farawayplace | Suddenly in the midst of a Summer Festival--

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Suddenly in the midst of a Summer Festival--

There's a distinct sound of waves, and bustling of people nearby.

In the coastal city of Turnbloom the sun is bright and warm, and the scent of the sea wafts through with the cool gentle breeze that makes the glittering pinwheels spin, and the leaves on the palm tree dance.

Today the streets are extra decorated with these cute, colorful and floral shaped pinwheels. It seemed the people who were out in the streets were dressed in colorful summer attire--either casual, or the more traditional yukata. It seemed like with the booths were set out for both food and games for festival of some kind that was currently underway.

Just how did you get here, and why? A mystery, and it seemed the people in the streets didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary as they go about enjoying their time out on this bright sunny day.

(🌺Please don't forget to check out the OOC post for those who haven't yet!🌺)

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Usually. He hesitated, feeling bad for brushing him off, especially in an unfamiliar place for them both. Feeling his conscience nagging at him, he sighed in an overwrought sort of way and raised his head. "But, I have to admit, it's basic for those in the same situation to band together, so... you're. Right about that, I guess. So, fine. We can work together."

That was the least enthusiastic acceptance ever, but hey, he accepted the offer, even if it clearly looked about as pleasant as pulling teeth!

If both his retainers, Sawyer and Rachel were around they surely would have hyped up his existence. Not that he missed them, or anything! It's only been a few minutes after all. Who was counting?!

At least Trip, despite his rude way of stringing words together (not that he was one to judge, really) gave him insightful information. Turnbloom City, in the region of Ultern. He hadn't heard of it before in all of his studies. He glanced over to the crowd briefly before turning to Trip.

"Then we've come to an agreement. First thing is first," A Staraptor seemingly appeared out of nowhere the moment Lear gave a snap of his gloved fingers. "Staraptor, I need you to scout the area. Come back when you find anything of interest."

His Staraptor with a mighty flap of his wings will fly high into the sky, and set off.

"Now then, it's time we do a little more exploring of our own. Standing around won't solve our issues."

He has retainers...?!

Trip did not appreciate being commanded and looked a bit sour about it, but they were all very reasonable conclusions to arrive to, so he couldn't really contest them...

"I suppose that's true. Then, we'll go separate ways and meet back here with our findings? Or choose some other spot? You have a way of keeping time, right?"

Going separate ways? Lear had been so used to working with others in Pasio, that Trip's suggestion took him a moment to consider. Going separately had their own benefits. That would give them more ground to cover, and potentially running across familiar faces if they were unfortunate enough to end up in Ultern as well.

Yet on the other hand, what if Trip here we to get lost? Well, it wasn't like the other trainer was exactly begging for help of any kind from him. Placing a hand upon his hip he decided to relent.

"Of course, I am able to keep track of time. Sawyer here-"

...ah, right. Sawyer wasn't around, nor was Rachel. Immediately Lear regretted saying his retainer's name out loud. He shook his head.

"In any case, your idea is a good one. We should think of what would make a good rendezvous point around here..." He trailed while observing the people who happily passed through the streets. He gaze at the colorful pinwheels for a moment, and then to a passing by trainer with what was clearly a Pokemon in their arms. Immediately a light bulb went off in Lear's head as he's moving over into the trainer's view. "You there, could you possibly point the way to the local Pokemon Center? We're visitors here you see, and are a little lost."

He made mental note of the slip, but didn't ask him about it for now.

The locals are very helpful, so they should receive their answer and directions, even if they're quick to return to their work.

Trip couldn't help smiling at that, genuinely impressed with Lear for the first time. It was a good place to meet up and a perfect place to recover in case they ran into any trouble or danger, too.

"That was smart. We'll meet at the Pokemon Center, then."

It was a relief knowing there was a Pokemon Center around these parts. Then again, they would have to be given the number of people and Pokemon he's noted thus far. Once knowing the location, Lear turned his attention back to Trip with a curt nod.

"Alright, in that case, an hour from now let's meet back at the Pokemon Center with any new findings about this place. I'm sure that Staraptor would have procured something of interest by then as well." He gives a dismissive wave at the mention of Staraptor. He then crossed his arms, and smirked over to Trip. "Now I'm certain you too will find something of interest. Don't let me down."

He huffed, turning away. "Don't give me orders. I'm not your subject."

But he took his own way, regardless...

Edited 2022-08-21 14:15 (UTC)

"..." Despite Trip's response, Lear only gave a smirk. Lear's off to begin his search.

Exactly in an hour from their parting did Lear step to the Pokemon Center. The entrance grabbed his attention as he noted a set of statues in the front, with two unlikely pairs of Pokemon. A Ho-Oh and...was that an Arcanine?

He had noticed these statues affixed to the roofs of many housings, or by the entrance of some. What was the meaning behind them? A guardian of sorts?

No matter, he could still conduct another investigation later on his own. For the time being, Lear stepped into the Pokemon Center looking for Trip. Surely he was inside by now, wasn't he?

