Contents:
Wesley
Obvious exits:
West <W> leads to Hop Hop Town: Central Boulevard.

Fair weather clouds sail across the blue sky, propelled by light breezes from the west. It's warm in the sun, cool in the shade, and the air is clear and dry. In the forest, the wind rustles the bright green leaves of trees and bushes and carries Oddish pollen, downy seeds, and the fragrance of wildflowers along with it. While at the coast, the ocean is a deep cool blue today, the waves lapping at the coast gently under the pleasant spring sky.

Compared to the smoky, smoggy atmosphere of Celadon City, Hop Hop Town is, quite literally, a breath of fresh air. The Spring breezes rustle the growing green grass of the park, and the trees, no longer capped with snow and ice, sway gently back and forth. The heat of the day is slowly beginning to wane, and dusk is only a few hours away. The park is becoming gradually more crowded as the day skips along, and humans and pokemon frolic in all part of the land, eating, playing, or for some of the smaller and more curious pokemon and children, exploring. Most of these people eat, play, or explore with a group of others, but one girl walks alone. Dressed in her summer clothes, Melissa Barlette of Pewter City strolls around the park, eyes low to the ground, occasionally removing her hands from her pocket to adjust her glasses to keep them from falling off. At her side is her little snow-white Growlithe, CrystalFire, who draws the attention of some of the villagers, but Melissa does not seem to notice. Every so often, the teen lifts her head, scans the park, and sighs softly when she doesn't find who she's looking for.

Wesley is the one Melissa is looking for...but he doesn't seem to be looking for her. The young trainer leans against a tree in Hop Hop's gorgeous park, this particular tree being not too far from the lake. His head is bent as he buries his nose in Hop Hop's local newspaper; his backpack is on his left side, and a bag of fast food rests by his right. A cobalt blue Ekans is draped over her trainer's shoulders, while a Meowth rests on Wesley's lap, napping as cats are prone to do. It's an old Machop, a young Pikachu, a daddy Pikachu and a male Nidoran that keep an eye out for Melissa - these pokemon have spread out a few feet from the tree in either direction. Should one of them see the girl, they'll react quickly: Fistfight will wave her arms, call to Melissa, tell CrystalFire to <Get yer girl over here, c'mon!> in an ever so happy voice; Sparkheart and Buttercup, who search side by side, will wave, look very cute, and call Melissa over, expecting CrystalFire to translate; Spike will shout <Hey! Over here!> and motion Melissa to his trainer. Wesley is nicely letting his pokemon do his work for him.

Melissa's tracks take her around the perimeter of the park, where the sidewalks are somewhat less crowded than the mazes inside the area. Once again she looks up, placing her left hand above her eyes to block out some of the sunlight. Wesley, however, is either on the wrong side of the tree or is holding up the newspaper too high; Melissa does not notice him. She continues walking. Little CrystalFire, however, perks up at the sounds of pokemon calling to "Get over here" and such. Raising her head high and sniffing the air daintily, as though it will help, CrystalFire eventually settles her sights upon Wesley's pokemon. Her eyes widen slightly as her face spread into a wide tongue-hanging grin, complete with wagging tail, but she does not move. Melissa, sensing her pokemon is not walking with her, comes to a stop and turns her torso to peer quizically at her Growlithe. "CrystalFire? ... Hmm?" The dog simply gives her a glance... before springing off of her paws and rushing towards Wesley's party, pouncing over bushes, ducking under legs, swiftly dodging little boys playing with a frisbee. Melissa can only blink and stare for a few moments, before shouting, "CrystalFire! Get back here!" and running off after the Growlithe. Grrr, is she chasing another trainer's Pidgey again?

What's that smell? Candylion? Better save be-Ooo, pretty colors! (Delet-er, saving!)

