[Koa Leilani]

To hear that from someone was something Koa didn't expect. He looked down at Azura, who cuddled against him. He really did save her life, didn't he? Gave her this chance at living the best life she possibly could and making so many wonderful friends all the while. "You have no idea how much it means to me...no, to us...to hear that. Azura's family now, so I'm glad we were lucky to be drawn together like this. Maybe it's even fate."

He listened to Elliot's tone of voice and took another bite out of his sandwich as he tried to think about what to say. He decided it would be best not to pry unless Elliot really wanted to talk about something "Yeah, I understand that feeling. Explore the world, figure out your place in it. We've all got our own journeys to take and we decide how we go about it. I'm sure I'll find a place soon enough, so don't you worry about that."

He gave Echo a grin "Little troublemaker isn't she? I'm sure she was just doing it in good fun and didn't intend to worry you. Or maybe she did if she's really the mischievous type." He shrugged, finding the quirk rather cute.

"Josh seems to be friendly enough. He had a...rough encounter when I was with him. Most of his team got taken down by a herd of angry Leafeon and that seemed to trigger some kind of episode. I got him and his team out of there before things got too bad, though. I hope he's doing well. I promised him I'd go to one of his races ones day."

He smiled at Elliot "Well that's fine and good, but be sure to take care of yourself too." He said. He was sure Elliot did, but it didn't hurt to let him know. He watched as his Pokemon ate, all with their own little personality. He did have his questions about how exactly Starmie ate, but...chances are science was never going to find the answer to that.

[Elliot Sunderland]

Echo smiled bashfully at Koa's tease, Elliot ruffling her hair in response. "Oh, you bet! She might be shy around newcomers, but she's a total prankster once she gets to know you," Elliot said. In response Echo whined bashfully, burying her face into his chest. Nevertheless, the two were giggling all the while. For all of their teasing, it was clear that they were doing so from a place of love rather than one of malice. "That said, hard to say I don't deserve it sometimes. I'm not always the most perceptive, so Echo's mischief does wonders for helping me keep sharp."

At mention of Josh's team being in trouble, Elliot frowned a little. "That sounds terrifying. I really hope they all made it out of there okay," he said, voice hushed with worry. "He seemed prone to beating himself up some for failure. I really hope he didn't treat himself too harshly for that. Pokemon hordes can be very, very scary things." Briefly he remembered the Seviper horde, shuddering some. If there had just been one or two of them, it would've been fine. But all three . . .

As much as Elliot thought he was over it, remembering what happened to Levy still left his heart racing.

Right. Right. He needed to take care of himself. He grit his teeth, clutched his walking stick tightly, and forced himself to count to ten. He'd be okay. He wasn't there anymore. He was here now. And it had been over a month since the disaster, anyway. He was a stronger trainer than that now. And he was a stronger person, too. After a few moments spent regaining his composure, a serene smile returned to Elliot's face. "I'm sure I'll be hungry soon, don't worry," he said. " 'Sides, there's no way I won't put in a second order. These guys can put away quite a bit when they put their minds to it!

Does your team have any favorite snacks yet?"

[Koa Leilani]

Koa just laughed at their interactions "Aw, cute." He said. Their bond was so pure and playful. "It's always important for someone to have your back in those situations when you need to stay focused." He said with a nod. "Whether it be direct assistance or...constantly teleporting around and keeping you on your toes." He looked at Echo with a warm smile to assure her it was all in good fun and not malicious.

He sighed as he took a sip of his tea "Clearly something happened before with that kind of reaction, but he and his team made it out okay in the end. He managed to catch one, but I'm not really sure how that's working out for him right now. He didn't seem to beat himself up over it, but I can't really say for certain."

