Mouth Meet Bug [Open]

[Anabel]

Kanto...had she ever really been to it before? In all the years of the war, Anabel didn't think so, and that was a bit of a shame as well. The region was beautiful, if this big city was anything to go by. Celadon had so much plant life growing near it and, while she wasn't really a plant person, she could still very much appreciate its beauty. That was what she was doing right then, smiling as she looked around at all the different types of flowers and other plants. Of course, she was not surprised it was like this. Once upon a time Erika was the gym leader in Celadon and, while she still technically was, it didn't really matter much because of the war; she was either never at the gym or no challengers came because they couldn't.

Regardless, she was the grass-type gym leader, specializing in them, so why wouldn't there be a large amount of flowers? Hoenn had its own beautiful places, of course, but she didn't quite recall there being a place in it as beautiful as this one; in fact, she didn't even recall there being a grass-type gym leader in Hoenn, but that was besides the point. Her pokemon, too, seemed to be enjoying the sight. Anabel, of course, had fake documents ready if any Lux came along, and she was sure they wouldn't recognize her all the way over here, which was one reason she wasn't disguised. The other reason was because...well, she just plain hated disguising herself.

She passed for a boy rather easily, so most of her disguises revolved around that, and she didn't LIKE having to disguise herself like a boy. The purple-haired maiden sighed a little and turned, opening her mouth to address the green Espeon near her when IT happened. It felt like...a bug had slammed straight into her mouth. She wasn't worried about herself, the bug was going to die by doing something stupid like that, but it did cause her to start coughing quite a bit as her body tried in vain to expel the intruder that way.

Wonderful she told herself. First visit to Kanto and THIS happened. Eve, the Espeon, just watched on as the human made funny sounds.

[Elliot]

When somebody's been kidnapped, tortured, and used as a bargaining chip, they become very adept at making sure such an event never happens again.

Fake papers were all he needed, really. It wasn't like he had much of a media presence. After all, the Cherrygrove Incident was one of the biggest media coverups in the history of the war. If that made headlines, he'd become the target of every damn Lux with a grudge against Hoenn and something to prove. It was putting aside justice for security, and had the advantage of letting Elliot travel wherever he pleased. As far as the rest of the world was concerned, he was invisible.

He didn't know why he was picking the Tohjo Regions of all places for his vacation. They were a hotspot of Lux activity, and his luck could only last for so long. Where else was he supposed to go, though? Back home to Unova, where his mother would insure this wandering of his stopped? Hoenn, his birthplace, where he would have to endure seeing everything he knew and loved it torn to shreds? That frigid bloodbath known as Sinnoh? Kanto and Johto, regrettably, were the only places left mostly untouched by the war.

For now, though, he was content to just have a relaxing walk through Celadon. His Cacnea hopped behind behind him, letting out a weighty sigh. It felt at home among these these plants, but at the same time somewhat apart from them. They were all so dainty and beautiful, and yet he was large and spined. Plants and Pokemon alike, he was apart from all.

Unfortunately, there was no time for cactus angst. Cain's thinking was interrupted by a sharp cough, which both he and his trainer had noticed. Elliot travelled to the source, only to break into a jubilant smile as he recognize who it was.

"Wow, didn't expect to see you all the way over here!

You okay, Ana?"

[Anabel]

The bug was expelled a short while later. Or...well, no, not expelled, but her coughing did subside, and she had to assume that the bug was all done messing with her. Grumbling, the girl rubbed her head as she closed her eyes. That had been horrible...and so undignified, she was glad no one had seen her like that, and...oh. Wait. That voice, she definitely recognized it. She hadn't really paid attention to it before, since she had been a bit distracted by the coughing and all, but now that that was over? Oh yeah, she realized BIG TIME that he had just spoken to her. Fantastic...so what ought she do then?

Pretend nothing had happened? She wasn't quite sure, but...this was Elliot she was talking about. They'd probably just laugh it off once she revealed what had happened, so she opened her eyes and faced him, offering a bright smile. Despite the bug, she was quite happy to see him. If anything, the horrible experience just now made seeing him all that much better. Although...what was he doing in a place like Celadon? It wasn't exactly friendly to those with Nox tendencies, and while she might be able to get away with being there, since she wasn't all that well-known outside of Hoenn, he was the kid of one of the leaders in the war. Of course he'd be recognized fast.

