[attr="class","adriantag"]#Orion Lykos

[attr="class","adrianscroll"]Reluctant as he was to be trudging through soot caked tall grass, Adrian found himself rather excited to make the venture to Fallarbor Town, if only to see the sights. There was also tell of a Fossil Collector and Contest Hall, among other things. After finding a suitable vista to survey the landscape of Route 113 from however, Adrian had found the unique flora species to be the most intriguing aspect. That, and maybe the spinda aimlessly meandering about with a wobble to their step.[break][break]

As he came to walk along the established path, he soon found himself sharing the company of a few other travelers, whom he tried to give a respectful distance. Yet as they all neared a patch of bushes, a ranger stationed there greeted them with a request: Assist them in the collection of berries, and walk away with a small prize. Adrian hadn't ever seen berries quite like these before, and contemplated volunteering himself.[break][break]

The travelers ahead of him refused politely, making sure to excuse themselves due to the elements, more pressing matters, erc. And while it was true the area was none quite so hospitable as perhaps Verdanturf Town (or literally almost anywhere else,) it held a certain charm of its own. As the others filed away towards their respective destinations, Adrian was able to approach the lone ranger. "I'm in no hurry," he opened with cordially. "I can help a little." Letting out a light chuckle, he added "Think of it as my civic duty. Name's Adrian, by the way."[break][break]

Approaching the brush the ranger was tending to, he rummaged a hand through the dense foliage until his fingers found purchase on a soft, squishy growth. Working his fingers around the bulbous shape until he found the leafy end of a stem, he plucked the berry from the bush before inspecting it curiously. "That's one down." But he could not set it down anywhere, and in that moment decided to brandish one of his poke balls in order to improvise something. A vileplume was unleashed, and Adrian quickly knelt beside it, placing a hand upon one of its massive petals. "Hey, we need to collect some berries. I'll let you have some if you help out."[break][break]

Needless to say his pokemon seemed rather complacent with his request, and after a moment of instruction, Adrian was able to have his vileplume stretch its petals so that it formed a bowl for him to place berries within. There he would drop the lone berry he'd retrieved before turning to the ranger for further direction. "How much needs doin' yet?" Still his fingers deftly searched the bush before them, his vileplume searching the lower half, either of them tossing berries upwards into the makeshift basket that was vileplume's head.[break][break]

He glanced over at the weavile accompanying the stranger, eyeing it cautiously. Its claws unsettled him, but clearly the pokemon wasn't wild.

[attr="class","wizzcred"]❤ wizz

[attr="class","adriantag"]#Orion Lykos

[attr="class","adrianscroll"]Adrian failed to suppress a smile as the ranger quipped at his Weavile. Delicately searching the bush for berries, he quickly decided to leave the last few berries go, lest they leave nothing behind for the indigenous population of pokemon. Taking a few short strides to an adjacent bush, him and his vileplume continued to work diligently, while the trainer tried to think of something else to say. Silence didn't suit him.[break][break]

"How long have you been a ranger for?" It seemed like an innocent question, nothing too dodgy about it, he hoped. Mostly it was just small talk, but he supposed his speculations weren't enough to satisfy his curiosity; was berry picking really a ranger's duty? He'd always imagined them deep in the wilderness, completing daring tasks and rescues. Though perhaps he was underestimating the worth of these berries to the association, and to pokemon in general. He turned one over in his hand, inspecting it carefully. It was much harder and salmon colored, hardly like what he expected of a typical berry. But he dropped it into his growing pile nonetheless.[break][break]

"I've only been here in Hoenn for just over a month. I haven't seen most of it yet, but..." he took pause to try and find his words. "I like it here. I'm sure the rangers do their fair share to keep it the way it is." Was he trying to thank the ranger Orion for his public service, however small or insignificant this task seemed? He wasn't so sure, perhaps now he was just rambling...[break][break]

As he absentmindedly rummaged through a bush, something dug across his frisky digits, causing him to inhale sharply through gritted teeth. "I think that was a thorn," he cursed lowly. "I'll just have to be more careful." Rampant paranoia struck him as he clutched at the afflicted finger, bringing it to his mouth to suckle away the blood before it stained his clothes. What if these were poisonous...? He tried to consider it for a moment, but deduced the ranger would probably have afforded them protective gloves if they were handling volatile goods.[break][break]

Vileplume kept dutifully plucking berries after casting a concerned sideways look his way, although it knew better than to try and help, being highly poisonous itself. Thankfully Adrian hadn't bled much, and the cut was mostly superficial, although damn did it itch and prickle. Once his digit stopped flowing with red, he resumed his task in earnest. "Where are you taking the berries to, anyways?" It only just crossed his mind he might have to accompany them the rest of the way if he was to claim his due prize.