He noticed Elliot's sudden behavior as he gripped his walking stick, something that just registered to him. He wouldn't ask about it, but the sudden silence did make him worry a little bit. On a lighter note, he thought about Elliot's question "Apparently when she was growing up, Kupuna, my Drampa, would just crunch whole watermelons as a snack. She still loves them now, but it's no longer to that extreme." He said with a laugh "I don't know the whole story. She belonged to one of my instructors at the academy, and they gave her to me as a gift when I graduated." He said, remembering that day fondly "As for the others...Azura loves malasada. Absolutely loves it, but I try to make her eat it in moderation, you hear me?" That last part was playfully directed at Azura, who gave a dramatic huff, but she was playing around too since she quickly looked to be her happy self again. "Toki seems like fruit in general, with a particular fondness for strawberries and apples. Makoto enjoys peaches, Ali'i...just seems to be okay with anything, and Janus likes seeds, nuts, and other things the bird Flying types seem to really like."

This calm atmosphere really made for nice and relaxing conversation, even with someone he had just met "Soon I'll probably head out and start on the gym challenge, but first there's something I've been trying to look into...do you happen to know anything about...Aura?" He asked, wondering if he could get any information.

[Elliot Sunderland]

"We're basically each other's number one backup," Elliot admitted. "I may've mentioned her keeping me on my toes and helping me with being aware of emotions. At the same time, the rest of the team and I have helped her develop her psychic abilities to brand new heights. And, of course, I give her all the time, love, and care she could ever ask for." Echo giggled as Elliot ruffled her hair again. "Its funny. I always figured if I was starting my journey, it'd be with a Mudkip. But now that I've been on my journey with Echo, I can't imagine starting with anybody else."

He listened with rapt attention as Koa went down the line of his teammates' favorite foods. He paid so much attention to all of their individual quirks, preferences, and wants. It was heartwarming, even if Elliot couldn't help but giggle up a storm at the idea of a Drampa destroying entire watermelons with nothing but jaw strength. "And here my team just dogpiles on whatever I choose to eat," Elliot said, fondness in his voice. "You should've seen the first time I took a few of them to my friend Elise's cafe. If it wasn't for the strings she pulled to cut down on the bill, Echo and Lord Beerus alone would've eaten me into debt! Luckily, I've been able to pull together enough money to not have to worry about another close shave like that. But it dosn't change the fact that they're far from picky eaters."

Elliot was loving this conversation, honestly. Yet he didn't expect it to take a surprisingly familiar turn so quickly. "I don't know a ton about it. But I've actually seen it used a few times before," Elliot said. "My friend, Andrew, uses it to calm the emotions of Pokemon and heal their wounds. He doesn't seem to know what it actually is yet, but that doesn't stop him from being a real whiz at using it. That's all I really know about it for now, though. Where'd you hear about it from?"

Surprisingly enough, Echo leaned in towards this conversation. Her eyes shone brightly with interest from beneath her bangs.

[Koa Leilani]

"Friendships are mutual things. We help each other out when we need it, even if it's simply a shoulder to cry on." He said in response to Elliot's words. "Support and encouragement are key for healthy friendships and relationships, though if I keep rambling about it I'll sound way too cliche." He said with a nervous chuckle. "But...even so I think there's truth to those words as obvious as they might seem."

He looked between Echo and Elliot "And I can't imagine you starting with anyone else, myself. That's the beauty of Pokemon journeys, isn't it? We make connections we never could have anticipated. Those little surprises give the adventures so much more meaning."

He laughed alongside Elliot at the thought of Kupuna tearing through watermelons the way she used to before he listened to his own story on how his Pokemon ate a bit too much at a cafe "Wow, it's lucky she was able to get you out of that hairy situation, huh? Glad you have things sorted now, but I can understand that being a bit of a close call. Make sure they don't eat too much and get sick, alright? That wouldn't be fun for anyone."

Koa was glad that Elliot had some kind of knowledge about Aura. In fact, he had witnessed someone else use it firsthand. "I see..." He said softly as he thought about how to explain why he asked. "Well to be honest, I know about it because I can use it too. I first discovered it during the Ultra Beast invasion. In desperation I tried to...save Azura's mother. I couldn't do it. For the longest time I thought I was just seeing things that day. Though after a while the curiosity got the better of me. I couldn't have been seeing things...so I did some research. I couldn't find anyone to teach me about it and sources are pretty limited on the subject, at least from what I found. So...in short, I want to know about it. Right now it only seems to happen during moments of extreme stress and I get really tired afterwards. I want to be able to control it better and use it when it actually matters..." He said. He looked guilty that he wasn't able to save Azura's mother. Azura cuddled up next to him as she sensed Koa's distress. She didn't want him to feel bad about anything. This is the trainer that saved her and showed her love and happiness again. He deserved to know how much that meant to her.

