“Lilianna Vanderbelt checking in.” A perky blonde said, pulling her bag up on her shoulder with a smile to the person behind the counter. The hotel was a large 8 story building and it was no surprise it was reserved for all the trainers coming to participate in the event. Lilianna herself wasn’t the best trainer but she was getting better! That being said, since she wasn’t a well-known trainer she had to pay a pretty penny to get into the competition. But for her, it was something she wanted to do.

Upon arriving to her room she let out her six traveling pokemon from their balls. “Alright everyone stretch her legs…” Gastly gave her a funny look sticking his tongue out and floating to her, as if to remind her that he didn’t have legs. “Or floating mass of… stuff.” A laugh left her as she pushed Gastly away from her, just in time to dodge his sneaky licking attempt. Cubone seemed to be fascinated with the room, gently tapping things with his bone. Ponyta had already made herself comfortable on the second bed in the room with Squirtle who seemed to fall gracefully onto the bed and Jolteon seemed to be following Cubone around to insure he was not going to damage anything. She could always count on her Jolteon for acting like a parental figure when she wasn’t around.

As she went to the door to leave, she felt a tug on the jean pants. Green gaze turning downwards, she saw her dear Nidorina pulling on her pant leg, “Oh little girl.” She said with a smile across her full lips showing her straight white teeth. She scooped up the Nidorina into her arms with a practiced move as she nuzzled her face against her pokemon’s. “Alright, you can come too. Just don’t leave my side.” Her little Nidorina let out a little squeal of approval and she stepped outside shutting the door behind her.

The picnic was HUGE and the blonde couldn’t help but giggle with excitement as she took off running onto the festivities. Nidorina stuck close to her side keeping up with her fast trainer. “Ooooo!” Lily pulled herself to a stop in front of one of the tables filled with food. She picked up two plates and began to make one for herself and one for her Nidorina who was hugging her side closely. The blonde pulled a strap of her brown tank top back onto her shoulder before becoming shoulder to shoulder with a young man with messy white hair. “Can you hand me that scooper?” She said pointing towards the large serving spoon.

"Oh, man. This place is packed..."

Somewhat on edge, Desmond glanced around the picnic area with a small amount of terror. He wasn't good with groups; This was kicking his anxiety into overdrive. Shaking somewhat, a grunt of annoyance came from his side as a sound similar to a whip cracking was heard; His Ivysaur had just whipped him on his behind, snapping him to attention with a yelp. He glared down at the Ivysaur's somewhat annoyed expression, mood lightening up a little after a moment. "Thanks. I guess I needed that, huh?" He said, as the Ivysaur smiled widely, causing him to laugh a little.

While Desmond was distracted with the food and going-ons, his Zubat was hiding under his coat; Head poking out and that was it. It was rather terrified; Being shy similar to how Desmond was. He was a lot more comfortable when Desmond was close, however. But had no intentions of leaving his warm little space next to his trainer.

Due to the fact he was a troublemaker, Diglett was currently in his Pokeball. The tiny Pokemon liked to trip people up, and in such a big event, he could cause a lot of trouble. His Jigglypuff was, however, in his backpack, staring out at the world curiously.

"They have Pokemon Food too. These guys really went all out!" he exclaimed, amazed. Picking a few pieces for his Pokemon, he slipped one to his Zubat, and at the mentioning of food, his Jigglypuff popped out enough to snatch it up and eat it. Ivysaur simply opened it's mouth and caught the food as it was tossed to her.

"But, now, what about me...?" He wondered curiously, pocketing some of the food for Diglett later. The boy hadn't eaten some real food in awhile; Just stuff from Pokemon Centers. Desmond was broke, most of the time. He made a little money here and there, but that was it. Enough to get by; And his Pokemon always came first, too. Making him often unsatisfied with his own meal, but he was okay with that, simply because his Pokemon were okay. A slight bit of drool escaped his mouth as he grabbed a plate, hand going towards one of the large serving spoons for some of the food. He was about to use it, before someone asked for it.

"Eh?" He turned his head, his yellow eyes meeting with the blonde's. He blinked, staring at her for a moment. "O-Oh, yeah, sure!" He replied, as he looked back towards the scoop and gripped it, before handing it to her. "There ya go."

Glancing down at the table, he wondered what he'd get first? Oh, there were so many options.

A small grunt exited him as his Jigglypuff crawled out of his bag and to the top of his head; Peering down at the food. She wanted some, too. But waited for Desmond to make his decision on what he was going to get.

Lily took the spoon from the young man as she continued to stare at him in surprise. His eyes were beautiful, a shocking yellow. Something she had never seen in someone’s eyes. She took a second to lean forward slightly looking up at the man next to her. Something that always bothered people was Lily’s lack of understanding of space and even though she wasn’t a ‘dangerous’, ‘mean’ or ‘threatening’ looking individual; it should come as no surprising that her actions sometimes made people uncomfortable.

“Your eyes are beautiful.” She said in a bright and cheerful tone as she pulled herself away from him. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen yellow eyes before. Wow!” Using the spoon he gave her she scooped up some of the potato salad and put it on her plate. Putting the spoon back she shook her head. “Where are my manners?! Thank you for getting me the spoon, I thought it would be rude to reach in front of you.” She said with a small laugh to her voice. “You should try the pudding,” She said pointing to the pudding cups. “The chocolate is wonderful and its pokemon-friendly believe it or not.”

