sunlight makes streaks of purple across the sky as mila exits the hub of mauville city and onto the opening route. wind blows in her hair, fresh air filling her lungs. it feels like it has been ages since she has seen the light of day - and maybe it has - from the concerned way that her alolan ninetales is staring at her, in that same annoyingly, expectant way that he always looks at her whenever he thinks she's about to make a bad decision.

"i don't need sleep," she says, a puff of cold air escaping her. hoenn never gets cold enough to warrant any real snow - the fake snow at the fortree festivities hardly counts. but sometimes it gets warm enough to be a little cold, a little biting. "sleep is for losers, vinny."

and that's what she feels like she needs right now, a little bit of a bite.

before the ninetales can respond, however, he senses others on the path. mila stops in her stroll, squinting at the sight of angelo vestri and his arcanine and she smiles, wide and sharp, before trotting over to them. when she's close enough, she places a hand on her hip as she stands above them, with a smirk, and says, "sleeping on the floor? that can't be comfy."

hi!! my first wild thread >:)
also - maybe i'll make this pretty later? heh, lazy

Campfire dying just the slightest prematurely, Regulus chews on a lump of wood with his fire fang one last time, just to keep them going until their morning routine was complete. Angelo unconsciously mumbles a thanks against the rim of his mug, steam drifting over his senses and starting to chase away the sleepiness that clung to the corner of his eyes. It didn’t matter whether it was a good brand or not, coffee was still coffee and he paid little mind to how it burned his tongue, far too focused on sipping the caffeine until it gave him a kick.

Conversations, especially unexpected ones, could also help achieve that…

Regulus alerted him to the approaching woman and her Ninetales before Angelo spotted them, nose suddenly bumping against the side of his head and almost making him choke on his coffee as the large canine knocked his head forward. “Ah, fuc-“ His drink threatens to slosh over the side but he manages to balance it, avoiding a potential splash just as he turns to regard a stranger, stepping up to his makeshift camp without so much as an introduction. If Angelo is bothered by it, he doesn’t show it.

“Nope, hurts your back after a while,” he admits, lips lazily curled at the woman before turning back to his mug. “But it’s free and the view isn’t all too bad. So I guess it balances out.” Remaining crouched in front of the campfire, Angelo blinks briefly towards the distance where the ruined cycling path remained bathed in dawn light, his flying pokemon dots of varying sizes amongst the rubble.

“Early morning stroll? Or are you here to try and get some free coffee out of me?” He asks with a raised amused brow, conversationally as he turns back to the stranger and takes a sip.

skipping // mila alexopoulos

It seemed like the guy was unprepared for her presence — he nearly let out an expletive as she approached, almost spilling his drink over himself. Though, probably, that had more to do with the fact that his canine companion had nearly knocked the drink out of his hand.

[break][break] At his words, a laugh bubbles to her lips. "To each their own, I guess," she said. Though personally, she didn't think that she could sleep anywhere but the comfy, sweet embrace of her queen-sized bed, propped with plenty of pillows and duvets to keep her comfortable. Or, well, the love seat in the studio — though that hardly counted, since most of the time it wasn't really intentional.

[break][break] Following his gaze, she looks at the two pokemon that could be found in the distance. Like angelo vestri , neither quite appealed to Mila. In fact, the cute boy appealed to her much more. Mila stepped forward, before sitting down next to the other and getting herself comfortable, pulling her knees up. Eyes twinkling, she smiled at him, something coy tucked into the corner of her mouth. "Depends. Are you offering?"

[break][break] Her Ninetales stayed by her side, but was far less likely to get comfortable. He looked at the Arcanine, gaze hesitant, as if still deciding whether or not to interact.

[break][break]

also skipping, thanks!

There’s a Hawlucha that approaches the makeshift camp, too. Angelo tosses a pokeball before it comes too close, taking interest in it but not quite in the mood to do battle until his morning coffee was settling warm in his stomach. He’s more inclined to talk to the stranger, it seemed; with her playful energy and apparent boldness that sees her sitting down next to him. Angelo doesn’t discourage it, smiling languidly back at her as she makes herself comfortable. The colourful streak in her hair catches his eye.

“Think there’s enough here for two,” he muses, glancing down at the small camping kettle on the campfire, keeping the liquid warm. There would be enough for them, he had made a serving for himself and a little bit more, just in case he really needed it. But he doesn’t have a second mug, being a lone camper and all; no way he could carry a whole kitchen set with him. So, he doesn’t pour one out for the woman…

Instead, he tips the hot brew back again, enjoying the feeling of the flavour sinking into his bones. “But usually I like to know someone’s name before I get them coffee,” Angelo raises a brow at her before holding his mug out in invitation for her to take, if she was so inclined to share.