Koa looked down at Azura and he started to tear up. He wiped his eyes and sighed "I-I'm sorry. All I'm doing is dragging down the conversation, aren't I? It's just...something I've always wanted to understand more. If it's something I can use to better help people, I'll go through whatever grueling training I have to in order to improve myself."

[Elliot Sunderland]

"It might be cliche. But I feel like its a cliche a lot of people still forget about," Elliot admitted. "I think a lot of problems would be solved if people just opened up and talked to each other, you know? And sure, it's never that easy. But it goes a long way towards helping, right?" There was a brief flash of sorrow behind Elliot's eyes, but his smile held all the while.

If that was really true, why couldn't he talk to his brother?

Koa's reminiscing snapped Elliot out of his funk before it settled too deeply. Echo bashfully twiddled her hands as he tried not to laugh. "Oh, trust me. The poor thing could barely move by the time she was done with her Breakfast Bonanza," Elliot said. "I had to carry her around for three days after that! Though I'm pretty sure, like. Two of those days, and most of the third day, were just her being a baby." Echo simply giggled in response. That's right! She's baby!

Then Koa's reminiscing took a turn for the dark. Elliot listened to what he had to say, the frown on his face soft, and he motioned with his hand to try and quiet his team down. Much to his surprise, they obliged, even if it was only due to Echo teleporting over to each and patting them until they hushed up. Frankly, he couldn't imagine being in Koa's shoes. Having a strange power suddenly overcome you in a desperate situation, only for it to not be enough? The fear, the confusion, the guilt. They all must have been immense. And yet here was Koa, not only working through it in a healthy manner but trying to study this power instead of fearing it. He really was somebody worth admiring, wasn't he?

"You're not dragging it down. Not at all," Elliot said, voice hushed up. "It's horrible what happened to you and Azura. But it's also beautiful, seeing how much you're doing to ensure nothing like it ever happens again. Honestly, if I was in your position, I'm pretty sure I would've just quit. But that's what makes you worthy of bearing a power like that, you know?

I wish I knew more about where it was, and where it came from. I can ask Andrew how he started practicing his control over it, if you want. But I don't think his answer is going to be the kind of thing that'd help you make that first step. I think finding a master of the ability might be what it takes. Once he's brought it out in you, I'm sure that diligence and dedication will be huge for carrying you the rest of the way.

That just brings us to the hard part. Actually finding an aura master."

[Koa Leilani]

He laughed a little "I've always been told I never know when to quit, for better or worse." He said as he felt a little bit better. He never really thought of it like this before. His drive and determination...he always felt it was a result of his own self-deprecation and thinking he was never good enough. Instead, to think of it as him constantly trying to improve himself made it feel less like a negative aspect and something more positive. "I've always struggled to find the value in my efforts. I try to improve because I feel I'm not good enough. Looking at it the way you do is something I never really considered. Thank you."

He smiled at Elliot's efforts to help him out "Hey, hey don't worry about it right now. I'm sure I'll find someone to help me out someday, but if you can get in touch with Andrew at some point, that'd be great. I'd love to meet him."

Koa finished his tea "I heard that here in Arciel there are packs of Aura using Pokemon out there. I'm planning on investigating that before I continue on with my journey. If I can find them and learn anything then the search will have been more than worth it. Still, I appreciate your support and your encouragement. It means more than you know."

He decided it was time to stop dwelling on serious topics and smiled at Echo "She knows she's adorable and she owns it. You do a pretty good job of not spoiling her, too." He said. He cradled Azura "Once again it's like me and Azura. She's precious and she knows she is, but it's all in good fun." He said as he poked her nose gently. She barked happily and wiggled around in his arms. All of his Pokemon were done with their meals, feeling satisfied and happy. Sakuya had fallen asleep as usual and was taking in sunlight. Makoto and Toki just relaxed, not really doing too much unless they were approached.