Wesley's pokemon gather around CrystalFire, ready to create a nice greeting party. Now Wesley springs into action. ..If by action you mean 'stops reading a newspaper'. It's not like he gets up or anything; though considering the pokemon he has on him, sitting down might actually be a good idea. "Oh," he notes, his voice warm with excitement. "..Is it Melissa?" he asks of the waving, beckoning Fistfight. <'Course it is!> the Machop shoots back with a grin. <And her little dog, too.> Wesley pauses for a few seconds, before remarking, "CrystalFire," to himself. The boy then puts his newspaper down, a shy smile on his face. He does shift slightly, trying to get a better glimpse of his oncoming friend. "It's Melissa," he sagely says to Skysnake, who dips her head in acknowledgment. The Meowth remains immune to all the noise in the area, and she snoozes ever onward.

"Grrrrrrrrrrowlth!" barks the pup as she dashes across the park. Little children giggle and point, old men laugh heartily, and middle aged women "tsk tsk" at the lack of control that pokemon's trainer has over her Growlithe. Melissa ignores all of these as she chases after her furry pet, only occasionally muttering a quiet, "'Scuze me" or "Sorry" when she nearly bumps into somebody. CrystalFire approaches the group long before her trainer does, and her sprint quickly falls into a trot into a march into a slow walk. <Hello!> she woofs cheerfully, showing no signs of exhausted from her run across the park. Her tongue barely peeks out of her mouth, and her blue eyes sparkle in the sun. <Melissa said you'd be here. Did y-> "Crystal... puff... Fire... puff... why... huff... oog, this is tough... why..." The girl rushes up behind her pokemon, her glasses at the very tip of her nose, breathing heavily. "How many times have... I..." Melissa stumbles to a stop, and her stance is limp and sagging as she peers up at the trainer she sees. Idly, she adjusts the glasses on her face, but does not greet the boy just yet. Her chest still expands and contracts visibly, but she does not pant for breath.

Wesley would silence those laughing children and tsk-tsking middle aged women if he could focus on anything other than Melissa. It's so nice to finally see her. And in the park he explored as a child; such nice memories from his past convening with such a nice moment in the present. His smile grows slightly as his friend stops before him, and though he does give CrystalFire a little glance and grin as well, he leaves the greeting of the canine up to his pokemon. <Yeah, I'm glad you came!> Fistfight says to the albino Growlithe. <How've you been?> <My daughter is great and fine; she's sweet and kind and she's all mine!> chirps Sparkheart, gesturing to Buttercup, who smiles and gives a polite <Hi,>. Who cares if CrystalFire doesn't know a thing about Sparkheart and his daughter - she does now! <I'm Spike!> says the Nidoran, bouncing on his feet. <I was in a battle! I lost, but it was a tough fight!> Let's just inundate the Growlithe with information, shall we? "Must be hard, going at such a run," Wesley comments to his human friend, sounding sincere. Soft grin. "I couldn't run like that, not at all."

CrystalFire seems a little overwhelmed by all the new faces. Her blue eyes jump from face to face to face, and slowly her jaw clamps shut after she rolls her tongue back into her mouth, and her mouth draws into a low frown. She eventually replies, but she looks only at Fistfight as she does. <I've been great!> she woofs, tail wagging, taking a couple steps forward and mostly ignoring the other pokemon. Perhaps she remembers Fistfight and Fistfight only. <... Though I which she could run faster and more often.> She gestures to Melissa with her head. <Maybe it's because she only has two legs.> Her black nose crinkles, and a childish sort of disgust creeps onto her face. Melissa gives CrystalFire a quick glance, but immediately turns her attention back to her friend. "Yes! Well, um... you get... heh, you have to run a lot when you train... um, you know, pokemon like CrystalFire and Apple and Puff, yeah?" Her voice seems almost forced, and her cheesy grin, her swaying stance, and her rosy cheeks don't suggest friendliness; they suggest nervousness, anxiousness, and just general discomfort. It appears as though Wesley's feelings aren't exactly mutual.