“I’m Angelo.”

catching hawlucha // mila alexopoulos

A small, colorful bird approaches them but it seems like her companion doesn't have to even look before he's throwing a pokeball off his shoulder and catching the wild pokemon in one fell-swoop. Her brow rises. "Nice," she comments, eyes glancing only towards a fluttering VIVILLON that soars overhead. She reaches into her bag and taking point, tosses the sphere lightly in the air to catch the passer-by, listening to it's final click as it rolls around in her hand. Mila looks at him, winking, before tossing the ball back into her bag. He wasn't the only one who was good with their hands.

[break][break] The smell of coffee distracts her once again, and they engage in idle chit chatter, as she asks him for a cup of joe. He is calm and mellow as he muses at the potential for more coffee, gesturing to the camp fire. She looks at the iron kettle which, surely enough, has room for two. Her smile is tucked into the corner of her mouth as she awaits an answer.

[break][break] And sure enough, it comes — in the face of an outstretched mug, and she is quick to grab it, in a smooth, easy motion. She takes a sip of the coffee first before answering his unspoken question. "Looks like I'm your exception then, huh?" she says lightly, before handing the mug back to him. The warm liquid settles in her stomach, making the sleep and fatigue from last night's adventures dissipate, as she smiles at him. "Just kidding. I'm Mila. Nice to meet you."

[break][break] She pulls her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them as she gazes out into the distance. There is something about the burgeoning sunrise, the smell of coffee on a just-made fire that makes her feel warm inside.

[break][break] Mila doesn't talk about it though. Instead, the woman turns to angelo vestri . "So, you like camping huh? Are you, like, a Cubchoo scout or something?" She inclines her head towards him, waiting for an answer.

[break][break] Meanwhile, Vincenzo edges forward, cautiously nosing the Arcanine's tail to investigate further.

[break][break]

catches the Vivillon!

“You’re not too bad yourself,” he responds as the woman ensnares a Vivillon for herself with an elegant throw, making it all seem effortless in the glow of the dawn. Angelo catches the wink she sends next, tossed his way just as easily as her previous capture and he can’t help the way his lips curl at the corners in response.

It seems the stranger doesn’t have a problem with sharing the mug; Angelo exchanging it from his hand to hers, where she takes one sip before it is passed back along the line. Laughter echoes softly into the half-full container as the word ‘exception’ drifts into his ear, cheerful and light. Angelo’s smile is hidden, its secretive twist concealed to the woman sitting adjacent as his thoughts momentarily drift; holding onto a private memory.

“Nice to meet you, Mila. You make a habit out of crashing campsites? Or, in a twist, is it actually me who's the exception?” He asks, sharing in her tone as he takes another sip of coffee and savours the poor quality as it sits warm within him. At his back, Regulus shifts in response to the Ninetales as it approaches, the large fire canine lugging his bulk up into a sitting position. Angelo passes the mug back to Mila just in time; Reg’s big, fluffy tail slapping against his back in a wag as he greets the other pokemon.

“Something like that,” Angelo laughs, vague in his answer as the newcomer asks if he used to be part of the Cubchoo Scouts. He didn’t even know if they had those in Alto Mare; though even if they had, he probably wouldn’t have been one. “If I was then I’d be the fresh faced, bottom of the pecking order Cubchoo. I haven’t actually been camping for very long.”

A Noctowl swoops, probably back to its tree to sleep now that the morning had begun in earnest. At least it would have, if Angelo didn’t toss a pokeball in the air towards it.

catching noctowl // mila alexopoulos

It feels like it's been a while since she has been able to share such a pleasant conversation with a stranger — or maybe, that's just the sleep deprivation getting to her. After all, Mila has never been the type of person who was ever left wanting for company. She thinks about this as she sips the sub-par coffee, which seems delicious to her sleep-deprived brain. The warmth the coffee offers in the cold dawn of the day definitely helps, and she's almost reluctant when she hands it back to him to drink.

[break][break] "You make a habit out of crashing campsites? Or, in a twist, is it actually me who's the exception?"

[break][break] A surprised laugh, unbidden, comes bubbling to her lips. This, she knows is a step away from her normal — but Mila gladly accepts it. It's not common that someone can throw her off her toes, even in a small way. "Maybe," she says, her tone coy, as she takes the coffee mug back from him and presses her lips to it. She lets the silence hang between them, deciding intentionally to let him wait for it, as he eyes drag over to Vincenzo and the giant canine that he has decided to bother. The Arcanine lifts his giant fluffy tail, catching the Alolan Ninetales off guard, and makes him step back a bit.

[break][break] "You might wanna watch yourself, Vinny," she says to him with a twinkle in her eye, and her pokemon gives her a long-suffering look, one perfectly practiced of more than 20 years together, before reaching forward to greet the excitable Arcanine by attempting to touch noses with him. He may not be as excitable, but he knows how to be polite.

[break][break] Turning back to angelo vestri , she decides to finally respond. "Maybe," she says, "But I can't give away all my secrets. You're gonna have to get me more than coffee to find out. Maybe even a drink." Her voice is lightly suggestive, but nothing serious, and she lets the conversation shift as Angelo answers her question in full. "Oh, I don't know about that," she says loftily, giving him an appreciative once-over. "I think you'd surprise me.""

