[Koa Leilani]

A day after Koa's successful promotion as a Ranger, he decided to take a day off to appreciate a nice day in Birch. With him were a full team of Pokemon who were all enjoying the day out in the sun. Koa was carrying his Fomantis, Sakuya, in his arms as he let her sleep and take in the sunlight. Azura walked alongside Toki and barked happily out him, supposedly congratulating him for his efforts in the test. Toki blushed and looked away bashfully, but couldn't help but smile pridefully at the compliment. Ali'i bounced along with the group, glad to have a chance to relax. Makoto was her usual calm self and just admired the adorable antics of the rest of the team. Janus hopped along and remained pretty silent as he often does.

Eventually Koa spotted a nice cafe among a beautiful garden and decided that would be a great place to have some lunch and treat his Pokemon to something nice. He worried that coming along with a full entourage of Pokemon might be a bit much, but as he approached, a waitress happily approached and offered him a seat in the garden with plenty of space for his team. He was surprised, but happily accepted the offer.

He sat down and perused the menu for a bit, ordering some tea to start with and arranged for a large bowl of water be set out for his Pokemon. This was his first time back in Birch since he took the journey all the way to Ash City, then Fuji Town over in Eastern Arciel, so it was nice to be back in familiar territory. He set Sakuya down, though she squirmed a bit in protest. She looked annoyed and pouted, but felt a little better as the water bowl arrived. She stepped away from the others, but Koa gently pushed her forward "Now now, play nice with everyone Sakuya...they're your friends, okay? Enjoy yourself with them."

Sakuya looked nervous and clung to Koa's hand for a few seconds, but eventually waddled over to the rest of the group and looked apologetic and shy. Everyone warmly greeted her and they all gathered around the bowl. "There you go." Koa said with a smile. He loved to see his team get along like this. He was asked if he would mind if anyone else say with him at this table if it was necessary "Oh, I don't mind! If anyone needs a seat I'll share a table." He said.

[Elliot Sunderland]

Curse his poor luck! Elliot was all set to check out the new garden cafe that had opened up in Birch, but he had picked the wrong road to go down. An exceptionally long procession of Falinks had been crossing the street, so numerous that they seemed to stretch from building to building. Elliot simply didn't have the heart to interrupt the darling creatures, so he needed to wait for them to pass to even arrive. By the time the got there, the cafe's hostess shot him a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry," she said, a touch of genuine warmth underlining the usual Customer Service Cheer. "We just filled our last seat."

"Oh," Elliot said, smile wavering a bit. What a day to pick to skip breakfast! "How long of a wait do you think it'll be?"

"We just got hit by the lunch rush. It could be thirty minutes or more," the hostess replied. "But we have been trying out some social tables. I think there should be one back there with some room. Would you be okay with dining with someone else?"

That worked for Elliot! He'd already met many diehard friends on this journey, person and Pokemon alike. Surely a cafe'd be even better of a place for meeting them as a route would. "That sounds good to me!" Elliot chirped, the hostess nodding as she directed Elliot to his new table.

It was no wonder they could make room for a second person. This table was huge! And it was absolutely swarming with Pokemon, a large group of them currently assembled around a bowl of water. Elliot couldn't help but grin at the sight, before taking his seat, turning to their serene-looking trainer, and smiling warmly. "Eating with a lot of friends today, huh?" he asked. If it wasn't coming from such a genuine-toned voice, it could've easily been mistaken for a tease. "Honestly, I can barely keep mine in their balls nowadays. Seeing them enjoying the world around them is so priceless, you know?

my name's Elliot, by the way. Nice to meet you!"

[Koa Leilani]

Koa's Pokemon looked up at the stranger coming to sit with him. They didn't seem too bothered by his presence, they were just curious. Koa looked up from his menu and smiled warmly at the newcomer "Haha, yes, I suppose I am! They're all gentle, don't worry." He said. He gestured to the seat across from him "Go ahead and take a seat. I'm Koa Leilani. It's nice to meet you as well, Elliot."

Soon, he got his tea and he savored the scent for a moment before taking his first sip "Aah...now let's see..." He looked over the menu and considered the different prices for both his meal and some Pokemon food. He looked up at Elliot "I'm here to treat myself and my Pokemon. I passed my Ranger promotion test yesterday, so I figured I'd do a little something to celebrate for the team." He said as he looked down at them. They continued to drink their water happily as Koa spoke with Elliot.

Koa continued to look over the menu and found a nice selection of sandwiches and desserts. "Wow, everything looks good here." He said as he flipped through the pages. He took note of a good deal on Pokemon food and then decided on something for himself "I'll probably order the sandwich combo, myself. What about you? Anything here standing out to you?" He asked.

After they decided, he leaned back and took off his glasses to wipe them off a bit "So what do you do, Elliot? I'd love to hear about what your plans are and maybe even meet some of your Pokemon. The ones with me today are Azura, Ali'i, Toki, Sakuya, Makoto, and Janus." He said, gesturing to them one at a time as he introduced them. They all waved or gestured towards Elliot in one way or another at Koa's introductions. "As I said, I'm a Ranger. Still have a long way to go to really consider myself...well, strong, but I'll get there eventually."