While, normally, Trip would be very careful to appear on time, he arrived a bit later than Lear. Perhaps out of spite at being bossed around.

He smelled unsubtly of caramel, his backpack couldn't be fully zipped as it had a book and flyer sticking out of it, along with who knows what else, and he was thumbing through the gallery of his digital camera, gaze focused on that instead of anything around him.

"Ah, there you are." Lear greeted him--however not from within the lobby, but over to the side where the cafe was located. He showed no signs of getting up from his seat, as he sipped from a cup of tea. "You have some nerve making me wait this long."

Too bad Rachel wasn't around to pipe in how infinite his patience was, and how magnanimous of a person Lear was. Instead it was just him, chilling at the cafe.

In fact Trip didn't know just how much he had been pacing around and checking his watch wondering where he was. Or considering whether to send out his Pokemon to search out for Trip, nor would Trip know how the cafe employee had been the one to notice Lear's frustration and worry before dragging him away to distract him. Instead he'd just see Lear, sitting seemingly without a worry in the world as he took another careful sip of his tea.

"I assume you found anything of use?" He gave a glance in Trip's general direction. As he's doing so he's ignoring the beaming cafe employee who was polishing a cup over by the counter.

~~Why would you even worry about him, this place seems so friendly...!~~

He'd be shocked, confused, and tell him off for worrying about him (don't do such an unnecessary thing!!), while also feeling a bit guilty if he knew, but as things were, he only assumed Lear was his carefree, aggravatingly grandiose self.

"Sorry, I suppose I need time to adjust, as I'm sure you do too, your highness."

What a brat.

He went to join him at the table, looked briefly confused by an odd look from the cafe's staff and wondered if Lear had bothered them with his prattling (were they pleased Trip would keep him away from bothering them?), before taking off his bag and setting it down.

A strategy book Trip brought from home and a flyer from Turnbloom were placed on the table.

"Yes. Look at the text here. It's the same sort of writing system we have home, at least where I'm from," Trip said carefully, then pointed at the flyer. "They have an amusement park, the Rainbow Plaza, with a large ferris wheel. If you want to get a better look at the place from above, yourself, you can go there."

He still had more to show him, both in his bag and the photographs he took, but, he supposed he should let Lear share his findings now too, so he waited expectantly.

The cafe employee upon making eye contact with Trip just kept beaming. It seemed he was rather happy about something, whatever it was. Lear simply opted to ignore it as he gaze down at what Trip managed to find.

"Hm, interesting." He looked over the flyer while setting his cup (half full) of tea down to the table without making so much of a noise. As he's doing so, Lear will reach in to place a piece of paper which clearly had a phone number written down: call me! xx-xxx-xxx 😊😊😊 Yui

Lear realizing his mistake hastily flipped the paper over, to also reveal it's a flyer that seemed to be advertising the summer festival outside. However the language was completely different from what either he, or Trip would be used to.

"Not a surprise but this confirms the people here don't use the same written language as we do." He's now drumming his fingers against the surface of the table in thought. "I've also noted there were multiple signs in this similar language, however-"

His sharp gaze, hidden from behind his shades moved over to the cafe menu. It was clearly listed in a language they could read.

"The signs with this script clearly had been there for years, but it seems newer models of these signs aren't reflective of that language."

There's that implication he's not saying out loud: There were more of them there, just as lost as they were. It didn't sit well with Lear. Just like himself, the boy across from him had a home to return to. Friends, and family who were waiting on him. What if out there, they presume him to be lost, or worse dead?

He doesn't want to express out loud how that thought gnawed on him.

Baffled, Trip blinked at the phone number, turned quite pink, and looked about ready to accuse Lear of slacking off on the search to flirt with women (~~he thought he was dealing with another Alder, okay~~), before Lear turned it over. Well, that was much better, and he released the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding.

"You mean to say... so many of us have arrived here that they adopted this script to accommodate? And the others have likely been here for years?"

He felt a sense of panic and dread rising within him, but tried to keep his expression guarded... not very successfully, but he tried.

He looked around himself, almost in a daze. The place was peaceful, the people inviting, Ultern seemed peaceful and it was definitely friendlier than the cities of Unova, but this place wasn't home.

Did this place really had no way of communicating with the other regions...

"Hold on. I'm going to ask Nurse Joy or the clerks or... just anybody if I can use their computer."

He also looked at his Xtransceiver and wondered if he could call anyone through it. Was this place even covered?

Before Lear could think to respond to Trip's question he realized the younger boy wasn't taking the news well. His frown grows, and immediately he rose from his seat.

"Enough." A hand slammed onto the table, causing for the cup to clatter. "Look at me, Trip."

He hadn't wanted the boy to be scared, and now realizing they were both stuck in this situation, it didn't sit well with Lear to just abandon him either.

"We are in this together. There is no way we can't find a way back to our respective homes. Now, fretting and causing an upset within the Pokemon Center won't help our matters will it?" He will however pause before giving a snap of his fingers. This time, instead of Staraptor, Hoopa not out of nowhere, but rather from the ceiling came down floating over to Lear's side. "But if you insist on using a computer I can loan you one of mine."

