Her long, silvery blonde hair began to come out of it's tight french braid as she twirled round and round on top of a stone stage erected somewhere not too far from the center of Nouvelle, her bow streaking across her violin as she made [whimsical music](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3KUyPKbR7Q#t=14). Her laugh accompanied the medley as she danced carefree on the stage. Little by little, people began to gather at the foot of the stone steps to watch the odd display, some whispering about the indecency of a "newcomer" playing so near to the center of Nouvelle, while others enjoyed the tune and even danced along. On the roof of a nearby inn Neva perched, his body stiff with purpose as he watched over **his** Sophia. If anyone so much as touched her, the articuno would have to rip them in half.

An odd turn of events brought Sophia to this moment of jovial abandonment as her articuno gleamed predatory glances at the people below, though none seemed to notice as it lurked above...


### Sophia Skyheart & Neva
**Nouvelle - Lugere**



Arctic wind buffeted Sophia as she clung hard to Neva's back to stave off of the majority of the chill. _'Even through my Mark, it's so cold!'_ She thought fiercely, believing for sure she was going to die riding Neva through these harsh skies. _'What on earth was I thinking planning our journey like this!?'_ From beneath her, Neva sensed his trainer's discomfort and began to descend into the trees of the woods surrounding Nouvelle, to help block the gusts of glacial air from reaching her. He wove through the trees expertly, lightly, making sure not to jostle Sophia too much.

That was when Sophia began to hear the melodies wafting out from a large city just head. Neva curved hard, banking on the edge of Nouvelle as it sprang into existence before them. Sophia's eyes nearly popped from her skull as she took in the breath-taking view of this wondrous city, and her ears nearly died in delight from the endless music thrumming faintly below. 

She gestured for Neva to land on the branches of a sturdy tree not far from the city as she pulled one of her maps from inside a pouch on her saddle. She looked it over, mouthing off names as she examined it, **"Stardrop... Icegrove... _Nouvelle!_ Neva, we went the wrong way, we're off course from reaching the Keirnan Estates... uhh, what is it? Oh, Snow Crest, yeah! But..."** Sophia looked over what she could see of the city of arts from where Neva had perched. An odd emotion welled within her. **"Neva, these people... This city... I will be the Lady of it one day... How is it so big?! I knew that it was one of our biggest, but this..."** The map began to crinkle and shake as her own hands shook. Neva gave out a concerned cry, glancing back at her. 

_'How can I possibly rule over them and keep them safe?'_ The thought was almost debilitating. Her shoulders suddenly felt much heavier, as if an oppressive force was heaping upon them. The world began to sink in on her, staining her vision dark with it's vileness as she waded deeper into the deep abyss of worry. A fierce eye came into her view, breaking her out of her wallowing. Neva was looking at her, an expression that was so worried across his face that Sophia smiled instinctively to ease it. **"I'm sorry, my Neva. I shouldn't become downtrodden by ignorance, I just need to cure it. We're going to visit the Cheviots, I do believe they are the earls of this city. I _need_ to know more about my people."** 

A half hour later, Sophia strong-armed Neva into dropping her off at the city boundaries with only her violin in hand, as it seemed fitting, and a small portion of their money on her person - just in case. She was going to inquire where she might find one of the Cheviot House among the people here, but as reality would have it, people are jealous, devious beings. Neva kept a close watch, stalking among the rooftops of buildings.

**"You need to know where the Cheviot estate is? Don't make me laugh, fledgling! Go play your jokes elsewhere or move up the ranks like everyone else."** A flute player that resembled a snorlax more than a human told her with a cold look in his eyes. And that wasn't the only resident to tell her something similar, many people, young or old, mirrored his sentiments with nearly the same standoffish reaction.

She didn't lose heart though, and as she made her way to the center of Nouvelle the people became more distinguished in their replies. **"My dear, you must be lost. The Cheviot Manor is up the hill, but heaven knows you wont be reaching it so easily. Work, work, work your way up!"** An old lady wearing a pristine, floor length fur coat and heavy make-up told her in a lecturing voice. **"How do I work my way up here?"** Sophia asked, looking around at the milling musicians fiddling with their instruments, and artists with their paint brushes flying across the canvasses in front of them. **"Why, young lady, you must play."** The distinguished old woman gestured with a hand to Sophia's violin.