Wesley smiles even more broadly. "Yeah," he agrees, finding in her cheesy comment yet another reason to admire his friend. The pale-haired boy glances at his backpack, then at his dinner, and then at the pokemon on his lap. "Oh!" he exclaims, picking up Minnaloush the sleeping Meowth and setting her limp body near his backpack. "Could you please get off, Skysnake?" he asks pleasantly, and his blue Ekans complies, slithering off him to join the main group of pokemon. Fistfight is busy smiling at CrystalFire, and her smile grows at CrystalFire's thoughts on two legs versus four. <Well now, I know some pokemon who can go real fast on two legs...but I think humans aren't just as fit as most pokemon, y'know?> <Pokemon gotta be fit, 'cuz we battle!> Spike chimes in, nodding his horned head. <Did I tell you I battled? It was against an Ekans! They're super-scary, and this one had a ground shaky attack, and it hurt me lots but *pause for breath* but I still battled it.> As for Wesley? He...stands up. "I'm taller," he announces, chin held up high, pride radiating from his skinny, turtleneck-clad form. It's been a while since Melissa as seen Wesley. Will she notice his whole three inches of growth? Will she notice that Wesley's face seems a bit slimmer than usual? Can she see how much it'd crush Wesley's spirit if she says she doesn't notice anything different?

CrystalFire turns her head to the side, looking at the rest of the park while Fistfight speaks. She's not exactly ignoring the elderly pokemon, but she's certainly not giving her full attention. <I still think four legs is better than two, because sometimes Melissa trips, but -I- usually don't!> She pauses for a second. Her lush white fur blows softly in the breeze, but instead of lifting her head to embrace the wind, she lowers it slightly. <A... as often, at least.> Like pokemon, like trainer; Melissa herself seems to be humbled like her pokemon is, though perhaps the girl's uncomfortability will go unnoticed by the excited boy. "... Yes, I think you are... um, a little, yeah." She smiles shyly. Her hands are below her waist, twiddling and fiddling nervously. "... It is... um, it is that age, yeah?" She blushes faintly, looking more like a ten year old than a seventeen year old.

Wesley actually shows his teeth as he grins. "Yeah, it is that age," he agrees, extremely happy. "Soon, I'll be getting taller, and bulking up," here he throws his shoulders back, an action which doesn't stop him from looking like the boney little kid he is, "and...stuff!" he ends with a light chuckle. At least he doesn't feel the need to mention what kind of other stuff he'll be going through. "I'm twelve," Wesley adds, as if twelve is the best age to be. It's rare that Wesley gets this upbeat about something. <I trip sometimes,> Buttercup says comfortingly to CrystalFire, the youngster wanting everyone to be happy. <Heh, me, I'd say I got a liking for two,> Fistfight notes with a chortle. <What about you, Skysnake?> she asks of the blue Ekans. The snake stares inscrutably back at Fistfight - how can she answer a question about legs? <Well, snakes are pretty fast even without legs,> Spike notes, though there's a bit of a grumble beneath his words. He's being a little petty to the nearest representative of the Ekans species, so it seems. Skysnake doesn't appear to notice the Nidoran.

What's that smell? Candylion? Better save be-Ooo, pretty colors! (Delet-er, saving!)

CrystalFire, perhaps for the first time, notices the blue Ekans when she speaks. The Growlithe's eyes widen, and her jaw drops slightly, revealing that light pink that clashes so much with the rest of her snow white body. <Wow...> she whispers softly, taking one step forward. Her paw grips the grass and dirt tensely, but that does not stop her from stepping closer. <Wh... what... is it?> Her voice is full of wonder as she asks nobody in particular about the strange Ekans. If she can get close enough, she'll give the Ekans a couple sniffs out of curiosity. "Yeah... yeah, it's, um, it's not exactly easy to go through with... I mean, uh, uh, uh... your..." Melissa's blush greatly intensifies, and her face is a bright red cherry. She coughs slightly. "H... hormones... and all." Though she's been through this stage only recently, she apparently doesn't seem very comfortable with the idea. "Y... you... uh... looking forward to it?" Forced cheerfulness.

