[IC] [HylianRose] Auroras [Raddum] {A Pokemon RP}

[Todd Howard]

Walking down the dirt path towards a city that lied ahead, at least according to his map, Desmond looked up at the blue sky with a small smile on his face. The day was new; It was fairly warm, and his Pokemon were in good condition. A perfect time to travel if there ever was one, that was for certain. Though... Desmond couldn't help but feel it was a little quiet. He liked quiet, mind you, but the silence of the area around him was almost bothersome. An idea as bright as the sun in the sky came to mind, as he stopped, and pulled the pokeballs containing his friends off his belt.

"Come on out!" He cheered, breaking the silence as the pokeballs opened, his three companions appearing in bright white flashes. They all let out cries of joy as they were released, Pip in particular wagging his tail. Desmond's smile became wider, the sight of his Pokemon always made him happy. They were all loyal, and he couldn't put how he felt about them in any way besides that he thought of them as family. They had been his only friends out here, aside from running into Ramona on occasion. He never really had anybody to talk to when on the road, having never traveled with another trainer, either due to disinterest or the fact they were going different ways. Not that it was a big problem, but the thoughts were there.

He put the pokeballs back on his belt before he got down on one knee, gesturing for his Pokemon to approach. Fluff and Pip ran up to him and allowed themselves to be pet, though Klauser flew over and landed on Desmond's shoulder. The young man responding by looking over to him a giving him a small scratch, which seemed to please the Crobat. "We've got a bit of a walk ahead of us until our next destination," He told them, looking at the road, then to his Pokemon. "It'd be good to get some exercise, so how about you travel outside with me for now?" He would feel a bit better having his Pokemon out of their pokeballs, traveling with him. Thankfully they all agreed, Fluff in particular hugging Desmond's leg and rubbing her head against his knee, causing him to chuckle. "Heh, alright. Glad to know you guys think it's a good idea."

Desmond soon stood up, dusting off his pants before slipping his hands into his pockets. Pip stood to his left, while Fluff was on his right. Klauser stayed on his shoulder, seeming to be acting a tad lazy as the others walked. Desmond didn't mind, though. As his Crobat seemed satisfied, and that mattered more than a little flying exercise he'd surely get later. Desmond kept his view focused on the path ahead, now more comfortable.

'There's supposed to be a Gym where we're going...' He thought to himself, considering challenging the Gym Leader to a battle once he arrived. He didn't have any information on the Gym Leader, but knew all he needed to for the moment; The Gym Leader was powerful, and had strong Pokemon to match a strong trainer. He wasn't certain they could handle it, but knew Fluff wouldn't be happy if they didn't try. 'I can't back out of this chance. Defeating that Gym Leader will improve our abilities, and bring me closer towards being strong enough to travel where I please in the world without making them worry...' He thought about his parents, and how they worried about him being on this journey. He wanted to become strong enough to ensure them he'd be safe, wherever he went. Then they'd allow him to travel where he wanted; To other regions, to learn of the Pokemon and people in other places... Just thinking about it made him excited.

Breaking past his thoughts and excitement, his stomach growled. The small group paused for a moment as Desmond looked down at his stomach, before letting his head hang momentarily as he realized he skipped getting breakfast for an early start on the road. He sighed, grumbling something to himself.

"T-There are some things we do, that we regret..."

[HylianRose]

April smiled as she exited the pokemon center, a bag filled with newly bought supplies. She had Hope at her side, who refused to get inside a pokeball for any reason. It wasn't that April really minded, but it was a bit of a hassle in some instances. Hope was like that overbearing mother that never wanted to leave your side for any length of time. Shaking her head, she reached over to place her hand on Hope's smooth back.

"What do you say girl, should we head out?" she asked, a smile on her face. Hope simply lowered her head, a sign that she agreed. April nodded her own head in agreement and the two were off, headed in any direction they pleased.

And all seemed to be going well until Hope's stomach let out this weird sort of grumbling. With a rather loud chuckled, April fished through her bag for the food supplies they'd just bought only to find that she hadn't quite stocked up the way she'd planned. And they were too far away to go back and get more plus... she sort of didn't have enough money. With a sheepish grin, April turned to her Dragonair. "H-How does Magikarp sound for lunch?" The long serpentine pokemon rolled her eyes but seemed okay with solution.