As they made their farewells, Sophia looked down at her own instrument. **"I should have thought of it... but working my way up just to meet the Cheviots?"** She let out a sigh, then slapped her cheek with one hand. **"I'm gonna do it!"** She set to looking for a free spot where she could play her violin, someplace appropriate. **"A stage would be fitting, I should think..."** She mused, wandering through the city. Nearby, Neva hopped from roof to roof, sometimes setting flocks of pokemon resting there scurrying to the skies, fleeing the predatory legendary pokemon.

And a stage she eventually found. People seemed to almost avoid the stone plateau in the middle of a circular square deep within Nouvelle as if it were a pit of vipers. Sophia unknowingly ascended the steps without truly realizing what she was doing as she set herself up to play. People were pointing up at her and whispering among themselves, and those people brought more people who stood far back from the stage to whisper and stare.

She felt stage fright for a split moment, then shook it off. She had played for nobility and in front of the people of Skyheart Villas before, she was no stranger to a crowd. She refused to let herself succumb to that sort of folly! And with that she flew into her medley, quickly forgetting that she even had an audience in the first place.

_Her long, silvery blonde hair began to come out of it's tight french braid as she twirled round and round on top of a stone stage erected somewhere not too far from the center of Nouvelle, her bow streaking across her violin as she made [whimsical music](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3KUyPKbR7Q#t=14). Her laugh accompanied the medley as she danced carefree across the stage. Little by little, people began to gather at the foot of the stone steps to watch the odd display, some whispering about the indecency of a "newcomer" playing so near to the center of Nouvelle, while others enjoyed the tune and even danced along. On the roof of a nearby inn Neva perched, his body stiff with purpose as he watched over **his** Sophia. If anyone so much as touched her, the articuno would have to rip them in half._

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

### Corivana Espada & Kyo (interaction with (man-handling of?) Zavier)

**Haven Port, Pokemon Center - Ayero**

Corivana barked out a laugh in her delight watching the vulpix cleverly extricate itself from the cage. _'So it understands, after all!'_ The world was so vast, the creatures inhabiting it so varied and colorful that it made a smile come to her face as she stared down at the pokemon rubbing against her leg. **"Yer a clever mutt, I'll give ye that! We do be about to escape on the back of me friend, ye see? She _should_ be down 'ere soon, and we do be leavin' this prison. After all..."** She sat on her haunches to give the vulpix a pet along it's sleek back. **"After all, pokemon are _meant_ to be free."** 

All of the sudden, an intense rumble took hold of the pokemon center, shaking the glass fixtures in their casements as the walls rattled. Corivana lips quirked mischievously at the vulpix and she swooped it up into her arms as the roof of the room they were in gave way to the enormous form of Kyogre. The legendary sea pokemon barreled through the room, letting out a joyous cry as she saw Corivana. **"Many 'pologies 'bout the mess, ladies!"** The pirate called up to the nurses as she ran and leapt unto Kyogre's back with Zavier tucked under her arm like a football. 

Her laughter rang out behind the trio as Kyo burst through the doors of the pokemon center with enough force to blow the doors off of the hinges, and her laughter sailed through the air even still as the pokemon took them higher and higher into the sky, far above the city of Haven Port. Below them, her home began to look small and insignificant. And even their famed farms took on a toy-like appearance from these heights. 

**"Tell me, ye little vulpix, do ye want to go on an adventure with me and Kyo 'ere? Or do ye want to make port back on the solid ground, where life do be stale and restricting?"** She asked, placing Zavier carefully on the back of Kyogre. **"Only ye can decide where yer destiny do lay, afterall."**

Corivana's amber eye burned with intensity as she looked down at Zavier, her mouth posed in it's characteristic half-mocking, half-amused smirk. The wind pulled at her brunette hair and at the flamboyant feathers coming from her pirate's hat. Just as fast as Kyogre had sailed into the sky, she descended at the far outskirts of Haven Port, near a cluster of forest that ran alongside the great river that led all the way to the capital of Ayero.

**"One bark for yes, two for no - decide if ye do be sailin' with us, matey."**