[Elliot Sunderland]

Elliot smiled warmly at Koa's assurances, easing into the seat Koa mentioned towards. "Heh. More than I can say for my batch," he admitted, voice lighthearted and easy. "I seem to have a knack for attracting sweethearts or rambunctious type. One of the two, it's really a coinflip." Nevertheless, he settled into the seat comfortably, giving the menu a careful look to see which tea he'd be interested in.

That said, there were more interesting things than tea going on here! Elliot perked up as Koa mentioned the ranger exam. "Seriously? That's awesome!" he cheered. "What was the exam like? Oh, oh, and what's being a ranger like, even? It must be incredible, going from place to place righting wrongs, helping people, and getting Pokemon out of trouble." He had to admit, he was a little bit starstruck here, but as he was halfway through his little ramble he realized the fact and forced himself to settle down. Still, if he was shy at all before, now the energy around the boy was palpable.

At least Koa was equally interested in Elliot's plans. Even if the mere mention of them lead to Elliot blushing a little in embarrassment. "Oh. I, uh, well, I guess I kinda don't have any right now," he said, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. "I've just kinda been exploring the routes, getting a feel for being out on my own, and meeting new Pokemon and people along the way." Speaking of new Pokemon, he smiled at all of Koa's, waving at them all in turn as their names came up. "So nice to meet all you guys! I may not have plans in mind yet, but I certainly have Pokemon you guys can meet," Elliot said, rolling a few Pokeballs out of his pocket. The first to come out was a Ralts in a hoodie, who turned and shook a Gothita that was trying to sneak a nap in awake. Then came an Eevee, who blushed brightly and ducked below the table when she realized how surrounded by others she was. A Dugtrio grooving with each other, lost in their own world, were next to come out. Finally came a Starmie and a Huntail, chittering away at each other like a pair of rivals bantering away. "These are Echo, Reverb, Vivi, The Dudes, Curly, and HYAH! Sorry if the table's a bit crowded now. I know these guys are pretty big," he added, smiling guiltily.

"I might need some time to browse the menu. These guys can really pack away when they put their minds to it!" Elliot said, laughing warmly. "You're right, though. It all looks so good. Heck, I'm getting hungrier myself just looking at it . . ."

[Koa Leilani]

"All Pokemon deserve to be given a chance, and I'm glad you're so willing to have two completely different kinds of Pokemon personalities around you. It certainly says a lot about your open-mindedness." He complimented, meaning every word of it.

He blushed a little bit at the sudden praise, but ran a hand through his hair "Hehe, well...it was a huge obstacle course to get me ready for the inevitable environmental scenarios I would have to deal with. Rough terrain, unstable terrain, balancing over pits, stuff like that. I uh...haven't really had the chance to right any wrongs yet or go on big Pokemon rescue missions yet." He admitted, a little nervous about that. "But it's something I decided I wanted to do a long time ago, back when the Ultra Beasts attacked Alola."

"Hey, it's alright to not have any plans. I didn't have any plans for the longest time. Sometimes it just sort of comes to you. That's what happened with me. What you're doing is honestly what I've been doing." He said. Koa's Pokemon were all happy to greet Elliot. Then, Elliot revealed the Pokemon that were with him and immediately they gathered around to say hi and meet each other. Sakuya, though, stayed near the water, nervous with all the newcomers, which was understandable. Azura showed no such nervousness as she bounded towards Echo and Reverb with a happy bark. Toki observed The Dudes and immediately assumed they must be masters of some kind of meditation technique. Janus stared at the Eevee that hid and simply hopped over to provide some quiet company. Makoto stood next to HYAH! and Curly as if to mediate their argument. Ali'i simple watched the group and bounced in place.

"Wow, this is quite the team you have going here. You've got some experience I see." He nodded with a smile. "I should honestly do some training before my next big adventure. Don't worry, I don't mind large Pokemon. I have a Drampa that get me from place to place, so I'm used to it."

He laughed "Take as much time as you need to order. Don't rush yourself."

[Elliot Sunderland]

How was Koa so nice? Elliot could practically feel how red he was getting from the compliments. "I mean, we're all just trying to figure ourselves out, right?" Elliot asked. "I figure that goes for people and Pokemon alike. So, sure, some of these guys can be really silly. Some of them can be high-strung, or have big egos. One or two of them even met me by flat out attacking me! But they still deserve the same shot at proving themselves and making their mark. And if they trust in me to be the one to give that to them? There's no chance I'd ever want to disappoint them."

It sounded like Koa's mindset was similar. With the Ultra Beasts laying siege to the world, he wanted to do his part and make a difference. Sure, he hadn't had a chance to tackle any of that yet. But he seemed to have the physical challenge element of it down pat. "That sounds incredible. I don't know if I could handle a slightly rickety bridge," Elliot half-joked. "I'd love to see you in action sometime! Though, uh. Maybe not in the cafe." It was hard not to imagine Koa doing a kickflip off of a table, but that didn't make the idea any less hilarious to Elliot.

It also didn't make it any stranger that a practiced ranger was telling him he sounded experienced! Frankly, to Elliot, it just felt like he was walking back and forth. But each of those days was a new journey. At the end of each day, he did some serious training to reinforce what they learned during the day. And each morning, he had something new to look forward to, giving him something to fight for. All of those factors may have lead to him making more progress than he even realized. "I guess I do, huh?" he said, laughing somewhat nervously. "I mean, I haven't even tackled a gym or contest hall yet. Heck, I never evolved a Pokemon. HYAH! kinda . . . came like this. So there are still a few milestones I've got to go. But I guess I am making good progress, huh?"

