[center][color=chocolate][h1]Katherine Wesson[/h1][/color]
[b]Location:[/b] Hau'oli City
[b]Interacting with:[/b] Nobody
[hr] [/center]

Katherine Wesson was nothing if not patient. So, despite being fairly behind schedule, she arrived in the Hau'oli City ferry terminal with a soft smile on her face. She could taste the salt in the wind, something that she'd grown to be very familiar with. Kat stretched her arms out before resting them on the handrails along the edge of the boat she was on, humming a song to herself as the boat finally stopped. Today was a bittersweet sort of day, wasn't it? Here she was, about to set off on a grand adventure, and also about to bid farewell to the parents that she's loved so dearly for her entire life. It was too ironic, she realized, seeing as she'd gone for so long missing them, but now she was about to bid them farewell for an indeterminate amount of time. Her parents, both being sailors, brought her here themselves. Kat was thankful for that, though she had a feeling it'd make the whole parting process a bit harder.

Kat glanced down at Aria, her Eevee, who always seemed to know how her trainer felt. She couldn't help but smile a bit wider at that; she was actually able to call herself a real trainer now. [color=chocolate]"Come on, darling. We've...got to go,"[/color] she said softly as she gently picked Aria up. Aria rested on Kat's left shoulder, staying balanced as best she could. Kat made her way down onto the marina, turning to say goodbye to her parents with the same soft smile she always seemed to have.

[color=lightpink]"Katherine, are you sure about this?"[/color] her mother asked, placing a hand on Kat's right shoulder.
[color=lightblue]"We just want to make sure you're safe. After all that chaos with the Aether Foundation, we're worried that you might run into trouble along the way,"[/color] added her father, concern evident on his face.

Kat nodded, taking a moment to think about how to respond. It was true, the Aether Foundation fell only recently, and the Ultra Beasts they released were of no laughing matter. But the Aether Foundation still [i]fell,[/i] didn't it? And Team Skull hadn't been up to much either these days; Alola was as safe a region as any. [color=chocolate]"Mom, Dad, it'll be fine, I assure you. The Aether Foundation is nothing more than an unpleasant memory at this point. I also have Aria to protect me, along with all the new Pokemon that I plan on catching while I'm here. You can rest easy, I promise."[/color] Her unwavering optimism had been put to the test before, and she didn't plan on letting it falter now.

[color=lightpink]"Alright, but...do you [i]really[/i] need the guitar?"[/color] her mother replied, laughing a bit as she spoke.

Kat couldn't help but laugh along, shrugging her shoulders. [color=chocolate]"Of course I do. I couldn't bear the thought of falling out of practice."[/color] It was true; while lugging a guitar around during her journey may be impractical, that guitar was her prized possession. She couldn't just stop practicing when she'd been playing it every night for so many years, it was habitual at this point.

[color=lightblue]"Katherine, let me just say that I'm so, so proud of you for this, okay? And I speak for both of us when I say that we're going to miss you more than anything in the world. And Aria,"[/color] her father paused to look at the Eevee, [color=lightblue]"you take care of my daughter, okay?"[/color] [color=c5a068]"Eev, eevee!"[/color] Kat took that to be a yes, giving her friend a pet on the head in response. Both of her parents engulfed her in tight hugs, with her mother reminding her to take care of herself one last time. Kat waved goodbye to her parents as they went back into the boat and pulled away from the marina, sailing off back to Hoenn. She stood there for a long time, watching as the boat turned small, smaller, then almost too small to see before disappearing along the horizon. Kat let out a small sigh before finally turning away, heading into the heart of the city. For a moment, she pondered where to go. She knew she had to attend that festival, seeing as the Professor himself would be there. But...which way, exactly, was the town it was being held in?

Kat finally settled on just walking into the Pokemon Center for a bit. Her mother, who grew up in Alola, told her they usually have cafes inside, as well as plenty of friendly trainers and locals who'd help her find her way. With that settled, she wandered inside, her eyes widening at how different it was compared to the Pokemon Centers in Hoenn. For one thing, they seemed to have a Pokemart [i]inside[/i] the center, whereas the one in Slateport City was an entirely separate building. In addition, the cafe off to the side was another missing feature from Hoenn Pokemon Centers. Kat found that she rather liked the whole setup; the Pokemart was convenient for traveling trainers, and the cafe gave them a chance to take a break along their journey. [color=chocolate]"What do you think, Aria? Does this place feel familiar to you?"[/color] Aria gave a sharp, happy cry in response; Aria was originally her mother's Pokemon, after all. She grew up in Alola...in fact, she grew up right here in Hau'Oli City with her mother. Kat figured that seeing her home was a good thing for the little Eevee. Now who could she ask for directions, she wondered, looking totally lost.