region..." he said, recalling the Shadow Pokemon incidents he'd read about in the papers years back, "Professor Verity is right - you've got quite a lot of skill, are you perhaps going for the Kansai totem?"

[Roxanne Guy Jezek]

"I'm thinking it'd be a fun pursuit. I've beaten every Stadium Orre could provide me, so why not?"

She opened her compact mirror necklace and checked her eyeliner before she spoke again. "Actually, that's what brought me around here. I heard a mister Nyght Zasq was around here, but apparently no one's seen the man. Such is my luck. At least it's pretty out here, and hey, I met you both," she shut her mirror with a snap.

"Speaking of looking for dudes, have either of you met a Guy Spencer around here?"

[Brooke Verity]

The Orre Region, Brooke's mind whizzed over the map to the area to remind herself of what the place was like. Ahah, she remembered now, Orre was unfortunate enough to be subjected to the usage of Shadow Pokemon. But a young boy who took care of the issues over there, it had been a valiant effort and now the region - for now, was at peace.

So this was where the curious young woman came from, somehow it made sense. Soren and Roxanne mentioned about the Kansai League, Nyght and then someone who Brooke assumed was the name of someone that Roxanne was searching for. "Unfortunately no, I haven't. With so many trainers coming through here you tend to learn and forget names very quickly as people move on. If I hear something though I'll make sure to give you a shout, who is this person? If I may ask?"

[Roxanne Guy Jezek]

Roxanne fiddled with her multiple piercings as Brooke spoke, her lips forming a slight pout of disappointment.

"Ahh, he's no one really, just my brother. Haven't seen him in a while is all.He's the one who gave me that Sableye, when I was at the ripe old age of nine. You guys start out real late, age fifteen I think it is?"

She yawned, Sableye attempting to cover her mouth with his little hand. "Ya know, I like you both. For two famous peoples in kansai, you're pretty normal in the head. Where's a good place to eat? My treat if you tag along."

[Soren Forberg]

"I'm afraid the name is not familiar with me either." Soren said with a shake of his head. Roxanne casually explained that the man she was looking for was her brother, apparently he'd been the one to give her her Sableye. He raised his eyebrows again when she commented on the fact that she liked them both.

That didn't really happen a lot with him.

He couldn't help but smile, even if it was a tad sardonic - he wasn't exactly normal in the head, but hell he'd take the compliment.. "Well I'm flattered," he chuckled. "There's a cafe a little ways up the road actually, I do recommend it."

He glanced around and saw a few trainers starting to close in now that they'd realized how exactly he was. "But I'm afraid I have to politely decline - I really wouldn't be much good for company, not when I get jumped by eager trainers for a battle every few minutes," he said with wink. "Ah c'est la vie I suppose. Br - Professor Verity," oh damn he'd almost said her name again, he really needed to stop doing that. "I need to check on my pokemon, Crobat should be patched up by now - do you wish to accompany me or are you going with Miss Jezek here?"

[Brooke Verity]

Her brother? Must be another trainer, she figured, especially if he had given her a Pokémon. Brooke nodded, “It’s fifteen because of the type of league we have here. It’s one thing travelling from one city to the next, but when you’re out in the wilderness tracking, you need to be older and more mature to take on the task.” She explained, then gave a small chuckle when Roxanne considered them both to be ‘normal’ well, as normal as a scientist could possibly be.

She then had an idea, Soren indicated a cafe but insisted he needed to go back to the Pokémon Centre to check on his Pokémon – which was fair enough, but she had an idea none the less. “I need to head back to the Centre as well, I have a Pokémon there. I’d like you to come with Roxanne, I’d like to see what a trainer makes of what’s been found.” Cryptic much? Brooke hoped that Roxanne had a burning curiosity like other trainers. “Or you could wait at the cafe for me, I’ll only be a few minutes.” She looked to Soren, curious to see whether he'd approve of her plan, she wanted to show Roxanne the new little Pokemon, see if she had seen it in the wild before. Any information would be good.