Regardless, he was probably waiting for her to say something, huh? "I could say the same about you! It's a surprise to see you all the way out in Kanto," she admitted, stepping forward while the Espeon rolled her eyes. It was time for them to make those lovey-dovey faces at each other, or at least that was what the shiny pokemon was thinking. "Yeah, I'm alright. It was just a stupid bug that managed to get in my mouth...that was all. No worries now though!" she assured him, smiling still. "What're you doing all the way out here, anyway?" she decided to ask of him, unable to hide her curiosity.

[Elliot]

"Glad you were able to handle it," Elliot replied, grinning. "If only that bug knew who it was messing with, eh?" There was great irony in the fact that a psychic was being messed with by a bug, but now wasn't the time for super effective jokes. He was too busy being happy and surprised by seeing Anabel around again.

"As for what I'm doing here, I'm just on vacation for a bit. I . . . I just had to get away from it all. Back home." He let out a sorrowful sigh, the constant warfare and fighting in Hoenn too much for him. It was bad enough to see his homeland torn to shreds, but also the constant worrying over whether or not his father would be okay.

When he heard Hoenn Nox was going to be marching on the offensive again, he knew he had to leave before he saw it start up once more. He knew his return would be inevitable as well, but not yet.

Briefly the joy on his face was washed away, replaced by a hollow, sorrowful look. However, he quickly forced out another smile. He wouldn't let himself break down. Not here, when he was supposed to be on vacation. Besides, Anabel was here. Just hearing her voice, seeing her smile . . . it as more than enough to force the despair back. He stepped forward as well, holding out his arms for a hug. "Guessing you're here for vacation too? Or was there something else you had planned?" he asked.

[Anabel]

"Yeah, if only," Anabel said, letting out a small little chuckle. The irony of a bug assaulting her like that wasn't lost on her, so she was glad that Elliot decided to not make a joke about it. Not that she would get angry or anything, he was allowed to make jokes like that simply because of who he was, but still, it was nice. "And ah...yeah. I know what you mean," she added with a nod of her head, frowning just a bit.

What was the situation like back there, she wondered? While she hadn't been away from Hoenn for long, she still constantly worried about it, which was one reason why she had wanted to come here. Of course, it had been silly to assume that just because she came all the way to Kanto that she'd forget about everything that was going on in Hoenn. Not that she felt she had much to worry about down there, of course. Nox seemed to be the major power in Hoenn right at that moment, that was where they had always been strongest, and Kanto was where Lux had always been strongest. That was just how it was, so there wasn't much to worry about. Even still, she couldn't help it at all.

"Yeah, I'm here for a vacation too. A little break. All I had to do was think about what pretty places there are in Kanto and, well, Celadon was at the top of the list," the girl said as she walked forward, giving him a hug rather quickly, soon after he had offered it. She didn't break it for a while, either, and even when she did, she still stood fairly close to him. "Glad you showed up though. I think it would've been boring if I had to think up things to do all by myself. And Eve too, but it isn't all that easy to talk to pokemon." she said to him, glancing at the Espeon who had, by now, laid down in the grass and was watching the two of them converse.

[Elliot]

Looks like they had the same reason for showing up. For all of the region's faults, it did boast some of the most beautiful, war-spared cities available. Only Unova's could compare to Kanto's, and Elliot wasn't about to spend another few years of his life cooped up in Castelia City. Besides, a trip to Kanto would offer him a chance to see what life was like on the other side. He wasn't the well-known son of a leader. He wasn't a prisoner, either in Lux's clutches or his own home. Instead he was just Elliot Sunderland, some kid from the region Lux didn't like talking about, with a set of (forged) ID papers and an entire media coverup keeping him from harm.

It was perfect. Especially now that he was with Anabel once more.