The two found their way to a small river and April pulled out her fishing rod. the two waited for what seemed like forever when finally, something began pulling on the string. With a wide grin, April began pulling on the rod. The fish was a bit strong and soon April was being pulled into the water. Hope, who at the time was lazing about by a tree, had come in a flash to pull on April's waist with her tail. Which... she pulled just a bit to hard. The string of April's rod broke and shot back, hitting April in the face.

That, however, was not the last of April's pains. Soon, she found herself flying through the trees. Hope had accidentally pulled too hard and when the string broke, she sent April flying. With an audible gasp, Hope began to race her way toward the direction of April's, decent, hoping she'd get there in time.

Meanwhile, April let out a loud shrieking noise as she flew. It wasn't too terribly long before she found herself falling through tree branches, which managed to break her fall just a bit. As she fell, she reached out for something to grab onto. After a few failed attempts, she managed to grab a hold of something, only to fall within the next few seconds.

She let out a loud yelp as she landed on something soft. Looking down she noticed a young man below her. He had white hair and rather pale skin. Upon looking around, she noticed a few pokemon around him, most of them looking at her with angry eyes. The Flaaffy especially looked rather peeved at her.

All the while, Hope raced to get to her owner.

[Todd Howard]

'Guess it's too late to turn back, it'd just be a waste of time.' Desmond thought to himself, mildly depressed by the minor hunger pains that were now pestering him. He lifted his head, simply keeping a smile as his Pokemon looked at him, concerned. "I'm fine, don't worry." He assured, beginning to walk again. Fluff was skeptical, glancing at Pip, who glanced back. The two simply decided to follow, not having too much reason to doubt he was going to be okay. Though Fluff soon looked up at Klauser, with a dark look on her face. As the Crobat looked back, it simply stared for a moment, becoming nervous from the look.

"Flaaf..!" Fluff licked her lips, apparently having implied that she, or possibly Desmond, might eat him if they got too hungry. Klauser's eyes shifted into an expression of shock, the small Pokemon moving itself closer to Desmond's neck to try and hide slightly from the Flaaffy below. He rubbed up again his trainer's neck, looking for reassurance that such a thing wouldn't happen, and Desmond scratching his head with a lone finger was enough to calm him for the most part. Though Desmond seemed a little concerned as he turned his head and saw Klauser's expression. "Something wrong, little guy?"

Klauser shook it's small form, denying anything being wrong. Desmond looked back towards the path, accepting the response. Fluff snickered, Pip soon following in her wake thinking the Crobat's reaction was hilarious. Klauser glared at them, rather irritated about their behavior. He decided against doing anything... At least for now. He screeched at them, making sure they knew to watch their backs at night. But that threat only made them laugh more.

Though, suddenly, Pip's snickering stopped. His ears perked up, a small whine escaping him that caught Desmond's attention. He turned, looking at the Herdier curiously. "What is it, boy?" He asked, Pip simply staring into the trees while still whining. Fluff listened carefully, but caught no sound. but Klauser did, now hiding in Desmond's hair, much to his distress. "H-Hey! Get out of there!" Desmond demanded, about to try and grab his Pokemon as he continued speaking. "Seriously, what has you so worried-"

Desmond paused, hearing the sound coming from the trees. A shriek of some kind, though from what, he had no idea. But if he was hearing it now, then that could only mean one thing, and one thing only.

It was getting closer.

Suddenly, a girl came from the trees, causing Desmond's eyes to widen. Klauser screeched and quickly flew away, Pip and Fluff also making sure they'd avoid the incoming human. Which left Desmond in the way, and as the only person for her to connect with, she, of course, knocked him over.

Desmond grunted as he hit the ground; Thankfully managing to prevent his head from slamming onto the dirt road, even if his elbows were now a little sore. He blinked, before looking up and momentarily staring at the girl on top of him. "Aah...." He was somewhat speechless, having to take a moment to grasp for words.

Klauser hid behind Pip, who barked at the girl without doing much else. However, Fluff was rather angry with the sudden attack on her trainer, slowly approaching the poor girl while releasing a low, un-amused cry.

Desmond, noticing this, shifted one arm and put it out towards the Flaaffy, shaking his head. "No! Fluff, don't!" He commanded, watching as she halted at his command. He sighed in relief, looking back up as he managed to speak to the girl who possibly could have just gotten fried by a Thunderbolt if Fluff had continued.

