lunch on the patio [alyssa]

[Deleted]

[style=width: 350px; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify][style=float: left; margin-right: 8px; border: 3px solid #66CCCC; margin-bottom: 4px][/style]It had been awhile since she had last been in Sootopolis. Like everything else, it was different. There had obviously been some sort of conflict in this city, though being out of the loop made him hear things indirectly. The teal-haired man let out a breath, shaking his head slightly as he rubbed at his eyes. Well, at least he was off to meeting an old friend. He had spoken to Alyssa but a few weeks ago about his visit to various cities in Hoenn, assessing the danger and seeing what he could help with. Somewhere deep down, Wallace felt the smallest bit of guilt for leaving once the war started. But at that moment, there wasn't much he could have done. Another breath, and then his attention turned towards the cafe he was scheduled to meet the Hoenn Leader. It had been much too long since last they had met, though that was mostly his fault. Ah well! Life went on, and he was back. Wasn't that all that matter now?

Instead of heading straight to the restaurant, Wallace made his way towards the water, letting out a few of his companions, his life partners. The Luvdisc was he first out, splashing into the water, followed by the Kingdra. The Luvdisc started making circles around the other as soon as he was outside his ball, making the seahorse sputter slightly. Wallace smirked, shaking his head. " Play nice, Vas. You two are the only companions of mine I could allow out here, the rest would probably make the whole city run away " Though that statement would amuse the man, there was no need. He was simply biding time, allowing for his friend to get here before moving towards the place of meeting. After a moment of making sure Agapi wouldn't annoy Vasilsa too much, he stood, leaving the two alone and walking back towards the restaurant, sure that the amount of time given was just enough. Or, he could be completely wrong and she had been waiting awhile. Well, no matter. He was on his way now. [/style]

[alyssa]

[atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 320; font-size:10px; text-align: justify; border: 5px solid #000000; padding:15px; background-image:url(http://colourlovers.com.s3.amazonaws.com/images/patterns/2048/2048203.png);background-repeat:repeat-x][style=float:left; border:4px dotted #FFFFFF;opacity:0.9; margin-left: 2px;margin-top:36px;][/style][style=float:left; border:4px dotted #FFFFFF;opacity:0.9; margin-left: 10px;margin-top:6px;][/style][style=float:left; border:4px dotted #FFFFFF;opacity:0.9; margin-left: 10px;margin-top:36px;][/style][style=float:right; width:330px; background-color:cacaca; margin-top:30px; margin-left:-165px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 8px; opacity:.8; font-size:9px; padding:10px; text-align:justify; font-family:arial;color:000000]Clinging to Swampert, Alyssa allowed her eyes to wander slightly as they travelled fast and deep beneath the waves of Hoenn’s seas. It was dark, inidcating just how deep they were, but the Veteran Trainer felt no pressure from the water. Her Mud Fish pokemon shifted his position slightly, causing the aura of energy around him to wiggle. It was thanks to this that Alyssa was able to breathe and stay dry underwater while using Dive. They’d swam this rotue many years ago together, beelining straight for Sootopolis City. This time though, there were no intentions of challenging the Gym Leader. Not in the slightest. She was here to meet with an old friend. The Leader was returning to Sootopolis far sooner than she thought she would ever need to. After losing the beautiful city to Lux tyrants, she had raged, almost all too soon seeing as its control was soon regained under Nox’s wing. She had waited long enough after that victory to come back to the nature-protected city. She was allmost disgusted with herself. She and Terran had plans for it, and the one person she was going to talk them over with was her good friend, Wallace. The true Champion of Hoenn. Her loyal starter swam beneath the outer rim of the hollowed volcano that made Sootopolis City without hesitation, and the temperature of the water automatically increased as they passed through the invisible barrier between straight sea water and that filling the caldera, making the space around them a bit warmer. She felt the ascent as Swampert headed towards the surface of the water. He quietly broke through the surface of the water when he was near the shore and leapt onto the land in a swift motion, running forward two paces to relieve the momentum with his trainer on his back. She slid off easily. ”Thank you, Swampert...” she said quietly, raising her hand to his head as he sat up. Her clothes weren’t damp at all from the underwater excursion. The wonders of Dive are astounding... she mused quietly, heading up the natural stairs of white stone that made up the side of Sootopolis, the ones that would take her to the café where she would meet her cloud-cloaked friend. She descended into the café quickly, Swampert swimming alongside her in the water the whole while until they got into the café’s area, gazing warily at the Luvdisc and Kingdra that were swimming around. ”Wallace.” Alyssa said simply, her eyes lighting with happiness when she saw him. She approached him from behind, her words the only warning before she placed a hand on his shoulder. ”Long time no see, huh?” Her expression lightened some to a good-natured grin. [/STYLE] [style=height:5px; width:350px; background-color:FFFFFF; margin-top: 143px; ] [/style] [style=margin-top: -45px; margin-left: -5px; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; opacity: .9; color: FFFFFF;]ALYSSA[/style] [style=float:right; width:330px; height: 40px; background-color:cacaca; margin-top:16px; margin-left:-165px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 8px; opacity:.8; font-size:9px; padding:10px; text-align:justify; font-family:arial;]NOTES ..did we ever determine how long it had been since they've seen each other lol MUSIC A:TLA WORDS 454 [style=height:5px; width:350px; background-color:FFFFFF; margin-top: -60px;margin-left: -10px; ][/style] [style=float:right; width:170px; height: 16x; margin-top:23px; margin-left:-35px; opacity:.8; font-size:9px; padding:10px; text-align:justify; font-family:arial;] CREDIT TO LUNE OF PREDORMITUM[/style][/STYLE]