Pokemon transport. Now there was another milestone he had yet to tackle, at least on his own. "I've actually been thinking of teaching one of my Pokemon how to ride, so I don't keep missing the ferries out of Bass," he said, remembering mishap against mishap wreaking havoc on his schedule. "But every time I do-"

HYAH! and Curly promptly intensified their bickering, leaning so close that they were pressed cheek-to-gem. Poor Makoto, having to sort these two out! Though she was far from the only member of Koa's team bonding with Elliot's. Vivi turned her nose up at Janus' approach, but occasionally let her poise drop to check and see if Janus was still there. Echo and Reverb cheered happily as Azura approached, Echo teleporting away to get a closer look at the water type. Only The Dudes didn't heed their new company, though that was because they were deep in their "meditation." Maybe if poor Toki approached closer, he'd hear the soft surf rock music playing from their earbuds.

With all of this chaos going on, Elliot was very thankful he had plenty of time to order. "Ever since the race I caught Curly in, these two have been trying to one-up each other time and time again. The surf training's just their latest competition, and we haven't even started yet!"

[Koa Leilani]

After he made his order, he leaned forward "That's all well and good, but I hope these attacks aren't malicious towards you? If you need some advice on handling Pokemon that can be a bit aggressive I'd be glad to share what I know. If it's playful that's another story, but I'm just covering bases here." He said with a serious look in his eye.

He chuckled at Elliot's eagerness to see Koa do what he does as a Ranger "Well maybe someday if we travel together you'll get a chance to see that. I wouldn't be opposed to the idea at all!" He was pretty humble about the whole thing. He wasn't really sure if he was exceptional in any way, but the acknowledgement was nice to Koa.

He was glad that his words of encouragement and praise made Elliot feel a bit better about his own journeys. "Hey, I haven't done either of those things either. I'm just as nervous as you are to be quite honest. None of my Pokemon have evolved yet either, so we're honestly similar in that respect. So...we're both making good progress by that logic!" He said with a beaming smile.

"It's like night and day when you get a Pokemon trained for mounted travel. I recently got Kupuna trained to fly with a rider, which makes travel a lot faster so I'm immensely thankful for that." He listened into his story more, but something cut him off.

Makoto swished the leaf in her mouth and grumbled a bit before she pressed her hands against the two of them to shove them apart. She tapped her foot and frowned a bit at them, then made a quick gesture towards Elliot. It seemed she was telling them not to make a scene that would ruin their trainer's lunch.

Janus was indeed still there, just sort of hopping to and fro with no real aim other than to keep the Eevee company. Silent, still, and maybe a little unsettling, Janus was nonetheless a friendly Pokemon.

Azura hopped back, surprised by the teleportation, but quickly regained her peppy demeanor as she spent time with Echo and Reverb. She was large for her species, but that didn't keep her from being cute.

Toki didn't quite understand the music the Dugtrio was listening to, but it seemed to calm them at the very least. Maybe almost too calm as they seemed completely disinterested in what was going on around them. Still, he could appreciate how they lived, as long as they weren't rude about it.

Koa just laughed "They're all getting along so well! Poor Sakuya's still nervous around strangers, but she's getting better. Before she would get really mad if you distracted her from her sunbathing, but she's calmed down a little about that." He said. He looked at the two bickering Pokemon "Hm...well good healthy competition is fine and all, but they should really take care and consider what everyone else feels about their arguments."

[Elliot Sunderland]

"Well, one was serious, but in more of an educational way," Elliot said. "When I met my Espeon, Lord Beerus, he basically wouldn't let me and my team leave until we proved ourselves to him. He pretty much took out my entire team, but a lucky catch managed to save the day. We're . . . starting to come to understand one another. Though sometimes it almost feels like he's the trainer, not me!

The other time wasn't serious, thankfully. Just a prank. Though honestly, not a very funny one." Even as his face smooshed into Makoto's hand, Curly turned and started snickering at HYAH! In response, the Starmie's gem pulsed, a tell-tale "HYAH!" rippling through the heads of those present. "I think that's their way of saying 'I said I'm sorry already!'" Elliot added, snickering. "But even if HYAH!'s still working out the finer points of humor, they've proven their loyalty more than enough. So I don't hold it against them."

Nevertheless, Koa's offer for advice was very appreciated. So, too, was his encouragement and offer to keep showing Elliot the ropes. "That sounds really nice to me," he admitted, smiling softly. "And, hey. Maybe getting to show each other what we're capable of would be just the trick to help put all of the progress we made in perspective." After all, Elliot wouldn't have even been this confident if he didn't get the chance to show newer trainers, like Andrew or Lynnette, the ropes. Koa doing the same with his ranger skills could be just what he needed to process what he'd learned!

Maybe some Pokemon riding would end up a part of that journey, too. "I haven't ridden any of my own yet, but I have ridden with a friend before," he said. "It really is breathtaking. I don't have any land-capable ones, but once HYAH! and Curly can make up their minds on who wants to be the team surfer, we'll be able to take on the waterways like a champ."

