For as small a town as Pallet, there were entirely too many people milling about for Rhode’s liking.

Crowds were easy for someone to hide in, or disappear quickly into. While that was an advantage for all involved, it tended to be lessened somewhat when he was worrying about every soul present, and he was the only thing [i]they[/i] had to concern themselves with. At least he knew what he was looking for. Shame they’d been the ones to teach him their own little tricks though. He grinned to himself despite the seriousness of it all. His gran would have smacked him over his head until he was blind, deaf, and dumb if she’d have caught him thinking having a price on his head by the Kurowasa clan was funny in the least. She’d near enough done just that before they’d arranged for him to take the P.T.A.E. and got him out of Fuchsia.

“Char char char…” Kye pawed at the top of Rhode’s head, shaking him out of his thoughts and turning his attention to the charmander perched atop his shoulders. The fire-type gave him a huff and pointed out to where a few of the other initiate trainers were gathering and chatting amongst themselves.

“Yeah, buddy. I saw them.” Rhode gave his pokemon’s leg a reassuring pat, before starting to walk the opposite direction, looking back through the crowd again. Security was supposed to be tight at this thing, but with so many people he doubted the rent-a-rangers would be able to make sure that nothing at all got through-

“[b]CHAR[/b].” Kye barked into his ear, before the previous gentle pawing at his hair became a cuff across his scalp.

“[i]OW![/i] Ungrateful lizard! That hurt!” Rhode rubbed his head and scowled back at his pokemon, ”I’m the one carrying you around and this is the thanks I get? Most trainers keep their ‘mon locked in their balls, and I’m starting to think they’ve got the right idea!”

Kye stared back impassively, save for the way one of his heavy scaled brows twitched upward in a disbelieving look. Kye couldn’t speak any more than any other pokemon, but Rhode swore the charmander’s lineage was tainted with some psychic-type. Especially when the look he gave Rhode was nearly screaming “Gran [i]told[/i] you to make better friends”.

“Since when did you start listening to her more than me?” Rhode grumbled irritably at him, as several pairs of raised eyebrows turned to look at him from the crowd. Rhode ducked his head a little and stepped away from the curious stares of the on-lookers. No doubt by now the lot of them had heard from the proctor’s notes that the instructor’s thought he was half-mad, and he didn’t feel the need to confirm their suspicions just yet. Even if his pokemon was getting a bit big for his scales.

“Hateful beast.” Rhode huffed, steering himself reluctantly toward where the other trainers had all started to gather, while Kye gave him a rather pleased look that plainly said “Someone has to look out for you”.

Rhode had seen some of them during the P.T.A.E. though he’d never actually had the chance to speak with any of them. Hadn’t been allowed to prevent cheating during the written exams, or to give an applicant any unfair advantage. The one dressed like a soldier he remembered right off, since his own Grandad held himself much like the young man. Though the quick glimpse then hadn’t been enough to spot the fact he was plainly missing an arm. The girl though was new, as was her companion, who was making every attempt to NOT look like the two were physically attached to one another. She [i]was[/i] richly dressed for the occasion though, compared to her…Rhode was going to guess either nursemaid or bodyguard.  The Kurowasa had been helpful in teaching him how to spot a mark from a mile away at least, as well as- There it was. She had at least one hidden knife on her, judging by the stiffness in some of the folds of her clothing. Kane and Seiko had been far better than he at spotting those sorts of things, but they’d taught Rhode just enough to ensure he was forever having to run to stay ahead of trouble, much to his grandparents’ chagrin. The last trainer-to-be seemed to have no such reservations about the crowd or her fellow trainers, and couldn’t have looked more out of place in the rural setting if she’d tried. He’d finally edged close enough to actually hear the blue blood in her as she spoke.

“Are you sure you can’t just let me wander quietly to the exit?” Rhode half-whined to his charmander, “I’d like to be out on the Route before nightfall you know.”

Another stern look was all the answer he got, as Rhode reluctantly trudged forward to the group. He felt somewhat underdressed next to all of them. His own pants were loose and made no attempt to even reach his ankles, and his hooded vest was fire touched thanks to his shoulder mounted companion’s tail hanging down his back. He still sported a few bandages wrapped around his torso, visible beneath the fabric, courtesy of the examination’s medical team. Rhode hesitated another moment and felt Kye grumble against him, before he finally rolled his eyes and sauntered up to the group with a resigned smile on his face.

“Well aren’t you a cheery lot?” Rhode quipped looking to each of his fellow trainers, “Ya know the exams are over right? No need t’look like any of the Proctors are gonna be yellin’ at ya for another couple of weeks.”

Rhode heard himself slip into the sloppy drawl he’d picked up on the streets of Fuchsia that drove his gran madder than a Tauros. Said he sounded like a criminal rather than the man they’d tried to raise him to be. But he didn’t know what any of these others were like, and he’d much rather give his future competition the wrong first impression if he could help it.

“Name’s Rhode, and this festering lump of scales-“ He jerked his thumb toward his charmander on his shoulders, “-is Kye.”

“Char!” Kye chirruped happily, twisting around to look at the pokemon around them.

Rhode tugged the fire-type off his shoulders and set him on the ground so he could creep toward the Nidoran and inspect the bristly looking pokemon for himself. Rhode watched for a moment to make sure Kye didn’t get too close and start trouble before the ceremony was even over, before looking back to the rest of the trainers.

“Any idea when they’ll get tired of keepin’ us penned up?” He asked the others brightly.