[closed] ♫「 Start of Something New」♬

[fightbydawn]

WHO: Riku & Roxas
WHERE: The Kanto Gate/Realm
WHEN: Early September
WHAT: After some back and forth, Riku has found himself giving Roxas a little Pokemon 101 crash course while he goes on a little bit of a pokemon hunt of his own.
WARNINGS: None for now!


[The new Chocobo carriages might be convenient as all hell, but they're still bird drawn carriages in a city full of automobiles and traffic law. So while it was a fun ride, by the time he and Roxas get to the gate, Riku's left with a sore ass, a crick in his neck, and Chocobo feathers in his hair. Something he's still clearing out of his hair as he waits for Roxas on the inside of the gate, the fresh air, gentle breeze, and overall calming atmosphere of the first section of the Kanto realm washing over him. Embracing him like an old friend, promising him that maybe, just maybe this won't be a total disaster of a trip.

For safety, he's letting Kori out of her pokeball, the Noibat trilling happily as she takes to the air to do a quick sweep and stretch her wings, something she's not quite able to do as freely in the city confines. It's something that has Riku pausing, backpack slung over one shoulder, one hand on his hip, smiling fondly up at his exploring pokemon.

Maybe this really will just be a nice trip!]

Comments

[thirteenth]

[Roxas, for his part, is more than fine after that trip. Much like Sora, Roxas seems invulnerable to adventure damage. He is also, however, insistent on thanking and checking in on the chocobos after that trip before going in the gate, giving Riku some time to preen himself.

[When he does enter, it's going to become apparent very quickly that Roxas is going to need some kind of tracker or child leash. This is his first time in a spirit realm. He just walked through a portal. This is an honest-to-god other world.

[Kori can enjoy her new winged freedom, Roxas needs to start exploring now and he is not waiting for Riku.]

[fightbydawn]

[This may be a whole different world and a whole new life, but if there's one thing Riku is trained for, it's being able to keep idiots from being completely consumed by their own ADHD.

So it's automatic, how he senses the disturbance in the force that is Roxas immediately wandering off on his own. That has him turning to just watch that head of messy blond hair get smaller and smaller as he wordlessly goes wandering off.

He sighs, adjusting his backpack straps before glancing up and giving Kori a whistle, waiting until he sees he has her attention before smiling softly again, waving casually, and nodding his head in Roxas' direction. But with that signal given, he's going to move to catch up with the wandering blond.]

Tell me you have enough common sense not to put random berries in your mouth, at least.

[thirteenth]

[The way Roxas jumps just slightly should tell Riku that he fully got so invested in his surroundings that he forgot Riku was with him.

[He turns to look at him, and he is holding onto a berry. But he's not eating it! Just feeling the texture on the outside of it.]

I'm not gonna eat something I don't recognize as food, jeez. [He holds up this big ol' blue strawberry.] There just aren't food this color back home.

[fightbydawn]

[Ah.

Well.

There goes all respect Riku might have ever had for Roxas. He's just as stupid as Sora, in the end.

Lesson learned.]

... because they're made for things that are from this realm. Like your Hatenna.

[thirteenth]

Well, duh, you said this was where they were from.

[He's still just turning it over in his hand, but he does take the cue to let his hatenna out of her ball. She looks a little confused, what with this being a new place and all, but it's calm here. It isn't crowded. She likes it.

[Especially with Roxas offering her that berry.]

Are they all safe for Pokemon to eat?

[fightbydawn]

[Amazingly, Riku's expression softens a little as that confused little pokemon is let out of her ball. He moves over, even, dropping into a crouch in order to take a closer look at how she's inspecting the berry.]

Yeah. At least as far as we've researched. There are some that have stronger flavors, which some pokemon don't like, but those ones can also be used to make different treats.

[Speaking of== he's going to reach into his bag and take out a little bag of said treats, offering one to Hatenna before standing back up and tossing one in the air for his Noibat to swoop down, watching as she hooks herself upside down in a nearby tree in order to start happily munching.]

... they used to be pretty safe for humans, too. But I heard something happened last year that makes them a little... risky. Now.

[thirteenth]

[Roxas is just as fascinated by Kori's acrobatics, watching how she catches the treat and goes to have at the treat.]

Risky how? [He's glancing back to Riku, head tilted in his curiosity.] Did the city mess 'em up?

[fightbydawn]

[Riku makes a face as he thinks. A face that seems to betray some great sense of inner turmoil. As if the reason for the berries losing their safety was something horrible and evil, something so dastardly that it makes him sick to even try to think about it!!]

... dunno. I stopped reading the report before that.

[Or, as it turns out, he's also stupid.]