Skysnake's round head swivels towards CrystalFire as the dog steps towards her. The blue Ekans' gaze isn't hostile, but she is intense, and very, very watchful. It looks like she's noticing and judging every movement, every breath the little dog makes, for some unknown purpose. However, Crystalfire does get close to her; the Growlithe would smell the heavy musk of all reptiles. <She's an Ekans,> Fistfight says easily. <She's got a different colour on her..so I'm told. I ain't the best judge,> Fistfight notes with a chuckle. <Looks blue as the sky, sweetie pie,> Sparkheart notes to his Machop companion. <..Blue's a kinda silly colour,> Spike notes with forced idleness. Once again, Skysnake doesn't respond. Wesley's attention is on his friend, and it's only after Melissa's blush that he realizes just who he's talking to and what he's talking about. "Uh," he mutters, his voice falling into its habitual half-muttered tone. "S'okay, we don't have to talk about this." Now he's blushing a bit himself as he brings his shoulders forward and lowers his head. "We can...erm. ... Say. Have you been to Habari recently? I might go again..sometime. But not now, I don't think. Only if it's another scientific expedition, because scientists are..smart'n stuff."

CrystalFire begins speaking before Fistfight is even finished, and as a result probably misses what Sparkheart and Spike say. <It's so different,> she whispers, shaking her head slightly and giving the Ekans another sniff. <Kind of... like... the Charmander, except -not- like the Charmander. Really different.> Sniff, sniff. <You call it an Ekans?> Sniff, sniff. Her white tail wags softly. <Can it actually run fast?>

<Yeah, she's--> Fistfight begins, but Skysnake interrupts. </I/ am an Ekansss,> Skysnake hisses, her tongue flicking out as she sniffs CrystalFire in her own fashion. <I do not run. I ssslither.> And as she hisses the last word, she does slither; she'll bring her body once around CrystalFire, assuming the dog doesn't move. There'll be some space in between the canine's feet and her coils, but not too much. <I do it rather quickly - when I wish to,> the Ekans finishes, facing the dog again. Wesley gives Skysnake a quick glance, then he looks at his two Pikachu who are grooming each other, then he looks at the sleeping Meowth before he turns back to Melissa. And her words remind him..."Oh, Christmas," he says slowly. Wesley shifts his weight from side to side. "Erm, did your mom like the present?" Pause. "And, er, the rest of your family? ..Uh, did /you/ like the present? Did you find some place to put it? You just seemed to have so many Christmas-things and pictures that I didn't know if you'd found a place to put it..."

CrystalFire can only blink blankly as the snake goes around her body, hisses in her ear, and heads back. After a few moments of wide-eyed paralyzation, the little puppy lets out a small whimper. Her ears press against her scalp and her tail goes limp, and, eyes still locked on the blue Ekans, she takes a step or two towards Fistfight, perhaps trying to take refuge in the Machop's presence. <... Don't do that again,> she requests quietly, her head lowering slowly. Her fear is obvious. And though Wesley is far less scary than a mean ol' Ekans, Melissa herself isn't faring much better than her Growlithe. "... T... the present? I, uh... I..." Time to come clean. The teenager sighs. Her head remains turned to the side, but she gives Wesley a glance from behind her glasses out of the corner of her eyes before she directs her focus on her shoes. "... I never opened it, Wesley. I... uh... I can't... not yet, I mean, um..." Gosh, this is coming out wrong. She grins nervously at her shoes, scratches her side, and makes sure to not look at Wesley.

It's really hard to detect if the Ekans is grinning or not. Her mouth doesn't move. But there's something glittering in those slit eyes of hers. <Oh, be nice,> Fistfight says to Skysnake, rather surprised at the snake's conduct. It's not like Skysnake to be so defensive. <Ekanses are like that,> Spike notes, a bit grumpy. Skysnake's attention does not shift from the dog. Her jaw opens and her tongue flickers out, shooting through the air before flying back in between her large...large fangs. The snake's jaw snaps shut. <Calm down,> she hisses to the dog, her voice utterly emotionless. "You..erm..." Wesley begins, his happy mood degrading rather quickly. "I'm...sorry?" he says in confusion, peering over at his friend. "Was it too much?" he asks anxiously, before launching into an explanation. "Because I can take it back. I mean...I, I know it might've seemed like a lot, with the perfume, but I save up my money for special occasions. Dad gives me an allowance, so it's not like I..don't have money 'cuz I got you some Christmas presents."

