[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/S4wTL3X.png[/img]
[color=SandyBrown][b]Mentions:[/b][/color] Hestia [@Ambra][/center]

Mika was no stranger to the Wedgehurst locale; it was his longtime home, after all. Coupled with his ties to the Pokemon Professor, he made it a routine to drop by the small town on a regular basis, whether it was a research call or a spell of homesickness that spurred a visitation. This time, it was all the paranoia of the Champion's abduction which constantly brought him home; his father was no longer the strongman from his childhood, and the busybody in Mika couldn't help but grow paranoid over his safety. Like a satellite parent, the roles had become reversed as he would monitor his father's return from the work day, half-expecting Ryker's assailants to target them next. The peaceful end to the day sequestered in his father's boisterous claims of surefire bravado in the event of an attack would always bring about a breath of relief.

Another native from Wedgehurst, who also happened to be one of Mika's acquaintances, had partially resurfaced from his quiet retirement from the Minor League. Aware of the possible dangers, his former mentor of sorts shared some of the Chairman's philosophy and cautioned him to err on the side of caution, but pledged to volunteer any discovered leads. [color=Orchid][b]"If the telepathy still works,"[/b][/color] the older trainer had told him with a chuckle. [color=SandyBrown][i]Whatever that means...[/i][/color]

At the very least, Mika would adhere to the Chairman's mandate. Being the second to last obstacle in the Pokemon League, however, came at a downside in the early stages of the Gym Challenge; it would be quite a bit of time before he received any challengers, which is why he often traveled to spectate the early matches to kill part of the downtime. People like Hestia wanted to gain the competitive edge by looking out for prospective challengers, while he was looking for the next trainer that would set the crowd of his stadium ablaze.

[color=SandyBrown][b]"Don't speak so soon, Hestia. That kid could be the next Kai,"[/b][/color] Mika waved off the redhead's early dismissal of the challenger, alluding to her predecessor. He always thought that it was funnily cruel for the very first leg of the Gym Challenge to begin with Iris' Ghost-types; fresh sprouts were in for a rude awakening if their only Pokemon consisted of the over-abundant Normal and Bug-types of the local region. [color=SandyBrown][b]"Let's just see what he's brought to the table."[/b][/color]