Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2017 3:38:48 GMT
❊ BACK TO NEVERLAND ❊
The air was warming up as time raced toward noon, and a fashionable woman was striding down the main street of Cassiopeia, accompanied by a Rockruff with a keen look on his face.
”Well, I’m happy it worked out! You going to spend some time on the route today?”
Rosalind pulled the phone from her ear for a second to check the time. 10:37. ”Yeah, I think so! I mean, why not, right?” Her laugh sounded more nervous than she meant it to. There was a pause on the line.
”It’ll be fine, Rosalind. You’ll do great. Just focus on getting to know your partner, okay?” Ugh, she had that maternal tone in her voice again. Weird how something could give her the warm fuzzies and make her skin crawl at the same time.
”Yeah. Okay. Thanks.” She hesitated. ”And I mean it. Like, thanks for helping me do this.”
She heard the smile in Althea’s voice. ”I’m happy to do it.”
Rosalind glanced down at Rockruff as he trotted along at her heels. Though he seemed intent on the village around him, one ear was conspicuously perked in her direction. ”Alright. I should get to it-“
”Actually, hold on a second," her boss interrupted. "There’s something I wanted to ask you.”
Her brows furrowed. ”Hm?”
Another pause. Rosalind was suddenly very aware of her heartbeat. ”You feeling up to a challenge?”
Um. ”Maaaaaybe…?”
Althea snorted. ”That’s not an answer.”
Rolling her eyes, she shot back, ”Yeah, yeah, okay, sure. What challenge?”
”You’ll see. Check your pokemon storage account the next time you’re in a Pokemon Center. I attached instructions.”
”Althea, what the he-“
”Questions after you read it, okay? In the meantime, have fun with that Rockruff of yours!”
”You’re a mean person, Althea,” she mumbled petulantly, earning a snicker.
”Talk to you soon.”
”Okay, bye.” Hanging up, she smiled at Rockruff. ”Sorry about that. Figured my boss would want to know how things went.”
He offered an amiable wag. < No problem at all! > But then his eyes narrowed. < The brass giving you a hard time? >
“The brass”? Who even was this guy. Trying not to laugh at him, she shook her head. ”Hard time? No no, we’re close. Her name’s Althea. I’m sure you’ll meet her soon, she works in Rigel.”
This seemed to satisfy him. < If she’s a friend of yours, she’s a friend of mine. >
Aw. Sweet. Still grinning, she paused in front of the monumental statue that dominated the town square. It was really something to look at, with Dialga and Palkia striking a dramatic pose, towering over the pedestrians below. They looked so…regal. Beside her, Rockruff followed her gaze, scoffing. < Remnants of a backward age, amirite? >
She had no reason to feel insulted by that, but she did anyway. With a strained laugh, she nodded. ”Ha ha. Yeah.” Tearing her eyes from the display, she glanced around to get her bearings. ”Okay, that’s the way out of town, I think,” she said with a gesture to the left. "Ready to go?”
< I was born ready, man! > he yipped. < Let’s get out of this archaic town! >
Right. Off into who-knows-what. At least one of them was confident about this.
”Well, I’m happy it worked out! You going to spend some time on the route today?”
Rosalind pulled the phone from her ear for a second to check the time. 10:37. ”Yeah, I think so! I mean, why not, right?” Her laugh sounded more nervous than she meant it to. There was a pause on the line.
”It’ll be fine, Rosalind. You’ll do great. Just focus on getting to know your partner, okay?” Ugh, she had that maternal tone in her voice again. Weird how something could give her the warm fuzzies and make her skin crawl at the same time.
”Yeah. Okay. Thanks.” She hesitated. ”And I mean it. Like, thanks for helping me do this.”
She heard the smile in Althea’s voice. ”I’m happy to do it.”
Rosalind glanced down at Rockruff as he trotted along at her heels. Though he seemed intent on the village around him, one ear was conspicuously perked in her direction. ”Alright. I should get to it-“
”Actually, hold on a second," her boss interrupted. "There’s something I wanted to ask you.”
Her brows furrowed. ”Hm?”
Another pause. Rosalind was suddenly very aware of her heartbeat. ”You feeling up to a challenge?”
Um. ”Maaaaaybe…?”
Althea snorted. ”That’s not an answer.”
Rolling her eyes, she shot back, ”Yeah, yeah, okay, sure. What challenge?”
”You’ll see. Check your pokemon storage account the next time you’re in a Pokemon Center. I attached instructions.”
”Althea, what the he-“
”Questions after you read it, okay? In the meantime, have fun with that Rockruff of yours!”
”You’re a mean person, Althea,” she mumbled petulantly, earning a snicker.
”Talk to you soon.”
”Okay, bye.” Hanging up, she smiled at Rockruff. ”Sorry about that. Figured my boss would want to know how things went.”
He offered an amiable wag. < No problem at all! > But then his eyes narrowed. < The brass giving you a hard time? >
“The brass”? Who even was this guy. Trying not to laugh at him, she shook her head. ”Hard time? No no, we’re close. Her name’s Althea. I’m sure you’ll meet her soon, she works in Rigel.”
This seemed to satisfy him. < If she’s a friend of yours, she’s a friend of mine. >
Aw. Sweet. Still grinning, she paused in front of the monumental statue that dominated the town square. It was really something to look at, with Dialga and Palkia striking a dramatic pose, towering over the pedestrians below. They looked so…regal. Beside her, Rockruff followed her gaze, scoffing. < Remnants of a backward age, amirite? >
She had no reason to feel insulted by that, but she did anyway. With a strained laugh, she nodded. ”Ha ha. Yeah.” Tearing her eyes from the display, she glanced around to get her bearings. ”Okay, that’s the way out of town, I think,” she said with a gesture to the left. "Ready to go?”
< I was born ready, man! > he yipped. < Let’s get out of this archaic town! >
Right. Off into who-knows-what. At least one of them was confident about this.
WORDS: 553 TAGS: n/a NOTES: I love starly and abra, but I'd be happy with any poke! |