#kisenth: Canaria

[peacebranded]

▸▹ 「 @kisenth 」 ◃◂

  If there was one little joy that came from a long day of running into dead ends and disappointments, at least Concordia could look forward to the short trek home out of Nimbasa. Contrary to the loud and crowded entertainment in the city, the road just outside was full of a different, more humble sort of atmosphere. It was quite common for performers of all kinds to host impromptu shows along the edges of the walking path, and today seems as if it was no exception.

  Concordia's walking slows to a stop when a start of a particular performance catches her eye. She was used to seeing the odd busker, or perhaps a juggler or two, but the show she sees is something that looks like it would have been more at home on a stage. Such a wonderful example of bonding with pokemon, too...

  Well, surely her sister won't mind if she comes home a little late, right?

[dreamdesire]

★⋆ 「 @kisenth 」

  Amany is never quite sure what to expect when ducking into forests these days, but nowhere else was this truer than Galar. The region's wild area was a veritable jackpot when it came to new and varied places to rest their head...

  It was also a region where the chances of running into trainers in these scattered biomes was higher than any other region the star can remember roaming. So, when they hear the sound of music among the shuffling leaves, it is only with mild surprise that they should find a human at the source of it.

  Admittedly, they lose track of how long they watch the woman and her partner practice, almost glued in place by an equal mix of curiosity and... something else. It is only when the pair take a quick moment to rest that the star speaks, a quiet voice echoing from someplace in the back of the woman's head.

"You... are wanting something very, very much."

[thebellators]

⭒‿︵ ‧˚🐉 closed surprise starter for @kisenth ft. RAIHAN & CANARIA

IT‘S THEIR VERY FIRST OUTING after their reunion. An out-of-town Autumn trip with just the four of them. They had rented a huge villa with 2 bedrooms, a fireplace, a pool, and a hot tub.

        With the fall climate settling in, the ambiance is cozy. Being out of the city, they get to have some privacy, away from the usual hustle and bustle.

        ❝Sonia and Leon are going to be late. They‘ll join us later, so you‘re stuck with me for a while,❞ he quips with a wide grin, baring that lone fang. Putting down his Rotom phone on the coffee table, he slumps on the couch. ❝There‘s a hot cocoa here. We can get cozy and watch a movie. Or we can go out to appreciate the scenery. Maybe you want to take some pictures first.❞

[thebellators]

❝NEVER REALLY THOUGHT OF THAT possibility, but now that you mention it. . .❞ Raihan‘s brows furrow at the realization, though he is not too upset about it. During that time, he had to boost everyone‘s morale after that unfortunate incident. ❝The lounge isn‘t a bad idea anyway. We even have a masseuse over after tournament season. They give great massages, and it takes off the edge.❞

        A look of interest crosses his countenance. ❝That‘s creative.❞ She offers to show her Rapidash, and he nods in response, expressing his agreement. ❝Sure! I should meet all the new Pokemon—the ones you had after you left—in your roster.❞

"It sounds like the brought up the pool only to get you to agree on everything they wanted for the lounge… Like how a child might ask for a ponyta to get their parent to settle on buying them a bike." chuckle.

"That's right. While short distances are no problem without a saddle, reins and saddles do make things easier for us both, so I had a personalized saddle created for Hinoe a while ago…" her voice trails off slightly before her fingers touch a side pocket on her bag lightly. "Would you like to see him?" she offers.

[thebellators]

"Trick or treat~"

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Lookin‘ like a real treat. 🎃🔥💯🍬

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[thebellators]

❝I HAD THE SAME QUESTION. Some of my co-trainers actually did measurements and reasoned that it‘s doable.❞ It had sounded bizzarre, but it had been a serious conversation. But no matter how ridiculous it was, Raihan heard them out.

        ❝In the end, we didn‘t get the pool. We went to town with the lounge, though.❞

        Outside the cab, he keeps the door open and waits for Canaria and Chuchu to follow along. The two had done a brief routine of keeping their appearance together.

