[color=f7941d]"Is he bothering you?"[/color] Liam marched up before Alice had a chance to respond to the younger boy, Torchic close behind in tow. Liam didn't hear most of what the boy said, but was a teeny bit suspicious that he was trying to take some of her prize. She had just retreated to an empty bench.

[color=f7941d]"I'm Liam, and I'd be glad to get him out of your hair,"[/color] Liam offered. Alice reminded him of his sister. Perhaps because of her pigtails? Torchic, dutifully glaring at the boy, gave an affirmative squeak that was not as menacing as it desired.

[color=f7941d]"Also don't believe anything that man tells you,"[/color] Liam motioned towards Beatrix and the mysterious man, [color=f7941d]"He's obviously running some con. He keeps calling it an 'exclusive' tournament, but inviting pretty much everyone."[/color] He produced a similar invitation pamphlet from the pocket in his sleeveless jean jacket. Why was the man not bothering to be discreet about it? If he was going to invite half the city's new trainers and call it "exclusive" then he ought to at least hand out invitations more privately. Liam wondered what his angle was. There had to be one.

The boy didn't actually worry him at all. He really had wanted to warn Alice about the mysterious man recruiting trainers for his competition. Something was off about him. Liam was just trying to play it casually so as to not seem like some conspiracy-theory psycho. There was a chance that it really was exclusive, and Liam had just happened to see several people get invited. Was he overthinking it?

[color=f7941d]"Alice, right?"[/color] Liam said, [color=f7941d]"I missed the battle but Thomas tells me your Swinub is a force to be feared."[/color] It wasn't a battle invitation. Liam wasn't one to challenge random strangers to battles; he wanted to train with them more than battle them.