WHAT AM I DOING HERE ?

The voice came from further into the room, behind a desk - and was soon followed by a head peeking up over the edge. She seemed a bit flustered, but she needn't be. The boy wasn't in a hurry, though he got the impression she was. "I'm Minske. Sorry for bothering you," he responded. He took the paperwork that was proffered with a polite smile, watching only briefly as she walked over to the board before turning to his task. It actually calmed him, taking his mind away from his jittery thoughts. For a minute, anyway. The questions themselves made him anxious in a different way, mostly because he wasn't used to being so unprepared for things. He strove to be prepared in general. Exams, tough conversations, everything. He spent stupid amounts of time trying to make sure he wouldn't look like an idiot. The only thing he hadn't prepared for was losing his dad, but even then he'd worked with a methodical air to deal with it. His decision to be a trainer though... that was probably stupid of him. Doctor. He'd wanted to be a doctor. But it just seemed like an impossible dream now, and he couldn't afford it anyway. With his dad's will, he could probably afford somewhere to live, but he definitely couldn't afford med school. This was the next logical step, and he had always loved Pokemon. Or at least, he'd been interested in learning more about them. Which was a good first step, right?

No previous Pokemon, his father had them though. No goals.... to travel? At least he could honestly say he could provide, with the money he did have. Wrong, wrong, wrong answers. But he wrote them down honestly, hoping he wouldn't be told to leave. He knew there were younger trainers that got Pokemon all the time, but logic didn't really take hold when he was so unsure of himself.

When she spoke, he was indeed flipping to the last page, with the information she mentioned. "That's fine," he replied, signing his name to the bottom. After all, he wouldn't know where to start anyway. Maybe if they just went with the first thing to come along, he could pretend it was some sort of fate. "No questions... or maybe there are too many to start asking? I haven't really done this before, but I should be okay if you walk me through it." He knew the theory, of course. But he wasn't going to pretend he had any clue what he was doing in the face of someone with way more experience either.

---

I got super busy this weekend, but whatever you can do is fine xP

WHAT AM I DOING HERE ?

Feeling a little self-conscious despite her reassurances, Minske was pretty quiet as they walked down the hall and into the elevator. He didn't waste the time, though, watching the Pancham with quite a bit of curiosity. The Pokemon his father had worked with were always, well, large. Things that could throw boulders and carry five people and the like. They hardly ever looked at him, let alone talk to him - not that he'd even seen them more than a handful of times. Most Pokemon he'd observed were from a distance. Apparently not every ranger had that sort of Pokemon, though, if the bear was any indication. He'd bet it couldn't even lift one person. There, he was learning already. He smiled at her comment in the elevator, but it was more nervous now, the closer they got to their destination. Normally he was chatty enough, but now he found his mouth was dry as ash. He was normally such a confident person... but he was so far out of his league that he wasn't sure he knew up from down anymore.

The elevator opened, and curiosity overcame his uncertainty. The craggy landscape was indeed similar to the bits he'd seen outside of the station, but his experience on the ground here had been very limited so far. So it was still a bit of a shock, as it were. He'd hardly had time to take everything in before motion drew his attention sharply. A blue creature, small but looking incredibly stout, rounded a boulder and nearly knocking itself over after a bright noise toward them. Phanpy, Sarah said, though he couldn't say that it helped him any. He was so painfully ignorant about everything, but he decided that was fine. Because even if he didn't know anything about the blue elephant, it didn't mean that he wasn't interested in learning. "Okay," he replied to the woman, before taking a few steps forward to the creature. It flopped its ears about, dust unsettling from its hide, before kicking a pebble in his direction. Smiling, Minske squatted down in front of it, feeling a bit more in his element.

"I'd love to play, but I don't know the rules. Can you explain them to me?" Maybe he was being overly cautious, but he wanted to do this right. He didn't want to upset it. And since he didn't know what he was doing, and what might cause offense... well, baby steps.

---

I am SO EXCITED FOR PHANPY aaaaaaaa <3

WHAT AM I DOING HERE ?

To his relief, the Phanpy did not get angry at his ignorance. Instead, it gave him the very clear directive, and went on to clear the playing field, as it were. It seemed excited, bouncing a bit, though its attention seemed to flicker between Minske and those behind him. Minske felt himself shift before he even thought about it, very subtly putting himself between the Phanpy and the others. A bit juvenile, perhaps, but he didn't want to lose the Phanpy's attention when he'd just gotten it. It was actually a bit endearing to him, actually, how straightforward the little creature was. It was refreshing. He seemed to remember his father's Pokemon being more talkative, even if not to him, as well as the Pokemon he'd casually encountered on the street. It was almost like some sort of fate, that he'd met a Pokemon that he really felt confident with. He could have so easily become intimidated, but the Phanpy was so genuine and open that he felt himself being so easily drawn in.

"Alright," he said, standing. "Kick it is, then." He tapped the pebble with the side of his boot, just hard enough to send it skittering toward the Phanpy. It was a little off the mark, skipping to the right, but the game had begun.

---

I thought about just having him talk to him but let's be honest, a game of kick-the-rock is the best bonding.

WHAT AM I DOING HERE ?

If nothing else, the Phanpy appreciated his efforts, even if others did not. His little trumpets of sound made Minske laugh, as did his ear-flaring antics to clear the field. Minske didn't know a whole lot about these things, but the Phanpy's idle shows of strength and awareness appealed to him. Even if it was normal, his experience let him be impressed. The Phanpy picked up the pebble in his trunk this time, going off-script already, but Minske put his hands on his knees in as prepared a stance as he could muster. The small elephant threw the pebble high in the air, and Minske's eyes immediately tracked it. Which was kind of a mistake, because he had to throw his arm over his eyes to shield them from the sun. It was happening very quickly, so he just reacted, throwing his hand out inadvertently in the direction that the Pancham dictated. There were black spots in his vision as he tried to find the projectile.

Strictly speaking, Minske was not an athletic type. Hand-eye coordination wasn't necessarily his strong suit. He was in good enough shape, but he excelled more in exercise of the mind. Which meant, more than anyone, he was surprised when he snatched the pebble from where it fell from above him. He laughed a little, surprised, and smiled lopsidedly at the Phanpy. "Beginner's luck," he said, wiggling the pebble between thumb and forefinger. Deciding to just go ahead and dive in, Minske asked, "So, have you ever thought about leaving here? Seeing the world?" The Phanpy had seemed to understand them pretty well, but he couldn't really know if it would understand the concept of a great horizon out there. He wasn't going to underestimate it, though. Shifting his grip on the pebble, he tossed it back to the sturdy creature.

---