(REI&Aten)

[mango]

"This way! She can't have gotten far!"

"I don't get paid enough to chase street rats!"

Lips pursued, chest tight, held breath - Rae's back was pressed against the city's outer wall, eyes squeezed shut as she tried to listen for oncoming footsteps, yet nothing could be louder than her pounding heart. That was too close, came her thoughts, filling in for the chiding her mother would have laid into - if she were here. But she wasn't - no one from the caravan was, and the struggle of today proved just how ready Rae was to travel on her lonesome. A clumsy robber, impatient pick pocket, unable to even dance for the simplest pay, resonated a gruff voice within her mind, and to that auditory recollection she sighed, wondering if this was a stupid idea to begin with.

Chaaaar, a small hand prodded at the young woman's chin, beckoning attention. Innocent eyes a deep azure inquired whether or not they'd be proceeding, to which Rae cracked a smile lacking authenticity and she nodded, "Now that we're out of the town, we can keep going, don't worry."

Peering up for the first time since she'd slipped past the gates, however, the brunette was yet again weighed down by the intimidation that came with such a vast land before her. With such craved freedom came the responsibility of survival, something the caravan knew well and managed in a cluster, but on her own, she was hardly able to prove herself more than the alleged street rat. It was one thing to be inside the security of an unwelcoming town, but out on the roads by her lonesome? That was a different kind of risk. Societal negligence to her kind was almost a way of life adjusted to - but out there, where you learn that humans can be worse than a territorial ursaring - she dreaded the thought of traversing by herself, independence wasn't how the story books portrayed it to be.

As voices seemed to be regrouping nearby the city's entrance, the brunette pushed off the wall with a sigh, "Apparently one can't even sit here and dread." She edged away from the city's skirts, side bag jingling against her hip in a melodic sense. Within were her funds - some offered by her make shift family, another portion accumulated through immoral means. While spending the night within the city she'd managed to swipe a few things, mostly bits of silver, chains and light weight coins, "Nothing they'd miss. It sits in their pockets, their chests, their little boxes, accumulating, growing stale - a display, instead of a provision. At least that's what I see."

 

[Atenthirtyone]

Daisuke was lying on his back under a tree, comfortably shaded from the strong rays of the sun. It was the early afternoon so the air was especially warm. Daisuke reached for his Pokeball that was attached to his belt. It was different than the typical and common Pokeball of the bold red and white that was commonly seen and used by most Pokemon trainers. Daisuke's was a Duskball, one that was green in color with black etchings and a red button. Duskballs were made to be far more efficent against Pokemon that resided in dark environments such as caves... and abandoned human buildings. The ball contained a Gastly, or rather just Gastly. Gastly was given to Daisuke as his starter Pokemon after he had finally passed his trainer license exam.

Shortly after acquiring his license, Daisuke was sent a letter from the Tavern. An once castle that was reformed and turned into an area of employment for Pokemon trainers. Pokemon trainers didn't just battle each other for pride, and often waging money. They also performed all sorts of tasks for people that could afford them, making Pokemon trainers a potentially lucrative while yet independent profession. Independence. That was what Daisuke really wanted. He wanted to no longer be tied down by social bonds. Especially not those from his hometown that he had spent nearly all of his childhood in. And it wasn't a fairly fun childhood either. He didn't grow up as some happy go lucky farmer boy with aspirations to be a Pokemon trainer or something noble like a knight. Well, he did. But that all changed.

Suddenly, Daisuke's ears picked up something. It was the sound of footsteps and something metallic jingling lightly. A normal person probably won't have heard it without paying close attention to it. But Daisuke rarely had the luxury to not pay attention to every sense that he had. Daisuke quickly got up, and looked towards the direction of the sounds. In the distance, not far from the city gates, there was a young girl. She wasn't exactly running, but her pace implied that she was in a hurry. Daisuke also thought he might have seen a bit of sweat glistening around her neck. Well, the girl was in a real hurry to go somewhere. Or running away from something.

It didn't make sense for a young woman to be in such a haste to retreat from a city. And traveling alone? Young women rarely wanted to travel alone. Unless... Daisuke noticed a small red creature following her. It was bipedal, and reptilian in appearance. It's long tails moved back and forward with a small fire burning at the end. Daisuke recognized the creature immediately. It was a Charmander, one of the most common starter Pokemon in the world. A fire-type that could evolve into two further sub-species. That explained it. The girl was a Pokemon trainer, and that alone was a lot of protection against your common thug. Even grown men who were accustomed to violence and would do terrible things to a girl who think twice if there was a Charmander ready to burn them to death if they tried to do anything to its mistress.