[attr="class","wizzcred"]❤ wizz

[attr="class","adriantag"]#Orion Lykos

[attr="class","adrianscroll"]"Sinnoh." Memories of the rugged, mountainous region flood back through his mind. Memories that remind him of his time there as a kid, recklessly challenging Gym Leaders well beyond his caliber, finding fault in his abilities as a trainer. They weren't exactly the fondest of memories, but they were of home, and that brought a sort of happiness with it. Even if it left a bitter taste in his mouth. "It's a nice place. Mt. Coronet makes going anywhere on foot a pain, though."[break][break]

By now they had a modest pile accumulating atop vileplume's head, and Adrian had thinned out the bush he was currently tending to. Orion informed him where they would be taking the berries, and he gave a silent nod of approval. It was well enough for him, not so far out of the way, in fact it mostly kept him on track. "That's fair." He carried himself over to another bush, this time finding a delightfully squishy blue fruit; an Oran Berry.[break][break]

"I'd sooner take the path to Fallarbor as well," he agreed with the ranger. "That's the direction I was headed." The elements finally started to get to him, as a thin sheen of sweat began to make him feel clammy, his clothes sticking to him uncomfortably. If he went further past Fallarbor, then Adrian might even be able to visit the hot springs in Lavaridge Town. The idea tempted him, although he wondered if he could make the trip before nightfall... On foot? Perhaps not, but by arcanine...? He liked his odds.[break][break]

"So, what kinda missions have you been on? Anything daring-do?" Adrian figured most rangers would have an exciting tale or two to tell, of a time where they helped resolve some crisis or disaster. Something that sounded heroic when told properly, and would help to pass their time laboring under the sun. Plus, he'd always kind of held the ranger association in high regard, despite deferring to a different path himself.

[attr="class","wizzcred"]❤ wizz

[attr="class","adriantag"]#Orion Lykos

[attr="class","adrianscroll"]"It's taller, but it's no volcano." In the way that Mt. Coronet was a treacherous climb, Mt. Chimney was something worse, a trench of magma roiling with destructive power. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't nervous to be walking so close to it, and yet he was assured it posed no immediate danger. But even still...[break][break]

"You think so?" Adrian didn't have any objections, he just wanted to be certain they'd gathered enough. He didn't fancy the idea of coming back here to finish the job. But the ranger seemed resolved, and so he and vileplume filed over to him, that they might make the journey to Fallarbor Pokemon Center. It was at this point they decided to relent on his inquiry, regaling him with a bit of a tale from his ranger days past. They had befallen quite ill circumstances it seemed, but emerged victorious nonetheless, which was admirable.[break][break]

Orion broke into a coughing fit as the ash began to grow heavier in the air. "You alright?" Their face had grown rosy, their eyes dazzling with water as they teared up, his expression strained. Even Adrian could feel a tickle in his throat, despite his shallow breathing. "Is it always like this?" It must've been quite a drag to live here, he supposed. Or maybe the people of Fallarbor were used to it by now. Their path took them along the route for a ways while he followed just past Orion's side, lagging behind with his pokemon.[break][break]

He was slightly surprised when Orion asked him about his adventures as a trainer. "Well, I started in Sinnoh, obviously." He remembers taking up his first Gym Challenge, and failing miserably. In his defense, he was just a child, but then so were some of the great prodigies when they first found their calling in being a pokemon trainer. He decided to tell him of anything but, lest he embarrass himself.[break][break]

"But that was a long time ago. When I was traveling through the desert though, I found a pupitar. Honestly surprised I caught the damned thing; you should see how they move!" He gave an abrupt laugh before dropping the topic. There wasn't much to his story yet, being honest, but there was many a page left unwritten. He still had the time to change that.[break][break]

"How far is Fallarbor, anyway?"

[attr="class","wizzcred"]❤ wizz

[attr="class","adriantag"]#Orion Lykos

[attr="class","adrianscroll"]"I guess they are, I've heard they're uncommon even around Mt. Coronet." Hopefully the other trainer didn't think of him the boastful sort, having elected to tell him of the chance encounter purely to offer an insight into some of his feats. But they seemed to think nothing of it beyond congratulating him, which helped steer the conversation somewhere safer. Soon enough they were coming up on Fallarbor Town, Orion pointing a digit to single out the Pokemon Center for Adrian.[break][break]

"I see it!" He nearly shouts it full of enthusiasm, demonstrating just how little he appreciated the downpour of ash. Vileplume gave a shrill cry as well, relieved to know it could unfurl its petals sooner rather than later. As they came up to the center and entered, Orion helped unload the berries and handed them over to their courier.[break][break]

Orion turns to thank him, which has Adrian consciously scratching at the nape of his neck with one hand, having difficulty accepting thanks. Especially when he'd done it under promise of a reward. "Don't sweat it, man." He tried to feign modesty and indifference, although truly he was waiting around for the reward. "It was a pleasure, plus I got something out of it myself." After receiving a small parcel from their courier, he waved goodbye to Orion, departing for Lavaridge Town.[break][break]

"You take are now," he said in parting. "And try not to hack up a lung," he finished with a teasing smile before disappearing through the sliding door, back out into the soot-coated wilderness.