[Elliot Sunderland]

"Aura using Pokemon?" Elliot asked, blinking a few times. Then he perked up, a smile spread across his face. "Oh! Of course! I know I heard Clawitzer and Blastoise were two of those." Those really weren't the usual Pokemon that were associated with aura usage, but those were the examples that he and Andrew had been given. Who was he to question that fact? "Though I'm not sure where we'd find swarms of those. I mean, Andrew and I found a Clauncher on Route 2. Maybe we could have some luck looking over there?" Oh, poor Koa. When Elliot has the idea to help somebody, "I"s become "we"s really fast! Good luck!

That said, he couldn't help but giggle at the idea that he didn't spoil Echo. "Oh, no doubt, I spoil her," he admitted, ruffling her hair. "But I kind of spoil all my team, honestly. Or at least, I do a little bit. We've actually been doing quite a bit of training as of late, though, so it hasn't really been all fun and games on our end. Only mostly fun and games." Case in point there, the six pieces of pie, which Team Elliot had finished wreaking havoc on. Only crumbs survived the onslaught, and yet Echo still looked expectantly and hungrily towards him.

With their food finished, HYAH! hovered underneath the table to start to get acquainted with Koa's Pokemon. They pulsed their gem at each inquisitively, a telltale HYAH! echoing through their heads at their approach. Vivi shyly tiptoed down around their approach, heading back to the safety of Janus. Curly seemed content to curl into a great, big pile and take a nap, a whistling snore snaking out from the gap in his front teeth. That just left Reverb and The Dudes, who chattered among themselves. Elliot couldn't help but wish that he understood as he watched them, especially as they turned to Makoto and Toki to try and get their input on the situation. "You know, as much as I believe in hearing out Pokemon no matter what they can't say, I do wish I could understand them," Elliot admitted. "It'd be so fun getting let in on all of those conversations. Right now, best I can do is have Echo play interpreter, like the world's biggest game of red light green light."

[Koa Leilani]

"Clawitzer and Blastoise? Those are two I wouldn't have expected..." He admitted as he thought about it. "I was actually planning on asking around town later if there were any rumors about Aura using Pokemon and start from there. Route 2 is past Cedar, so I want to first check if there are sightings a little closer to Birch." He said. He worried that he was sounding a bit dismissive and quickly added on "But I would love to travel with you soon! I'll check for a day or so, and if you're still around Birch, we'll travel up to Cedar and maybe even Bass City together? How's that sound?"

He laughed when Elliot admitted to spoiling his Pokemon "There's nothing wrong with that as long as they're all living their best lives. A nice balance of work and fun does wonders for self-esteem and efficiency." He looked around at the various Pokemon. His team was satisfied, but Echo still looked hungry. Azura looked at the one remaining sandwich that Koa had ordered. He smiled at her and gestured towards Echo. With that permission, Azura grabbed the sandwich and moved on over to see Echo and Elliot. She lifted it up towards them for Echo to enjoy.

Makoto and Toki looked at the Starmie that had started to communicate with them, as did Ali'i as he bounced up and down. Sakuya was still snoozing adorably. Janus hopped in place to face Vivi, then simply stayed close to her to comfort the shy Eevee.

Makoto and Toki looked over Starmie curiously after a while and started to hold their own conversation with them. Their level-headed, calm behaviors made them less frightened of the telepathic communication that may have spooked others.

"I'm with you there. I'd love to know what my Pokemon talked about or what they're trying to say to me. Though they tend to get their points across pretty well without words. I know how much Azura appreciates me." He said. On cue, she hopped back up onto his lap and snuggled once again. "See? Words aren't needed to show appreciation and love." He said as he pet her gently.

[Elliot Sunderland]

"I know, right?" Elliot said, laughing a little in disbelief. "If you'd think any starter'd have aura, it'd be the monkey king Infernape, right? Or maybe the silent, meditative ninja, Greninja? But, no. Apparently, the turtle with the giant guns is a master of the aura arts. Who knew?

