[sup]A brief reunion...[/sup]
[center][h1][u]Rustboro City[/u][/h1][/center]

[b]"Good afternoon, Mr. Selvaggio."[/b]

Theo opened his eyes slightly then looked toward the familiar-- Oh! Sitting up slowly while being careful not to wake his Pokemon, Theo grinned widely upon recognizing Hartwin-- sort of recognizing, that is. What was it about Hartwin that always made him seem a bit older than he should have been? Maybe it was the way he walked, a bit slowly, posture hunched over, and his hands behind his back-- perhaps it was simply his rather simplistic choice in fashion, that seemed to rely heavily on earth tones and bowler hats. Though they weren't very far apart in age, Theo felt as if he were a fountain of youth whenever he was around Hartwin. Movement in his lap caught Theo's attention before he could form a response-- it was Harmony, rousing himself from slumber, with an ear perked up attentively. Almost immediately after waking, Harmony leapt out of Theo's lap, then dashed toward Hartwin's Delcatty with excited chirps. It was then that Theo realized it really must have been a while since he'd last seen Hartwin. 

Then Hartwin asked, [b]"It's been a while. How're your parents?"[/b]

[color=B95DF0]"Saying that it's been a while is a bit of an understatement,"[/color] Theo replied with a soft chuckle. He remained seated in the grass, with Melody still in his lap. She was regarding the newcomers with curious eyes and notable timidity. Theo placed a reassuring hand upon her head, then turned his attention to Hartwin's secretary. [color=B95DF0]"Greetings miss, I certainly hope this old man--"[/color] Theo said with a joking wink at Hartwin [color=B95DF0]"-- hasn't been giving you trouble."[/color] Theo smiled in a charming manner before telling Hartwin, [color=B95DF0]"And before you scold me, consider the hardship I've been through-- attacked by some trainer obsessed with Nick-- can you believe that?"[/color] 

It was then that Theo decided to recount the battle. Hartwin probably knew already that Theo was nearly impossible to interrupt once he started a story. Whenever Theo began to speak, his desire to share seemed hungry, and quite firmly rooted in a natural storytelling cadence. For all the dramatic flair with which Theo described his encounter with the trainer and the Nidoking, there was a heaping dose of humor lurking beneath his words. Here and there he cracked jokes about how "terrifying" it all was and how "innocent" he and his Pokemon had been. Truth was, Theo still felt anxious about the situation, and this was the only way he knew how to decompress-- humor and sharing. 

Finishing off with how heroic Harmony had been, Theo then asked Hartwin, [color=B95DF0]"Do you suppose that he's getting close to evolving? How was your Pokemon leading up to their changes? And, I know it's going to sound ignorant of me, but I have no idea what a Whismur will evolve into."[/color] 

Theo sighed then snapped his fingers and added, [color=B95DF0]"Ah-- and my parents are fine."[/color] He chuckled.