Her teal gaze moved up to his head as the Jigglypuff suddenly found its way on top of him. “Aw!” Her voice was filled with joy as she tilted her head to one side. “Hello up there.” She said gently to the Jigglypuff giving it a little wave with her free hand. Her teal gaze moved back to the young man before going back to the table. “You brought everyone I see.” She said with a smile on her face, “All of mine wanted to rest except for her.” She gestured down to her side, her Nidorina was super glued to her hip.

The Nidorina stared up at the young man as her small hands gripped onto the jeans of her trainer. However she gave a content nod to the man, as if finding it ‘okay’ that the two were interacting. But she went back to burying her face into Lily’s jeans.

“Don’t mind her, she’s shy. She has…” A small sigh left the blonde as she patted the pokemon with her free hand before turning her teal eyes back to the young man next to her. “problems trusting people.” A nod rose and fell her head as she turned her attention back to the food in a mental desperate need to change the subject. “All this food looks delicious!” Reaching forward she used some of the tongs to grab some of the meat labeled ‘pot roast’. “Do you want some?” She offered to the young man next to her.

"Uhm..."

Desmond stared back at her, hesitantly as she leaned closer to him. Unsure of why she was doing such a thing, his body shifted slightly due to a minor amount of discomfort. If he was bad with people, then he was really bad with girls. Stuttering, nervousness, panicking. All that good stuff is what he ended up doing; And he already found himself in an awkward silence with her looking him strait in the eyes. She didn't seem mad, or anything, of course. But still, it was kinda weird!

Then, she complimented his eyes.

"W-What?" He stuttered at her compliment, as she went back to the distance they were originally at. He quickly turned, looking down at the food without a second thought. "It, uh, runs in the family..." He said, somewhat quiet. He looked down at Ivysaur and noticed her face; About to burst into laughter. Embarrassed, he almost considering returning Ivysaur to her Pokeball for the sake of removing that face from his mind for the moment; But he had no time to do so, as the girl started talking again.

"Thanks for the consideration." Desmond replied, looking down at the scoop as she put it back, but soon eyeing the pudding as she mentioned it. A vine loomed up to Desmond's side, and towards one of the cups; Only for Desmond to flick it, causing Ivysaur to retract her vine in annoyance. "I'll keep dessert in mind." He said, not exactly feeling like eating the pudding at the moment. Or anything, now, almost. His stomach twisted a bit due to her words earlier.

Upon being noticed, Desmond's Jigglypuff stood up atop his head, waving back at the girl enthusiastically. A small cry following; As if she was greeting a fan looking up at her from a stage. Though really, she was just sitting on a tall guy's head... At least his hair was comfy.

"I don't think I could trust leaving them at the Pokemon Center." Desmond replied, honestly. His Zubat would be fine, but Jigglypuff and Ivysaur were troublemakers... Not to mention Diglett. His Pokemon collectively looked at him for a moment before he added; "Not that I'd want to leave you guys." With a drop of sweat going down his forehead.

Looking down at the Nidorina, he smiled at the Pokemon. Noticing the nod, he felt like it was enough of a conversation to understand she was okay with him standing here, at least for the moment. She seemed to ignore him soon afterward, however. More interested with being attached to her trainer. At the mention of her being shy, Desmond looked back at the girl, a small smile on his face. "I know how that feels." He said, eyes shifting back towards the table for a moment. But... Trust issues? He decided not to pry, as it was none of his business, but it sounded like that little Pokemon might have had it rougher than it deserved.

As the girl mentioned the roast, Desmond froze. His eyes focused on the meat; Almost two years of not having a good meal, and with her waving those tongs with that food, he almost snapped and snatched it. "Yes, please." He said, politely, trying to remain normal. He felt like he was going to eat like a king, today.

“I can agree with not leaving them at the pokemon center. However my guys are spreading out in the hotel room they let us all get. It just seemed easier to bring one than all of them.” She said with a nod as she looked down at her Nidorina, “Except her, no matter how much she gets along with the other guys she does prefer to be near me. Suppuration anxiety I guess.” Lily’s head rose and fell with a nod. The poor little girl, ditched by her trainer, almost drowned in a river and now she’s barely branching out.

His response of ‘yes please’ to her offer of the tongs full of meat made her grin. With that she dropped a large amount of the roast beef onto his plate before getting herself some. It was silly to think something as small as food could bring people together. The laughter and talking from the other trainers around them was proof that they could all get along even though they all shared the common goal. Expect her, she wanted to work with Pokemon, not just train them.

Her gaze moved back to him as she put down tongue and grabbed a roll. “I’m Lilianna, by the way. But you can call me Lily.” A bright smile moved across her full lips showing her straight white teeth. He stood a good four inches and a lot wider than her; however she was much bigger when it comes to a personality. “Would you be interested in sitting together and chatting a bit? I don’t really know anyone here and you’re the first person I’ve gotten the opportunity to talk to. After we’re done filling our plates of course.”

"Oh, the rooms. Right." Desmond replied flatly, as she filled his plate. He recalled the fact that they didn't actually have any room for him during the event. A few trainers, including himself of course, were forced to reside at the Pokemon Center during the tournament. He didn't say anything; It wasn't a problem. He was used to sleeping in chairs, anyways. Though he did note that it was pretty bad for his back. Couldn't be helped, though. Unless he decided to sleep on the cold floor.