That said, maybe we shouldn't be looking this gift horse in the mouth. If you're checking for places to go that are around Birch, this actually means the lab could be a great place to start! Squirtles would be one of the Pokemon they have around in abundance there, right? And if the lab's conducting any resource, I wouldn't be surprised if they either researched their aura capabilities or knew of someone who did. And if that doesn't work for you, I'm sure Route 1 could be home to some Clauncher swarms too. Do you have any honey? I learned that tends to attract swarms.

The hard way."

Regardless, it seemed like Koa would be totally open to journeying up the west of Arciel once he was finished handling his initial investigation. "Sounds great to me!" Elliot chirped, scrawling some digits down on a piece of paper and sliding them over to Koa. "Here's my number. I should still be here in the west of Arciel for a while, and by now I know the path to Bass City like the back of my hand. We should have no problems making it over there."

As Koa mentioned self esteem and efficiency, Elliot couldn't help but grin. "I'd like to think that's the most important part of training your Pokemon, you know?" Elliot said. "You and your Pokemon can work yourselves to the bone, but if you're not happy, can you even put that training to use most effectively? Meanwhile, if you're thriving, you'll give your 110% without even noticing! Not that it's a substitute for training or anything. Just a great way of putting it to use." He blushed a little, rubbing the back of his neck. Why did he have to keep rambling? "Or at least, that's what I've been finding so far. You probably have more experience with it than I do at this point."r

Then again, maybe he didn't need to be so embarrassed. Koa wore his heart on his sleeve pretty openly. Elliot could barely stifle his giggling as the Popplio snuggled him. "You two are just adorable," he hummed. "I think I'm doing a good job of communicating with mine without words. It'd just be great getting to join their conversations. Wouldn't be a quiet moment on the road, if that was the case.

'Sides, like, half of my team are Psychic types. They're probably smarter than I am! I can only imagine the deep, elaborate conversations they have without me." If only Elliot knew that right now, Reverb was talking about whether tacos were best enjoyed on Tuesday or Thursday. A sophisticated conversationalist, he was not!

He was, however, on Team Tuesday. It just makes sense.

[Koa Leilani]

"The lab, huh...?" He crossed his arms and thought about it "I'll definitely consider that option. Surely one of the researchers there has a lead of some kind. Thanks, Elliot!" He said, grateful for the tip. "I actually haven't attempted to actively search for swarms, myself, though it's nice to know that honey attracts them. I'll just have to make sure everyone's capable of handling a situation like that." He said.

He was delighted that Elliot seemed on board with the idea of traveling through Western Arciel together. He accepted Elliot's number and wrote down his own before he gave it to him "Sounds like a good plan, Elliot. I'll let you know when I'm ready to head out so we can make the trip together." He said, excited at the idea.

He listened to Elliot's take on training, self-esteem and efficiency. "I honestly agree with you. Sometimes you have to put forth a lot of hard work even when you really don't want to do so. That's unavoidable. However, trying to keep morale up and enjoying the time you're spending with your Pokemon is invaluable to a healthy training career whether you're battling or competing in contests. You want to work together. You want your hard work to inspire others to give it their best too. So you're definitely on the right track!"

Koa blushed a little as he hugged Azura "Thank you. She's got so much energy it's hard to keep up with sometimes, but I'd never trade a moment with her for anything." He said. He laughed a bit at what he said next "That would be fun, but also chaotic. I can't imagine having to keep up with all the little topics they must be talking about. And who knows what they're thinking even if they are psychic types? Their conversations could be about something as silly and normal as any other."

"I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate your supportive words and encouragement. We're just a couple of strangers who happened to get paired at a cafe table together and here we are exchanging advice and philosophy. Funny how that works, hm?"

[Elliot Sunderland]

"I've had . . . mixed experience with hordes," Elliot admitted, a bit of a nervous smile spreading across his face. "If you see one where one Pokemon is a lot bigger and stronger than the others, be careful. Those ones are usually kind of territorial, and a lot stronger than other Pokemon on the route. But if they all seem on par with each other? Then they're usually fine, and sometimes even really agreeable! Its likely that any species that gathers in hordes like that is the social type, after all.