"Glad you showed up too. Nice to have someone to talk to on this trip. Especially you." Before bumping into Anabel, he had mostly gotten strange looks and awkward mutters from the general populace. Celadon had become a town for the elite since the war had started: some peasant hobbling around they had never seen before was of no interest. There was barely anyone Elliot's age around, either: the rich and fabulous were usually either too old or to young to settle down and make families, sitting on nest eggs and war bonds or having elaborate Gatsbyesque flings to celebrate their wealth. It was a world he was too young for, and really had no interest in anyway.

"You see anything cool around here for us to do, or are you just relaxing for now?" he asked, perfectly content either way.

[Anabel]

Anabel smiled at his words; of course she and him would feel the same way. No matter how beautiful something was, it was far more enjoyable to enjoy it with someone else. Especially when most of the other people in the city probably didn't care for either of them. While sure, she didn't look as...plain as Elliot did, she certainly didn't stand out either, and she had no idea how to act in order to get the people of this city to just talk to her.

That was why she was glad Elliot was here, he could provide her with a way to distract herself, and...well, it had been so very long since she had last talked to him, of course she'd be pleased he was here. "Ah...well, not really. There aren't a ton of things to do here...well, unless you like gambling," she said with a shrug of her shoulders. Anabel doubted very much though that he'd be interested in something like that, so that only left them with one thing.

"I think...the only thing we can do is walk around the city and enjoy the sights. And, of course, the conversation with each other." Anabel added a moment later, glancing around. It was a fairly nice day, and she hadn't seen too many people out and about, so the odds of them getting interrupted by someone seemed fairly low.

[Elliot]

Just a day in the city with Anabel, huh? Perfect. Elliot smiled at her, extending a hand so they could walk together. "Sounds great to me." In the year or so he had been rather beaten down and worn, physically and mentally. However, seeing Anabel never failed to make him feel better. She was his encouragement, his continued connection to a world he felt increasingly separated from. They had both been quite busy lately, especially with Terran demanding Elliot leave the war and return to Unova, but when they did get a chance to meet Elliot relished every moment.

This was exactly the change of pace Elliot needed. The day before he had tried visiting Saffron City. It was . . . unpleasant, to say the least. Still had a nasty bruise on his ribs from when somebody tried to steal his walking stick. That was in the past, though. Now he was just here to relax and enjoy life with somebody he cared greatly about. It did give a good springboard for his first conversation piece, though.

"Been anywhere else in Kanto yet?" he asked, hoping that if she had it was a much better experience than he had encountered.

[Anabel]

Anabel smiled at him and took the hand he offered to her, then they began to walk. It was a simple thing, to walk throughout a city, but with the one you cared about, it was sort of a magical thing if you asked her. Then again, almost any opportunity to be with those you cared about was a magical thing in these troubled times, in her opinion. This was just...so much more magical than other things, especially since she had never really felt this way for a boy before.

"Oh...ah, no I haven't. I decided to come here first and foremost..like I said, Celadon was at the top of the list when it came to places that seem pretty, so I came here straight away. Not regretting that choice either. If I'd gone anywhere else we wouldn't have met," she said with a grin as they walked. It was funny how fate worked out sometimes, huh? She even remembered the time he had gone missing and had to be found; those had not been fun times. "Do you come to Kanto much, Elliot?" she inquired of the boy curiously.

[Elliot]

"Not really. This is my first time here, actually. Usually I'm in Hoenn or back in Unova with mom."

Unova. How sick he was of that damn place. Where he was still babied around by his overbearing mother, instead of being allowed to roam as he pleased. Sure it was "safe," but he didn't give a damn about safety. He didn't want to stick his head in the sand anymore. Not after he had seen the war firsthand and knew its horrors. Not after he saw a chance to try and make things better for those still suffering to this day, preventing any other innocents from being ruined by all of this fighting. No, he had to stand and fight. For all of his fellow innocents.

These negative thoughts evaporated at once, however, when he remembered where he was. And especially who he was with.

"I actually really like it here, though! Maybe I'll visit more often . . .

So where've you been lately, Ana?" he asked, smiling warmly at her. "Hopefully more interesting places than I've been?"

