Sanguine Rose — Roleplayer Guild

Faye Wrexlyn

Pokédollars: 500
1x Potion
Professional camera
Camping backpack with a cold weather sleeping bag with a sleeping pad added to it, waterproof canvas tarp, 50 ft of rope, mess kit, extra clothes, a week of food (granola, jerky, a few canned soup, pokemon food for Sage, etc), water purification kit and canteen, compass and maps of the region, magnesium fire starter, multi-tool knife, and a camping saw.

None...yet

None...yet

"Mom? You okay?" Faye stopped editing the photograph she was working on to look at her mother.

It was weird to hear Mom fall so quiet, and go so still, after answering the phone. If Faye didn't hear the voice - muffled due to distance and speaker against her mother's ear - attempt to get a response out of her mother again, Faye would have just taken the phone from her. Perhaps even just hung it up. Whatever was said snapped Mom out of the trance. But when she spoke, she sounded choked - almost struggling to form simple words. Faye watched quietly from the other side of the room, concerned at what put Mom in such a state.

Then, stiff steps and strained movement, Mom crossed the room and handed the phone to Faye. She didn't look at her, didn't say anything to her. Her gaze was distant, almost glassy. She'd seen Mom like this before, but not in a long time. 

Faye blinked, watching Mom leave with the same stiff movements, then slowly put the phone to her ear. "Hello? Faye Wrexlyn speaking." 

It all clicked into place as she fell silent as information was given to her. The Pokemon League of Evig, calling to confirm she was among those chosen to participate. Something she never figured out how to approach with Mom, but Dad had given his blessing when she tossed her name into the hat. She should have figured it out, had Dad help or something, to avoid this kind of reaction. But now, the Meowth was out of the bag.

And Mom did not process it well. It was days before Mom left her studio - shut up, painting (or maybe just catatonic) - like she did when they first moved back to King's Cross and she worked through the resurgence of emotions it brought. It was days more before Mom could look at her or even speak much. Eventually, though, they could talk but only if they didn't discuss Faye leaving to participate in the Evig League. That was good enough, because she could talk Pokemon with Dad when she visited him at work, and she could get help with travelling equipment and lodging arrangements from Mom as long as she treated it like a distant photo shoot. Both knew there was no talking her out of it, so they did their best to help in their own ways.

And that was how it went for her preparations.

The day before the BIG day, Mom sat quiet by the kitchen window watching the far distance as she sipped her tea. Dad just left for work, after wrapping Faye in a strong hug and telling her in no unclear terms that he expected her to make her way home to visit and show off her team when she got a chance. Faye gave her room one last look, the posters of other league champs hung up in contrast to torn out magazine pages that held her name in the bottom corner of the pictures published in it. One last look at what she was leaving behind to pursue a dream. 

The intrepid photographer grabbed her camera, her backpack, and headed down the stairs. She glanced at the kitchen. Should she go say goodbye? Was the last thing she wanted to do leaving home for so long be to go upset her mother again? A sigh escaped her, but she turned and reached for the door. 

"Faye?" 

The girl stopped, frozen with her hand grasping the doorknob. 

The silence hung in the air until Faye finally managed to get her brain working enough to look at her mother. She looked so fragile standing there. Not the strong trainer Faye liked to remember her as, or even the serene artist she had become, but a woman broken by her past. A woman that had one heartbreak too many for a lifetime. Mom forced a smile, and the shift in her cheeks caused the light to sparkle on the water pooling in the corners of Mom's eyes. "Mom. I -" she wasn't even sure how she intended to finish that thought.

"I know. I just..." Mom took a breath and released it slowly. "I know I haven't...handled this news well. But I just wanted you to know I am proud that you did not let that stop your conviction to do it." Faye's eyes went wide hearing those words. A tear escaped the rest, but Mom continued. "It's important you remember that your path will take you far. It will challenge you, both physically and mentally. The right thing to do may not always be clear. But you are never going to be in it alone from tomorrow onward. You will be - you are already - amazing, and you will be capable of anything as long as you never forget: your pokemon are not tools; they are your friends, partners, and will be your truest companions. So long as you care for their emotional and physical wellbeing, and listen to them closely - they will always keep you from straying down the wrong path if you let them." 