You know. Unless somebody pisses them off." For the briefest second, the ever-patient Elliot would actually sound exasperated. Was there a Galarian girl sneezing somewhere? "Still! You don't seem the type to antagonize a horde for no reason. So I bet you'll fit right in with them." That kind of mentality was exactly why Elliot was so excited to go on a journey with Koa! He flashed a brilliant smile at Koa's excitement.

He nodded at the ranger's training advice. "I have a friend from Hoenn who had trained for pretty much her entire life to be a dancer," he observed. "Then one day she got into an accident, injured her leg. Funnily enough, that was actually when we became friends! Til then she was really more my brother's friend. But having something to bond over got us talking a lot. Anyway, she actually healed up enough to get back into dance. But once she actually got to that point? She realized she just didn't want to do that anymore. I can't imagine how scary it must've been, leaving behind something so important to her, that she put hours after hours into mastering. But you know what? That was okay. It wasn't what she wanted to do anymore. And if Your Thing doesn't make you happy anymore, you shouldn't feel afraid to leave it behind and look for what does, you know?

That shaped my outlook on training. And on this journey as a whole, come to think of it. Maybe that's why it's taking me so long to pick a path. But maybe that's okay, too." He blushed a little as he realized how much he was rambling. "All I know is that each of the people I've met along the way has inspired me, one way or another. And I'm definitely hoping to do the same for everyone I meet." His blush only deepened as Koa let him know that he was on the right track, Elliot shooting him a grateful smile.

It really was funny how quickly they gelled, wasn't it? Yet in a way, it was also inspiring. "I'm not even that smart," Elliot admitted. "I just happened to have been up and down this route quite a few times, and learned enough about the path to give some thoughts on it. But if it's useful and helpful? Then maybe I don't need to be smart about it. Just perceptive." He sighed fondly, taking another sip of his coffee. "It really feels like everyone has something important to say, you know? Stopping and listening's been the best decision I've made on this journey.

I'm really glad I had the chance to stop and listen to you. Thank you."

[Koa Leilani]

"Ah yes..." He thought about what Elliot had said about hordes and the larger Pokemon that sometimes lead the smaller groups "I was actually in that exact situation, though they didn't really give me much of a choice other than to defend myself. It was a group of Hawlucha that provided my first really challenging fight out here. Thankfully I was able to win without anyone getting hurt too badly...though another Hawlucha must have chased after me because all the way in Route 8, another one was sprinting after me. I have no idea how it found me or if had been following me the whole time, but that was...certainly weird. Otherwise large groups of Pokemon don't seem to mind me. That group of Hawlucha just really wanted a fight, I guess."

He listed to Elliot's story on his friend "It's strange how these things happen, huh? As we grow older or experience things we figure out more about ourselves and what we want to do. I'm kind of in the same situation, honestly. I had no idea what I wanted to do until I adopted Azura. Even then it took a while for me to really decide on it. The difference with me is that...I didn't really have a direction, unlike her. I can't imagine just suddenly leaving behind something you've trained for so long to do in order to pursue something else. But if she really wasn't happy with it, then good on her for realizing that and taking the step to do something new."

Koa smiled warmly at Elliot's determination "You've got time. Lots of time. Do what makes you and your Pokemon happy, and it'll fall into place sooner or later. Just make sure you're doing it for yourself, okay? Though I definitely understand wanting to be an inspiration to others."


"There's more than one way to be 'smart,' you know. Perception, empathy, memorization...that's all intellectual in one way or another."

He blushed a bit, but smiled "Hey, thanks. It's been nice having a chance to just sit down and talk with someone after being on the road for so long. Though I think we should get ready to go and stop hogging the tables." He said with a laugh. He clapped a couple of times and got his Pokemon's attention before returning them to their Pokeballs. "I'll let you know when I'm ready to head towards Bass, okay?"