Daisuke had seen men done awful things to the gentler and sweeter gender of humanity. Most of the time, he had to watch as a bystander, while those crimes occurred. If he tried to be a hero, his life would easily be forfeited. Daisuke wasn't some lord-ling that could afford a small retinue of bodyguards, he wasn't a gang leader that had his own crew of thugs, and he wasn't some knight that owned and knew how to use a sword. He was Daisuke. A thief, rogue, pickpocket, con artist. Sure, he knew how to fight on the streets with his fists and a knife. But that didn't mean anything when he was outnumbered with others equally skilled in violence. Daisuke's fists clenched hard as his brain played an unpleasant memory of a female street walker that was being beaten by her holder.

No, he was a Pokemon trainer now. He couldn't let things like that happen anymore. Daisuke cracked his neck, and walked towards the female trainer. As he got closer, he saw her in details. She was a thin, and femininity oozed out of her. She was above average in height, had the skin color of porcelain although Daisuke saw a few speckles of brown freckles. Her female proportions were attractive, but it was her face that really caught someone's attention. It was a gentle face with high cheekbones and doe-like chocolate colored eyes. Daisuke thought that this girl could probably convince most men to follow a command if she made a sad looking face and said Please.


Daisuke steeled his emotions, walked into the path of the brunette girl. He tilted his head slightly, smiled, and said, "My my. What's a pretty thing like you being in a hurry to run from the city? Stole something, or had an argument with a boyfriend or something?"

 

[mango]

"My my. What's a pretty thing like you being in a hurry to run from the city? Stole something, had an argument with a boyfriend or something?"

"Or I could just be needed somewhere, nothing quite so dramatic," Came Rae's answer, caramel orbs ascending to meet the stranger's golden gaze. Tall, strong jawline, beautiful eyes - how handsome, admiration glossed her irises for the briefest of moments. What was supposed to come off as haughty for the sake of leverage, lilted into a softer, less confident tone. Batting her thick lashes, she inquired, "Do I really look so devious?"

To her dismay, his first accusation was proven true as a not so distant explosion caused the ground beneath them to rumble, even with the distance between them and the city. Thick, black smoke started to ascend from behind the city's walls as the disheveled bits of wood fell back down to the earth, indicating that the little fire she and her partner had created grew beyond what they'd intended. Oops, came her thoughts, though they lacked genuine remorse - a tiny voice managed to say serves them right, signifying just how exactly the young woman felt about city folk. Cringing, the brunette slumped a little, this time peering up with more honest eyes and puckered lips, "Stole is such a heavy word, we gypsies prefer the term relieved another of."

Chaaaar, added the soon to be dragon enthusiastically, tiny hands reached up as if the circumstances were much lighter hearted.

"What's it to you, stranger?" She asked, a bit of anxiousness peeking through her tone as the distant, agitated barks of accumulating guardsman began to pierce even the outskirts atmosphere. They'd be running out of those gates soon enough, hands on their helms, frowns buried beneath poorly groomed, tonic spotted beards, and if she was really unlucky, growlithe. Brushing past him, the brunette embraced the lonely road before her - backwards never had been an option, nor was making small talk idly whilst her pursuers ready a cell for her.

 

[Atenthirtyone]

Daisuke looked over the young woman at the city walls, as he heard the explosion. He could also faintly hear the sounds of a curfew bell. A curfew bell during the middle of the day. That could only have meant one thing - a fire. Daisuke looked down at the female trainer's Charmander. It seemed barely aware of what's going on, and just kept it's children friendly pet smile. Daisuke returned his gaze to the self-proclaimed gypsy. His eyes lingered a few seconds longer at the top of her chest and neck. That was also an another very appealing part of this woman.

"Hmm. A fire in the random time of the day? While, some little cute trainer just casually skips away from the city with a Fire Pokemon out of its Pokeball." smiled Daisuke. He leaned towards the girl, and looked her right in those doe eyes. Daisuke was hit by the smell of wild flowers and herbs, and a small hint of ash. "Oh, and you smell a bit like ashes too." Daisuke straighten his posture, shrugged with his shoulders and hands. "Probably not related."

"So where are you needed then, my definitely not devious arson lady?" asked Daisuke with a wicked smile.

