route_1065 | (no subject)

Who: Phoenix (

foolishwren )
Where: Goldenrod City
When: forward-dated to a few days from now, around the end of the week
Summary: Two old friends meeting up and hanging out after a very long time.
Rating: SHRUG, pg/pg-13?? there will be swearing from Heather probably??
Log:

One of the benefits of travelling with Lightning, Phoenix had found, was that she was incredibly goal-minded and seemed to want to get to Goldenrod as fast as he did. They had left Namine with her friends back in Cherrygrove and proceeded as normal up the path to Violet, and just now Phoenix had finished directing them through the National Park to approach Goldenrod proper.

Lightning didn't seem interested in sticking around for long. Phoenix made sure the two of them had a hotel room, at least, in case she needed somewhere to stay, but once the two of them had arrived in the city, they had parted ways for now. Phoenix had left the hotel with his two Pokemon, Prin and the still unnamed Shinx, bounding along at his heels, excited to be in such a huge city. And Phoenix...was also excited, in a way, or maybe just nostalgic. He'd spent a long time here during his first stay, with many both good and bad experiences taking place on the city's streets. He's pleased to see that things haven't changed much, save for the train that was now speeding between here and Kanto. It's as he's crossing the tracks that he fishes out his Pokegear from his pocket and dials the number of the friend he'd come here specifically to meet.

Dialing Heather Mason ...

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"What! I don't even know what I'm charged with! That's a breach of lawyerly ethics, isn't it? Or something?"

Of course, she's unable to keep up the mock-indignant tone for long, so putting her own hands akimbo, she throws her head back and just laughs, not caring if the volume disturbs anybody nearby. It's not every day you get to reunite with a departed friend. People can deal with it!

"Oh, man! It's good to have you back. It's so good."

Finally bored with running around, Cujo flops down to sit by Phoenix, panting heavily and leaning on him with his tongue lolling out.

Memory jogged at the sight of her starter, Heather snaps her fingers and starts to dig in her pocket.

"Oh yeah--!"

"If you ask a prosecutor? Definitely not."

Phoenix...just laughs, and watches her laugh as well, and basks in this moment, just seeing Heather carefree and enjoying herself in a way that Phoenix wholeheartedly appreciates, having memories of some less-than-happy moments between the two of them the last time he was here. One hand descends down to pet absently at Cujo's fluffy, amiable head.

-- but her sudden exclamation startles Phoenix out of his moment, and he takes a step forward, tilting his head curiously. "Wha...?"

Yeah... even now, years later, Phoenix has seen some of Heather's darkest moments in this place. Not that she hasn't had others, in the time that passed... but she'll never forget that cold winter night when she got those scars on her knuckles.

He'd been there for her.

"Aha!"

Finally pulling out what she'd been looking for, she straightens up with an enormous grin, and releases the button on the Pokeball in her hand.

"QUAAAAAAAGH!"

The flash of white light hasn't even faded before Butch the Quagsire is wrapping his cold, amphibious flippers around Phoenix's legs.

She sure is taking her time with looking. Phoenix is patient, is about to inquire further, ensure that whatever Heather was going to pull out of her bag wasn't going to result in physical harm --

-- when oh my god that is a large amphibian monster attacking his legs and he recognizes this large amphibian monster.

"Wha...Butch?" Phoenix can hardly believe his eyes. "I didn't -- I had no idea where any of them went when I vanished, I didn't know you had -- " He throws his head back and laughs, kneels down to wrap his arms around the slimy, dopey Pokemon, hugs him tight despite getting his clothes soaked in the process. "You took care of him all this time, Heather?"

"Of course I did, you knucklehead! What, you thought I'd let him just wander around in the woods for four years?"

Smiling so hard it makes her cheeks hurt, she just stands back for a moment to watch the happy reunion.

There's been times, over the years, that getting hand-me-down Pokemon from departed loved ones has started to feel more like a kick in the gut than a comforting consolation prize.

But this moment, right here, right now, is singlehandedly making every one of those moments worth it.

And it's perhaps the first time she's ever truly lived up to her 'no regrets' resolution.

Because she doesn't regret a single thing about it.

Butch is currently seated heartily on top of his old trainer, wriggling about and making happy, crooning noises. His tail slaps heavily against Phoenix's thigh, but Phoenix is still too busy hugging his old starter and petting his slimy head to notice much about it.

"I had no idea what would happen to them after I disappeared. I knew we would get some Pokemon when, you know...people would leave, but we never DID really figure out how it works. They could have vanished, for all we know."

And they still could have. He has no idea what happened to the rest of his team.

Thinking about them just makes him cling onto the squishy amphibian even more.

"Yeah, I... I didn't get all of 'em. Sadly. But... I got Butch, and I figured you'd be glad to see him again."

Grinning, she crouches down to deliver a pat to the Quagsire's head as well.

"He's been a handful, lemme tell ya. A couple years ago he shoved me under the mistletoe at Christmas with like... multiple people."

"Do you know if anyone else...?" Phoenix ventures, not sure if he wants to know that answer or not. Because if his friends DID get some of his Pokemon after his departure...well, a lot of them weren't around, either. He'd hate to imagine how his Pokemon must have felt, having to go through this foster trainer cycle.

At that, though, Phoenix snorts, gives the Quagsire an approving squeeze. "That sounds like Butch, alright. And how did that work out? Don't tell me I have to give you the talk, Heather." A teasing grin.

Her smile fades a little at that, and she shakes her head apologetically.

"Most of the people who were here back then are gone now... if anyone else got some, I don't know what happened after that..."

That's a sad direction for the conversation to move in, though, so she elbows him playfully, trying to steer them back onto a happier track.

"I'm delighted to report that not even a slimy blue amphibian could make my spotty mug any more appealing to the bachelors of the Pokemon world. Still single as hell, so no talks necessary!"

"I see." Phoenix sighs heavily, but tries not to dwell on it too much. Johto is fickle, that's for sure -- tossing people in and out for no conceivable reason -- but it's also given Phoenix a wonderful second chance, here, so it can't be ALL bad...right?

That last comment certainly earns a laugh out of Phoenix, still petting Butch absently with one hand. "Well, thank god for that. It's bad enough knowing I'm going to have to give it to Trucy one day...I'd like to continue putting it off as long as possible, thanks."

She laughs right back.

"I don't foresee you having to give it to yours truly for quite some time, don't worry. Heather Mason ain't exactly hot on the market right now. But hey, you eaten yet? Let's grab some lunch, my treat!"

"Oh, but why not? You're a charming, enthusiastic young lady." Phoenix snickers a little, with a teasing grin. "We should be batting of suitors together, at this rate."

Butch agrees with the lunch idea! Waving his arms and blowing bubbles. Phoenix's other Pokemon also turn their attention to Heather at the mention of food. "That'd be great, Heather. I appreciate it." Phoenix knows not to turn down free food, especially not when it's a gift from a friend.

"Beats me. I think I scare them off with my bold, aggressive personality."

The other Pokemons' enthusiasm is infectious, and Cujo springs to his feet again, tail wagging and tongue lolling out happily. His vocabulary may be limited, but he definitely knows the word 'lunch'.

"Anyway, c'mon, there's a great burger joint downtown. They have what may be the best onion rings known to man."

She starts to walk, with the enormous Growlithe trotting cheerfully after her, craning his hea over his shoulder to make sure their old big friend plus the two small new ones are following.