Emilya frowned as the man began to give them instruction. Who was he to tell them where and what they should do? This was their adventure. [color=red]"Not giving it up any time soon? We'll see about that,"[/color] Ema commented under her breath to her friend. Then, louder, she stepped towards Kick, smiling broadly. [color=red]"Well, it's nice to meet you, Kick!"[/color] Her Nidoran chirped up in response, but quickly bristled as it looked at the larger Pokemon. It might be small, it might be terribly underleveled to face something like this Blaziken...but it wasn't backing down at least.

Leo, on the other hand, quietly observed. One comment stuck in his mind as he observed the group. His eyes were locked on Blaziken. It was a Hoenn Pokemon, one that was typically rare in the wild but like any other region, it was one of three that each countered each other. Still, Torchic wasn't the best option among what was typically offered as a starter for new trainers. [color=purple]"With all due respect, sir..."[/color] Ema looked back in surprise as she heard the boy speak up. However, whatever defense he was going to give, it died out there. He glanced away for a moment, scratching the back of Nidoran's ear as he moved to follow. Instead, he changed his comment, attaching to a different comment from the champion. [color=purple]"Terra chose me. I'm happy with this arrangement."[/color]

Emilya quieted down at Leo's comment, smiling a bit more gently than had been seen so far. Instead of pushing the issue, she drew back, walking alongside him, her own Nidoran bounding right behind her to keep pace.

Despite his insistence of getting a move on, though, Leo seemed more interested in what was around him. They weren't strong Pokemon. Sentret, Rattata, and Pidgey were the most prevalent here. He was quick to stop and observe the Pokemon in their natural habitat. He would scan them with the Pokedex and take out a notebook, jotting down notes as he went. It was a slow crawl through the forest if he set the pace. Ema was happy to let him have it, taking her time to chatter away with her Nidoran or Kick. She didn't mind the slow pace and, if they were observing the Pokemon around this region, it would give her a chance to battle and gain experience as a trainer.