"A-... Are you alright?"

[HylianRose]

A barrage of unintelligible words escaped April's mouth as the other trainer asked if she was alright. In a rather panicked manner, April scrambled to get up to her feet, apologizing all the while.

"I'm so sorry! I was just fi-fishing and I... I don't know what happened!" She yelled, bowing down before the stranger. "I hope your not hurt..." She added, her voice much softer as she lifted her head to get a look at him. He didn't look to hurt and his Flaaffy, who he had adequately named Fluff, seemed to have calmed down at his command.

As if on cue, Hope burst out from the forest onto the path a little ways down the road. With a quick turn of her head she located her owner and raced over, quickly putting herself between the stranger and April.

"Oh!" April called out, a bit surprised by Hope's sudden entrance into the scene. "It's fine, Hope. He doesn't mean any harm. If anything, we're the ones who hurt him and need to apologize. So get crackin'. Apologize to the poor guy." She scolded her Dragonair, leaning around her to look at the pokemon's eyes. Hope tilted her head down to look at April before turning back to look at the stranger. She huffed before turning away and looking in another direction.

April let out an exasperated sigh and looked over at the trainer. "I'm sorry. She's usually very sweet." She explained. "I'm April, by the way. And this is Hope. We we-" Just as she was about to explain what had happened, a loud grumbling could be heard from Hope's stomach once again. Another sigh escaped April's lips and she chuckled, shaking her head.

"We were trying to get some food for lunch. I left without buying any food supplies for us and Hope's a bit.. hungry. It's a long story, but I somehow got launched while fishing..." She explained further, lifting a hand behind her neck to rub it, a nervous habit she'd picked up.

[Todd Howard]

Desmond slowly stood as he was granted the ability to do so; Trying to follow the girl's words as she spoke, finding it overly difficult to do so. He figured it wasn't anything disrespectful though, in fact, considering the bow, it was the exact opposite. He dusted himself off, figuring mentioning his sore elbows wasn't exactly what she might have meant by hurt. "I'm fine." He replied, the words relaxing his Pokemon somewhat.

He was about to open his mouth to speak, but paused and tensed up as a Pokemon rushed up between him and the girl. He had taken a step back as he didn't exactly know what it'd do. Fluff stood directly in front of Desmond defensively, with Pip soon following. Leaving Klauser out in the open, until he flew back up to Desmond and hid behind him.

Desmond simply observed as the girl spoke with the Dragonair seemingly named Hope about apologizing. He was going to comment that it wasn't necessary, but the Pokemon was quick to turn and look away, not seeming to plan on giving one anyways. Which was fine, as he wasn't really hurt and didn't fully understand what happened. Listening to the girl apologize and introduce herself, as well as her Pokemon, he blinked and stared, not seeing responding as even being an option. The sound of Hope's stomach brought a temporary silence that was starting to make Desmond feel somewhat ridiculous.

"I... See..." Desmond finally ended up speaking again, seeing he and her Dragonair were somewhat in the same boat. Speaking of boats, how in the world did she get launched like that? It'd have to be some force to send her barreling like she had been, and he wasn't certain of what the cause was. Of course, it was probably better that way. He decided to leave it that way.

"It's... Nice to meet you, April." He said, offering a small smile. "I'm Desmond. And these are, well, my Pokemon." He gestured towards the Herdier at his feet. "This is Pip." Soon after, he reached back and managed to grab Klauser, pulling him from his hiding place even though he screeched about it. "This here is Klauser. He;s, uh..." Desmond cringed as Klauser's wings slapped against his hand, the young man letting the Crobat return to his hiding place. "Kind of easy to scare.." He grumbled, unsure about what his problem was. He looked at Fluff for a moment, before a nervous laugh escaped him. "I think Fluff already made herself known..."

Fluff stood there, staring. She still wasn't happy about what had happened, but refused to do anything unless Desmond gave her the okay... Or he just wasn't around. Her stare was sharp, and she didn't seem ready to stop anytime soon.

[HylianRose]

April felt a small tightness in her chest as her nervousness sky rocketed. He hated her. He was pissed and wanted her to just go away. Ugh. She always did this. Pissed people off, annoyed them in one way or another. Then again, crashing onto someone wasn't exactly the best way to make friends, not that she'd be out looking for friends.

