[color=silver][color=#e1ca6d][center][h2]𝐸𝓏𝑒𝓀𝒾𝑒𝓁 π‘€π’Ύπ“Žπ’Άπ“‚π‘œπ“‰π‘œ[/h2][/center][/color] [center][img]https://www.serebii.net/pokedex-xy/icon/708.png[/img] [img]https://www.serebii.net/pokedex-swsh/icon/052-g.png[/img] __________________________________________________ [/center] Kiel woke up late on purpose. Not because he needed the extra sleep - but because he wanted there to be as little time between waking up and leaving town as possible. He wanted no time for breakfast in the old family kitchen. No time for leisurely walks. No standing around the town entrance, stealing glances at what he was about to leave behind - again. Most importantly of all, he didn't want to give [i]them [/i]any extra time to find him. The second his alarm went off, Kiel was up. Ten or so minutes later he was clean, clothed, and ready to go. Bag? Check. Ragnar's pokΓ©ball? Check. Now all he needed was-- [color=#e1ca6d]"Hiro?" [/color] There was no answer. Smile faltering, Kiel stepped out of his room into the second floor hallway. Like the rest of the house, it was expensively furnished - and untouched in years. When Kiel had moved back into his childhood home a few months ago, he'd found it exactly as they left it. No furniture had been moved. No dust cleaned. Even the childish drawings he'd used to take pride in were still proudly on display. Time had eaten away the details of his monstrous lizard-Lugia, but honestly, Kiel found that an improvement. He found Hiro floating outside a set of closed doors. The master bedroom. A sharp pain wrung Kiel's chest. That's where mom had... [color=#e1ca6d]"Come on buddy,"[/color] Kiel whispered as he approached the Phantump, gently guiding him away from the door. He did not want to have to follow the ghost type inside.[color=#e1ca6d] "We gotta go. The others are already waiting, you know."[/color] The Phantump turned around, more due to Kiel's interference than his own will. At times, it felt as though the Phantump [i]had[/i] no will of his own, simply floating through life as if detached from it. Kiel could relate. The ghost type glanced up at him with his usual, curious-but-empty gaze, and Kiel gave him an affirmative nod.[color=#e1ca6d] "We're going on an adventure, remember? It'll be fun. Look, I'll carry you."[/color] He picked the Phantump up and placed him atop his head. [color=#e1ca6d]"See? You'll see everything from there. Just hold on tight."[/color] With a grin, Kiel hopped down the stairs and made for the exit. He flung open the door, then stopped dead in his tracks. With a heavy sigh, he turned around with a forlorn look. [color=#e1ca6d]"We'll be off."[/color] The empty house gave no answer. Kiel turned around and adjusted the strap of his designer bag - then took his first step beyond the threshold. Man, it was bright outside. He'd have to find his sunglasses. [center]- [color=#e1ca6d]-[/color] -[/center] By the time he arrived to the meeting spot, Kiel had found his sunglasses - [i]and [/i]his usual grin. Just as he'd expected, everyone else was already there. Some of them he'd managed to reunite with in the past few months - others he had not. He'd have plenty of time for all that mushy stuff once they were on the road, though. [color=#e1ca6d]"Yo! The gang's all here, I see. Yeah, uh, sorry for making you wait and all,"[/color] Kiel jogged his way to the middle of the group, his grin widening that much more. [color=#e1ca6d]"But you know what they say; good things are worth waiting for."[/color] He lowered his sunglasses just enough to manage a visible wink at whichever one of the girls was unfortunate enough to stand closest to him. [color=#e1ca6d]"Am I right?"[/color] He pushed the sunglasses back up, then addressed the group as a whole with a clap of his hands. [color=e1ca6d]"So! Nothing to it but to get going, yeah? Dunno about you, but I'm itching to leave [i]Old [/i]Bark Town behind. Cherrygrove's just around the corner. C'mon, I'll race you!"[/color] With that, he dashed towards Route 29 as if the wooden warning sign was not there at all.[/color]