Elliot couldn't help but smile over at Sakuya as Koa described her shyness. He peeked down at his own shy loner, noticing Vivi seeming completely at ease next to the strange Natu by her side, then looked back towards the trainer and his Pokemon. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you either way, Sakuya," Elliot said. "If you ever want to come join the fun, we'd love to have you."

That said, it seemed the bickering was risking dragging the party down. Elliot looked over at the two, sighing as he gave HYAH! a gentle scratch along its golden ring. That seemed to do the trick. Immediately HYAH! stopped chattering and sighed happily, leaning into the boy to savor his scratches. "Never fails," Elliot said, grinning slightly, only for Curly to basically flop over both HYAH! and Elliot for some scratches of his own. Seeing this, Echo snatched Reverb by the hand, teleporting the two of them right onto Elliot so they could get attention. Even Vivi ran up to curl at Elliot's feet, looking up at him imploringly. The poor guy was completely buried in Pokemon! "Please help me," he squeaked from beneath the pile.

At least there was one exception; The Dudes, who finally turned around and noticed Toki's presence. They bounced up and down, one after the other, in a cheerful "wave."

[Koa Leilani]

He nodded as he listened to his story about how he caught Lord Beerus, his Espeon. "Sounds like he may have been interested but wanted to test you all first. Pokemon can be strange and fickle like that sometimes. Never direct, but there's always some kind of meaning in their actions. I'd say he's just trying to guide you and keep you on the right track, so I wouldn't hold it against him in all honesty."

He didn't dare ask for more details on this supposed, though apparently it was enough to warrant one serious apology from the Starmie. "Well as long as you two are getting along just fine then that's what really matters in the end. Just make sure if things start to get a bit hairy, put a stop to it before someone gets hurt."

Koa was glad to hear his suggestion seemed sound "You're right there. Learning from another's example is good, but try not to compare yourself unfairly to other people. People like us couldn't rightly compare to say...the champion, the best coordinator, or the best ranger right now, right? We need to keep our short term realistic." He suggested.

He looked at HYAH! and Curly and thought to himself for a moment "Honestly I think Curly would be the better one for the job?" He said. No matter how he looked at the Starmie, the concept of using one as a mount just seemed...awkward and uncomfortable. "But I wish you the best of luck when you do take your test. You're definitely right though, it's a completely different experience. The world looks so much different when you can focus on taking in the scenery. It's incredible."

Sakuya seemed a little calmer now and waddled over to the rest of them, but soon opted to sit down next to where Vivi and Janus were hanging out. However, things suddenly to a turn when Elliot's Pokemon all decided to dive bomb him for an impromptu cuddling. This was adorable and clearly this has happened before, but Koa reached out to the group of Pokemon. Without even really thinking about it, his Aura connected with the Pokemon and they all felt some kind of understanding with one another, minor as it may be "Come on everyone, let's tone it back a little okay?"

[Elliot Sunderland]

Curly couldn't help but shoot HYAH! a smug grin from the top of the cuddle pile. Ha! The mysterious, charming stranger had said he was the better choice of surfing mount! HYAH! flashed their gem in mild irritation, but both of them were too busy enjoying their giant pile to actually get too irritated. Unfortunately, that didn't change the fact that poor Elliot was turning into a Pokemon pancake! He was no stranger to getting cuddled up to, but adding a giant serpent to the team sure made the cuddle-piles feel more chaotic.

Fortunately, Ranger Koa was on the case. As he reached out towards the Pokemon, their cuddling, thrashing, and chirping started to ease. A calm settled over them, and they realized that maybe their poor was trainer was getting more than he had bargained for. They slowly but surely slid away from Elliot, returning to their mingling with Koa's team.

The exception was Echo, who merrily snuggled into Elliot's chest without a care in the world. Elliot laughed warmly, stroking her hair. "Well, 5 out of 6 ain't bad, eh?" he said, shooting Koa a "what are you gonna do?" smile.

That said, Elliot couldn't help but mull Koa's advice over in his head. "HYAH!'s certainly the faster of the two," Elliot said, looking at the two carefully. "And you'd be surprised. With a wide base, and a bit of help from psychic powers, it doesn't seem like it'd be as bad as you'd think. I looked up some footage and it's almost kind of like riding on a motor-powered surfboard." The look that flashed across Elliot's face made it clear that saying it out loud only made it sound more dangerous. "Meanwhile, Curly's got better stamina, and being a deep sea diver means he handle a lot of different kinds of environments.

Maybe I can train both of them up for different situations?"

That said, Elliot was already excited for the possibilities that Koa was talking about. Being able to kick back, relax, and enjoy the open air and deep blue sea on his own time? It sounded beautiful. And it also further reinforced that this was a journey for him to savor and enjoy, rather than something he needed to race through while comparing himself to those around him. "Thanks again for the advice, by the way. The short term's really, like, one of the most important parts of the journey. Best not to let it just fly by," Elliot admitted, the smile on his face soft. "Though I don't think it'd hurt if I let myself get a little more adventurous, either. Maybe I should give a gym battle a try soon. See if my team and I can get a feel for how it all works."

[Koa Leilani]

He sighed in relief as the Pokemon slowly relaxed and left Elliot alone. With the exception of Echo, but that's okay. "You get along really well with Echo, don't you? She seems very content staying by your side." He said. "It reminds me of Azura and I. Is Echo your first Pokemon?" He asked. He found Echo very adorable, and her love for her trainer doubly so.