Looking down at his plate for a moment, he looked back at her as she introduced herself; Her big smile seemed very approachable, and helped Desmond relax a little. "Desmond. Pleased to meet you." He replied, offering a much smaller smile than hers, but it didn't mean it was less genuine. She seemed like a nice person; So when she offered to sit together, he figured he'd accept. It would be nice to talk to someone; Wandering by yourself could get lonely now and again, and drain some of your social skills. Not that Desmond was very good at socializing to begin with, but whatever, ya know?

"That sounds great! I'll just finish my plate, real quick." He answered, turning and glancing around the table. He scooped out some brown gravy and poured it on top of the beef, mouth watering in an embarrassing fashion that he wasn't aware of. He also put some mixed veggies on the side of his plate, along with one of the pudding cups he decided to take regardless of his earlier thoughts.

He looked down at the plate with the look of a hunter ready to devour his prey; except because he wasn't threatening whatsoever, it just looked silly and/or a little stupid.

This soldier was armed, and ready for war.

“The pleasure’s all mine.” Lily responded with a bright grin. He seemed like a genuinely nice person and she appreciated that. She was a social person who loved being able to talk to people and now he was going to keep her company even for just a little while. Her whole body seemed to bounce with joy as they agreed to gather some more food and start towards a place they could eat together. She was making a new friend or at least an acquaintance and… she wouldn’t be alone…

Shaking the idea of sadness out of her head, she plastered on a smile once again and began combing the tables for the rest of her goodies on her plate. Soon she had two plates full of food, one was food for her and the other was food for her Pokémon. Her parents never seemed to care enough about her, even towards paying attention to her. They still continued to feed money into her bank account and she continued to pull it out, always having a decent amount of money on her and she could care less if her parents stopped giving her money. As far as she was concerned it was their problem and not hers.

Soon she found her way to an empty table and placed down the plates. As soon as she did, her Nidorina climbed onto the chair in front of her plate and delicately put her hands on the table. The funny thing is that her Nidorina had taken up traits of her master. She walked with a proper stature; she held her head high and never let her chest fall. It shouldn’t really come as a surprise that her Pokémon would copy her. The poor little thing, so much sadness from being ditched by her master; but Lily herself was happy that the little thing had found a friend in her.

Her attention moved to the people around her when she spotted the white haired main, she raised her hand and waved to him to let him know she found a seat. Grinning as he arrived she gently unfolded her napkin and placed it delicately on her lap. Her Nidorina matched her actions, unfolding its napkin and placing it on the edge of the table where it would be eating. “Shall we feast my friend?!” She asked excitedly as he arrived, gesturing to the seat across from her and next her for him and his pokemon to sit at.

“Where are you from Desmond?”

Desmond, who was ready to go and eat, had started trying to find a place to sit, as well. He kept an eye out for his shorter, blonde friend; Only barely noticing her over the crowd. The only reason he did was probably due to her huge amount of energy; She hadn't planned on stopping until he actually noticed her, he figured. Thankfully it didn't take long for him to make his way over, Pokemon following or hitching a ride, and then he was able to sit, and get ready to dig into the plate like a glutton as he put it down on the table.

Yawning, Desmond's Ivysaur laid down, and closed it's eyes. Simply deciding to enjoy some time out in the sun. However, Jigglypuff jumped off his head and plopped onto the table; Grabbing Desmond's pudding cup and jamming her little hand in it, scooping out the pudding and eating it with a huge smile, shoving it into her mouth.

"Eheh..." Desmond laughed nervously, noting his Pokemon weren't as polite or formal as Lily or her Nidorina. He really wasn't, either. His napkin was just to the side, the boy not seeming to care much about a stain or two from his feast; It'd serve as a good memory of this moment. As she asked where he was from, Desmond blinked, processing the fact she asked him a question; Before responding.

"Me? I'm from Pallet." He answered, smiling. "I've lived there my entire life; But I spent a few years as an aide to Professor Oak before deciding to venture out." And by 'deciding to venture out', he pretty much meant 'get told to leave'. Realizing that mentioning such a famous Professor without evidence was futile, Desmond reached into his coat pocket and pulled out his Pokedex, showing it to Lily. "See? Here's a Pokedex the Professor gave me. It's extremely helpful for identifying Pokemon, and the data it collects teaches us more and more every day." He was obviously proud of having a Pokedex, and he held it very tightly, as to not accidentally drop it into his plate.

The way Lily was forced to eat when she was young became implanted into her mind. It made a dinner with ‘friends’ slightly awkward because most people did not know how to act around her because she ate much like a delicate flower. Her parents grew up in a high class of people and insisted that she have manners that fit their class while the little blonde just wanted to… well to be normal. Did her parents care? No. Did they express any interest in her? No… did they even care when their only child said she was going to leave and become a pokemon trainer? No, of course they didn’t care.

Her Nidorina reached out and gently touched her trainers arm as if to communicate that she understood her trainer was suddenly feeling down. “Nid…” She said softly giving her trainer a few pats before she returned to her food.

Lily gave her pokemon a gentle smile and a nod before looking back at him as she watched him with her bright green eyes. He was a bit quiet but maybe he was just shy. That’s okay; Lily was loud enough for the two of them; that’s for sure. But despite his quiet and a bit shy, he seemed like he was enjoying talking to her. When he said he was from Pallet and had worked alongside Professor Oak for a few years she spit out her drink in shock. She was lucky enough to turn her head just in time and spit all over the ground. Her hand instantly went to her mouth and her face turned bright red with embarrassment as she stared down the water.