[Elliot Sunderland]

Elliot couldn't help but laugh at that. "All the way across the region like that? That's crazy!" Elliot said. "But if any species is going to have that much pluck, I'm not surprised it's Hawlucha. They're really tough customers." He sighed fondly, even if the nostalgia in his eyes was met with a bit of worry. "I'm glad I'm not the only one who's had bad luck with an entire species, too. Except in my case it's not Hawlucha, it's Binacle. Wild, owned by a trainer, freshly hatched by an egg. Doesn't matter, they're all out to get me. I'm honestly not sure if I find it unnerving or hilarious."

Elliot smiled as he listened to Koa's thoughts on his old friend. "It's a really scary step. And I hope it pays off well for her. I know she's moved recently, too. Somewhere north of Hoenn. Wherever she ended up going, though, I know she's gonna make a big splash one day." He sighed happily. "I'm still in that "know what to do" stage, too. I always thought she had everything so figured out, so I was really surprised to she see was the first one to actually double things back. But I guess that's yet another sign of how mature she is.

Just because she's mature doesn't mean I need to rush to follow in her footsteps, though. For now, I think I'll follow your advice," Elliot said. "And trust me. With where I came from, I don't think I'm ever going to forget that I did this for myself." It was such a weird contrast. On one hand, Elliot had been doing everything he could to make his journey pleasant for others. On the other hand, it all came from that single, selfish decision to run away from home, not content to be denied for another year of journeying. At the time it felt so short-sighted and unfair. Yet now, seeing how much he had grown from just two months on the road?

He wished so badly he had made that choice earlier.

That said, it seemed like Koa had to move along. Elliot flashed him a bright, somewhat bashful smile. "Yeah. We really are taking up a lot of seats, huh?" he asked, shooting each of Koa's Pokemon a wave goodbye as he recalled them. "Feel free to ring me up anytime! With Echo able to teleport me wherever we need to go, I should always be ready for an adventure. It was great meeting you!" He wasn't quite ready to leave himself. After all, he had only arrived recently by comparison, and there was something important he was forgetting . . .

That's right! A snack for Levy. He turned to the waitress, smiling softly. "Could I get a frappe and a chocolate croissant to go, please?" he asked. There. Now there wasn't a single thing he was missing. Content, he turned to dry some pie crumbs off of his Pokemon's face, giving each a gentle smile before returning them after each impromptu grooming. Soon, it was the same as always, just him and Echo against the world.

[Koa Leilani]

"Oh trust me, I think we both know that it's a bit unnerving when it feels an entire Pokemon species is out to get you. It's a weird feeling, for sure..." He said with a little nod. "I'm curious where that Binacle story started, but we'll save that for another time." He said as he put all of the Pokeballs away. He carefully organized them around his belt and made sure they were nice and secure.

"North of Hoenn, hm? Wherever she is I'm sure she's doing great! You should get in touch with her at some point, see what she's up to." He suggested. "I know if I had a close friend like that I would be happy to hear from them and hear what they've been up to." As Elliot spoke about maturity and taking their own path, he nodded "Everyone has their own path to take. You trying to find your own shows more maturity than you think. People can surprise us, and we can surprise ourselves. We never know when things change or something else just...clicks."

There was clearly something about the conversation that got Elliot thinking, but he decided he would pry about it for now. The two of them had places to be, after all. "You have to better yourself before you can figure out how to inspire others, right? Treat yourself well, and you'll treat others well." He said as he stood up. "Yeah I'll be sure to do that! And likewise, it was great meeting you too."

He quirked an eyebrow and pat his shoulder before he left "Be sure to order yourself something too, alright? Don't go hungry on me now." He said with a laugh. He paused for a moment to appreciate the cute scene of Elliot grooming his Pokemon. He truly loved them and wanted to care for them the best he could. In that regard, he is a fantastic trainer. Confident that Elliot will be fine, Koa took his leave and decided to follow the lead to the Birch City Lab. Maybe someone there had info on Aura using Pokemon in the area. He smiled to himself as he felt himself get closer to a lead.

[Jae]

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Koa Leilani & Elliot Sunderland

Your thread has been locked. Because it was 2, you receive 150 pen and 3 rare candy.