CrystalFire snaps back (after a couple seconds of careful consideration and courage building), <... I am calm!> Now turning her eyes over to Fistfight, the puppy raises her head slightly, and mumbles in a semi-confident tone, <Little thing like that couldn't scare me. Bet she can't even run.> She's speaking more to the elderly Machop more than anybody else; undoubtedly, she doesn't even want the Ekans to hear. Melissa, in the meantime, just kind of smiles at the floor. She ran through this conversation in her head. She -knew- how she was going to handle this. And now... she's crumbled apart. "No... no, no, please, Wesley, I... I..." She turns now to look at him. Her eyes are wide and almost watering, though she doesn't look like she's going to cry. The sun is setting behind her, and the sky is alive with orange and purple and blue. A light breeze ruffles her hair, but she ignores it. "I entered a tournament for you some... some time ago, and I-I-I wanted to use the pokemon -you- gave me and g-give the present to -you-. That's... that's what I wanted to give you for Christmas, to really show how much I..." What word does she use? Like or love? Like or love? Like or "Love you. I tried..." By now, she has to bite her lip, and she pulls on her chin with her teeth. She isn't crying yet. Maybe she will soon. She does appear helpless and vulnerable, perhaps weak, perhaps disappointed, but definitely genuine.

What's that smell? Candylion? Better save be-Ooo, pretty colors! (Delet-er, saving!)

Fistfight looks the canine over. <Don't think I ever saw a calmer dog, don't you?> she asks of Sparkheart. <Calm, collected and cool,> he replies. <This classy pup is no one's fool.> Spike responds to CrystalFire's mumbles. <Well, Ekanses don't run, but they can move..er, slither real fast,> Spike notes. Hey, it's hard to hide part of a conversation from a pokemon with huge ears like Spike has. Skysnake...is mysteriously silent, her eyes pinned on the white Growlithe. Wesley's attention doesn't shift from Melissa, nor does his confusion alleviate. "I..." he begins before Melissa speaks. Then, he listens to everything she has to say. His hands reaches into his jeans pockets, and his face turns worried and thoughtful. Something dark, the opposite of this beautiful sunset, of this beautiful girl, twists inside him. He's not worthy of all this.

CrystalFire is old enough to realize that the other pokemon may or may not be mocking her, but as she moves closer to Fistfight, she becomes more confident and more secure. Who cares if they're poking fun at her, even if they are - as long as the Ekans is away, the Growlithe is happy! Her crystal blue eyes finally tear away from the Ekans and focus on the rest of the group. After Skysnake, the rest of the pokemon aren't quite so intimidating anymore.

Melissa stays completely silent as Wesley speaks, though whether she is unable to utter a word or awed by pure respect is not certain. She smiles when he does, however, though due to her wide wet eyes, it's more of a sad smile than anything else. She remains in silence even after Wesley's speech has gone over. After the pause, she lifts her head up, opens her mouth... and takes a deep breath. She lets it out, bites her lip, and nods once more, staring at Wesley's stomach with an up-in-the-clouds look in her eyes. She tries again. "Wes... Wesley, you..." Her voice is croaked, and she clears her throat before she continues. "You really have... grown, haven't you?" Her smile takes on a more real tint here as she looks down at him, lifting up her arm to run her hand through her long brownish-blonde hair. "... I really wanted to get you... something, Wes. Something you'd really... a... appreciate, but I didn't know what book to get you, or what toy you'd like, or which pokemon you'd want. How you... knew how much I'd love the perfume..." She shakes her head softly now, a soft "Heh" escaping her lungs. Her voice raises a pitch and becomes almost a light sob, "I don't think I'll ever understand..."

Fistfight looks as kind and endearing as she always does; it's really hard to tell if she's mocking someone or not. Sparkheart's face is even more difficult to read, as he's quickly grooming his daughter's head again. <Hi,> Buttercup says to CrystalFire. She glances up at Wesley and Melissa. <Humans talk lots,> she notes with childish authority. <Uh huh,> Spike agrees. Wesley's smile slowly sinks as he watches Melissa's reaction. He becomes intense and observant like his Ekans, though with none of the snake's predatory vibes. His smile reappears when Melissa notes that he's grown, though this is a more nervous version, and he shuffles a bit. Wesley's grey eyes snap to Melissa's hand as she runs it through her hair. It must be nice, to touch that hair...Wesley's gaze unfocuses for a few seconds, before he tunes back into the world - or rather, the part of the world that contains Melissa. "I..uh, just grabbed the perfume," Wesley says softly, feeling guilty that she's attaching so much weight to something that he did on the spur of the moment. He takes one step towards Melissa, a very small one. "And, it's okay, about not knowing what I'd want. ..I don't even know, half the time." A touch of ruefulness shades his face as he gazes at his friend.