She giggled slightly as he introduced the Crobat, Klauser. With a cute little bow, April lifted her dress just slightly and bowed to the pokemon and their trainer. "It is very nice to meet all of you." She greeted. Suddenly, April's face lit up as she remembered something. With a quick motion, she opened her bag and pulled out a small tin filled with poke-treats. She pulled out a few, enough for each pokemon and handed them out. One to Fluff, one to Klauser, one to Pip, and another to Hope, who gladly munched on the small snack.

"If you don't mind, would you like to go look for some food together? You look like you were headed toward Santalune City, and I just came from there. I need to go back and get some more supplies after visiting with my father again. We could visit the restaurant over there, my treat!" She offered, a soft smile held on her face.

Hope looked over to the other pokemon with a watchful eye, keeping an eye on them. She was skeptical and rather hard to make friends with all things considered. Unlike April, she remembered everything. Though, she didn't feel anything bad about this new human, he didn't feel like...her.

[Todd Howard]

Fluff stared at the treat as she decided to accept it, momentarily considering not eating it until she saw Pip devour his, barking happily at April as if she was his new best friend. His trust was easy to gain, though he still knew where his loyalties lied. Fluff was surprised to see Klauser swoop around and snatch up his own, trying to return to Desmond's hair only to stop considering it as he was met with his trainer's stare. With good reason; Nobody wanted crumbs in their hair. Accepting the stare as a no, he returned to Desmond's shoulder as he ate.

After seeing them enjoy it, Fluff nibbled on the treat. She was surprised by how good it actually tasted, looking away as she ate as to not seem appreciative.

Speaking of appreciative, Desmond certainly did appreciate her feeding the trio of Pokemon around him. A cold chill seemed to pass through him at how light his bag was, almost disturbing him. The carelessness of not doing any shopping for this trip was a mistake he wouldn't make again. He swore to himself he wouldn't. For the sake of his Pokemon, and his poor stomach.

April's mentioning of food caught his attention; Mostly because it brought the hunger pains back in full force. She seemed to be heading back to his destination, which confirmed his map was telling him the truth as well. The offer of a meal at this time meant more than a lot of things, though the company for a short while would probably be the best part of it all. "I'd be happy to accompany you."

Fluff almost spat out her treat, staring up at Desmond. She was unsure if he was serious. Though by the look on his face, it seemed he was. She sighed, eyes shifting to Hope, noticing her watching them. She quickly looked away, not trusting the Dragonair anymore than she trusted them. Though as her head turned she saw Pip simply sitting there with his tongue hanging out, seeming happy with both of them after begin fed. Fluff lowered her head so her stubby arms could allow her to facepalm out of annoyance.

[HylianRose]

April let out a small chuckle at the group before swiveling on her heels to face the direction of Santalune. "Were you interested in taking on the city's gym? Viola's actually a good friend of my family. A lot of her pokemon were breed by my father, Rick Stone. He's a pretty well known breeder around here." April explained as they made the short trek back to Santalune. "That's how I met Hope, through a breeder. At least, that's what my father tells me..." She continued, trailing off as a bad memory or lack there of became apparent.

"Anyway!" She shouted, spinning around to walk backwards. "How did you meet your pokemon? I'm interested to hear the stories!" She asked, wanting to push the topic of conversation away from herself, though she was the one that started it off that way.

Hope simply rolled her eyes as she followed April close behind. The pokemon treat had gone by fast and she hadn't been able to fully enjoy it like the other pokemon seemed to have. It made her a bit jealous and a bit more standoffish than she would have been previously. It was moments like these that she sort of wished she could just disappear into a pokemon and ignore everyone. But, April had to be protected so Hope stayed, despite the... newcomers. She had to hope that they wouldn't stick around for very long.

[Todd Howard]

Following with his hands in his pockets, Desmond listened to April carefully as they began travelling towards Santalune City. He blinked as she mentioned the Gym Leader, listening closer. Her Pokemon were bred, huh? He considered this to be interesting, as they were raised, rather than being wild like Desmond's... He wondered what the difference would be? Maybe he was thinking a little too deep for the moment, since he wasn't even there yet. "A breeder, huh? That's neat." He replied, expressing mild interest. He'd never met any breeders, but had heard of them. They had it kind of rough, in his opinion. Though he figured to really say that for sure he'd have to see it for himself.