He sat back and listened to Elliot's reasoning and felt a little embarrassed "I...totally forgot about the psychic part...huh...and they are pretty big. Either one would be great for a water mount. Actually that's a great idea! Train them both up at some point." He said as Elliot brought the suggestion to eventually train both of them at some point. "I think that would make both of them happy! It's a little extra work, but I think it'll be worth it. A motor-powered surfboard does sound fun, actually..." He pondered that for a bit "That reminds me of the Mantine surfing we do back in Alola. I never had a chance to try it myself but I hear it gets pretty intense. Maybe I should give it a go next time I'm back home."

He nodded at Elliot's ideas "Of course! There's no problem with being adventurous and testing what you're capable of. I'm actually planning on doing some training too and possibly doing some gym challenges as well. My team's still sort of new to battling. Azura and Kupuna, my Drampa, are a little more experienced due to being present during my Ranger training, but everyone else is still learning the ropes. But we'll get stronger day by day. I'm in no real rush, but I want to be ready to jump at the call whenever I'm needed."

[Elliot Sunderland]

Elliot smiled, a nostalgic warmth wavering in his eyes as he stroked Echo's hair more. "Not just first, but first hatch, too," Elliot said. "Not just first, but first hatch, too. Hatched her about a month and a half ago, when I began my journey. God, I still can't tell if that feels way longer or way shorter than I expected." With how completely and utterly Echo snuggled into her trainer, it was probably fairly obvious to Koa that she was a recent hatch. That said, Pokemon tended to reach maturity a lot faster than most animals did, so most of the physical signs that she was practically a baby had faded. "She and I have been having each others' backs since the day she came out of her egg, and don't let her youth fool you. She's already got almost as many tricks up her sleeves as the rest of my team combined!" Elliot already knew that if there was any Pokemon he could count on to make a spectacle, whether for contests or battles, it'd be Echo.

The idea of training both Pokemon seemed to actually calm Curly and HYAH! some. Or, at the very least, it put them on the same page. There was still a challenge in Curly's toothy grin, and HYAH!'s gem blinked a few times in acknowledgment. "I'm almost worried about how on the same page they are," Elliot said. "But, hey. I bet by the end, I'm going to have two expert surfers ready to ride. I don't think either of these two will let each other start slacking off on them." The glimmer in each Pokemon's eye made it clear that Elliot was more right than he may've known.

It made sense that Koa's team was rather new to battling. After all, he was new to this himself, so it made sense that his Pokemon followed suit. "I think my team knows more about battling than I do," Elliot admitted, blushing a bit from the admission. "Lord Beerus especially. He actually trained my first three teammates for me, with me mostly just following along and learning from what they were doing. I've been getting more of a sense what goes on in a fight now, but even then it's more that I point out the situation and they decide how best to handle it." Soon, Elliot'd be the one connecting dots his Pokemon couldn't even see. But for now, they were the ones who ended up making the most of his commands, instead of vice versa.

But that'd be later. Right now, he couldn't even decide what food to order!

[Koa Leilani]

Koa beamed happily as he heard that Elliot got Echo from an egg. "The first Pokemon I ever hatched was Sakuya. I was in tears when she hatched." He said, fondly remembering the event. "I know that feeling. It's barely been a week since Sakuya was born but I feel like I've known her for a lot longer." He said. Speaking of her, Sakuya reached up to Koa, who happily picked her up as she clung to him. "Azura is pretty much the big sister to all of my Pokemon. She's at least six years old, but she's just as happy and playful as a baby. I think Kupuna is the only one that's older." He said as he looked down at Azura. She barked happily and clapped her flippers in response.

He chuckled at the two feuding Pokemon "We're just turning their rivalry into a more healthy one. This'll be good for them in the long run, I promise." He said. He nodded at Elliot's observation "Exactly for that reason. Their rivalry won't allow the other to fall behind, so that will only motivate them to become better for the other's sake. Even if they won't admit to seeing it that way exactly."

"Hey, that's totally okay! Learn from Pokemon, and they'll learn from you in turn. It's not a one-way street, you know? Sometimes pointing out what needs to be done is all a trainer has to do and their Pokemon can handle it from there. I have some old textbooks you can study if you need more information on training theories." He offered.

He called over the waiter and said "I'll have the sandwich combo and a refill on my tea please." He said and the waiter would ask Elliot what he wanted before going off with the orders.

Koa rubbed his right hand a bit "I...never actually expected I'd make it here. Me, some punk from Alola who only found himself after falling in with a bad crowd." He held his hand out, revealing the purple Team Skull tattoo on it "Once I learned of some of the stuff that group, Team Skull, was doing, I quit. Volunteered at a Pokemon Center for a while. It's actually how I met Azura. Her mother didn't make it during the Ultra Beast attacks and I ended up treating Azura, who the center offered me to keep. So I did."

[Elliot Sunderland]

Elliot had to try and stifle a squeal over how adorable that mental image was. "There's nothing like seeing your first hatch, is there?" Elliot asked, voice soft and tender. "Echo was so shy when she hatched. She didn't even want to come out of the egg! We had to bribe her with berries to even get her to poke her head out of the shell. She's not the team baby anymore. Vivi's kinda snatched that role up when she hatched." As if on cue, Vivi snuggled into Elliot's leg, Elliot reaching down to scratch her behind the ears. "Oldest on the team's gotta be my Dedenne, Joule. She's basically the sweet old lady of the group, and the one who has any common sense. Not really sure where the rest of them fall, age-wise."