[Deleted]

[style=width: 350px; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify][style=float: left; margin-right: 8px; border: 3px solid #66CCCC; margin-bottom: 4px][/style]The tea was already warm as he took a quiet sip, ignoring the looks he was receiving. Yes, it was odd. It seemed as though most people thought he had died the past few years. A slight smirk escaped his lips after a moment, glancing around with teal-colored eyes. Well, this was his home. The people would just have to get used to the fact that he was alive and well, and not a ghost. From this point, he had a perfect view of the water, Vasilsa turning away as a Swampert approached, while Agapi swam right up, and started circling the creature instead of her teammate. Wallace shook his head slightly, taking another drink before placing the cup down and closing his eyes a moment. How much had Alyssa changed? The last time he had seen her, she had promised to beat him at a challenge. Well, the war had ended that, and before she returned from where ever she had disappeared to, he himself had taken an unexpected leave of absence. That light smirk spread over his lips before he opened his eyes, turning his head to glance at the hand on his shoulder, before glancing up at the woman.

" Too long, Alyssa. You aren't any taller, are you? " The former Champion asked, a smirk on his face as he stood up, gathering the woman into a hug before pulling back and offering her a chair. He settled back down, waving off the waiter as he started making his way over. That could wait. Wallace folding his hands, resting his elbows on the table, and turning his gaze on her. " So, Miss. Akiyama. I hear you and this Sunderland man have led Nox in Hoenn for some time, hm? " He questioned, eyebrow raising slightly as he gazed at her, taking a light drink for his glass. " Tell me all those dirty details, and how I may be of service " He asked, slightly smirk on his features, twirling a piece of his hair around for a moment. His eyes slid back towards the water, eyes narrowing slightly at the Swampert. " My dear, I've heard such a nasty rumor that you are building an army of Swamperts, hm? "
He asked, both brows raised. " Would be very interesting to see this occur, don't you think? " A chuckled escaped him, eyes drifting back towards his old friend. [/style]

[alyssa]

[atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 320; font-size:10px; text-align: justify; border: 5px solid #000000; padding:15px; background-image:url(http://colourlovers.com.s3.amazonaws.com/images/patterns/2048/2048203.png);background-repeat:repeat-x][style=float:left; border:4px dotted #FFFFFF;opacity:0.9; margin-left: 2px;margin-top:36px;][/style][style=float:left; border:4px dotted #FFFFFF;opacity:0.9; margin-left: 10px;margin-top:6px;][/style][style=float:left; border:4px dotted #FFFFFF;opacity:0.9; margin-left: 10px;margin-top:36px;][/style][style=float:right; width:330px; background-color:cacaca; margin-top:30px; margin-left:-165px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 8px; opacity:.8; font-size:9px; padding:10px; text-align:justify; font-family:arial;color:000000]Wallace’s introduction about near whacked her upon the head. She rolled her eyes. Seriously? Volkner and Wallace both? Is that the only thing they can think of? Before she could protest he pulled her into a hug, causing her to make a muffled sound of complaint. Despite the thoughts running through her head that she most desperately wanted to speak, she raised her hands around his torso and locked her wrists, hugging her friend close to her. ”I happen to not be, thanks, but I make up for it easily in other ways.” She smirked before putting her hands in her pockets before walking to the other side of her table. Her fingertips trailed against it before she spun slightly in place to sit. She crossed her legs in one fluid motion before folding her hands, too, in her lap. A small smile moved across her lips while her turquoise-haired friend spoke. She didn’t respond just yet, but instead she let him do the talking. At the mention of Swamperts, she grinned. Yes, it was true, and apparently word had quickly spread that she had plans to train a full team of them. It’s not as though I’m a specialized Swampert Trainer. she thought, though humoring the idea that she could actually consider it. ”Actually, not as long as you would think.” Alyssa said, raising a finger to make her point. ”I only became leader....a few months ago, actually, in the Autumn.” Alyssa managed to stop herself from shuddering when she recalled what she did at Olivine as though it was yesterday. ”The fight for determination to become a Hoenn Leader was something I wanted nothing to do with. I only, more or less, showed up to prevent somebody with a mind made of money to take control of Hoenn and prevent it from being the region it used to be...which I ultimately aim for it to become once again as soon as possible.” She smiled slightly and looked back at their pokemon. Swampert looked slightly confused by the antics of the Luvdisc, but he squirted water at it good-naturedly. ”As far as the Swamperts go...what can I say? They’re incredibly reliable pokemon. Strong in battle, loyal and caring companions...and this one here was my starter pokemon from seventeen years ago. To make a team of them would be an incredible battle force and more than a handful for a Champion such as yourself.” Water had been poured for both of them before she arrived – probably customary before anybody was even seated. ”I have total confidence in that statement, too.” [/STYLE] [style=height:5px; width:350px; background-color:FFFFFF; margin-top: 143px; ] [/style] [style=margin-top: -45px; margin-left: -5px; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; opacity: .9; color: FFFFFF;]ALYSSA[/style] [style=float:right; width:330px; height: 40px; background-color:cacaca; margin-top:16px; margin-left:-165px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 8px; opacity:.8; font-size:9px; padding:10px; text-align:justify; font-family:arial;]NOTES are we having them learn about Steven's death in this thread? MUSIC X-Men First Class WORDS 430 [style=height:5px; width:350px; background-color:FFFFFF; margin-top: -60px;margin-left: -10px; ][/style] [style=float:right; width:170px; height: 16x; margin-top:23px; margin-left:-35px; opacity:.8; font-size:9px; padding:10px; text-align:justify; font-family:arial;] CREDIT TO LUNE OF PREDORMITUM[/style][/STYLE]

[Deleted]

[style=width: 350px; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify][style=float: left; margin-right: 8px; border: 3px solid #66CCCC; margin-bottom: 4px][/style]The man leaned back in his chair, holding the tea cup and plate up, before tilting the cup to his lips, eyes never leaving his friend as she spoke. What she said described her pretty well. It was hard to believe she had actually taken to it, though he couldn't think of anyone better. He leaned forwards after a moment, placing his cup on the table and folding his hands together to rest his chin on top of them. " Well, you chose the right path, Alyssa. I couldn't think of anyone better then you to lead Hoenn to freedom. Though, I haven't a clue about this Sunderland fellow. Perhaps I could meet him sometime? " He asked, brow raised, the look of an older brother upon his features. Of course, he was just teasing her. It was what he did best, making situations that were tense, full of amusement.

