[@Whimsley] [@samreaper]

[center][h2][color=4d94ff]Garret Beleau[/color][/h2]
[hider=Team & Inventory]
[sub]Location: Argentglade
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Inventory:
500 P
1 Potion
[/sub]
[/hider]
[/center]

Garret sauntered down the cobblestone way, joyfully bundled against the cold in scarf, coat and sweater. The snow floated against his face in an attempt to bother him, but could not worry an Argentglade local. For a moment it flurried harder, as if it especially desired Garret's acknowledgement. Garret smiled, and pushed on down the way, the snowy plains rolling before him.

He had attended Evergreen's Givings--that's what he called it, unofficially--before and witnessed the happy connections between new trainers and their pokémon. Well, mostly happy. Last year there had been a particularly disagreeable Growlithe not keen on going with his new trainer, which Professor Evergreen said was, [color=limegreen]"Passing unusual!"[/color] because of the loyal reputation held by Growlithe-kind. Professor Evergreen offered to give the girl a different pokémon, but the young, perfumed girl in a purple dress proved as stubborn as the Growlithe and flatly refused to give it back.

Garret found himself suddenly fearing a similar scenario for himself. He allowed himself to fear for a moment, and then forced the feeling to pass, focusing now instead on the sturdy smell of hot potato soup wafting from the cottages along the cobblestones. Garret almost stepped up to the door of Mrs. Willfire's cottage. She would tell him, [color=plum]"Garret, I've just been to see your dear mother!"[/color] with a swing of her curled hair, left and right to show him his mother's work. He would thank her for her kind words, she would invite him in for a bowl of her Potatofire Soup, and they both would gossip together about his mother's other clients while Mrs. Willfire carefully dipped iron bowls of soup into the furnace-y back of her Torkoal.

[color=plum]"Thank you, Torkoal dearest. You're a wonder."[/color] 

[color=red]"TorK!"[/color] he would forcefully reply. Torkoal and Garret both loved Mrs. Willfire.

But Garret had already experienced that, on many another day, and today was not such a day. He reached down to tighten the straps on his gray winter boots, steeled himself against the allure of the soup, and hurried past the cottage lest Mrs. Willfire should come out and beckon him over. He surely would not be able to resist. At the quicker pace the contents in his backpack made some noise shifting about. Garret resolved to repack it better, later.

He picked up pace as he neared the lab and started to hear the ambient cries of a crowd. The furcoats were gathered around Evergreen's doorway, making a racket about getting it open. Garret rolled his eyes. What to make of the furcoats? They always seemed too busy, in his opinion. Rushing about here and there, hardly appreciating the beauty of the land they came to study. Garret befriended one furcoat who didn't seem to be in so much haste as the others, and sure enough he admitted to feeling a bit out of place among the other researchers.

Nearing the group, he saw that much of the crowd had backed up as a boy in a strange hat inspected the doorway. He was running his hands along the closed doors and muttering to himself. Garret hadn't seen a hat quite like that before and moved closer, intrigued. A few members of the crowd turned around--no doubt tipped off by the sound of his footsteps and the smell of his cologne--and waved their greetings.

Promptly they began to pepper him with questions; Garret responded as quickly as possible, [color=4d94ff]"No, no I haven't seen Professor Evergreen. I don't have the key. I don't have a crowbar. Has anyone gone to look for her?"[/color] He realized that some of them were readying themselves to beat down the door. 

[color=4d94ff]"If you put even a single dent into Evergreen's beauteous, shining door I will personally see you don't get a pokémon!!"[/color] he threatened suddenly, knowing he likely didn't have such authority with Professor Evergreen. But it was a nice door and it deserved a chance to live. [color=4d94ff]"She'll probably be here soon, just calm down. Calm down,"[/color] he said to himself as much as the group. Garret pulled off his beanie and stuffed it into his pack.

Professor Evergreen was probably just gathering pokémon for the day. Garret hoped she was okay. [color=4d94ff]"Instead of tearing down her property, perhaps we should organize a search for her, no? Let's divide up the places she could be, split up, check them, and meet back here,"[/color] Garret proposed.