the things that you might like don't grow inside of me

"Bitch as much as you want, it's not gonna make me go any faster." While the words spoken were harsh, the tone in Ryusuke voice was less scolding as much as it was simply stating a fact. Grovyle, likewise, failed to take offense as the Wood Gecko merely paused atop the rock outcropping a few meters ahead, eyes glaring back in mock judgement before hopping back down to the cave's floor and darting to the next stalagmite several more meters off.

Meteor Falls was, surprisingly, actually crowded for once... and to be entirely honest, Ryusuke wasn't sure what to make of it. Typically speaking the place had always been fairly empty, a wide open space with little readily visible aside from the light tan and gold colored stone that made up the cavern walls and the numerous rock formations within. Beyond that... water. Lots and lots of water, and more than enough Zubat and Geodude to go around if you hadn't brought along enough Repels to keep them away. Generally speaking all of those things were on the list of crap Ryusuke tended to avoid at all costs, but after his trip to Johto... it was hard to explain, but the place bore a similar enough resemblance to Dragon's Den that all of those previous complaints didn't seem to matter quite as much anymore.

The people, though, were another story entirely. Normally scientists tended to be among the few kinds of people Ryusuke would readily tolerate as they could usually offer up some intelligent conversation if pressed to, but not here. Their presence ruined whatever quality it was that drew the blond back to the caves after his last visit the day before, and that meant getting deeper. Far enough in that they couldn't readily or willingly follow, and while Ryusuke was more than capable of it the rough terrain was still enough to slow him down as well.

Something that Grovyle took a fair amount of delight in, the little prick.

Clad in his usual black clothing and red duster, though, they'd made it a fair ways into the cave, far enough that the voices of the other scientists back in the main cavern could only be heard echoing off of the cave's walls. At this point he and Grovyle had gone far enough in that the only other people they were likely to run into were the Dragon Tamers that used the caves as a personal retreat and training ground, and they were going to be few and far between.

@honoka

the things that you might like don't grow inside of me

His back facing towards the main cavern that they had come from, Ryusuke was initially unaware of the fact that another person had chosen to take the same path he had - rather, his eyes were too busy scanning over the rock formations in the well lit cavern, beams of sunlight piercing down from holes in the ceiling above. Without the constant noise and chattering of the crowd out front there was much more room to simply think, and it was a concession that Ryusuke would take any day of the week. As it was the blond trainer had lost himself so deeply in thought that he failed to notice the sound that came with another pair of boots touching down on stone a few meters back - although Grovyle, having been facing Ryusuke, quite clearly saw the girl's arrival, head tilting and expression shifting to the closest rendition of a raised eyebrow that his reptilian features would allow. Not that the Pokemon made any attempt to notify his partner of the new arrivals, instead silently appraising the pair as his yellow eyes would settle on the Gible clinging to Honoka's shoulder, gaze locking onto the Dragon as he began sizing the smaller Pokemon up.

Ryusuke, however, would remain oblivious until she actually spoke - only then did she demand his immediate attention.

"The hell-?" Ryusuke muttered, voice quickly registering as a familiar one in his head but failing to connect to a name or face until the blond's head whipped around in surprise and spotted the source - although even then it still took a moment. There were a handful of other trainers that Ryusuke had made a point to keep track of, but they were few and far between. Even then they were typically out of sight and out of mind until and unless he needed something or until they encountered each other again... much like this. Despite Honoka being one such trainer it had been literally weeks if not months since they'd last spoken, and to be completely honest he hadn't expected to run into her again after leaving Johto - at least not by chance. To say that this little meeting had come out of left field was a bit of an understatement, although Honoka herself didn't seem to be nearly as caught off guard by the sudden encounter.

"... to put it mildly. The hell are you doing all the way out here, I thought you'd still be in Johto?" Ryusuke said, glancing to Grovyle only to confirm that the Pokemon had indeed been aware of her presence. Not that the Wood Gecko cared - or, more likely, noticed as his gaze was still locked to the small Pokemon on Honoka's shoulder. Hand coming up to scratch at the back of his head, Ryusuke turned to look back to the other trainer for a moment before speaking again.

"He's new, when'd you get him?" Ryusuke said, nodding to the Gible.

@honoka