The topic quickly faded as she seemed to turn the talking onto him instead. He looked down momentarily. "How I met them, huh...?" He kept the smile on his face, that topic seeming to ring alright with him. Though, honestly, he never was a story teller. Though he assumed it wouldn't be too interesting, he began speaking anyways.

"Well.." He began, smiling. "I took off about a year ago, with Fluff here." Though he seemed happy to mention her, the Flaaffy wasn't happy being mentioned. Desmond continued anyways. "She was a little Mareep back then, though. My father caught her on his way back from work, and surprised me on my birthday. It was, to say the least, a little rough at first. But we manage to get along." He nearly fell as Fluff delivered a mean-spirited punch to his leg. It wasn't with all her strength, but enough to prove a point. "Eheheh... Aah, yeah..."

"This fella right here..." Desmond gestured to his Crobat, seeing it stare at his hand curiously. "Fluff discharged some electricity while we were in a cave and it startled him when he was just a little Zubat. He picked a fight with her, and, well... Lost." Fluff snickered, while Crobat looked away, seeming to not have forgotten what happened. "I decided to catch him, since I had a spare Pokeball on me. He was really shy with me for awhile, but now I'm one of the only things he'll hide behind aside from Pip."

As soon as he was mentioned, Pip barked. Desmond chuckled in response. "Of course, then there's Pip himself. We didn't meet under the best circumstances, what with him being left by his trainer." He had a small frown, not enjoying remembering. "He was beside a Pokemon Center, nearly starved. I took him in for treatment and to get something to eat, and tried to get him to come with me. He was reluctant at first, though. Because he's really loyal." He clenched his left hand into a fist within his pocket. "But that guy... His trainer didn't care about him. Even sent out one of his Pokemon to get rid of him, and me."

His smile returned slowly, as the rest was more peaceful for his mind. "Pip managed to win, though. It didn't mean that guy wanted him back, but..." A whine escaped Pip, seeming to want Desmond to stop. Desmond nodded and decided to stop, understanding it was painful. "... All that matters is that we're friends now, y'know? He's a good boy, and I couldn't ask for someone more dependable."

Pip barked, and Desmond laughed in response. He didn't say much else, as he wasn't sure if there was more to tell... The four of them were together, and friends. Desmond couldn't ask for anything better. His journey was going to be long, but as long as he had them, he knew he could pull through.

"... Sorry." He apologized quietly. "Didn't mean to go on like that..."

[HylianRose]

April listened to Desmond with a smile, having not much to add in terms of conversation. She didn't have any pokemon besides Hope and she didn't even remember getting her. She only knew what her father told her. Still, She still loved Hope all the same. The overly protective dragonair always had her back and she appreciated that.

"That's so interesting!" April told Desmond as he ended, talking as if he'd done something wrong. "I always enjoy listening to people's stories." She explained to him as they walked. They were about half way there now and she could feel Hope trying to pick up the pace.

"For the few years I've been spending at home, all I do is walk around asking people that pass by to tell me their stories. It's always interesting to hear." She told him, smiling softly. "I remember one girl told me that she met her Chatot when she was walking down the Routes and it decided to dive bomb her. She was so mad, she decided to catch the little bugger and teach it a thing or two about manners. And now, the two are best friends." She explained, happy to share one of her interesting stories.

"My dad met his Ninetales when he was really little and they've been best friends for as long as I can remember. Nina sleeps with Dad every night, keeping his feet warm with her tails. It's kind of adorable to watch." April continued, chuckling to herself. She'd always enjoyed being with Nina.

"See, now I'm the one going on and on!" She shouted, giggling to herself. "So, anyway. We know where I'm from, where are you from? Tell me some interesting stories about where you come from. I've never been out of Santalune, so I like hearing about other places." She asked, explaining her reasoning.

[Todd Howard]

Desmond nodded quietly as April spoke, seeing the stories as possibly learning experiences... Stories of friendship between Trainers and Pokemon... His mind wandered off momentarily to his father's work, the man's research being relevant to the conversation. 'The bonds between Trainer and Pokemon...' He thought to himself, being raised on such subjects. His mother didn't work as close to home as Desmond would have liked growing up, leaving him with his father more likely than not. Not that he didn't spend time with her, of course. Just... Less.