[Soren Forberg]

Soren gave Brooke a questioning look when she indicated that Roxanne should accompany them back into the Centre - surely she'd want to keep this discovery secret for the time being?

...Still he could see her point, as a trainer roaming the island Roxanne might've gotten a glimpse of their strange little specimen in the wild. He nodded at the Professor. "That's not a bad idea actually, maybe she could help," he said with a smile. "Well then ladies, shall we head back inside?"

He was sorely tempted to offer Brooke his arm - just to tease her, but he knew very well if he ever worked up the audaciousness to do that she'd like break whatever limb he dared put near her. That being said he settled for a gentlemanly bow and an arm gesturing towards the Centre, motioning for them to go first.

[Brooke Verity]

Brooke smiled, pleased that Soren agreed. So she'd go in first, then hold open the gate of the counter for the other two to come through and then through into the back room. There, still resting on the table was the little green Pokemon, now soundly asleep. Nurse Joy smiled at the three, "I think it'll be alright now, I think that little boy got to it just in time." She explained and Brooke thanked her for her help before turning to Roxanne.

"This is a Pokemon that was found only a short while ago, have you seen anything like it on your travels? We're trying to find out whether it's a new species."

[Roxanne Guy Jezek]

Roxanne raised an eyebrow at the strange words Brooke gave her, but she seemed excited nonetheless.

Her look must have given her away, because she was invited into the Center. She gave a slightly humorous bow to Brooke as she held the door open, and followed the rest of the way in.

The Pokemon presented to her was unlike anything she had ever seen. Her eyes widened under their mascara-and-eyeliner look before squinting at it, observing it closely.

"It's not a Leafeon, it's too canine." Roxanne closed her eyes and bit her lip in thought. "I can't say I've encountered one before. I've beaten every stadium in Orre and explored Sinnoh pretty well, but never anything like this. Gosh... can't think of any. Where'd ya find it?"

[Brooke Verity]

"It was brought in a little while ago by a young trainer, he'd found it injured. We've patched it up best as we could but now it's just a case of waiting. I've never seen something like this before, and neither have you - which implies it's unlikely other trainers have either, seeing as we're all so well traveled."

Brooke paused for thought, brushing a finger over her lips as she looked down at the little green Pokemon who was resting so peacefully, "He'll stay with me and the researchers at the lab until he's well again, then I'll need to see what happens." She was going to give him to a trainer, she knew that and she already knew who too. He was the only person she thought who would utterly adore the little creature and give her the results she needed to research this Pokemon further.

"For now, let's let the little thing rest. Hey Soren, reckon your Pokemon are fit for battle? I'd love to see the pair of you out on the field. By the sounds of things there's no one out back on the grounds?" She suggested with a wicked grin aimed at Soren.

[Soren Forberg]

((Mwahaha loving Gros Morne for having wireless internetz))

Soren hung back slightly as Brooke introduced Roxanne to the new pokemon and as expected she said she'd never seen the like of it before. With that settled Brooke turned to him with a wicked grin and not so subtly hinted that he and Roxanne should battle. He returned her grin with one of his own before he turned to his pokemon. "Well what say you? Shall we delight the Professor with a battle hm?"

There were a chorus of yips and growls and Soren turned back to Brooke with a wink. "I think that answers your question," he chuckled. He turned to Roxanne and bowed politely. "Well Miss Jezek if you are indeed hoping to complete the Kansai totem you may challenge me for the fleet badge if you'd like. I know I'm not Nyght Zasq, but perhaps you'd find a challenge in me hm?"

Absol, realizing that she was actually going to get to battle after all, reared up on her hind legs and bounced up and down like an excited puppy.

[Karen Scott]

(Mind if I jump in?)