        Canaria brings up riding her Rapidash for transport, and this fact piques his interest. It‘s not unusual to ride a Pokemon—he‘d done it with his Flygon plenty of times—but it is a unique experience for everyone. ❝How is that? Is it like horse riding?❞

"A pool?" she repeats, brows rising high under her fringe, before she gives a small incredulous laugh. "Where even would you put one? In the stadium?"

Oh, if only she knew that her little joke--- had actually been suggested.

She steps out of the cab, smoothening her skirt out, then briefly shakes out her hair - just in case the soft waves had gotten flattened against the back of the seat. Chuchu for this matter fluffs up her own cheeks a little as if to tell herself 'in public, look bright!' completely losing the sleepy look she'd had during the flight.

"Kanto had some excellent train services, but after I caught Hinoe I'd mostly just travel by him when I could…" Canaria muses before quickly adding, "Hinoe is my Rapidash. He's rather fast, but long distances certainly require a saddle."

[thebellators]

❝EXACTLY. THERE ARE OTHER requests and additions. Some even suggested a pool, but we drew the line at that one.❞ Raihan chuckles, remembering the bizzarre requests from his co-trainers. He isn‘t against anything that will optimize the trainers‘ performance, but they also had to be practical

        ❝Definitely. Tables have turned, and I never miss an opportunity to give Sonia and Leon a patronizing head pat.❞

        The cab comes to a stop, and he steps out, keeping the door open, and waiting for her to follow suit. ❝It really is.❞ He nods in agreement.

"A relaxation lounge sounds like a good way to deal with the stress of the event." she can't help but give a small chuckle as well when he acknowledges how short he used to be.

"Now you're able to look down on everyone as everyone once did you, no?"

With the cab coming to a stop and settling on the ground, she casts a glance out the window ( though - for a split second her gaze seems to flicker to her reflection first, and THEN the actual sights ). "Corviknights are as timely as ever."

[thebellators]

THE GYM‘S WRECKAGE HAD BEEN TOUGH on everyone. Raihan can remember some of the trainers‘ fury over the mess they had to clean up. Thankfully, they had all managed, some begrudgingly, but they had overcome that hurdle.

        ❝Yeah, and we added more amenities and improved them. The only consolation was the Chairman paying for all of it, as he should.❞ Everyone had their demands, even an unnecessary facility like a relaxation lounge, and he had forwarded them all. He would‘ve been modest about it, but after everything they had dealt with, they deserve to indulge as a compensation. ❝We had to boost morale.❞

        The remark to his vast change in appearance prompts a chuckle. ❝I know, right? I used to be the midget, but now I‘m far from it.❞

        Too wrapped up in their conversation, it takes him a while to notice that they‘d arrived in their destination.

Canaria shakes her head in sympathy. She can't imagine what the gym must've looked like at the time, but she can certainly feel sorry for all the work everyone had to put into restoring the damage.

"I bet the gym also got a few upgrades you assured the builders were there before, but that they'd completely crumbled?" a small joke to lighten up the mood a little. She hadn't meant for the topic to become rather as dark as it turned. Especially not on their long awaited reunion.

She gives a small smile. "Still, I can't believe how much you've changed… I could've sworn you were a quarter of this height last we met." an exaggeration, but he certainly doubled in size !

[thebellators]

❝NO ONE REALLY DID. IT took a lot for people to believe that he was capable of it.❞ Even he himself couldn‘t believe it until he had witnessed the damage it had done his gym, and learned how it had traumatized Leon and Kira.

        Raihan remembers it well. The panic that incident had invoked. Their lives had been in danger, and he had almost lost his best friend. He was relieved that they got out of that they overcame that catastrophe. ❝I know. The guy‘s in his second life, and he‘s grown up and doing better now.❞

        He nods in agreement. ❝Hopefully, everyone has learned from their mistakes. We‘re making sure that nothing like that will happen again.❞ Sonia had done a lot of research on Pokémon. It may seem like a simple study, but their best friend is doing a lot of work to keep the region safe, alongside with the Galar League. ❝It‘s also one of the reasons why we‘re all determined to grow stronger.❞

        Remembering the repairs and restoration his gym had gone through, he sighs. ❝It did. It was better than before. But at that time, the trainers and I had to do a lot of work to clean up the mess.❞

"I heard about it. President Ro- ah… he's no longer the President now, is he?" she shakes her head with a small sigh. "Honestly, who'd have thought… He'd been working for Galar since any of us were even born. I don't think anyone expected him to do… that."

