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Hearing Miki Park admit she wasn't strong enough actually caught Melissa off-guard for a moment. That was not the brash young hothead from the mines that she remembered from her youth. Every time they clashed, she would boast about how much better she was, how much smarter, how much everything she was over and over while Melissa just stood there playing the innocent schoolgirl role. Those were the types of things that made the Snowpoint City native happy to knock her rival off again and again until the shameful events at the Indigo Plateau. 

That was the first time there was doubt for Melissa. So much soul-searching trying to figure out how things managed to happen the way they did. They led her to get outside her bubble. Travel. Try to find her purpose, or maybe even her father given the lack of contact she had with him since he left her mother when she was eight. She definitely didn't find the latter, but Kalos and Alola gave her the former. Still, the chance to right the wrongs of the past. Was she really growing as a trainer if she was still focused on Kanto? Maybe if Miki was growing up, she could too.

Then Miki started yapping about Blitz and all that thought was gone. Miki Park was indeed the same girl. The tongue was just the punctuation mark to that point. All Melissa could do was smirk. [color=73fdff]"I'm so sure..."[/color] was all she was willing to say when they came to a stop in front of the mansion that dominated the little port city.

The person who lived here certainly meant business with all the guards giving the two ladies the once over as they entered. The man looked like Kukui with the lab coat and everything, but definitely didn't have the Alolan Professor's body. The man was right. She did have some questions, mostly in regards to why Miki was here, and additional thoughts on that fact, but she knew she didn't have to say anything. Miki was always going to blurt out something. That's when she realized who he was.

Gary Oak. Of those Oaks. The Kanto ones. That's how he had the in at Indigo. His grandfather wrote the book on Pokémon over there. The name still carried a lot of weight. It had to, given how Gary disappeared for a little bit to go into what were presumed to be his studies. That had to be how he knew about the blight, and how he could offer redemption.

While Miki had yet to offer up anything other than questions, Melissa smiled. [color=73fdff]"Charmed, Dr. Oak. Please lead the way inside."[/color] 

The pleasantries were easy to offer, especially since this meeting was going to tell her if this truly was a waste of her time, or if there was something worthwhile here to chase. [color=73fdff][i]I swear, if I'm here putting up with this human sunburn for no reason, I will not be pleased. At least this should be quick and to the point.[/i][/color]

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