When with his father, he was learning the importance of such bonds by his father. Who himself was kind to Pokemon, beyond anything else Desmond had ever witnessed. His Pokemon were loyal, obviously having been with him for quite a long time. Though recalling all of them felt impossible to do, as he certainly had more than just a team. Desmond never truly questioned it, but always assumed his father had ventured out on a journey before him. Though that was a tale he'd never heard, and he wasn't certain if he ever would.

"Those stories are interesting," He replied, a slight tone change expressing his amusement. "The bonds trainer's have with their Pokemon are interesting, aren't they? Some could never be pulled apart, through any trial. The strength of such a relationship is more impressive than just the pure power some Trainers try to use." He sighed, having encountered more than one trainer just concerned about strength. He cared, too. But not at the careless levels of some people. They were irritating, but this wasn't the time to go on about that. He was in a good mood, and didn't want to ruin it.

He chuckled as she commented about going on, and on. But honestly, Desmond was happy. Having someone to talk to made him feel a lot better on the road, so even if it was a few minutes, or hours, he'd be willing to listen. Was that sad...? He wasn't certain, but didn't think so. Even if it lurked in the back of his mind. He decided to focus on her curiosity, as it helped push all the nonsense away.

"I'm from Cyllage City," He answered. "My father's a researcher that settled down there." He added, smiling. "He's not from Kalos, but ended up traveling here during his own journey. He met my mother while getting his Pokemon checked up on in Lumiose City and it kicked off from there... She tried to get him to settle down in Lumiose City but he said the place was too crowded. He found Cyllage City to his liking and ended up settling there, and about a year or so after, I was born."

"I stayed with him a lot..." He said softly, looking ahead and losing track of the city itself. "His research involved the emotions of Pokemon; And the bonds formed between them and trainers. He considers such friendships to be the most important thing in this world... I really look up to him, he's smart, and knows what he's doing most of the time." Desmond smirked, looking down at the ground. "Though he can be a little ridiculous at times, Eheheh." He recalled his father's personality, feeling comforted by thinking about it. Though he realized this wasn't what she asked, and shook his head. "Sorry. You were asking about the city itself... I got off topic." He grumbled, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

"Cyllage City's a nice place. It's got a pretty nice view of the ocean, and the people are generally nice. It's not uncommon to see some kind of athletic event going on, either." He thought about the city for a moment, before speaking again. "The Gym Leader, Grant, is also really strong. I was actually coming out this way to train so I could return and challenge him to a battle." He smiled, thinking about it. That was one obstacle he planned on overcoming, but he'd have to improve.

"Other than that... There's a nice cafe in the city, and I know someone who can give some really relaxing massages to your Pokemon." He looked over at Hope, unsure if she'd like it or not... Possibly? He was uncertain. He thought about maybe taking Klauser to see the woman, maybe she'd manage to calm him down a little. A small smile crossed his face at this thought.

[HylianRose]

April smiled at his words. "I'm glad you think so too!" She replied when he spoke about the bonds between trainer and pokemon. Though she couldn't remember meeting Hope, she felt the bond between the two of them stronger than any relationship she'd ever felt before, sometimes even stronger than the one between her father and herself.

While he spoke about his hometown, April kept herself quiet. She wanted to let him talk and wanted to simply take it all in herself. So... he was from Cyllage? She hadn't heard too many stories from that town. Other than the one kid who said his talonflame saved him from a pretty brutal bicycle accident.

She smiled to herself, listening to him talk about his father. It sounded as if their fathers would get along fairly well. She began to wonder if her father had ever heard of Desmond's. It seemed likely since he seemed to be in a rather interesting field. Father would have probably at least heard of the man before.

Her eyes went a bit wide in surprise as Desmond changed focus back to the city itself. She chuckled a bit, listening to him. It didn't matter to her what he spoke about. A story was a story no matter what it fixated on. Plus, it was nice seeing everyone's different stories. One day, April wanted to go around and write down everyone's stories. For what purpose, she didn't know but she sort of felt compelled to do so. Maybe one day when she was older.

Hearing him talk about the gym leader, April smiled. "Good, because Viola's your first stop if you plan on taking the gym Leader's on." She explained, chuckling slightly.