Her green gaze slowly turned back to look at him, despite the fact that she wanted to crawl into a hole and die. “Sorry.” She said softly behind her hand before taking up her napkin and cleaning off her full lips. “That wasn’t something I was expecting. That is incredible!” Her voice was a lot higher than she had meant it to be, probably because she was still embarrassed for spitting out her water in surprise. Leaning over the table she observed his pokedex with the utmost interest.

“That’s really really neat!” Sliding back into her seat, she reached into her back pocket and pull out a book. “I have the latest edition of the book that Professor Oak put together. It’s been helpful but flipping through the pages has lost me quite a few pokemon because I was trying to find out what they were.” A small chuckle left her as her face finally calmed down. Slipping the book back into her pocket she looked over at the Jigglypuff who was enjoying the pupping before gazing down at the resting Ivysaur, “Was she your starter?”

'That wasn't the reaction I expected...' Desmond thought to himself, giving her a moment to recover. She was certainly a weird one, but a little variety was entertaining. She was also really loud; Her voice hurt his ears a little, but he'd never admit to that; Not wanting to insult a girl in such a way. He didn't laugh at it, either, when she spat out her water; Considering it a bit impolite. While he wasn't fancy, he did mind himself around people; And the way he would treat her was no different.

Cringing at her high-pitched voice, Desmond smiled as she seemed really impressed by the Pokedex alone. As she pulled out that book of hers, he couldn't help but notice the cover. The book was familiar to him; He'd seen the Professor writing newer editions in the past. he noted what she said about losing a few catches due to it; And began to think about that with more focus as he looked down at the Pokedex with curiosity roaming his mind.

As she brought up Ivysaur, he glanced down at the resting creature. A fond expression on his face, he looked back at Lily. "She was." He answered, sort of amazed she could tell Ivysaur's gender, but he didn't speak of it. "She's been a huge help, and a good friend. If it wasn't for her, I'd never had earned these." Pulling open his coat, he revealed his gym badges, three in total. They were hard fought battles that he barely came out on top of; But he managed. "Her grass typing was very helpful against Brock of Pewder City, and Misty of Cerulean City." He explained, as the Ivysaur yawned, not moving much in response to the praise.

"... Hey." He spoke a bit softer, changing the topic. "You want to catch a lot of Pokemon, right?" He questioned, looking at her book again. "It'll be pretty difficult to do with that book, if you want to check them every time." He added, understanding her struggle. Randomly, he opened the Pokedex and lifted it in front of his face; Seeming to just be looking through it as he listened for a reply; But, not too long after he stared into his Pokedex...

The side Lily could see flashed suddenly, like a camera.

Lily’s gaze fell onto the Ivysaur lying leisurely in the sun. She really seemed to be enjoying herself and the blonde couldn’t argue with the relaxed demeanor of the pokemon. At his story she kept quiet nodding along very once and a while to show she was listening.

Like everyone else, they both had their staring choices between the three pokemon and she chose a Squirtle. Her Squirtle was male and didn’t really have a preference to fighting; his personality style was that fighting was ‘too cool’ for him so he would basically ignore most of the pokemon on the field until they hit him, then he was ferocious. Why something that lazy would have such a strong reaction was beyond her but it had won her many battles and stood up to Brock’s Onyx without flinching. Crazy thing.

“That’s wonderful that she’s been so useful and at second form already. That shows you’re quite the trainer.” Though this time when she spoke, her voice was much softer as if not wanting to disturbed the relaxing pokemon. Her green gaze moved back to him as she shot him a bright smile. “It takes a good trainer to get a pokemon to their second form. Time, dedication and trust; just to name a few; well done.”

When he tone suddenly changed, speaking a lot softer than she had heard from him, her gaze shot up from her plate. “I…” She was a bit surprised by his question and his change of tone that it actually caused her to speak in a softer manner t to him, almost as if she was shy to admit it. “I want to work with pokemon, It’s not so much about catching all of them as it is learning about them so I can help them.” A nod rose and fell her head, “I hope one day to work at a pokemon center or as a pokemon breeder. And I won’t apply for any jobs or attempt to start to become a breeder until I at least know everyone pokemon out there and some details about them… I have, quite a ways to go.” She admitted with a small sigh.

Her sigh was cut short by him opening his Pokedex which she gazed at curiosity. She even found herself leaning forward a bit, questioning what he was doing. That was… until the flash went off! The light wasn’t bright considering it was a sun shining day but it was enough to pull her back into her seat, from which she had rose out of, to sitting back down and blinking a few times. “What… what was that?” She asked, giving her head a quick shake before tilting it to one side looking completely confused.

As Desmond lowered the Pokedex, he turned it around in his hand, before offering it to her. "An opportunity." Desmond replied, calmly. She seemed perfect for a Pokedex; With such an apparent passion for Pokemon, he knew she'd get more use out of it than he did. He already knew a lot about the list of Kanto species; She could use the device during her own adventures. He knew it was a choice Oak would make; And wanting to be an amazing Professor like him one day, he had to start by making good decisions.

"I want you to have it." He said, firmly, as he continued to hold it out to her. On the screen was a trainer registration; And with it, a picture of Lily. Thankfully it snapped quick enough that her reaction didn't make it look too bad. "And by extension, I'm saying Professor Oak would like for you to have it, as well. Your dream is admirable; It'd be an honor if you carried this and used it during your journey to collect a lot of valuable data." He smiled, adding; "Of course, it'll have a lot of valuable information for you, as well. And is much faster than that book of yours. I think you'll find it to be a huge improvement."