" In Autumn, hm? Autumn feels so long ago " He murmured, chuckling under his breath as he glanced out the window. Agapi still swimming around Alyssa's Swampert, while the Kingdra turned the other way, watching for any signs of attack. He smirked slightly, shaking his head at the water type. Always the on-edge one, that seahorse was. Turning his attention back towards the woman across from him, he leaned back once more, a habit of his he could never break out of, constantly moving about. Agapi jumped outside from Swampert squirting water at her, before she returned the spray, diving beneath the water and swimming around to Vas, who turned slowly, eyes narrowing slightly at the Luvdisc, then Swampert.

A smirk crossed over Wallace's face, shaking his head. " You never did challenge me, Alyssa. I was a bit disappointed in that. " He commented, a pout on his lips before his eyes narrowed slightly, watching the Swampert for a moment. " Ah, yes. I remember that one. A little Mudkip when I first met you, huh? " Another chuckle escaped him as he shook his head. " And what a battle that would be. Your team of Swampert against the variety of my own. Perhaps it will happen someday, hm? " The former Champion question, brow raising.

He was about top open his mouth to speak once more, cup in hand as he watched Alyssa, but his attention turned towards the television as an image of a man he knew quite well flashed on the screen. " Steven? " He commented quietly, grabbing a waiter's arm as he passed by/ " Can you turn the volume up, sir? " He questioned the man, and after a curt nod, he moved towards the T.V., turning the volume up. But at that moment, Wallace wish he hadn't. The cup slipped from his hand as the reported said the words. " Steven Stone is dead… "

notes: well. i assumed that was a good time? and a good come-back reply. haha. [/style]

[alyssa]

[atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 320; font-size:10px; text-align: justify; border: 5px solid #000000; padding:15px; background-image:url(http://colourlovers.com.s3.amazonaws.com/images/patterns/2048/2048203.png);background-repeat:repeat-x][style=float:left; border:4px dotted #FFFFFF;opacity:0.9; margin-left: 2px;margin-top:36px;][/style][style=float:left; border:4px dotted #FFFFFF;opacity:0.9; margin-left: 10px;margin-top:6px;][/style][style=float:left; border:4px dotted #FFFFFF;opacity:0.9; margin-left: 10px;margin-top:36px;][/style][style=float:right; width:330px; background-color:cacaca; margin-top:30px; margin-left:-165px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 8px; opacity:.8; font-size:9px; padding:10px; text-align:justify; font-family:arial;color:000000]She lifted her glass to her lips when Wallace spoke again. Half of it was to actually take a drink, half of it was to hide the embarassed flush that moved over her face when he complimented her. That was probably one of the greater compliments she’d gotten from any person of his status. She nodded once when he questioned Teran. Alyssa knew he wouldn’t like the fact that Terran was an ex-Team Magma member. She had been none too happy about that either, but had managed to force herself to put her previous bias and disdain for the organization aside when the man ascended to the rank of Leader. Alyssa followed his gaze out the window to their pokemon. Swampert took the spray of water with a blink of his eyes, before he slowly sank beneath the water as well, the two radar-like black fins sticking above his head poking slightly out of the water as his orange eyes peered out beneath the clean Sootopolis water, looking at Wallace’s pokemon with mild interest. ”In all due time, Wallace, I planned to challenge you believe me.” She lowered her glass slightly, ”Terrible timing, this war was, seeing as roughly a month after it began I considered myself ready to start challenging Elite Fours and Champions. If you ever feel the need to test your skills against my own,” her lips curled in a sly smirk and her eyes narrowed challengingly ”...feel free to give me a call. I’ll be waiting.” She hadn’t minded that Wallace seemed distracted when she finished speaking, but the one thing that silenced her entirely was the words came from the TV. Words she hoped she would never hear. ”Steven Stone is dead.” The sound of breaking glass shattered the silence. The sharp pain streaming from her hand barely registered as her eyes dulled with shock, turning to look at the TV. Her jaw was slack in something that resembled saddened horror. Water splashed against the table didn’t even bother her, nor did the shards of glass sticking in her hand from the cup she’d just broken. ”...No way...” she said, shocked as the words from the report were hammered out of her brain. ”It...it can’t be.” [/STYLE] [style=height:5px; width:350px; background-color:FFFFFF; margin-top: 143px; ] [/style] [style=margin-top: -45px; margin-left: -5px; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; opacity: .9; color: FFFFFF;]ALYSSA[/style] [style=float:right; width:330px; height: 40px; background-color:cacaca; margin-top:16px; margin-left:-165px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 8px; opacity:.8; font-size:9px; padding:10px; text-align:justify; font-family:arial;]NOTES guess that's my answer lol MUSIC Women's Olympic Soccer WORDS 371 [style=height:5px; width:350px; background-color:FFFFFF; margin-top: -60px;margin-left: -10px; ][/style] [style=float:right; width:170px; height: 16x; margin-top:23px; margin-left:-35px; opacity:.8; font-size:9px; padding:10px; text-align:justify; font-family:arial;] CREDIT TO LUNE OF PREDORMITUM[/style][/STYLE]