"You know… I actually saw it on TV, that day. Well, parts of it… I was watching the Champion match." she sighs softly, remembering how Leon and a white haired girl had looked ready to go, when beams of light spat out the ground, nearly hitting the girl in the face. Rose's words had been aired as well, and then? The channel had gone black. Canaria had called Sonia up right away.

"I'm glad things ended well. It was worrying when Sonia mentioned Leon was in the hospital." considering the Eternabeam the man had taken to the chest, it's a miracle he gotten out the way he had. Alive. Thank Arceus the man is fit - had he been a twig, he likely would've been blown away.

"The actual thing… it happened at your gym, did it not? Did it get restored fully?"

[thebellators]

❝REALLY SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING SONIA would say.❞ Raihan chuckles, shaking his head. ❝Well, I‘m not surprised about that. She‘ll get over it, hopefully. The cafe will be better than before. We‘ve done that cafe owner a favor since they were planning to renovate anyway.❞ He shrugs. ❝She most likely does. That‘s not surprising. A typical person has water on their body but hers is coffee. Maybe that‘s why she has that attitude, ❞ he quips jokingly. Truthfully, Sonia‘s personality has never been an issue for them, but they like to joke about it sometimes.

        He finds himself engrossed, listening to Canaria‘s story. ❝I‘ve heard about it.❞ Raihan had been up to date to major news about other regions. Team Rocket‘s notoriety had made it to the headlines. ❝Ah, corporate greed. It‘s messy indeed.❞ He nods in agreement. ❝It wasn‘t so different here.❞ Galar‘s figurehead leader had always meant well, only for him to take a misstep and fall from grace. His methods had almost endangered the entire Galar. The scariest thing is, no one had really seen it coming and expected him to be capable of something so nefarious.

"I believe she said, and I quote, that she can't 'deal with those two knuckleheads without that cafe's coffee'." Canaria quotes their redheaded friend, raising a finger as she does so. Her lips twitch slightly. "I have come to believe that she likely has more coffee than blood within her body at this point." not too surprising, since she's been working on a new project so she's been pulling some allnighters again. Canaria's heard some details, but even being the professor's best friend didn't get her the full story. So the project itself is still a mystery.

"Let's see…" at the question she shifts her gaze to the window, gazing in the sky in thought to best phrase. "It was… different. Some places were peaceful, but other places…" she trails off a bit, furrowing her brow, then shakes her head and sighs. "A criminal organisation ran fairly rampant for a while. Team Rocket, if you've heard? A few times they'd even taken over large corporations or even entire towns. It was a… messy affair. Those were some pretty dangerous times to be out."

[thebellators]

❝WHAT IT DOES TO SONIA? We‘re not doing it on purpose. She‘s just really easily annoyed by our existence. She gets mad at us for breathing wrong sometimes.❞ Somehow, Sonia always ends up getting dragged by Leon and Raihan‘s caprices. From an outsider‘s point of view, it‘s amazing how she had put up with them.

        ❝Wrecked her favorite cafe? It was a Pokémon cafe anyway. We didn‘t do anything illegal battling there.❞ The issue was the two‘s inability to hold back, which ended up wrecking the infrastructure. They had apologized and compensated for the damage. The issue had been settled with the owner, but Sonia hadn‘t forgiven them for it yet. ❝So she told you that she still hadn‘t forgiven us?❞ He sighs.

        A flying taxi comes to pick them up. He lets her go first, and then he follows suit, sitting next to her. ❝Really? How is it there?❞ he wonders. Truthfully, he‘s curious about her life in the other region and the time she‘d been away from them.

"I can't help but think you two just enjoy what it does to Sonia." With a shake of her head. She can't recount the amount of angry texts she's gotten whenever their rivalry has gotten out of hand.

She tilts her head slightly, bangs shifting across poison green eyes. "Is it true you two wrecked her favorite cafe a few months ago?" According to Sonia the two had gotten so heated over a rather minimal subject that they'd excitedly pulled out their Pokémon-- inside.

