[Center][h2][u]The SlakKing of Phenac![/u][/h2]
[h3][i]Phenac City | Pokemon Center
[sub]Interacting With: [@LukasVolkov][/sub][/i][/h3]
[/Center]

A short audible [i][sub]"hm?"[/sub][/i] was the initial response Noel had to hearing the woman react to his Komala, the boy looking down momentarily to see the Pokemon shift in his arms, sleeping comfortably but wiggling around a bit as it acknowledged her presence. He looked back up at her as she assumed Komala had been weakened due to a battle at the Stadium; Which almost made him laugh, honestly. Instead of laughing at the assumption a grin crossed his face, amused by the idea of him inside a colosseum for battling purposes instead of spectating. 

"Nah," Noel answered, casually. "Never was terribly interested in battling that seriously. This was just a... Personal thing." He didn't really have much pride, but even Noel didn't really want to admit loss to just a random person. Sure, he pulled a few punches, but he wasn't entirely certain if he could bring himself to give the full story of why losing was a good thing. Not that they'd probably be seeing much of each-other anyhow, right?

Mentioning the Stadium made him wonder if she intended to get into the battling scene. Those colosseum trainers weren't exactly a joke; Without being prepared, they could make short work of even experienced battlers if they weren't prepared. Noel had witnessed it himself plenty over the years, with a fair share of trainers being sent packing by the force of the trainers within.

"You're a foreigner, right?" Noel guessed, the woman looking a tad different than most people that pass by. Her whole look was a bit strange, but he wasn't one to particularly judge. He barely got dressed properly some mornings, so if someone wanted to express themselves with their appearance, have at it. "Here for the Stadium yourself, or to sharpen your skills and knowledge at the Pre-Gym?" The answer he usually got was 'both', which he somewhat expected on the regular now. 

The Pre-Gym was not only a wonderous place for trainers, but also a bit of a tourist hub for Phenac in a lot of ways. And most people who traveled here came seeking the challenge that came with the multiple Colosseums across the region. Thinking about them made Noel realize he'd have to spectate at each one while he was away; Sample the food, too. He wondered if the locations were standardized or if they were all different based on location? More fascinating things to learn once he got out of Phenac.