[Deleted]

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He had barely heard Alyssa's words, eyes staring almost blankly at the screen as the words passed along the bottom of the television, eyes shifting towards the woman beside him. His next stop had been to see Steven, the man he had once been close to all those years ago, the man that he had taken place of in the elite four.. was simply gone? Just like that? His hands braced themselves against the table, simply staring at Alyssa for the longest moment. Only when their waitress returned did everything speed up and come crashing down, full force. He collapsed down onto his chair, blinking slowly. " Damn, Daigo… Who'd you piss off enough this time " He murmured, completely out of context for his personality. He watched as Alyssa took the news, the look on her face was the same he surely held. As his mind caught up with the present, he took a ragged breath, turning his gaze out the window, where he met two pairs outside. Agapi's eyes held worry as she swam around Vas, the Kingdra watching him closely. His attention turned towards Alyssa.

" Well, this was an interesting turn of events " He murmured, only for her ears to hear as he stood, placing the required amount of money on the table, then waving towards Alyssa. There were some things that needed to be done, such as getting to the bottom of this mystery. And what better person then the woman he had known since they were both children? He trusted Alyssa to be at his back at all times. " I want to know exactly what happened. I need to know what happened. " He murmured, hands clenching into fists as they shook, trying to stop them from doing so. He paused beside the water, Vas swimming up close to his trainer, twitching in the water as he sensed his master's unease. The Luvdisc was all but jumping out of the water, trying to get to him. He shook his head at her, standing once more as he turned his eyes towards Alyssa.

A slight smirk, though devoid of emotions, flickered across his features. " This is a perfect time to show me just how good you've gotten, Alyssa. I know you have quite a busy schedule, but I wish for your help in figuring out what happened to Daigo. " He paused for a moment, head tilting. " Yes, I'd like to see an army of Swampert going after whoever hurt our former tea-loving friend " haha. [/style]

[alyssa]

[atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 320; font-size:10px; text-align: justify; border: 5px solid #000000; padding:15px; background-image:url(http://colourlovers.com.s3.amazonaws.com/images/patterns/2048/2048203.png);background-repeat:repeat-x] Alyssa couldn’t believe it. Not Steven. He couldn’t be dead. He was the former Champion. How could he be defeated? The child-like admiration she’d held for Steven had never properly dissolved. After actually meeting the man, she had quickly learned he wasn’t the Champion she’d idolized as a child, finding his personality to be something different. However, that never once meant she lost respect for him, despite his...mannerisms. How is he dead.... she wondered, the news striking into her like a raw wound that had salt poured in it and followed up with some lemon juice and spices. He can’t be dead. He’s...he knew what he was doing in this war. She’d seen him in Rustboro when they were captured by workers at Devon Corp. .....all....all eras must come to an end, right? It was the echo of her father’s words from years ago. Sure, Steven hadn’t necessarily been an ‘era’, but the point still stood. Accepting that truth made the death no easier to understand. She dropped her hands to the table, pulling the shards of glass that had penetrated her flesh out of her palm, dropping them on the table. Red splattered the white tablecloth. She would have paid mind to that at another time. A glance at her hand told her she would need stitches. Those could wait. Wallace’s motions barely registered. Instead, it was his words. Daigo. He’d called Steven Daigo. Clicks fired like a gun in her brain, one fuse lighting and setting off a chain reaction like a trail of dominos. Daigo Tsuwabuki. Steven Stone. She recalled the newspaper article written at the time of Verdanturf’s destruction. They’re one in the same. That article was a lie. Now she understood. She understood who ‘Steven Stone’ truly was. There would be time to mull that over later, though. The Leader pushed herself to stand, swiping one of the cloth napkins over her hand to draw off the blood that had seeped from the wounds. ”I’ll help you however I can, Wallace.” she said quietly, raising her eyes to meet his. Electricity determined to find the people responsible for Steven’s death flashed through her gaze, lighting it like blue fire. It was time to move, and although the news had contained no leads, Alyssa had a good idea of where to start. Mossdeep City. ”There’s somewhere we must be, Wallace.” she told him, striding towards the wooden barrier of a wall keeping them situated comfortably to dine at the waters edge. The Leader placed her hands on the brim and hauled herself upwards, perching momentarily on the wooden fixture like a hawk waiting to leap. ”I know where we need to start. We need to get to Mossdeep City if we want to find anything out. I’ll explain why on the way. Get your best surfer out, we’re going by water.” The trip wouldn’t be anything incredibly fast like a handy Teleport. To surf from Sootopolis to the mangrove shores would take a bit more than an hour. ”Let’s go, Swampert.” she said, jumping down lightly from the railing and landing on her pokemon’s strong back. Without waiting to see how Wallace followed, her pokemon sped ahead to the dark water at the southern edge of Sootopolis before using Dive to submerge, and come out the other side of the extinct volcano’s caldera. Once they broke the surface of the waves and found themselves at sea, she waited. This would be one hell of a ride.

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ALYSSA

NOTES to Mossdeep?
MUSIC people in the Admiral's Club
WORDS 596 [style=height:5px; width:350px; background-color:FFFFFF; margin-top: -60px;margin-left: -10px; ]

CREDIT TO LUNE OF PREDORMITUM

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[Deleted]

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Ah, Alyssa. How he had missed that light in her eyes. It really had been much too long since he had last seen the woman, though this was really not the time to be thinking about this. At the moment of their departure, he needed to be focused on this mission of sorts. Sure, Steven may not have been a friend to Alyssa, not that he would have known, but in the years before he himself had gone off on a sort of relaxation quest, the man he once knew had still been a friend. Hands curled into fists as his eyes narrowed slightly, teeth grinding together. Wallace barely knew of what was going on within this war, but if the woman beside him did, he would follow her, however blind he may feel. His eyes turned towards her, a brow rising and disappearing underneath his hair for a moment. The thought occurred to him as he smirked lightly. Of course, Rustboro was where he wanted to go to first, to see what they could find. And it seemed Alyssa was ever in tune with him.

Striding after her, he whistled to his two pokemon, the Luvdisc and Kingdra moving forwards quickly as Wallace pulled out their poke balls, quickly returning both of them before taking another out. He quickly released the Milotic, who turned her eyes towards him in askance before lowering her head for him to slide on. His eyes turned towards Alyssa, arms resting gently on her neck, legs clenching hard as he leaned towards, coaxing her forwards. " Don't fail me now, Omo" He said gently to the sea serpent, before nodding towards Alyssa. " Ready when you are " He commented lightly to her, feeling his pokemon shiver slightly a she slid across the surface of the water, tightening the strap of his back around his shoulders.

Whoever had done this would, no doubt, not see him coming. He was apparently dead, from the last message he had received before returning to meet Alyssa. the shocked faces across some had amused him, a dark laugh escaping his lips after a moment. Oh, no. This would be most fun. Eyes flickered over towards Alyssa and her Swampert, watching as the two surfaced from their Dive, before moving up to her side. " To Mossdeep, my dear? Lead the way " The former Champion said, eyes casting around for a moment. And with that, they were on their way. [/style]