CrystalFire takes this opportunity to plop down on her haunches, listening to Buttercup's little cute words and her brilliant observations. <You...> She cocks her head slightly, shifting from father to daughter to father to daughter. She sniffs the air, then cocks her head even further. <You two are related, right? Why doesn't she rhyme?> The first question is asked to the Pikachus; the second is, of course, directed at Fistfight. Who else? Melissa, meanwhile, has no idea that Wesley is kind of sort of in a way very slightly lusting over her... well, her hair. If she notices that he even blanks out, she doesn't comment on it. "Really?" she asks, smiling once again, crossing her arms over her chest. She adopts a more comfortable stance, and her previous nervousness seems to have lessened slightly. "I... um... the perfume really was nice, though. Really great smell, my mom was amazed and wanted to... to..." The teenager reddens slightly. "Well, to wear to her... meeting." She hesitates for a moment, realizing that she's rambling, and continues, this time on topic. "... If I... um... you know, find something, get a really neat pokemon or see something... I'll... you know, maybe if I really think you'd want it..." She trails off into nothingness as her head turns to the side, eyes scanning the horizon. The sky is dark; dusk has come.

Sparkheart's pudgy head rises as CrystalFire addresses him. <Well--> Fistfight begins, but Sparkheart makes a slight "Pika.." and Fistfight motions to the Pikachu. He can take it from here. <I rhyme because I was hit on the head - it hurt me so much, I thought I was dead! My trainer - an old one, not this boy - made me attack a Rhyhorn and...oy!> Sparkheart rubs his head. Buttercup clutches her father to her with a little sob. <Don' talk 'bout you gettin' hurt,> she whimpers, beginning to sniffle; Sparkheart blinks in surprise, and then rubs his daughter's back and coos at her. <Awww..> murmurs Fistfight, clasping her hands to her heart. Wesley likely doesn't even remember that he blanked out, so it's a good thing that Melissa doesn't mention it. He nods at the girl, smiling a bit at the thought of her mother. "Well, she can wear it, if she wants," he says generously, before pausing as a thought hits. "I mean, if you want her to. And..you don't have to get me anything...erm, much. Maybe..if I see something I like, I could ask you to get it for me for my, my birthday, or something?" he questions. "Right now..I feel like I need sleep. ..And an HRTC tournament match where one of us doesn't forfeit," he adds, with a smirk. Boy, for a statement that could've been so loaded with bitterness, that almost sounded like a punch line. How many nights do you think Wesley stayed awake trying to think of that one?

What's that smell? Candylion? Better save be-Ooo, pretty colors! (Delet-er, saving!)

CrystalFire nods in reply to the male Pikachu, and, being of course a compassionate little girl, goes "Grrrrraawl" as a sort of <Awww> when Buttercup hugs her daddy. <I hope you were okay,> the white-furred Growlithe whispers quietly, having absolutely no idea what a Rhyhorn is but realizing that it's probably pretty big and mean. Though CrystalFire is pretty laid back and relaxed, her trainer is having a far more stressful time here. So many emotions, so many things she wants to say or should say but doesn't or can't or sheesh! Being social can be so difficult sometimes. "I... let her, yeah, but I... didn't want her using too much." She grins softly, maybe even mischievously. There's a pause, and the girl's eyebrows furrow behind her glasses slightly. "... You're in the tournament? ... Really? ... Where is it again?" Looks like somebody doesn't keep up on current events very well. Melissa does, however, seem interested, and she leans forward slightly to hear the boy's reply.