Sonia had been livid, refusing to talk to either until the renovations were done.

"You've no idea how much I missed these taxis in Kanto…" she pats the seat slightly as she sits down. "Kanto has an amazing train system, but there's no denying the heart that lies in traveling by Pokémon."

[thebellators]

❝WE GOTTA MAINTAIN IT. IT keeps our spirits alive.❞ Their rivalry keeps him on his toes. It motivates him to do better and learn more. Improvement in all areas is a never-ending process, and he lives by that adage to thrive.

        ❝It‘s always fun to compete. Winning in a fun little bet is satisfying. It gives a kick.❞ He chuckles. ❝I guess you can say that I‘m still interested. It‘s not my whole life goal—just one of them—but that doesn‘t mean I‘ll ever stop training. You‘ll never hear my name and the word rusty in the same sentence ever. I aim to outrank whoever holds the Champion title.❞ A determined look on his face.

        He falls into step beside her, matching her pace as they step out of the gym to get a flying taxi.

"Honestly, what amazed me most is that you and Leon still have that rivalry of yours going on, even after all this time," she gives a small chuckle, no doubt recalling some stories Sonia had shared about the two.

"Always competing over something or the other… How is it? Are you still as hyped to try for champion now that Leon no longer holds the title? Or did that douse your interest in the position?"

She hasn't heard much about Leon's replacement for the title, other than some tales from Sonia that had nothing to do with the job and sounded surreal on far too many levels. But at least Sonia had spoken of the current champion in friendly tones, if not worrying ones.

[thebellators]

RAIHAN CAN RELATE TO HER story. He and Leon had that type of person in their life. Someone who turns out to be different than what they‘d presented themselves to be. The worse part was, they‘d trusted that person. They‘d done a lot for their journey as a trainer and champion.

        ❝Everything is not what it seems. Sometimes, it‘s someone you least expect.❞ He nods in understanding. Fortunately, their ties with the chairman did not backfire on them. Everyone around them had a mixed reaction upon unraveling the kind of person he really was. Even he‘d found it hard to believe.

        It‘s admirable how Canaria is able to recognize her limits. Though Raihan is a firm believer that you can be anything and do the impossible, as long as you have perseverance and sincerity, it‘s not always the case. He‘d learned that lesson when a shoulder injury had obstructed his aspiration to be a swimmer. Some things are not meat to be, but it will always pave way to a different, better path more suited for you.

        ❝It‘s not much of a long story. After battling in the league, they‘d seen potential and scouted me for a gym leader position.❞

She gives a small nod when he says he's seen them - she's not surprised. She'd assumed that, as a gym leader himself, he was bound to have been interested in gyms and badges in other regions.

"Of course, that gym leader turned out to be the head of a criminal organisation that had ran rampant throughout both Kanto and Johto…" she muses, turning her gaze to the sky for a moment as her voice trails off, before she shakes her head. "It had been a weird week for Kanto when that was made known." She'd come so close to such a dangerous person and she never knew. It was an odd feeling, finding that out. Giovanni had been perfectly nice and charismatic during her challenge. All three attempts at it, no less. The world is a scary place.

"But, after getting that last badge I realized that I'd never make it against the Elite Four, so I never even tried." chuckle. If there's one thing that hasn't changed since her childhood days? Is that she knew her own limits well. Always knew exactly when to keep going and when to stop. (( Even if there had been plenty moments when she'd let the others convince her to keep it up anyway, only to fail together and laugh about it afterwards ))

"What about you? Gymleader… How had that happened?"

[thebellators]

❝NOW THAT I THINK ABOUT it, you‘re not wrong. It always feels like I‘m in school whenever she starts her lectures. She‘s always been a nerd,❞ Raihan remarks his agreement with an amused chuckle, remembering their childhood fondly.

        They had teased Sonia for being a nerd, but at the end of the day, her info-dumping had been helpful. Her intelligence had intimidated other kids, but the three of them had stood by her, appreciating the knowledge she‘d shared.