Elliot would've been totally content to ramble about this for hours, but something Koa said caught his attention and refused to let go. "They make textbooks for this kind of thing?" Elliot said, somewhat breathless. "I've just using stuff I half-remembered my dad telling me years ago! If you're okay with letting me borrow them, I'd love to see. There are so many theories and ideas I've had, but they've all just kinda been guesses and intuition. Getting to actually see what the experts have to say would be huge."

He was so excited that he didn't even notice the waiter was there to take his order until he tapped on his back. "Oh! Apologies," Elliot said, chuckling bashfully. "Just a black coffee for me, please. Oh! And maybe some apple pie. Think I could get six slices of that?" Oh, Koa. You were about to see one of Elliot's training strategies firsthand!

Yet when the waiter left, it was time for some serious talk. Elliot looked with curiosity at Koa's hand as he revealed his tattoo, saying an all too familiar name as he shared his story. Elliot looked from Koa's hand to his face, then smiled softly. "You're a really good person, you know," he said, voice gentle. "I know that kind of life's really easy for people to just get sucked into, even when the darker parts start to show up. For you to not only draw your line there, but make such a strong effort to do good in its place . . . the Center made a great choice when they let you care for Azura." He looked down at the Popplio, now turning his warm smile towards her.

A silence settled over the cafe table. Then Elliot continued, voice quiet and fragile. "Believe it or not, my I was in a similar boat. You know Team Magma? From Hoenn?" It wasn't quite the same situation. Scientists backed by thugs and an affluent benefactor weren't quite the same as disaffected kids falling into a bad job. Yet, both had achieved notoriety for their roles in provoking legendaries and Ultra Beasts, right? "My dad was a member. It's an easy goal to get wrapped up in, you know? You hear these other guys are trying to wipe out society, flood the world to set things back to square 1. And then your boss is saying you guys aren't just protecting the world but making it a better place, letting people thrive without needing to worry about space. It's all nonsense, when you think about it. But first you''d need to even want to think about it. The true believers wouldn't. And neither would the people like my dad, who were just in it for some cheap, easy work. Turns out when one side's got ships full of pirate treasure and the other's got more research money than you could ever expect, they both pay way better than a regular job.

I'll still never know how much dad bought into it all. Things were never really the same with him and mom after she found out. He had the sense to back out once they started talking about waking Groudon for real, at least. And from what I remember, the teams actually got the chance to start over and turn their resources and efforts towards humanitarian work.  But either way . . . you're not alone, you know? Where we come from, and who's in our lives. It doesn't define us. Not if we take the steps you've been taking." He paused, looking down at his menu as knots tightened in his gut.

"He's making those steps too, right?"

[Koa Leilani]

"That's amazingly precious. You're very sweet to be so gentle and patient with a baby Pokemon like that." He said as he watched Echo's loving connection with him "Those initial moments were critical, and now she adores you. There's nothing quite like that feeling, is there?" He smiled. Then the young Eevee was given attention as she happily snuggled against Elliot's leg. "You've got such a charming team with you. They all care about you in their own ways, they have their own relationships and rivalries...I love seeing how different Pokemon interact with each other when in teams. Though I'm with you on being in the dark about most of my Pokemon's ages. I assume Azura and Kupuna are the oldest, and Sakuya is definitely the youngest. The others I'm not too sure."

Koa then dug around in his bag for a little bit and pulled out a couple of books. A book on Pokemon raising tips and one on Pokemon Ecology "These are great sources to get started on." He said as he handed them over "Feel free to hang on to these as long as you want! I really hope they help you out."

He leaned back and relaxed as they waiter took their orders and left. He was a little surprised at Elliot's gentle reassurance as he looked his hand again. "I was always so crippled by my insecurities and fear...I didn't want to take the Island Challenge. I felt like I let everyone down by not even trying. Team Skull used that to recruit me, and I fell for it. Not all of them were bad. Most of them were also suckered into a pretty bad situation with what happened a few years back. Some of them even left with me, and that wasn't too long before it was disbanded completely."

Still, to hear Elliot's calming words meant the world to him. "T-thank you. That means a lot more than you know. For the longest time I let myself get dragged down by who I was with in the past. But once Azura started to recover from what happened, her joy and happiness helped inspire me to do something more. That's when I decided to come here and join the Ranger Academy."

It was now Elliot's turn to tell a story, so he remained quiet and listened intently. "Team Magma, huh? That was so long ago, wasn't it? Your dad just wanted what was best for his family, I'm sure. Still, that doesn't excuse the sheer insanity of some of those people. We can't just...flood the world or get rid of all of the oceans. That's ridiculous. I'm glad your dad managed to back out before it got too serious."

"Hey...thanks. Really. It's easy to feel alone with this sort of thing. Heck, my dad's Aether Foundation. He's focuses on conservation efforts abroad, but he was ashamed of what was going on. He still works there after everything changed, so he's in a pretty good spot at least. He's just as busy as ever though. We keep in touch and he sends me Pokemon from his trips sometimes."

He didn't really know what to say otherwise. He knew that Elliot was worried and concerned, but he believed in him.

