[Intro] A Big Arrival

[gianthobo]

[... Listen, AZ is used to drifting places, but this? This is a new one. At least all of his pokemon are with him - including Floette. He lets her out of her ball immediately as soon as he wakes up.]

[His coat is... heavy, but he doesn't change his clothes. He doesn't fit in any of the clothes that he might buy here anyway.]

Turnbloom City

[A shadow might fall over you or your pokemon. Large, imposing... fluffy? Well, that definitely is long white hair poking out from his hat, and the giant man seems to be curious about what's around him. He looks down and takes a step back from whomever he was going to bump into, looking around.]

S... sorry...

[He tugs his hat down a little more to hide his eyes, nervously trying to figure out a route to escape to.]

Route 1

[There's someone by the lighthouse... you might be forgiven for mistaking him for a pokemon, but no - it's just a very large man. He does seem to have an unusual set of pokemon around him - a Torkoal, a Golurk, a Sigilyph, and a... small pokemon that's hard to see until you get close, but it's a strangely-colored Floette.]

[They're sitting at the edge of the cape and he's dangling his legs off the side of the cliffs. His hat is off, so his fluffy hair is on full display.]

Comments

[goingallout]

Then follow me, mister! It's not too far from here!

[And once he leads the way, he realizes he hasn't introduce himself! Oops, where are his manners...]

By the way, I'm Ash from Pallet Town in Kanto, and this is my buddy Pikachu! I know we're a bit far from home, but everyone here in Ultern's been pretty nice and friendly! And there's a lot of Pokemon here that I've never seen from of all the other places I've visited...! There's a lot to do here, y'know!

[gianthobo]

Oh.

[Well. He should introduce himself too.]

I'm AZ. We're from Kalos originally. But we've wandered all over at this point... I've seen a few Pokemon here that I'm not used to, which is surprising. I want to see a lot of different sorts of places and people and Pokemon with my own eyes.

Oh? What sort of things do you like to do?

[goingallout]

Ooh, I get that. The world's really big after all, and there's probably a lot more Pokemon out there that we've yet to see!

Pika-chuuu!

[Ash then hums in thought.]

Well, I like to battle! And I like to meet new people and find new Pokemon, and hopefully be friends with them! Oh, and try out some of their delicious food too! And lots, lots more!

[gianthobo]

There are. And you have time to go see so many of them.

[Ah, to be young again.]

I like a lot of those things as well. Though my team and I have been together for a long time, so we're not looking for new friends to join us specifically. We do spend a lot of time out in nature though, so we don't see the food quite as much as you might. Cities... I get a lot of stares.

[goingallout]

[To Ash it sounds like AZ has been roughing it out in the wilderness for his whole life. Though it's not as different as what he does too... Travelling here and there, going where the path would take him or where his heart feels like taking. But often times, the thought of home occurs to him...]

...Do you ever have time to come back home, Mr. AZ?

[gianthobo]

... I don't really have a home anymore. Other than...

[How to put this?]

My home has changed too much for it to feel like my home anymore.

[And he can't really just show up to the castle and claim it. No one would believe him. And it'd raise questions about how he's alive, which he doesn't want to discuss.]

But as long as I have my Pokemon, that's home for me.

[goingallout]

[Ash at first seemed to try to understand what he meant. So... basically he has no home to go back to, right? He then frowns as the thoughts jumble around in his brain.

...And then he gave up thinking about it.]

Um, I don't really get it but it sounds like that must've been really hard for you, Mr. AZ. But... I think you're right! Being with your Pokemon can feel like home too!

[He grins at his Pikachu who responds back similarly, and both even did a soft headbutt at each other.

Soon enough, Ash spots the familiar shape of the Pokemon Center and points at it.]

Looks like we're almost there! The Pokemon Center isn't too far from here!