 

[mango]

When the stranger leaned forward, closing distance between them, Rae stayed planted where she was, but pulled back a little, spine slightly bent and her doe eyes wide as his bore into them. He emanated warmth, almost in a way that made him seem familiar - with a lingering scent of tobacco and a masculine musk more pleasant than the wafting smoke from the fire. "I wouldn't exactly call it skipping," He wasn't wrong, however. "Giku just dislikes confinement, that's all..."

Although a little intimidating, she found his lack of hostility (or so her naivety decided) refreshing, though she did wonder why she felt compelled to explain herself to him - for all she knew, he was a guard in disguise! ...No, he most certainly wasn't. Visibly her tense, petite shoulders fell, followed by an escaped breath she'd been holding for quite some time. Combing back warm brown locks from her face, she looked around sheepishly, "D-Definitely not related." Sniffing her sleeve discreetly, the young woman managed a frown, "I do not smell like ashes...[/I]"

His wicked smile put her on edge again - what did he care? "A tavern for fresh trainer's," Came the truth, her mind unwilling to conjure up anything else. That, and she wondered if he was heading that way, too - Rae wasn't sure what to look for, when trying to spot a trainer. She could only tell nobles, guards and her people apart, trainer's were very rare in her realm, the caravan had come across many, yet she only knew ones who'd retired early with shattered dreams, or of the names held high in story books. She was the one to incline forward this time, on the tips of her toes, caramel orbs on his, "What about you, Mr. Inquisitive?"

 

[Atenthirtyone]

Daisuke's eyes perked up to the words, The Tavern. It was the same destination that he had planned on going. There wasn't any rush to get across the kingdom as the letter specified that they had close to a month to arrive at the new trainer's orientation. Daisuke peered down at the brunette girl. So she is a newbie trainer like himself. She was probably around his age, meaning that they were both considered old for a new budding trainer. Most trainers start as early as 13 or 14, depending on the region that granted licenses. Daisuke was pretty sure, as this girl had pretty much finished growing her body. S peaking of her body, Daisuke had to force himself from staring too much at hers. Look, this brunette was the spinning image of what he fancied. Dainty, thin, feminine. And this one probably isn't the local gang leader's daughter, thought Daisuke.

"Oh? Are you some sort of a stalker? I was heading over there too." replied Daisuke with an obvious tone of sarcasm. "And where were my matters. My name is Daisuke Kobayashi, newly licensed Pokemon trainer."

 

[mango]

"Stalker? Don't flatter yourself," She offered with the same light hearted tone, and then offered a half hearted curtsey, skirt drifting across the gravel. Clutching the fabric for a moment, she let the fact they shared destinations sink in - regardless of his motive in regards to conversing with her, he was obviously unbothered by her blatant social standing, and seemed amiable enough to make a safe companion towards the tavern. That being said, she felt compelled to stick with him, aware of his presence and plans she no longer could consider traveling such a lengthy way all on her own, she and her little partner may not be so lucky to escape the hands of guards - or worse - next time. And there was always a next time with this little one. "Charmed, I'm Rae - also newly licensed..."

"Can I ask, who's your partner?" It was of the greatest interest to her, and then it was - keeping him around suddenly seemed far more crucial to her well being, though there was a great many species she'd never seen and surely he wasn't traveling on his lonesome, either. Her eyes glinted with a bit of curiosity, though she nudged Giku with her leg, encouraging the little lizard to show a sign of impatience to get this stranger to accompany them. Giku plopped down on the dirt path, entirely absent minded and idle, bright eyes staring off into the distance, entirely oblivious to her trainer's gesture. With a huff, Rae discreetly shifted all of her attention onto the male.

 

[Atenthirtyone]

"My partner, huh? Miss Rae, you are rather forward. I don't think ladies should act like that. It would be mistakable for lesser characteristics" smirked Daisuke at the pretty brunette. He took out his Pokeball out from his belt, and threw it into the air. His Pokeball was a bit different than the typical ones of red and white. It was green on both ends of the ball, had a red center seam and was covered in black web-like patterns. It was a Duskball, a special Pokeball used to catch wild Pokemon that preferred dark environments more accurately. Daisuke didn't understand how it worked better than regular Pokeballs, but he was sure there was some scientific or arcane explanation to it.

The Duskball opened mid-air, and purple gas began to materialized. After a few seconds, Daisuke caught his Pokeball, and the cloud of purple gas formed into the familiar shape of Gastly.

"My starter is Gastly. Just Gastly. I don't have a nickname yet from him."