While he was a little sad to see the device go; He could get another one, if he really wanted to. It'd mean going back to Pallet, however, which meant he was probably not going to have one for awhile. But he could write his data by hand, if necessary. Lily needed it; She had a dream to make a reality, and he was happy to help her do so. Not to mention having a few extra hands collecting data was extremely helpful; He noted to contact Oak later and tell him of this, just so he'd know.

He wondered how good of a trainer Lily was; Her Pokemon obviously liked her, but beyond that, how talented was she? She had the most important aspect down, but now there was more to see; This tournament would be fun, he could tell. He hoped to face Lily, sooner or later for the sake of finding his answer. He didn't bring it up just yet; Wanting to not distract her from her thoughts, as he wanted to know exactly how she felt regarding the Pokedex; To help make his decision more firm.

His words were… shocking, to say the least. And that shock was written all over the blonde’s face as she looked down at the Pokedex he was handing her. The Pokedex, the Pokedex created by Professor Oak was one of the most sought after devices in the world and Desmond was just going to give it to her. Lily was absolutely speechless and… well that wasn’t something that happens often (or at all). Her whole body seemed to freeze in its position as he showed her the trainer identification screen. As far as anyone was considered, anyone in the world would think that is hers.

The information she could learn from that device was more than her book could ever teach her because it was continuously updated. Her whole body seemed to shake slightly as she took in the whole situation. A man she had just met, a fellow trainer, offering her a device anyone would give to get their hands on it. And it was being handed to her. Something completely marked as her and would be hers. Her small hands reached out towards the device while visibly shaking.

However at the last moment, her hands detoured and took his other hand placing it on top of the Pokedex which she than cupped her hands around his. “Desmond, I am honored. Truly truly honored that you would offer me such a valuable tool in our life style and I… I don’t even think I could explain to you how much it means to me. But I have not earned this yet. When I get offered a device as useful, important and rare as a Pokedex I want to be able to earn it.” She gave his large hands a squeeze with her own, her voice was soft, as if she was embarrassed to admit any of this but compared to her normal tone, she obviously found grave importance in this. “Please do not think I’m ungrateful. Because that’s not the case.”

She gave his large hands another small squeeze before letting go and settling back into her seat. “Maybe when I have five badges I can consider myself worthy but right now at three, I don’t think I am.” Her head rose and fell with a nod as her cheeks turned red. “I am honestly flattered you’d give it to me, a total stranger, without giving it much thought though…”

"Hm."

Desmond listened to her words, surprised as his hand was placed on the Pokedex. He observed her, the passionate words she told him making him almost a bit emotional. She was worthy, he could tell. But she wasn't willing to accept his gift, not without proving to herself she deserved it. He smiled, widely, in fact. Seeming to be more set on giving it to her than ever, now. As the feeling of her small, soft hands left him, he brought the Pokedex back to him; slipping it into his pocket to fix later.

"I... Understand." He replied, nodding firmly. Five badges... She was looking to battle Erika as well, then. He couldn't help his smile, as he kept focused on her. "Very well, then." He added, head tilting slightly. "I have one other condition for you to obtain this Pokedex, since you wish to challenge yourself." He said, noticing her attention on his words, now. His smile turned into a confident expression as he reached down to his belt, pulling up a single Pokeball. It was Ivysaur's.

"I want you to beat me in the tournament. If you do, I'll promise you this Pokedex will be yours the second you earn your fifth badge. If you fail to beat me..." He becomes silent for a moment, looking her over. When he speaks, he sounds playful rather than serious. "Well, consider it a tally mark off your readiness grade. But it won't fail you, heh." He laughs a little, seeming to think he was acting a little too important. He wasn't a famous Professor, but he still saw a good person in Lily; And wanted to see what she could do, before he decided to make anymore decisions.

"So, how's that sound?" He asked, his team around him acting natural as if they weren't even with a soon to be opponent; They didn't seem worried. But then, neither was Desmond. Not because he didn't think Lily would be a challenge; But because Pokemon Battling was for fun. Plus, she'd go all out for that Pokedex, he'd bet. She would be fun to battle... He was getting excited for this tournament. Nothing could make this better now; Aside from living conditions better than a Pokemon Center... But, you can't get it all.

All she could do was give him a blank stare. Was he really so inclined to give up something so valuable to someone he didn’t know… And why?! What made her so special? The gesture itself was enough to make her heart want to explode out of her chest from his kindness. This seemed unbelievable and her emotions were written all over her face. Lily was never good at hiding things… ever, she was always easy to tell what mood she was in.

“If I fail than I can get another chance right?” She asked with a small smile on her face. He had no intention on letter her walk away without; at least in one measure or another. That much was obvious. Something about his kindness was not only unexpected but relieving. Maybe she did find a friend, not just someone she greeted as ‘friend’ but someone she honestly meant it to be. After a few more pleasant conversations, the agreement to the Pokedex and finishing their meals the two kids parted ways only to have Lily skipping her way back to the hotel and Nidorina to stare at her in a confused fashion.

“And another intense hydro-pump attack from Alexis’ Tentacool! This time Lily’s Gastly didn’t have any luck dodging the attack.” The announcer’s voice rang over the speaker system as the two trainers went head to head with their final Pokémon, Lily’s Gastly versus her opponent’s Tentacool. Gastly was her last Pokémon of the three she had chosen to bring into this battle and she was practically hanging over the edge of her high-rise platform as she watched her Gastly struggle on the ground.

