C.J. brushed a lazy hand across her cheek as her Ekans, Zulu, continued his gentle attempts to wake his partner up. Soft snores escaped the girl's mouth, which was slightly ajar in the pale moonlight. Zulu's incessant hissing next to her ear made C.J.'s other free hand involuntarily swat the air, as if the slumbering girl was being accosted by an annoying bug. Her fingers eventually collided with the smooth scales of Zulu's strong neck, and he startled at the impact. Her bright blue eyes flicked open with recognition just as Zulu began coiling himself securely around  his former assailant. C.J. grumbled aloud as she pulled herself up onto her elbows, her mousy-brown hair looking quite disheveled from a fitful night's rest. [color=goldenrod]"What time is it?"[/color]  

She spoke rhetorically, knowing Zulu could only respond with one of his tonal hisses. Her eyes scanned the walls of her quaint bedroom, crowded with endless Pokémon photographs captured by her parents. The light from a small computer monitor flooded the otherwise bare room, and C.J. slinked towards it with still sleepy limbs. The screen blinked the words, no new messages, and C.J. sighed heavily before clicking out of the notification. Zulu rubbed his head comfortingly against C.J.'s wrist, and she smiled longingly at the cold reptile on her wrist. [color=goldenrod]"No worries, bud. We'll hear from them soon."[/color] She stroked two fingers atop Zulu's head and pulled her staple yellow coat from its resting place before making her way to the mirror to untangle her hair. 

At the exact moment she had successfully managed to tie her hair into a messy bun atop her head, a howl of pain pierced through her bedroom. Confusion laced both C.J. and Zulu's eyes as they headed towards the small bedroom's open window. From below, they witnessed the tail end of Richard's morning routine. The smoke singed the inside of C.J.'s nostrils, and she furrowed her brow just as Richard's own Ekans came to his aid. Her sweet laughter burst forth at the Pokémon's heartfelt helpful gesture, and even Zulu's body shook with amusement. She heard other night voices escape from windows, one in particular catching her attention. A face she didn't recognize, someone new, proposing a challenge to Richard and his partner. C.J.'s arms bristled in excitement as she yelled from her lofty position, [color=goldenrod]"You've got this, Rich! Just don't finish him off until we make it outside, we want a better view."[/color]

C.J. hastily fastened a leather belt and satchel around her feminine waist and bolted down the stairs, practically tripping over her long legs as she went. Now in the open air of the small village square, C.J. made her way over towards another familiar face. William and his Eevee strolled lazily along one of the paths leading to the forest. She quickly closed the distance between herself and the bearded gentleman, nudging him sharply with her elbow in greeting. [color=goldenrod]"Will you get a load of this Joey character? My Zeni, if I had any, would totally be on Rich."[/color] She didn't wait for a response as she plopped down to the ground, folding her gangly legs as best she could across each other. She pulled out a rice ball from the pouch at her waist and shared it with Zulu while they patiently awaited Richard's next move.

[hider=TL;DR]C.J. is woken up by not only her Ekans, Zulu, but also by the sounds of the skirmish below between Richard and Joey. She eagerly races outside into the night to watch the battle from a healthy distance away. She nonchalantly invited the librarian, William, into a casual conversation before plopping down and sharing a late night snack with Zulu.[/hider]
[hider=People being mentioned][@MisterMisery], [@supertinyking], [@Masterkeun][/hider]