[Game] Lord Windos' PokeRole Adventure: Celadon City Vandel

[Dragonstrike]

'....Oh Reiner. Once this whole Flower Festival is wrapped up in a little bow, and your cousin and boss are properly thrashed, remind me to teach you how to loosen up a tad. Get down with your bad self, cause some playful mischief, just goof off, have fun and relax. Maybe embrace your draconic heritage and kidnap a princess or something. You'll feel a lot better if you drop the act for awhile and be yourself, you know? Trust me on this, 'cause I got thousands of years of experience backing me up here, hmmm~  '

'...kinda hard to relax when the whole world and everything beyond it seems to be watching you, ya know...besides, you and I both know I'm not the type for sweeping girls off their feet.  Not intentionally, anyways...'

[Aha!  Gotcha!  His mental defenses went down briefly!  Who wants to hear another short story?]

7 Years ago...

Yet another rainy day in Blackthorn.  It'd been raining a lot, lately.  Well, it was to be expected during Spring, really.

And it was the perfect weather to be training Horsea.

She was close to evolving.  Reiner could almost feel the pent up energy in the seahorse, her eagerness to get stronger...Sneasel wasn't in town today, unfortunately, so Reiner was having to occupy the time with some less creative training techniques.

"Come on, girl, not much longer now!  That target!  There!  I want to see your best Water Gun!"

Horsea is eager to prove her strength, her accuracy, her skill as a Sniper...

...but the Water Gun misses the target (and the wall it's mounted on) completely, the projectile sailing over the top of the intended spot of impact...

"...oh..."

...

"CHIRP!!!"

!

A small blue-black bird with a yellow; lightning bolt shaped head, yellow talons, and white wings perches atop the target practice wall...and she looks rather annoyed that she's gotten soaked.  Considering she's crackling with electricity, Reiner doesn't exactly want to annoy this bird further, even if he doesn't know what kind of pokemon it is...

"...uh...hey...sorry about that...didn't think anyone else was out here..."

"Chirp."

The bird gives Reiner an odd look...then looks behind him...

Reiner looks confused for a moment, then turns around...

And behind him is a person wearing a cloak that completely covers their features.  The figure lets out a distinctly feminine chuckle when Reiner startles at someone getting RIGHT behind him without him even noticing.  The bird smirks.

"Well, then your pokemon is easily far more aware of what's around here than you are."

A hand extends from the cloak to offer a handshake.  "The name's Taylor.  I'm impressed that your Horsea managed to spot me and Lucy.  Though I can't say the same for Jeff."

Reiner reluctantly extends a hand in greeting himself.  And sure enough, looking at where Horsea was right now, she was currently being pinned by...a sea green Horsea? [Note: Shiny Horsea are kinda sea green, Seadra are a dark blue-purple, and Kingdra are a lighter purple]

"So...you're the kid that's been hanging with that Sneasel, huh?"

"Uh...yeah, I guess...look, I'm REALLY sorry about Horsea soaking your bird.  Please, just...let her go, alright.  Didn't mean to cause any trouble."

Lucy perches on Taylor's shoulder.  Smirks again.

"Oh, you think I'm mad?  Oh, no no no no no.  No, I'm actually VERY interested.  I've been following that sneasel for awhile now, and I KNOW he noticed me, and yet he never displayed any interest in my attempts to lure him to me...wasn't sure if he was wild or not.  But now that I get a good look at you...yes, I can see why he hangs around you...alright, that settles it.  Come on, come with me."

"What?"

"You want to learn how to be a good thief, right?  Keep that Sneasel out of trouble yet happy?  You're going to need my help."

Taylor starts walking...keeps on walking...turns around to face Reiner...

"Well, you coming or not?  Don't have all day, ya know.  Come on, Jeff.  Show our new friend's Horsea the way."

Horsea isn't as much 'shown' as 'dragged' by Jeff.  No, she wanted to stay with Rein...*glub glub glub*...!

"Hey, wait up!  Where are you going?!"

Lucy smirks for a third time.  "Somewhere where we'll be alone and can talk without any chance of being interrupted."

...oh...well, that's...kinda nerve wracking...Reiner almost doesn't want to go, but...that 'Jeff' had just dragged Horsea underwater with him...shoot...guess he doesn't have much choice but to follow...

...he'd be lying to himself if he wasn't at least a little curious to hear what this 'Taylor' has to say, though...

[And the best part is that Reiner's too exhausted to notice I've gotten this memory out of him!  Hooray!]