“Gastly!” She called out ready to jump over the railing to go out and comfort her hurt friend. This was bad, bad because the Tentacool was not letting up on its attack as he continued to hit the fallen ghost Pokémon with hydro-pump.

Soon the water stopped and the Tentacool backed off, his face looking rather smug and proud that the ghost Pokémon laid there on the ground motionless. “The referee has begun the count down. The match is over in three… two… wait, wait what’s this?!”

On the field the ghost Pokémon began to glow. Lily’s eyes expanding as she fumbled to find her book in her back pocket of her blue jeans. Grabbing it she flipped to a tabbed page and began to read. “Gastly’s second stage is known as ‘Haunter’. Haunter is a dangerous Pokémon. If one beckons you while floating in darkness, you must never approach it. This Pokémon will try to lick you with its tongue and steal your life away.” Her gaze turned up as she watched her Gastly float off the ground and change into a ball of light.

“This is a first in a long time folks! An evaluation on field is completely legal in tournaments. This is certainly a change in events!” The announcer seemed as excited as the crowd who began to roar at the sight of the new Pokémon.

“Haunter!” Lily called out, getting the Pokémon’s attention. He seemed far happier to see her as he began to float his way towards her with open hands just like when he was a Gastly. “No no buddy, we gotta finish this first.” She said to him pointing towards the shivering Tentacool. “Haunter use Night Shade!”

“Hhhhaaaunnnntttttt!” The ghost Pokémon called out holding his hands out in front of him. The entire field was covered with a black fog. The figures of the two Pokémon were barely visible through the blackness. At first the Tentacool looked calm but then he began to panic going back and forth on the field, the onlookers only able to make out the panicking silhouette. The ghost Pokémon hovered right behind him the entire time. When the darkness settled, the Tentacool quacked in his spot and Haunter reached down behind him, touching the Tentacool’s head gently with a bright smile across his purple face.

“TENT!” The Tentacool screamed out in terror before fainting on the ground and the count began, Haunter looking down confused at his opponent.

BUZZ The alarm went off and the announcement came over the speaker system, “And the winner is Lily and her Gas… I mean Haunter!”

“Hurrah!” The blonde yelled as she jumped into the air in excitement. When the platform finally lowered she dashed out onto the field and hugged her Haunter only to have him lick her on the side of the face causing all of her long hair to stand upright from her head. Her entire body shivered from the feeling and shook slightly. “Ugggghhhh… You know better…” He lightly scolded the Haunter who just tilted his head in response. “Fine, I’ll let you off the hook this once. Good job buddy.” She said with a grin as she returned the happy Pokémon to his ball before he decided to try to lick her again.

Before she straightened her hair she shook hands with her opponent and they posed for a picture together as they do at the end of every battle. Lovely hairstyle but hey… it was fun.

Soon she was at the traveling Pokecenter that was healing the Pokémon involved in the tournament. She placed her three she had used on the dock and watched them disappear into the healing machine. Finally she had a moment to sit down on a nearby branch and drink a bottle of water as she forced her hair back down. You’d think she just touched a light socket. Silly ghost Pokémon.

"Well. Maybe another chance, or two." Desmond replied, humoring Lily's enthusiasm. If she was serious, then he noted he couldn't play nice during the tournament. He had an actual reason to make it through, now. He just hoped Lily made it, too; If she didn't then that'd look pretty bad, though he'd probably just battle her later on anyways. As they stood, he observed just how excited she truly was; And it made him feel good. This was a good decision, he could tell; He just had to see how good it got.