<I was, though I slept for a while,> Sparkheart says to CrystalFire. <But now I have my sweetie little baby girl to make me smile,> he singsongs to his daughter, licking the top of her head. Buttercup gives a wordless "Chuuu.." half a sigh and half a sob, as she curls up closer to her father. Skysnake is beginning to coil up her trainer, so Wesley stands stock still. Wesley doesn't seem to find socializing difficult; maybe he's just been looking forward to seeing Melissa so much that he can't keep silent for too long. "Yeah," he smiles softly. "It's in Neon. I have to keep taking the bus there, which gets a bit annoying at times. I always bring a book, but then I'm always so worried that I won't know what stop I'm getting off at, and it's especially hard to tell where to get off in Neon. Everything there is so bright; you hardly know what you're looking at. ..Although, the way to the tournament stadium is usually very obvious...so, I don't have too much trouble. In my first round, I forfeited the match by taking out Willow when he was going to go up against a Scyther that'd wounded him earlier. He was...very upset." Wesley pauses, glancing to the side for a second. "But Fay took out her Dewgong," he adds quickly. He sighs softly. "Still, I can't blame her too much. I took out one of my pokemon, and we really were going to lose that last fight anyway. We're going to be entering in all the other Hands...those are matches, is how I guess you'd describe them in a normal tournament. Except they have different rules for each Hand." Wesley scrunches up his face. "It's so confusing."

CrystalFire makes that "<Awww>" noise again when Buttercup curls up into her father, and her blue eyes sparkle and dance even in the oncoming night. Other than that, she says little, content to solely sit down on her rump and watch the two cuddle. Perhaps her curious mind wants to ask where the mother is, but out of decency, she does not. Melissa nods slowly when Wesley reveals the location of the tournament, though she does rear her head back a bit when he mentions hands and matches and such. "Willow hurt... that was the... um... he's the... greenish... bird?" She pauses for a second, before quite suddenly giving off a chuckle. "The one who got in my hair?" Ah, if there's one thing she remembers about that bird, it's got to be that. "Maybe if w... hm. ... Maybe you can... um... explain the rules to me at the Pokemon Center? ... It's dark, and I don't know my way around the town."

If there's one thing Wesley doesn't remember about Willow, it's that. "Uh, can't remember. ..But he likes to perch on people's heads. So, maybe." He might have wanted to shrug, but he doesn't, as Skysnake is coiled around his shoulders. "The Pokemon--sure," Wesley says, smiling brightly. "I actually know the way this time. Did I tell you I come from Hop Hop?" he asks as he begins the process of recalling his pokemon. In a flash of red light, Sparkheart, Buttercup, Minnaloush and Spike are all in their pokeballs. Wesley begins to bend down, before he frowns and recalls Skysnake as well, red light flaring behind him before the snake is sucked in. The boy then puts on his backpack, picks up his newspaper, and grabs his fast food back. "Well, I do. Come from Hop Hop, that is." Fistfight takes a few steps forward and Wesley automatically follows, stepping around Melissa before stopping and politely motioning for her to move, with a shy grin. If she does, Wesley's grin will become bold, and he'll keep up the conversation. "My dad works at the newspaper. I keep reading it to see if his name is in it somewhere, but I can't really find it." He doesn't sound too worried. "It's because I don't know where to look, I expect. I never thought much of newspapers, but they have some neat stuff. You know, I read this interesting article today..." It looks like Melissa will have to do some prodding if she wants to learn a bit more about HRTC. As it is, Wesley will prattle on about newspapers, and he'll mention some of the few sights he knows about in his hometown. He'll guide her easily through the park and the streets to the PokeCenter, and Fistfight will smile and maybe add a happy comment or two.

Melissa will follow Wesley pretty much the whole way, CrystalFire following very closely behind her. The teenager has hardly a clue of how to get around this strange, unfamiliar town. She will occasionally reply to the boy ("In Pewter's magazine, there's a list of the editors and people on the very back page..."), but for the most part, will remain silent. Not uncomfortably or awkwardly silent, she'll simply be more content to listen to the article Wesley read rather than talk about what she knows about the topic at hand. She will, however, try to keep her pace slow and steady in a desperate attempt to drag on the moonlight walk as long as it will go.