She smiled widely when Desmond spoke of a cafe. "I'd love to go there! It sounds lovely!" She shouted, twirling as she walked. Poor Hope simply followed along, unhappy that they were having to back-track. Still, it'd be a while since she'd seen April like this. Maybe this guy wasn't so bad but... she still wasn't sure about his pokemon. She stared pensively down at the ground as the group continued on. They were very close to Santalune City.

[Todd Howard]

"That's what I've heard." Desmond replied, as he thought about the road ahead of him. He knew Viola would be no pushover, but also knew that every challenge after could, and probably would, be even more challenging. All he could do was learn, advance, and keep trying to get past what stood in his way, no matter how strong or smart the enemy was. He was certain he could make it, or at least tried to convince himself he was. Though overconfidence was the downfall of people in the past, so he kept note that nothing would truly be easy for him.

Amused by April's enthusiasm concerning the cafe, he nodded. "Maybe it'll be my turn to treat you to something if you ever end up visiting Cyllage, then." He said it, and meant it, though... If he started really traveling, he wasn't sure when he'd be back there. So there wasn't an exact time on those words, but he'd get around to making sure it happened eventually. That seemed too far in the future to plan for, as of now. So he instead just kept walking, not going much farther into it as his thoughts wandered off back towards the Gym Leader.

'Hmm... Even if this is my first step, I can't take it lightly at all. She's probably much more experienced than I am in the first place; If I'm not careful, she'll flatten us without much trouble at all. I've got to keep calm and think about this as I go. Otherwise I'm going to end up stressing out thinking about too much at once.'

"So..." He tried to make conversation, figuring to feed his own curiosity. "There's a Trainers' School in Santalune, right? I've heard about it, but never seen it myself." He figured maybe a refresh on the basics before challenging the Gym Leader was a good idea. He probably could name off mostly everything there with ease; But you never knew when you might have missed a detail. He felt it might be his last chance to really review before thrusting himself out at the world beyond. So why not take it while the option was there?

Though Desmond was enjoying himself, Fluff was personally missing the usual attention she'd usually be getting. She seemed to pout as they walked, ignoring the general jolliness of her teammates as they were amused by almost anything. It was somewhat embarrassing, but they managed to pull through somehow even with their quirks, so she never really considered them bad. They at least spiced up some of the more boring times along the road, and were fun to mess with. She smirked, seeming to amuse herself as she thought about it all.

[HylianRose]

April let out a small giggle as she listened to him. "I'd like that." she replied to his remark about the cafe. She looked over at him and smiled. For a moment, it seemed like he was deep in thought and so April turned away for a moment to look forward. In the distance, the walls of the city. She could already see Sarah, the girl from the clothing store, standing outside the city handing out pamphlets.

She turned back when Desmond asked about the Trainer's School. "Yep! I spent a lot of time there so they know me pretty well. I can introduce you to the Headmaster and probably get you into some classes for free. He owes me for a favor last summer anyway." April explained chuckling.

As she walked, she lifted a hand to wave at Sara, who just now noticed them.

"April! I thought you were leaving! Who's this?" She asked, short blonde hair bobbing to and fro as she looked from April to Desmond and then back. She was a rather pretty and fashionable girl. Blue eyes that seemed to stare into your soul.. or at least that's what she'd like to believe.

"Desmond. I met him just a while ago. Forgot some food supplies so I came back. He was headed this way so we went together. Do you know where my dad is?" April asked.

"Yeah, he's at the gym with Viola. She asked him to help her with something. Dunno what though." Sara replied.

"Alright. Thanks. What about Mr. Pike?" April asked again, already walking past Sara.

"Same place as usual, I would think." Sara answered once more. "Hey! Take a pamphlet! My mom would kill me if I didn't at least hand out a few of these." She added quickly, shoving a hand full into Desmond's hand and then April's. Chuckling, April nodded her head and shoved them in her bag. With a quick nod to Desmond, she kept walking, making her way to the Trainer's School.

"What kind of class do you want to take?" April asked Desmond, turning to look back at him.

[Todd Howard]

Blinking, Desmond was somewhat surprised to hear her response. "O-Oh, really?" He didn't expect to hear it, but that didn't mean the offer wasn't terrific! He was certainly appreciative. "That'd be great, really. Most of what I know came from books my Dad had, or things I learned on my own in the field. Putting my knowledge to the test seems like a good idea." As he spoke, he noticed the fast-approaching City of Santalune.

