”Mmm… Kinda? Not really?”

To be fair, Vic is incapable of staying still for more than ten minutes on a good day, and it hadn’t been long after they had sat at the beach that he had begun subtly but restlessly tapping his feet (yes, he was wearing sandals, are you happy now?).

He yawns. Elbows on knees, his head rests on his hand while violet eyes watch the sand in waits for the little turtle pokémon to suddenly pop out – or for anything to happen, honestly. Vic isn’t really made for waiting around.

”You think so? They did say it would be around this time.” With this, he stretches his arms up towards the sky, straightening his back.

”Man, we should’ve brought some coffee…”

Being a ranger isn’t a very glamorous profession, and it also isn’t all excitement and adventure. Sometimes, being a ranger is sitting at a beach for hours while waiting for some eggs to hatch, and while Vic really loves his job, he also really wishes the Tirtouga would show up already...

”You sure? What if we miss them?” He worries, but he accepts Lance’s offer anyway – taking his hand and standing up. It’s been too long, and it feels like every bone in his body is thankful to no longer be sitting down.

”I’m so bad at waiting around like this. Did you do this often before?”

Before.

Before they met, of course.

”Aw, he’s cute.”

It’s true, though it doesn’t take much for Vic to think this about a pokémon. He wouldn’t be a ranger if he didn’t like them, after all.

Smiling, he goes along with Lance, although it is concern that flashes in his gaze for a passing moment before he dismisses it. ”Guess it’s always the same, huh? I should probably get used to that.” It’s been months since Vic himself became a ranger, how many years will pass until he’s used to waiting around?

’You sure being a ranger's the best thing for you?’

Maybe no years will pass. Maybe Lance is right and he’s not cut out for this. Maybe he will fail at it just like he has failed at everything else he has ever done.

The question is one difficult for Vic, and silence lingers between them for a couple of seconds.

Still, he laughs lightly, because shoving his feelings aside and smiling is perhaps the one thing Vic is best at. ”Ah, do I? I wouldn’t say I am, but I’ve always been kind of bad at this sort of thing. I just wanna help out, I guess.” He shrugs, but his words are honest.

Is he in the right region?

Maybe. Vic’s time outside Unova had been a weird experience for him so far. He had always felt more like a tourist when living in Galar, even if he had attended university and challenged gyms there, and that feeling had also prevailed when doing conservation work in Alola.

Does he feel like a tourist in Hoenn? Not really. Not anymore. If only because perhaps Lance is right and there is always something to do and someone that might need a hand (even if that speaks of how fucked up things in the region can be at times).

”What I’d do? Mmm… Dunno. I was really into training for a while.”

A while had actually been all his life. A while had been endless hours of studying and preparing his pokémon to battle one gym after another. All because he had always wanted to become Unova Champion, just like his father had been once. And what does Vic have to show for all that? Sixteen badges that sit framed at his apartment, collecting dust.

When they reach the vending machine, he puts a couple of coins in and presses the button to get himself a can of Charja-cola.

”I think I like this much better though.”

With the chilled can now in hand, a finger is placed under the tab, pushing it up. Still, he pauses before taking a sip, his lavender gaze fixing on the ranger captain.

”Huh, really? Honestly, I didn’t take you for the type... That’s pretty cool though, I always wanted to try the Sinnoh circuit. I did Unova and Galar.”

A grin and a short laugh.

It’s what he used to want to, at least. Back when he cared about that sort of thing and thought he wanted to be a successful trainer... Isn’t he technically already one though? Not by Vic’s standards.

Of course, he tries not to think of that, so he takes a sip of his Charja-cola – the drink ever too sweet.

”Hm… I don’t think so? I always get too serious about things when I start challenging gyms, and then it ends up more stressful than fun.” Another shrug, because it’s the truth, even if Vic rarely admits to that.

’Just something for the future.’

Is that really the sort of thing he wants to do in the future? One day, maybe, because there will always be something fun and exciting about challenging gyms and earning badges, but in reality that’s definitely not something he should be thinking about right now.

Vic is content with the way things are, with life as a ranger, even with the tedious bits like waiting for hours for some Tirtouga to hatch. In the end, it’s all rewarding, and it makes him happy, so it’s not difficult to smile when Lance suggests heading back.

”Good plan, wouldn’t want anything to get at them.”

Just in case, his ever reliable Dragapult is called out of its pokéball as they walk back to the beach, the ghostly drake disappearing in plain sight in order to keep an eye on things from the shadows. Nothing will happen to the Tirtouga, not on their watch.

LANCE VOLLANS