[h3][hr][color=#738381]Claris[/color][/h3][hr][indent] [/indent]
She hadn’t made it far when the envelope was passed into her hand, folded neatly, corners worn soft from being carried around too long. No seal. No name. Just the familiar shape of something Lucen had touched, and chosen not to say aloud.

He’d sent word ahead, apparently. Said not to open it yet.

Claris didn’t roll her eyes, though the impulse flickered. That was just like him, always thinking three steps ahead, always reaching without explaining. She knew better than to take it lightly. Lucen didn’t waste gestures.

She turned the envelope once between her fingers, then slid it into an inner pocket where nothing else sat.

A message that would make sense later. Or one that wouldn’t. That was always the risk with Lucen.

But still… he’d sent it. He hadn’t forgotten.

She pressed the pocket shut and kept walking.

Grand Glory felt like a city trying very hard to forget what it used to be—and doing a decent job of it. Streets buzzed with people, digital ads blared from building walls, and Pokémon loitered as confidently as the residents. Birds clustered on streetlamps, Meowth sunned themselves on benches, and every few blocks or so, a Rattata skittered between alleyways, clearly used to being ignored.

As she walked, Claris flipped through her Pokédex, eyes narrowing slightly as new entries blinked into view, logged not by her but by the earlier arrivals. A few stood out as she silently scanned the list: Growlithe and Petilil. She hadn’t seen either yet, but the data was there, quietly shared across the network. A reminder that she was already a step behind. But that didn’t bother her. If anything, it made things clearer: The others were moving. She would too.

Claris lingered near a Pidove squabble long enough to see one headbutt the other off a cable, then turned toward the pale brick fencing that signaled the edge of Grand Glory Park. 

The shift was immediate. 

Noise fell away into the hush of trimmed grass and tree-filtered sunlight. Street performers and picnic-goers filled the green with warmth and motion, while across the lake, a handful of trainers worked their way through casual matches, all white-line sanctioned.

She caught sight of the blue bob of a Ducklett drifting across the water, dumbly serene. Sentret circled a tree trunk on the far side of the grass, one keeping lookout while the others scavenged. It was all very idyllic.

Pawniard walked a step behind her, not looking directly at anything but watching everything. When a street performer’s juggling act nearly spilled into their path, he didn’t flinch, but Claris noticed the subtle shift of weight in his stance. The readiness hadn’t faded.

Neither had hers.

Eventually, the pale brick path curled toward the Trainer’s School. She stepped into the sunlight outside the entrance, noting the architecture: clean lines, large windows, well-kept exterior. Efficient. The woman standing at the doors looked more like a Gym aide than a teacher, but her posture suggested experience.

As Claris approached, the woman’s smile registered. Friendly. Welcoming. Probably standard.

[color=#738381]“Yes, thank you.”[/color] Claris’s voice was quiet, but clear. She met the woman’s eyes for a breath, then added, [color=#738381]“I’m looking to observe battles today. Possibly identify rarer Pokémon in the area, if that data’s accessible.”[/color]
[hr][hider=Pokemon][center][hr][img]https://www.smogon.com/dex/media/sprites/xy/pawniard.gif[/img][/center][indent][table][row][/row][row][cell][hider=Pawniard][h3][color=#738381][sup]Pawniard[hr][/sup][/color][/h3][img]https://www.smogon.com/dex/media/sprites/xy/pawniard.gif[/img][hr][sup][sup]Pawniard  [color=#738381]◼[/color]   Level 5   [color=#738381]◼[/color]   ♂   [color=#738381]◼[/color]  Inner Focus  [color=#738381]◼[/color]  100%[/sup][/sup]
[indent][sup][color=#738381]||[/color]  Sucker Punch
[color=#738381]||[/color]  Scratch
[color=#738381]||[/color]  Leer
[color=#738381]||[/color]  Fury Cutter[/sup][/indent][h3] [/h3][/hider]
[/cell][cell][/cell][/row][/table][/indent][/hider]
[hider=Inventory][u][b][color=#738381]     Inventory:          [/color][/b][/u]
[indent][img]https://archives.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/d/df/Character_0x0024_vii.png[/img] 500
[hider=Key Items]
[list][*]Letter from Lucen (tucked in jacket inner pocket)
[/list][/hider][hider=Consumables]
[list][*]Potion — 1
[*]Pokeballs — 10
[/list][/hider][/indent][h3] [/h3][/hider][sub][@Remram][/sub]