[Elliot Sunderland]

Elliot smiled shyly at Koa's compliments. They were a nice icebreaker before the reassurance that the ranger was about to give him. "It's been a total pleasure meeting yours, too," he responded. "They've all got such lively, varied personalities. And despite being completely different Pokemon from so many different walks of life, they all get along so well. I can tell that you've got them trained into a seriously reliable team." He giggled warmly as he looked at them mingling, both with each other and his team. The Dudes must have liked Toki's idea, because they were currently trying to lead everyone in a musical meditation. Curly was agile enough to practically tie himself up in knots, whereas Reverb was trying to sneak in a nap and call it meditation. "And it's so nice to see them getting along well with my team! Even the quirkier ones."

If there was still any sorrow left in his voice from his earlier musings, Koa's books would do the perfect trick for snapping him out of it. Elliot perked up, eyes wide, as he gently took them from the ranger. "These are huge," Elliot said, somewhat breathlessly. He didn't expect such big, thick volumes! Yet with how incredibly diverse of a team Elliot already had, he knew they'd be invaluable. "I really can't thank you enough. These are going to make a huge difference."

Despite Koa's own insecurities, he still went out of his way to reassure Elliot about the path that his father had chosen to walk. As much as Elliot hated to admit it, their way of life wouldn't have even been possible without the financial backing Team Magma membership offered. Neither of his parents needed to work a day in their lives, outside of his father's Team Magma missions. How else was a trainer's income supposed to sustain that lifestyle? It meant his father could basically dedicate all of his time to being a father and a best friend alike.

Would the family have stayed together if he gave Isaac his fair share of that time?

Elliot nervously swallowed the thought down. Instead, he just continued to listen to Koa's story, both his own time on Alola and his perspective on how it related to Elliot's own. "You're right," Elliot said, voice quiet yet heavy with appreciation. "It's too long ago to keep worrying about. I don't hear from my dad as much as you hear from yours. We write sometimes, call every now and then, but that's really it. He's probably really busy, so I can get it. But it's really cool to hear how in touch you guys are still! It must be reassuring, knowing he always has your back, you know?"

He smiled softly, trying to nudge the topic of conversation away from him. He had his little bit of reassurance. That was all he'd needed. Any more and he'd just end up bogged down in it again, right? "Do you still keep in touch with some of your old friends from Team Skull?" he asked. "I bet you're all spread out, trying to get started on your own journeys now. It must be a blast catching up and talking about your progress. Who knows? Eventually, you might even be able to get some to come over and visit!"

[Koa Leilani]

He laughed as he spotted the impromptu idea that The Dudes had while everyone else had their own varied reactions to it all. Toki just seemed more confused than anything and started to have a sneaking suspicion that they were just relaxing, but it was too late to stop their idea now as he just sighed. Azura gently pat his shoulder in reassurance as she gave a sympathetic smile.

"My Pokemon are usually more than happy to meet others. They're not the type to make rivals with others or get really mad unless it's very warranted. Your team's quirkiness honestly balances out their patience and fun-loving natures pretty well."

As he saw Elliot happily accept the books, Koa felt pretty good about himself. The conversation from before got a little negative, so he was glad this was able to help him cheer up "I'm glad you like them! I'm sure they'll serve you well."

He listened to Elliot talk about his father a bit and decided to try and cheer him up some more "Hey, any connection is better than none. The fact that he makes that time, no matter how little, shows how much he cares about you." He said. "My dad's great, supportive, and we may be able to talk whenever I want, but that doesn't make your dad any less important to you, you know?" That would be where he ended that topic.

"Some of them. Some of them, for sure." He leaned back and nodded "Some of them are interning with Aether Foundation now. Others are doing what I did and working at Pokemon Centers. I heard the old boss is even training to become champion one day. Good on him. He was always nicer than he let people see. Yeah, I'll see if any of them want to visit someday, but only once I'm all settled again. Once I get a few gyms under my belt and a proper place to stay, anyway."

Soon, their orders would arrive. Koa got his refill, his sandwich plate, and Elliot would get his coffee and pie. "Alright! Let's eat." He said as he picked out a sandwich and took a bite, pleased.

[Elliot Sunderland]

"So that's one thing your team and I have in common," Elliot joked. "Though I don't think I'd be nearly so patient without all the learning I've done on the road. It's actually done wonders for getting along with Pokemon and people alike. They've really got a lot more in common than people might think at first glance. And since Pokemon can't speak, getting to know them better does wonders for getting familiar with body language and tone." Frankly, Elliot couldn't even imagine being the same naive, oblivious kid he had been before leaving on this journey. God, the things he said sometimes left Isaac facepalming from the secondhand embarrassment!

It sounded like Team Skull, too, had undergone quite a bit of growth. Maxie and Archie over in Hoenn had largely faded to the background, letting their resources do the talking for them. Yet their boss was flat out embarking on a redemption journey! Elliot couldn't help but smile at the idea. "It's really cool that they've all been able to find their footing like that," he said. "Hopefully they all have good luck on their journeys! Especially after feeling so lost, scared, and confused, this must feel really freeing."