Faye dropped her bag and crossed the room in a few quick strides. She wrapped her arms tightly around Mom, happily letting her own tears trail down her cheeks when Mom returned the embrace. "Thanks, Mom. I won't let you down." 

Faye arrived the day before, and had secured herself a hotel room downtown for the night. Her alarm was supposed to go off at 6am to give her plenty of time to get ready for the day ahead, but the excitement made for a restless night. She had only fallen asleep a few hours before, and apparently missed hitting SNOOZE to silence the alarm. So when she finally rubbed the sleep from her eyes and got them to focus, seeing 7:25am in big white numbers on her clock sent a shock of adrenaline through her system. Shitshitshitshitshit-

The teen rolled out of bed and panicked as she rushed through an attempt at being prepared. Morning shower would need to be skipped, she'd showered before bed to try to calm her nerves anyway, so it was straight to brushing teeth and making sure everything was packed up. Not that she'd actually unpacked more than pajamas and set out some clothes. Skip the folding. She almost forgot to put on socks as she raced to find her missing shoe. Why was it under the bed? Okay, brush hair - nope no time for the snarls. Screw it; no one would notice snarls if she put it in a ponytail. Okay, hat - no the ponytail goes through the back - and maybe... - Oh! Right! Spit! Okay, everything is packed.

Faye was a whirlwind moving through the hotel room with not even a second to spare, save for carefully grabbing her camera and sliding the strap over her head so it sat across her chest and let the camera rest securely on her hip. One last look in the vanity mirror to make sure her hoodie didn't look too frumpy, and the girl was off to check out. 

The hotel was a twenty minute walk from the league headquarters if you took the sidewalk. Luckily, in her late night anxiety over the day, she had plenty of time to map out a few different routes to the building. She would not be late. Not today. So she took off running as fast as she could. Down one alley, over a fence, using a lightpost to help her make a turn she was running too fast to make without it, then down another alley, she came to a stop to catch her breath right outside the doors to the Evig Pokemon League headquarters. She glanced at her wrist watch and smiled to herself. Made it with time to spare.

It wasn't until she could breathe easy that she straightened up and headed inside. Her hand rest on her camera as she looked around the foyar in awe. She'd seen the pictures, hell - her dad took her to see the building when he let her tag along when he brought some supplies to the PokeCenter a few years ago - but the way it looked in this moment was so much better than any memory or photograph could capture. Maybe that was just the gravity of the situation adding to the grandeur though. It wasn't like this was just any other day. Evig never had an official league until now and they certainly didn't have such a big to-do about trainers flocking here to travel the region either.

She'd probably have stood there, looking around, for a lot longer if a receptionist didn't clear his throat and draw her attention. "Oh right. Sorry. Hi, yes, I'm Faye Wrexlyn. Here for the new trainer orientation." She smiled brightly, and thanked him when she was told to head over to a spot others had gathered. At least she wasn't late, even if it looked like everyone else that had gotten a spot in the selection had, well - gotten there well before her. Some were already mingling. Others were - Wait is that Valerian? Prince Valerian? Surely. Oh my Arceus! It is. Maybe if I can befriend him I can - no, that's not why we're here. - just sitting by themselves. Maybe she'd go socialize a bit. It seemed like they had some time left to kill. 

She headed over to a few people that had found themselves seats but didn't look too far apart. She gave them a wave and offered them all a soft smile. "Hiya. I'm Faye. I'm guessing since you're over here you've been picked for being part of the first wave of the new League, too, right? Are you all from Evig or elsewhere?"

@baraquiel@Shazamrock@Zapdos@Gremlin
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The Author: Alexia Wynd

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