[break][break] The Noctowl that Angelo tries to catch is actually chasing a Heracross not too far away. The bug pokemon raises it's wings in a form of a hackle, just in time for Mila to toss a pokeball at it as well, an attempted capture.

uses pokeball at heracross (2 used total)

Thankfully Regulus knows how to control himself and while his tail may sweep across the grass excitedly, he calmly brings his nose down towards the Ninetales, bumping them together in a pleasant greeting. “Don’t worry about him,” Angelo adds in after the woman’s teasing warning to her pokemon, reaching a hand back to pat firmly against the Arcanine’s side. “He’s a big softie, really. Just forgets he’s as big as a truck sometimes.” Ignoring his trainer, Regulus remains leaning close to his new acquaintance, sniffing curiously at his ear in puffs of heated air without any regard to personal space.

Turning back, Angelo takes the mug from Mila and tips back the last remaining drops, draining it with a soft sigh of satisfaction into the fresh morning breeze. Caffeine starting to smooth away the tired edges that clung blearily in the corner of his eyes, alerting him more to the stranger’s suggestive comments – flirtatious and light, growing seemingly bolder. His lips curl, a soft chuckle emerging before he turns blue eyes away from her.

“It’s a little early for a drink,” he comments with a smile, words curling off a mischievous tongue. There’s no attempt to extend an invitation for one later, a purposeful decision on Angelo’s part; his playfulness surface level and lacking in intent. “All I can offer you is one more cup of sub-par coffee. Think that’ll cover one or two questions, at least.”

Shifting, Angelo moves onto one knee and pokes at the campfire with a stick, tending to the flames as smoke furls into the distance – embers dancing within. Then he takes a peek in the kettle, handling it by means of pulling his sleeve over his palm, peering to see how much was left in the container. Angelo misses the once over but he does catch Mila’s comments as he’s pouring the last of his coffee into the mug, flashing her a look.

“Oh yeah?” There’s an amused edge to his voice as he finishes serving up the coffee, passing it over to Mila for the first sip as he flops back down onto his ass and leaning back on his hands, blades of grass tickling his fingers. “Take a guess then. Why do you think I’m camping out in the routes by myself? I’m not promising I’ll tell you if you get it right, though.”

Regulus lets out a short, gruff bark as a brown Farfetch’d strolls nearby, alerting Angelo so he can casually toss a pokeball.

catching farfetch'd // mila alexopoulos

His words made Mila laugh. "He seems like the type to think he's a lap dog." Her eyes twinkled with merry amusement as she looked at the large canine, who seemed to have no qualms about getting close in her Vincenzo's personal space as he breathed puffs of warm breath in his ear.

[break][break] Vinny made a bit of a grunt, but otherwise allowed him. There weren't many pokemon on Mila's team currently that were as friendly as the large hound appeared to be, but that didn't meant that the ice-type didn't have his fair share of experiences. Plus, at the very least, the fire-type didn't seem malicious.

[break][break] "Touché," the woman said with a smirk, in response to the other's comment about it being a bit early for alcohol. Even if she wasn't sure she agreed - some early mornings made for a lovely time to open a bottle of Chardonnay, or at the very least, some mimoas — he did have a point. She hummed under her breath lightly as she considered his words, her eyes playful, as she decided whether to take him up on his offer of asking her a few more prying questions. "I suppose I have no choice, huh?" she smirks.

[break][break] In the meantime, she allowed the quiet to settle over the both of them as angelo vestri prepared the second cup of coffee for the morning. The caffeine was finally beginning to settle, making her feel a little more settled and a little less sleep-deprived than she had a moment earlier. Her gaze follows his hands as he pours her another cup of coffee, and she goes over to grab it. "Well - " her voice, perhaps coy, lets out a sound of surprise as a wild Passiman appears out of nowhere and nearly bowls them over.

[break][break] Mila is quick on her feet, a hand going over to tug the back of her companion's collar so that he doesn't get barreled over in the process. Unfortunately, the coffee in her hand is knocked over and part of it spills on her skirt. She watches the ape pokemon disappear with a small huff, and then looks down at her skirt. It isn't ruined - at least, it was leather - but it does make things uncomfortable. Without a regard for her company, Mila unzips and steps out of her skirt, and then lifts it up in the air, likely somewhere near Angelo's face.

[break][break] Sensing a need, Vincenzo is quick to hop away from his canine companion and over to his owner, where he deposits a gleaming ice cube in her hands with a breath of cold air from ice shard. The ice sparkles in her grip as she runs it over the skirt, the cool liquid merging with the coffee stain and dripping down onto the grassy floor. Since the fire is still running - somehow - Mila leans over and places the fabric somewhere dry to warm, before finding another dry spot and settling down next to Angelo again. "Sorry about that," she says with a grimace. "Looks like I'll have to stay with you a bit longer. Not that I mind," she says with a wink.

[break][break]

skips on the PASSIMIAN ! (2 pokeballs used total)