"I'll see you in the finals." Desmond stated firmly, as they parted. He returned Jigglypuff and walked alongside his Ivysaur to go and scope out some of his opponents; He didn't have the most varied options right now, so it'd be a rough fight. But he felt he could manage with his tactical side, over brute force. He'd have to see, however. He wasn't some masterful trainer; He was just pretty good. At least he'd been told that, and it went ever so slightly to his head; though in no way as a trainer did he have an ego. As a possible future Professor, however...

~~~

"An unbelievable comeback!" The announcer shouted, the crowd cheering as a Jigglypuff stood over a fainted Persian; Desmond had suffered having Ivysaur, followed by his Diglett, get knocked out by a Charmeleon. Sending out his Jigglypuff as a last resort, she managed to defeat the weakened Charmeleon and defeat the other trainer's Persian; But was tiring out, now. "When all hope seemed lost, this small combatant has turned the tables! Does Desmond still have a chance? We'll have to see what Alexander does next!"

"You aren't half bad, for a peasant!" The older male shouted from across the field, seeming to be enjoying himself as he returned his Persian. "But, I'm afraid this is over! After all of this battling, your Jigglypuff is tired, and vulnerable! Now I'll win with this!" He brought out another Pokeball, before releasing his final Pokemon; And as it appeared, the crowd gasped due to the large electric outburst of the Pokemon.

As the light faded, a Jolteon stood proudly. It glared down at it's opponent, seeming to not think much of it. It's eyes twitched however, reacting to the fact the Jigglypuff was staring back with determination to keep going, despite it's weakened state. "Devastating! Alexander has chosen Jolteon; How will Desmond's Jigglypuff manage to get past such a threat after two battles in a row?!" The announcer called out, getting the crowd ready. "It's time to find out! Trainers, you may proceed with the battle!"

"Jolteon! Quick Attack!"

As the first command rang out, the Jolteon bolted forward quickly, heading strait towards Desmond's Jigglypuff with the intent to finish this quickly. Jigglypuff retreated, attempting to buy itself time as it backpedaled away from Jolteon as quick as it's little legs would allow.

"Jigglypuff! Disarming Voice!" Desmond commanded, quickly.

Suddenly, Jigglypuff's face changed from it's determined expression to an adorable one, as it put it's little stubby hands together, swaying back and forth. "J-Jiggly~?" She stuttered, as innocent as could be. She didn't stop the facade as the Jolteon skidded to a halt; Staring with wide-eyes and a small blush as it looked at the innocent in front of it.

"..."

"Jiggly?" Desmond's Jigglypuff questioned, flirtatiously. This caused the Jolteon to spike up, apparently becoming extremely embarrassed due to the situation. It looked around, seeming charmed by Jigglypuff's cuteness.

"What're you doing, Jolteon?!" His trainer questioned, confused and irritated.

Hesitant, the Jolteon was conflicted on what it should do. But, thankfully, it didn't have to make the choice.

Suddenly, in the Jolteon's moment of weakness, Jigglypuff lunged forward; Delivering a double-slap attack that smacked the Jolteon's head back and forth, a bit of drool escaping it's mouth with each hit. Jigglypuff landed on her feet, and the Jolteon staggered backwards, taken aback and seemingly heartbroken. Sadly for him, Jigglypuff didn't date electric types.

"Now, Jigglypuff! Rollout!"

Balling up, Jigglypuff rolled forward towards the Jolteon; Picking up speed as she went along. She expected to make contact and damage the opponent more, but time almost froze and shocked her as it side-stepped, dodging her completely. She uncurled and landed on her feet, looking back to see a very upset looking Jolteon. A drop of sweat slowly descended down her face.

With a loud growl, a large bolt of electricity shot towards Jigglypuff; Connecting and shocking her, and resulting in her rolling backwards, face in the grass. A gasp rang out through the crowd, considering the battle over.

"Jigglypuff, come on!" Desmond shouted, eyes focused on his downed partner.

Twitching, she slowly pushed herself up, breathing heavily. She tried processing her surroundings; Noticing the Jolteon approaching her at a steady pace for a Tackle Attack. Which ended up connecting, sending the small pinkish ball rolling along the ground, face in the grass again. But, determined, the Jigglypuff got back up. Inhaling, she puffed up in anger, getting fed up with this. With a stomp, she blew the air out, pointing at the Jolteon and letting out a cry; Displaying it's resolve.

The Jolteon growled back, finding it's resistance futile.

"Enough of this! Jolteon, end this with Double Kick!" Alexander demanded, wanting his win already.

Nodding it's head, the Jolteon rushed forward, teeth gritted.

"... Jigglypuff!" Desmond shouted, his Pokemon shooting him a short glance, with a grin. Desmond smiled softly, before his eyes narrowed. "Alright, Jigglypuff! Charge forward and show him what you've got!"

With a cry, the Jigglypuff charged forward, the two Pokemon approaching each-other quickly. As they reached combat distance, the Jolteon pressed it's front paws into the ground, turning and attempting to swiftly kick Jigglypuff; Only for her to jump over him completely, landing in front of him and slapping his face. She hopped back, avoiding it's attempt to bite her, before smacking it on top of the head, injuring and annoying it. It swung around again; But, as it got angrier, dodging got easier. This time she rolled under the kick, ending up beneath the Jolteon; It escaped to it's side, managing to find a momentary opening. Leaping up, the Jigglypuff caught some radical air, becoming but a shade in the blaring sun.

"That's right! Use Body Slam!" Desmond cheered, proudly.

Though she was a fluffball; She managed to shift all possible weight and began descending quickly; Before brutally slamming onto Jolteon's back, causing it to cry out as it lost it's footing and slammed onto the ground, painfully.

Jigglypuff rolled off her opponent, turning, weakly, to see if he had any fight left.

She sighed with relief as she saw he had fainted, and the alarm went off.

"Amazing! Even with such a disadvantage, Desmond's Jigglypuff came out on top! What a determined and strong-willed Pokemon!" The announcer shouted, the crowd cheering for Jigglypuff; Who simply posed cutely, winking at the crowd. Desmond sighed, finding the comeback unbelievable. He shook his head, as the platform lowered, allowing for him to reunite with his Jigglypuff, who jumped into his arms, snuggling into his chest. "You did amazing, Jigglypuff!" He said, proudly.

As his opponent approached, both him and Desmond shook hands, seeming proud of the battle on both ends. "You have quite the Pokemon there. Continue to raise it well, and it may just be one of the best!" Alexander said, seeming a bit hurt by his win, but happy for Desmond, none the less. "Thanks." Desmond replied, smiling. "Your Pokemon are talented, as well. Charmeleon was surprisingly strong!"

The two posed for a picture together; Alexander's weakened Jolteon by his side. As the picture snapped, it caught the exact moment Jigglypuff latched onto the Jolteon, giving it a big kiss. The look on everyone's face was priceless; And regardless of how unofficial it looked, they kept the picture anyways.

~~~~~~~

As Desmond began making his way to the Pokemon Center, he thought about Lily's first battle; She had skill, for sure. And that Haunter was surely going to be a threat. He only assumed she had watched his match from the crowd, or the Pokemon Center. She'd be studying him all the same as he studied her; It'd make their eventual battle be very interesting. He looked down at his belt, unsure of what he'd manage to do against a ghost type... He needed to figure something out, and fairly quickly, before she actually ended up winning.