'Heh, time sure flies...' He thought to himself, figuring it'd take longer. Though he'd never traveled out this way, so he had really just been making assumptions. As his mind shot between multiple things on his mind, a voice, certainly different from April's, caught his attention. His eyes shifted to the girl; Noticing her glancing at him, which caused his eyes to shoot back towards the city. He was silent, rather letting them talk as it wasn't his conversation. He managed a small nod as he was mentioned, not wanting to really come off as rude.

Though he kept out of the conversation, he of course was hearing it. 'At the Gym...? Hmm.' Desmond wondered why, though there was currently no answer. He just hoped it wasn't serious. ... It probably wasn't serious, right? He glanced downwards, uncertain. He stuck with his silence, figuring they were leaving, at least until the girl called out to them. He turned, taken by surprise as the pamphlets were shoved into his hands. He stared at them for a moment, smiling at Sara as he couldn't do much else. Soon after, he was following after April with the pamphlets still in his hands.

His eyes kept on the pamphlets until April spoke, causing him to look at her and think about what she was asking. He glanced back at the pamphlets, then looked at April as he figured out his answer. "I'm looking to make sure I've got my general facts strait; Types, advantages, ailments, cures both natural and man-made." He explained, looking forward and observing the city as he continued. "I want to make sure that I don't let my Pokemon down by not knowing what to do to help them. I don't want to pin them into a bad position in battle, either." He said, seeming serious about it as he clenched the pamphlets in his hand.

[HylianRose]

"Hmm..." April hummed aloud, thinking to herself. She smiled and turned back to Desmond. "If you're willing. I'd like to try and travel together. It's always better with friends, you know? And with just me and Hope, it can get sort of... boring and quiet... Anyway, just think about it! I'll go in with you and find the professor and get you set up and while you do that, I'll get some more supplies for us all. If you decide that you don't want to travel together, you can just pay me back and we'll go our separate ways. If you do, then consider it my first gift to you!" She explained with a smile. Hope huffed at her and stormed off, presumably to their house.

"She'll be fine, let's go inside." April told him, heading inside. "Heeeey! Mr. Pike!" She called out, looking around. There... weren't any kids around which was strange. "Mr. Pike?" She called out again, a bit worried.

[Todd Howard]

"E-Eh?" Desmond blinked, listening to her carefully. Her offer was rather strait-forward, and to the point. He could continue in the direction he was going, possibly in worse condition than he was in money-wise, or he could agree to her offer of companionship and head back towards home after some time spent here. He figured if he managed to battle Viola and win, he'd be ready to head back anyways. But if he failed, then there was no point in going back. He'd certainly not be able to defeat Grant, and his progress would be halted. Leading to a lot of time possibly being wasted.

"Aah..." He thought about it, but kept a rather strait face. "I'll think about it." He answered, unable to find himself making a good decision as of now. In his mind, it all was riding on Viola and how their battle went... Though things were always destined to change, so anything could possibly change his decision in the long run of things. He had time to sit on it, so he would.

Nodding as she suggested heading inside the Trainer School, he followed her quietly, though not before returning his Pokemon to their Pokeballs in a few swift motions. "I'll let you guys out later, but I worry about you all being out indoors." He spoke softly, attaching the pokeballs to his belt once his Pokemon were returned. He then was quick to head inside.

He observed the area; noticing it was quite void of people. Odd, but he didn't know how things operated, so he didn't say anything as she called out for one Mr. Pike, whom he'd apparently need to meet. He became more aware of the path in front of him as he heard footsteps; From around a corner came a middle-aged man, somewhat short. He wore thick-rimmed glasses and had an oddly poofy-looking mustache. He also seemed to go a little bit over on the weight factor of things, but that wasn't any of Desmond's concern. He had been clearing his throat since turning the corner, and soon stopped once he was within typical speaking distance.

Desmond could only assume this man was Mr. Pike, the one April was calling out for.

"Ms. Stone? I'm surprised to see you here! If I recall correctly you were planning on venturing off, yes? What brings you here?" He pushed his glasses up, curiously observing Desmond for a moment. "And who's this young man?" He added the question as he looked around at the rather empty school, narrow eyes hidden behind his glasses.