[Anabel]

"Ah...same here. About Hoenn, I mean! Kind of hard to not be in it a lot when it's your home region," she said with a little chuckle, keeping her gaze on him. This conversation might seem a bit...dull to some people, but to her? To her it was making her so very happy. Any conversation with Elliot was a conversation worth having, even if it was about something as benign as them visiting Kanto a lot. Anabel didn't know WHY she didn't visit it a lot, it was alright, if you were mindful of the Lux presence. She just...didn't travel a lot in general, actually.

The war, perhaps. It did tend to keep one pretty occupied; she remembered the days when she could freely choose if she wanted to go somewhere. "Anyway...nah. Like I said, spend a lot of my time in Hoenn. I don't really go around traveling a lot, so...yeah. Guess I'm sort of lame. But hey, can't complain too much when we're still able to visit cities like this, even when Lux is crawling all over Kanto." she said pleasantly.

[Elliot]

"Nah, you could never be lame. 'Least Hoenn's a pretty damn cool place to live." There was a somewhat nostalgic tone in the boy's voice as he remembered the pre-war days. Hoenn was so much more enjoyable when there weren't Lux soldiers everywhere trying to kill your father. Of course, it didn't help that Elliot hadn't even been at his home in a few months, having been ordered to leave for his own safety. Part of him wanted to go back. Another part of him, anticipating the bloodshed and decay that would greet him, didn't even want to try.

In contrast to the fearful picture he pictured when imagining Hoenn, Celadon was like a paradise. Sprawling cityscape and beautiful greenery mingled perfectly, like a utopia inside of a greenhouse. It wasn't anything like Hoenn's natural beauty, but it certainly came rather close in its own way. Spending a beautiful day in a beautiful city with a beautiful person . . . it was an amazing way of taking his mind off of things.

Of course, there were still fears that needed to be put to rest.

"Have . . . have things been going well at home, by he way?"

[Anabel]

Heh, she could never be lame? If only he knew. When she had lost at Ever Grande, she had certainly been lame. How she had ever let that happen, Anabel wasn't quite sure. But it had been the single biggest mistake of her life, she knew that much, and she would never live it down. She had to be a lot stronger and a lot less...lamer. Which was why she was glad to have Elliot around. Even if only a little bit, he served as a pillar of strength for her, reminding her why she fought. It was to keep the ones she cared for safe, and that included her entire region. "Well...if you think I'm not lame, I'll try my best to believe it. Even if I still think I might be," she said, giving him a smile before looking away and to the sky, stretching a bit. It was a nice day, all things considered.

Then again, any day where one could get away from the war was a nice day, if you asked her. "And...home. I'm...not entirely sure. I've been trying to avoid keeping tabs on it too much while I'm here in Kanto. Since there wouldn't be a quick way to get there if fighting were to erupt...but it's been stable, all things considered."

[Elliot]

"Lame? More like awesome as hell." Sometimes Anabel seemed oddly down about herself. Whenever he heard of such sorrows, Elliot couldn't help but wonder why. She was a prodigy of a trainer, incredibly helpful and generous, and surprisingly wise for someone of their age. Honestly, when around her Elliot felt like he was the lame one!

She had a good point about avoiding home, although the two seemed to be avoiding it for totally different reasons. One to protect it, and one to keep running. Elliot wondered when he'd be able to muster up as much strength as Anabel had, the willingness to stand and fight. Maybe it'd come sooner than he thought.

"Glad to hear its been stable lately. Means we can just sit back and enjoy this vacation, not have to spend all our time worrying. It'll be a really nice change."

[Anabel]

"Awesome as hell...I wish," she said, sighing. She wasn't trying to be so...down on herself, but she couldn't help it. That was just how she was, disappointed in herself for failing at Ever Grande. For failing to do her duty as the former Salon Maiden of the Battle Tower. And for failing to help Elliot when he had been captured and whisked away, tormented at the hands of some...some woman. Anabel had never really asked about what had actually happened, she didn't really want to know. And she didn't want to open up any old wounds. "A really, really nice change...I think that it's even nicer we'll be able to enjoy it together." she added with a little grin, trying her best to get over the depressive way she was acting right abut then.