As he entered the Pokemon Center, he didn't pay attention to much aside from simply walking up to the counter and getting his friends healed. After he left the Pokemon with Nurse Joy, he stood there for a moment, sighing in relief that he managed to win.

After finally getting her hair straightened out, she finished watching Desmond’s match. He was a great trainer to say the least and his Jigglypuff, while cute and innocent looking was a forced to be reckoned with. It reminded her of someone she held dear to her. However… unlike her certain someone, Jigglypuff seems to be a lot more tamed. Then there was her certain someone, asserting dominance over that Pokémon was a continuous struggle due to his stubborn nature despite being incredibly adorable. And this, this is why that certain someone was not involved with this tournament.

The thought of battling something like that for her right to earn a Pokedex made her shiver slightly in excitement. It would be a challenge. He wasn’t just going to hand it to her! It would be something she had to earn and that was something she appreciated whole heartedly with him. He seemed like the type of guy who wanted to everyone to do their best, including himself and she appreciated that.

Soon they began to show the stats for the upcoming battles. She was fighting… a swallow left her as her heart dropped. She was going to fight Desmond. And sure enough, as her head turned and her bottle of water went to her lips, she saw her opponent walking in. For her this was all just fun and games; she honestly didn’t need the money and could live without it. Plus money came from fighting and beating fellow players and winning at gyms.

“Hey!” She said greeting him before he could leave the center. “Good job with your Jigglypuff, that was really impressive!”

"Oh, Lily!" Desmond wasn't too surprised; But he was glad to see her, and his smile expressed it. He had a few minutes to chat while his Pokemon got fixed up, so this was a good thing. "Thanks. She's a feisty one; I honestly can't believe she managed to pull that off." He said, surprised himself. He knew he couldn't have her go through the next battle; She needed more rest than the others. Such a valuable member of his team, on the side lines before even having a chance to fight against-

Eyes looking up at a screen behind Lily, his smile faded. He was competing against her next...? His eyes went back to focusing on Lily, seeming to be observing her closely. He had the intention of attempting to find a Pokemon to combat her Haunter, but now he had no choice but to go in with what he had. "... Well. I guess we'll be competing a bit earlier than I thought." He said, a small amount of concern in his voice. He wanted to challenge Lily as much as possible; And with how things were looking, her newest contender was a huge threat. Possibly enough to win her the match, even if he fought well. He'd have to figure something out quick, or he was in trouble.

Holding out a hand, his smile returned, although not as big as before. "Good luck." He said, simply. It was all that was to be said; If she won, he'd keep up his side of the bargain. But he had no intentions of letting her win unless she brought him down below her and proved herself superior; Judging everything as he could see it, he could tell that might be easier for her than he originally thought. She just might be better than him without even having to battle to prove it; But the fight had to happen. And he wasn't backing down.

Oh he saw it too… A small sigh left her as he stated they’d be competing earlier then they had originally thought. “It’s the final four facing off. Whoever wins between the two of us can go on to win the tournament.” She said with a nod. As much as the idea sounded nice, she did like the idea of winning but as she looked at the young man in front of her, she knew she wasn’t the one who needed it.

Looking down at his hand, she gave a small smile and shook it with a firm grip. “Good luck to you too.” When she let go of his hand she gently rubbed the back of her head. “So… uh, I have a question…” She body rocked back and forth on the heels of her tennis shoes as her green gaze stayed firmly planted on the ground. How could she ask something like this without coming across as weird or odd… Sure she probably hasn’t made the best impression already and probably comes across as some loud-mouth loony girl but she wasn’t going to miss her chance to hang out with someone and possible make a new friend.

“After the tournament… are you… heading to the gym? Maybe tomorrow? I, I am. And after that I was going to head to Saffron City. If, if you’re heading that way too do you… do you want to travel together?” The end of her sentence was soft and quiet, very out of character for her. Her gaze turned upwards as she looked at him wanting to know his answer despite how little she wanted to look at him due to her building shyness over asking the question.

"Mhm?" Desmond blinked, curious about her question. "If I have an answer, I'll provide it." He stated, waiting to see what she was getting so nervous about. Though, looking down at her, he found himself a little shifty as well; But he usually was like that. She wasn't.

As she managed to ask her question, he stood there for a moment, silent. She wanted to travel with him? While they had just met, he had to admit that'd make delivering the Pokedex easier. She wasn't exactly what he'd call a bad travelling companion, either. She was nice; Good with Pokemon. A little cute. The last thought made Desmond turn his head momentarily, the look on her face triggering him as he got just a little flustered. Realizing he was being too quiet, he managed to speak up.

"Y-Yeah. That sounds great!" He replied, smiling, somewhat nervously. He wasn't used to it, but maybe travelling with someone else would be good for him. He always WAS told to make friends, after all. "Once you manage to get those badges, I could easily give you the Pokedex, too! Convenient, right?" He added, before realizing what he just implied. Visibly sweating, the young man flailed his arms in front of him. "N-Not that I'm implying that's why you want me along! I've got a lot of other qualities! Eheheh..." A nervous laugh escaped him until he realized he sounded a bit egotistical there. "I.. Uh... I meant-"

He stood there, stumbling over his words, unsure of how to put it. Dropping it, he sighed, feeling stupid about his mumbling mess of a reply.