At the mention of place to stay, Elliot smiled warmly. "I know that feeling. The first few days of my journey, where I didn't really have any place to put down roots for the night, were really the hardest ones," he admitted. "I lucked out, though. A friend agreed to take me in, so I've been in a pretty comfy situation lately. Especially since, no matter how far away I am, Echo can teleport me right back to her house." He sighed almost nostalgically. "I seriously owe her. I don't even know if this journey would be possible without her support, you know?

You meet anyone you'd think of rooming with yet? Or find a town you'd be comfy with staying in? Or have you mostly just been roughing it in the great outdoors so far?" Suddenly, Elliot perked up. "Oh! Oh! What if you, like, called them all over for a great big campout? Just because you don't have a place for them to stay doesn't mean you can't have a great time together. Like a big old bonfire party!"

His excitement was cut somewhat short by the arrival of dessert. The plates barely hit the table before Elliot began passing them out to his Pokemon, one slice for each. Even HYAH!, with their distinct lack of facial features, was given one! It certainly explained what such a weedy boy was doing ordering slices of pie.

[Koa Leilani]

"I know some people out there struggle to understand Pokemon and that's honestly heartbreaking to me. They have personalities and thoughts of their own, especially ones that are more used to human interaction. So they deserve to be listened to and understood in order to better foster our relationships with them." He said as he picked up Azura and placed her in his lap "Azura was inconsolable for a long time when I first met her. She didn't want to move, eat, or do anything. It took a lot of patience, love, and care to help her open up again. Now she's the happiest little bundle of joy I've ever met." He said as he pet her.

"A lot of them regret some of the things they did, especially after the Aether Foundation incident, but deep down they were all a lot of lonely people trying to find some semblance of purpose after feeling like they let their entire culture down. I can't say I really blame them, but I'm glad they're trying to do better."

"I mostly stay in the ranger barracks, though that's starting to wear on me. I'd like a place of my own just so I can have a bit of privacy." He said with a heavy sigh. "You're definitely lucky. I made friends with some of the other trainees, but nothing really long-lasting. I've met some people during my journey so far that I can't wait to see again, but I wouldn't want to impose on them. Also, it blows my mind how far you can get with a Pokemon's teleport. Echo's a lot stronger than she looks, isn't she?" He said as he looked at her. Her adoration and love towards Elliot was like Azura's, and he smiled at the similarities. "Always appreciate the support your Pokemon give you. If you do, you'll never be alone."

Koa crossed his arms as he thought about who he's met "I've met a few people. Josh Devlin and Sid Ridley. I haven't really considered the idea of rooming with them, but I also don't think I'll have a problem getting a place of my own. I still have to explore around a bit to really decide where I want to stay. Birch is nice, but there are a lot of places I haven't seen yet." He thought about Elliot's suggestion "Huh...that would be pretty fun..." He said with a smile.

He watched as he gave the pie slices to his Pokemon "Not going to eat any yourself?" He asked.

[Elliot Sunderland]

The enormity of what Koa had done for Azura hadn't quite registered at first. Seeing the contrast between the happy, cheerful Popplio bouncing around in his arms and the heartrending description Koa gave of her earlier days changed that. Elliot felt tears welling in the corner of his eyes at her plight, only to smile as he processed just how far she'd come. "You're a lifesaver," he half said, half whispered, clearly getting a little choked up over this. "And you two are so lucky that you found each other." Would he end up being able to touch a Pokemon's life like this one day? Save one that had been left at the brink, and leave them heading towards a bright, promising future? Elliot wasn't quite sure.

Then again, who knows? His Pokemon had come from such diverse walks of life, and none of them could even describe their circumstances with words. Maybe he already had and didn't even know it yet.

Regardless, he could understand Koa feeling stifled in his current circumstances. "Yeah. Sometimes you've just gotten too big for where you've come from, and you need to take a step away to spread your wings, you know?" he said. There was a tinge of sorrow to his voice. How could there not be, as he so succinctly described the reasons he had for running away from home? Yet no amount of sorrow could change the fact that he had needed this journey. "Hopefully you won't be there for too much longer."

Echo just giggled at Koa's praise, flexing her noodley arms. Elliot ruffled her hair, beaming. "You'd be surprised how much she can do," he said, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Though teleporting's easily her favorite trick. I swear, the day she learned how to do it,she had me terrified. I could barely find her, let alone catch up to her!"

The mention of Josh got Elliot perking up a little. "Oh! He's one of the first people I met," Elliot said. "He was pretty cool! A bit rough around the edges at times, but he seemed like a good guy. Though, yeah, I don't really have much input on where you could go. I've only really been on this side of the region so far. Crazy to think there's so much of the region I have to see, right?"

He just shook his head as Koa asked him about food preferences. "I'm not too hungry yet. Besides, I have to make sure my team was nice and satisfied first," he said, watching as his team hungrily descended on the pie. Vivi took a big bite when she thought nobody was looking, then switched to dainty, regal little nibbles. Reverb offered Echo the first bite of his slice like a true gentleman, only for her to eagerly take a huge bite of it. She then giggled, breaking a piece off of her own slice to try and feed it to him. The Dudes held their piece between their mouths, trying desperately to break it off into even thirds. Curly just devoured his in a single gulp, not even chewing.

The best reaction, however, had to come from HYAH!, who looked at the pie in confusion before flopping face-first onto it. Their gem pulsed a few times, and when they sat back up the pie was gone. That answered approximately 0 questions about how Starmie ate.