        As Canaria begins to share her journey as a trainer, he perks up, his interest piqued. He‘s all ears when she opens up about her days of being a gym challenger in Kanto. ❝You got to the last badge? That‘s impressive.❞ The competitiveness in Galar region is different from others, but being able to beat all gym leaders is still a feat. ❝Yeah, I‘ve seen them in passing.❞ As a gym leader, he had done his studies on different regions, and their gym challenge and battle systems.

"I'd always thought she'd make for a good professor," Canaria muses as she follows alongside him, smile on her lips. "Do you remember? Every time we'd have a battle, it would always end up in a lecture from Sonia about the mistakes we made, and the things we 'should know' as trainers?" she can't help the small laugh.

Sonia had been rather obstinate as a child, always correcting people. Even though her heart had been in the right place doing it, it had always droven most kids away from her in annoyance. Only the three of them stood by her.

"Admittingly, since I was rather put out having to miss the Galar gym challenge along all of you, I too had tried the gym challenge for a while, back in Kanto…" from her wistful tone one might actually think that it failed spectecularly but- "I felt that I had reached my limit after acquiring the final badge." -seems like she did pretty good for herself at the time. "The badges there are unlike the ones here, which slot into a medal. They're all pins. Have you ever seen them?"

[thebellators]

RAIHAN BARES A WIDE-TOOTHED GRIN, delighted by her acceptance to his suggestion. He won‘t say no to an opportunity to catch up with an old friend, especially one he hadn‘t heard from for years.

        ❝Alright. This one‘s on me.❞

        Truthfully, no one would‘ve thought that they‘d all end up where they are. ❝And you—a performer.❞ That‘s what he had last heard from Sonia. It dawns on him that Sonia had intended to surprise him by setting up this meeting. ❝Thanks.❞ He beams at her sheepishly.

        ❝Times have changed. She discovered a new path meant for her.❞ They had all known about the devastated phase their mutual friend had gone through. He is genuinely glad that Sonia had gotten out of it and found a well-suited path for her.

        Before leaving, he tells the staff that he‘s heading out, entrusting them to run the place. Once he‘s done, his attention returns to his unexpected guests. ❝Let‘s go.❞

"A cafe sounds perfect. We could do with a snack, can't we, Chuchu?"

"Pika~" And the moment Raihan's hand lifts from her head? The pikachu actually tidies up the fur that got slightly ruffled in the patting.

Canaria just shakes her head with an affectionate smile, seeming completely used to it. She glances around at the lobby again. "Gymleader, though… Who'd have thought." she murmurs in amazement, before looking back at him. "You've worked hard."

Not just any gymleader either. But the strongest one.

"I still remember the times when Sonia was the better battler out of all of us… the times have certainly changed."

[thebellators]

❝THEY‘RE SUCH ADULTS. TAKING their job so seriously,❞ Raihan grumbles. It‘s ironic coming from him since he himself isn‘t any different. He values his work as much as the other two did. However, he also tries his best to reward himself and have that good work-life balance. Right now, he‘s in a relaxed state of mind, not too concerned about matters concerning work.

        He watches Chuchu wander around, and then returns his attention back to Canaria, waiting for her answer.

        ❝A walk it is then! Atlas quite enjoys this season.❞ It had been a while since he had let his Flygon out of his pokeball.

        Turning his gaze to the scenery outside, the vibrant fall foliage, along with the crisp air, takes his breath away. A perfect time to walk. ❝Of course. I have to come along. Who would take photos of you without me?❞

"I gathered as much when Sonia sent me a photo of Leon's desk and three piles of paperwork." A small chuckle escapes her lips as Canaria glances around the livingroom with a small hum of satisfaction. Seems like the photos on the site didn't lie: it looks exactly as promised.

Chuchu wanders around the room, ears twitching as she peers behind random furniture, almost as if she's double checking how well its been cleaned.

At the mention of scenery, Canaria's gaze drifts to the window. The yellow and orange leaves hanging on the tree carries a certain charm, and while it had been a little chilly, it wasn't so much that it would be unpleasant outside just yet. "I believe a walk would be rather nice…" she muses. "The forest trail out back looked rather promising. Would you like to come along?"