The slam wasn't a very good idea, although the boy didn't seem to visibly respond either way, his Pokemon took it as a threat and Serperior released itself to stretch its neck out between them, its tail rattling.

There wasn't any shouting, at least, so Trip took the rest of the words well, and also stroked Serperior's head to calm it down. "Easy."
Lear's not a threat. Serperior blinked and lowered its tail, which resembled an arrangement of acanthus leaves. It made a questioning sound, but then watched Hoopa descend.

"... i-it won't," Trip quietly, finally agreed with Lear's words, and resumed a more unaffected tone and neutral expression, even if his brows did stitch at times in worry.

"... that would be good. Thank you, Lear, sir," Trip said quietly, bowing a bit in gratitude.

Lear simply stood tall, unflinching even as Serperior got in between him and Trip. He understood why--after all Hoopa had protected him too when he had been placed in danger. It was a sign of a close bond between trainer and Pokemon, one he could admire. Silently he turned his gaze.

"Hoopa, I need you to get out my work laptop."

"Hoopa!" Hoopa cheered before opening up a round rift that he immediately vanished into. In an instant, Hoopa emerged from a different hole to set the laptop down onto the table. The cup of tea once more rattled. Lear immediately reached down to lift the cup, before taking his seat.

"Go ahead," he turned his laptop around so it's facing Trip. "There shouldn't be any problems connecting to the internet around here."

With that he takes a sip of his remaining tea while Hoopa occupied itself by reaching for a plate of pastries the cafe employee was extending out to him.

Trip accessed the local network and, hopefully, began a search and tried to access familiar websites.

He quickly looked rather confused and slightly disturbed as he went on trying, but said nothing unquestioned...

Trip's lack of response had been concerning to say the least. Lear however doesn't say anything quite yet. Instead he gestured for the cafe employee to come over. The cafe employee beamed as he walked from around the counter with a tray.

"Let me take care of that for you, Leary!" He's beaming, and his name tag (which read Larson) seemed to sparkle from the light. Lear faltered at the casual nickname before straightening himself up.

"You have my gratitude, now if you will get my companion and I a drink will you?"

"Right away, sir!" Larson heads back to the counter, and soon returns with two fresh drinks in hand. "Here's a tea for you Leary, and for you a nice cup of iced Skittolate! Perfect for the hot weather outside."

Larson will place Lear's cup of tea down close to him, and a glass cup of what looked like iced hot cocoa.

In any other circumstances, Trip would make a fuss and insist (falsely) he only drank black coffee, but instead, he just made the slightest discontented sound at being given a sweeter drink, like some kind of child, before sinking back in his seat with a defeated sigh.

“This isn’t an internet connection! It’s like… some kind of closed network. I can’t access websites from back home. There’s websites very similar, like this search engine, so at first, I thought it was like those places with heavy censorship, but it isn’t blocking anything, it’s just not even showing up as a result at all! It’s almost like this place has no contact with the outside world at all.”

"Hm..." Lear made a thoughtful noise once Trip spoke up. So there really was no access to the outside. He couldn't help but glance over to his Hoopa who was happily chowing on cookies that Larson was handing out to him. "Then that is a problem. That would also mean trainers won't have any access to any of their Pokemon they have left back home."

Not that it was any concern for Lear as all of his (four) Pokemon were with him, but he knew plenty of Pokemon Trainers who had caught so many and befriended many, waiting for them. Just how would the Pokemon left behind feel, or the trainers who had no way to reach out to them-

"Ah, um, excuse me?" Larson spoke up once more, from over the counter. "Sorry to interrupt your conversation, but you can always access the rest of your Pokemon through the PC over there." He glanced over to the PC right over in the lobby area. "I don't know why or how exactly but I've seen plenty of trainers who drifted here who were relieved their partners could be there with them..."

"Then... the PC can connect with the network the Professors use, right?" Trip asked, sitting up straight and turning to face Larson, hopefully. "Or can you only get your Pokemon back and not communicate with anyone...? Has anyone tried sending Pokemon back home there? Maybe with a message?"

"That...I'm not so sure how it works since all my Pokemon are from this region." Larson admitted. "But it wouldn't hurt to give it a try, right?! You should give it a try!"

"Hold on," Lear interrupted. "You shouldn't thoughtlessly encourage someone like that." He gave a sharp gaze towards Larson whose smile dropped. "If, we possibly couldn't contact anyone through those methods that would only further prove our point."

"I...I'm so sorry, I hadn't thought..." Lear held his hand up in a gesture to silence Larson.

"That said, it is worth making an attempt to see what results may bear fruit." He'll pull up one of his Pokeballs. "I will do it."

"You didn't have to be so hard on him," Trip said in a low voice, feeling a bit sorry for Larson. "... and anyway, I can handle it, same as you."

Suddenly in the midst of a Summer Festival--

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[aaand then, they'll report back at the Center]

[TIME SKIP TO THE POKEMON CENTER GO]

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