[thirteenth]

[Roxas is just pausing, and giving him the most genuine, classic "are you serious" look he can give him. Riku knows this look by now.]

Do you always just obey orders without thinking about why they're given, or did you just read "don't eat the berries anymore" and decide it wasn't worth learning about in this specific case?

[fightbydawn]

[Michael Mouse, give him strength.]

I had a biology midterm. That was more important than the deeper meaning behind "Don't put weird things in your mouth."

[There... is something in that that rubs him the wrong way, some deeper cut to Roxas' words, something that makes Riku's entire countenance shift a little, has his hackles raised and his eyes averted for just a moment

obey without thinking of course he doesn't not anymore
he makes SURE not to he checks and checks
he's always checking always making sure

before he sighs and turns to jab his thumb over his shoulder, gesturing towards a nearby stretch of forest scattered over the beginning of some small foothills.]

You up for a hike?

[thirteenth]

[That shift in the air is caught, honestly, and noted. Roxas still has very little in the way of memories from his previous life, but he's noticed that with Riku, he tends to react like this when Roxas says something that's going unintentionally too far into that territory.

[He's noticed it. And independently of needing to be asked to stop, he makes the decision to do so. Riku changes the subject, and Roxas lets this move on. He doesn't need to apologize; at least... that's how he sees it. He just needs to stop now that he knows.

[He's taking a look at those foothills, and looking a little skeptical of them.]

Doesn't look like much of one. Should be totally fine.

[He is, however, getting his pokeballs out. Does he need to have five pokemon following him around? No, but they're in the Pokemon Area and that means everybody's getting walkies. Riku may not have met the Zoroark, towering like a plume of white smoke. It's easily Roxas' height, and wider than him.

[The Hatenna, he should be used to by now. The Froakie has been around a lot lately, and is taking its usual spot on Roxas' shoulder. The Meloetta, Riku met today. The Togekiss? Well, she's rather wide, so Roxas hasn't had much space to let her out. Enjoy the menagerie, Riku.]

[fightbydawn]

[Riku, on the other hand, doesn't realize how much Roxas has picked up on. After all, he thinks he has everything bottled up and tucked away so, so nicely. He's not giving anything away.

So he can huff out a little laugh, can let the tension in his chest slowly start to ease again.

He can let his mind return to the present, rather than get wrapped up in a life once lived.]

It's not. But it is a place I've been working on, lately.

[And with that cryptic statement, he's going to start walking, letting out his Zebstrika and giving him a gentle order to help keep an eye on Roxas' group before letting him stretch his legs. Much like with Roxas' Togekiss, there's not exactly much opportunity to let a lightning zebra go for a walk in the city.]

Make sure they know not to wander too far.

[thirteenth]

Working on? The hell does that mean?

[He's falling into step right with Riku now, although it's clear his attention is split. It's probably quite the sight; this little blond thing looking all around them while so clearly still listening and aware of their conversation and where he's supposed to be. It's not baseless exploration now, Riku is his guide to a location.

[It's also a fun little juxtaposition, with Roxas so focused on what they're doing and so curious, how that Froakie is basically asleep attached to his shoulder. It's a really chill little dude.]

[fightbydawn]

[Riku can't help the little smirk that pulls at the corner of his lips, hiking his bag up and just getting to walking in lieu of a response.

Up and over hills they go, with Riku sticking to the path until they reach a small, recently bit of carved path. One Riku has been seemingly working on for however long he's been coming into this neck of the woods.

But once they get into a bit thicker tree growth, Riku slows down, his voice soft and quiet when he starts actually giving an explanation.]

Normally, you can befriend a pokemon one of three ways. First, someone gives you one they've caught or gotten as a gift, themselves. Second, you defeat a pokemon in battle and then work on taming and training it. Or third...

[He slows down, suddenly, motioning for Roxas to get down into a crouch.

With his eyes fixed ahead, Riku slowly gets his backpack in front of him, pulling out a tupperware of treats and popping the lid. In the grass in front of them, an Absol's ear twitches before it lifts its head, sniffing the air before turning to look towards their bushes.]

... you work on befriending them.

[He lifts the container, shaking it gently. The Absol pauses and sniffs the air again before getting up and turning to sit half-facing their location, watching warily.]

I started running into this Absol just after the fae came through town. He's gotten pretty friendly the last few months. I usually come by once a week to sit and have lunch with him.

[After stepping a few feet into the slight clearing the Absol is in, Riku sits down cross-legged, finally glancing back to Roxas to gesture for him to come follow. With that established, Riku fishes out a treat and tosses it towards the Absol, smiling a little as the Pokemon catches it in mid air.]