Down the street from the pokemon centre, a little girl was spreading bread on the ground for the pidgeys to eat. She giggled as they hopped and cooed around her feet, scrambling for the tastiest scraps. But then, all of a sudden, she noticed a shadow on the ground. She looked up and...
"Arrrrch!" A multicoloured bundle of feathers landed heavily on the ground in front of her, lunging for the bread and sending pidgeys scattering. The new arrival was about her size, as gaundy as a parrot, and when she caught sight of its scaled head she saw it had teeth. Lots of them.
Naturally, she jumped backwards and squealed in fear, bringing her mother running. But the loud noise and sharp movement seemed to startle the bird... lizard... thing, and it looked up at her with wide eyes and a mouth full of bread. "Arch!" it squarked in dismay, nearly falling over itself in a hasty attempt to get away, bright wings beating hurridly as it scampered across the ground, trying to get lift. Finally it made it up into the air and swooped across the road, nearly hitting a few more people in its frantic escape.
The pokemon landed on the back of a small but stocky woman who was walking down the road, who swayed slightly from the weight but not as much as you would expect, suggesting that she was used to this kind of arrival. It hooked its back feet into her backpack, hanging on to the straps with the vestigal claws on the tips of its wings, meaning that for someone looking from the front, the woman looked like she was sprouting blue and yellow feathers. Aside from the snake-like head that poked curiously over her shoulder.
Karen sighed. "Xoltl," she chided - pronouncing it 'Salt-all' - "For goodness sake, you're a carnivore. You can't even digest bread. What do you think you're doing?"
"Agmmm?" the Archeops replied with its mouth full, them swallowed the bread guiltily.
"Never mind. Look, we're nearly there." Karen shook her head and pointed to the pokemon centre just up ahead. There appeared to be some kind of battle going on outside - there always is, she thought grumpily - with an obviously overpowered Sableye thrashing an undertrained Mightyena. Karen made a "tsk" sound and rolled her eyes. Training was one thing, but when strong trainers fought against weak ones for no reason other than to prove a point, well, that smacked of bullying to her. Can't they have the maturity to do something other than resort to violence? The battle appeared to be finished, though, and the smug victor disappeared inside the centre.
Karen followed, though she kept her distance from her and the two older people there, with the Absol and Charizard. She walked up to Nurse Joy. "Hi there. I have a Drilbur here who needs seeing to," she brought out the pokeball as she was speaking, "he ran into a Steelix while digging in the Southern Wilderness. We saw it off, but he got walloped by a couple of Iron Tails, and I've run out of potions. Could you give him a quick checkup?"
"Sure, no problem - but you'll have to go in the queue, since it's not serious." Joy replied. "We've got a Crobat with a broken wing and a strange new pokemon to deal with, first."
"New Pokemon?" Karen asked, her curiosity piqued. While her speciality was with old things, discoveries of any kind were always exciting."
"Yeah, a grass-type by the looks of it." Nurse Joy accepted the pokeball and handed it to a Blissey helper. "If you want more information, go talk to Professor Brooke over there, she's the one handling it." She nodded towards the woman with the Charizard.
"Brooke Verity? Oh, I've heard of her." Karen's interest was properly aroused now. "Thanks, I'll do that while I'm waiting." She nodded to Joy and strolled off towards the group, which she was annoyed to see included the bully from outside - but it's OK, I don't need to speak to her. Just Brooke.
She arrived just as the man was finishing speaking: "I know I'm not Nyght Zasq, but perhaps you'd find a challenge in me?"
Karen ignored him and turned to the Professor. "Professor Brooke? I'm Karen Scott. Nurse Joy just said you might have found a new pokemon?" She jerked her thumb towards her informer, then hesitated as she thought of something. "Oh, I'm sorry, if it's meant to be secret or something... what with these poachers around...."

(Looong entrance, but... done! Oh, and here's what Xoltl looks like, just in case anyone hasn't seen an Archeops:

)

[Roxanne Guy Jezek]

Roxanne was quite interested in the origins of this new Pokemon, but she had some trouble containing her excitement when Soren challenged her.

"Now THAT would be epic! Not Nyght Zasq- pshaw! My visit here shall not be in vain, knowing I have encountered and battled a Gym Leader!"

Just then a rather pushy newcomer stepped in and attempted to snag Brooke's attention- she even seemed to have ignored Soren, who, while he was not a scientist, was a well thought of man and should have at least been recognized. Roxanne just rolled her eyes and asked Soren, "Shall we find a battlefield outside?"