A slim hand wrapped around the frothy mug and pulled it away.

A quick sip before sitting down next to the gym leader.

Callie hadn't been able to help herself- this time, John Sullivan had just been too easy to tease.

"Thank you for the beer, Doug."

The corners of her lips and eyes crinkled subtly

"Eva and Matty should be here soon."

Eva got Doug settled in and then popped off to go find MATIAS SILPH . Taking a seat amongst the crowd he’d managed to gather, she waited for him to finish his last match. He won, of course, no surprise there. She didn’t waste much time grabbing his hand and tugging him along to the bar whether he wanted to tag along or not, “Doug is waitin’ for us, and Callie’s gonna be there too!” she smiles, glancing back over her shoulder to look at him.

Her hand leaves his at the sight of the duo, “Callie!” her arms fold around the woman in a big hug from behind. Personal boundaries were never her strong suit, “Awww Doug, you shouldn’t have,” she teases, grabbing two of the beers and handing one back to Matias, “Next round’s on me,” she winks.

John Sullivan & Calliope Marks & MATIAS SILPH

[attr="class","matias"]"doug's old enough to drink?"

matias chuckles, hand slipping into hers before he's tugged along, though it's not like he minds. he'd follow her anywhere.

it doesn't take them long to reach the bar. he greets the other two with a smile and sits down next to John Sullivan.

the beer Eva Morales hands him is not-so-discreetly slid over to the young captain.

"did you win your last match, doug?"

[attr="class","noodles"]John Sullivan + Calliope Marks + Eva Morales

Cheers mate, I'll drink to that

Amidst the madness of the HsT

"Hey!" Cried out Doug as his mug was tragically yoinked away in a horrifying betrayal of trust, Calliope Marks's cooties getting all over his sweet, sweet nectar.

The youth squinted at the woman's cheek, truly galled at the audacity.

"Just for that, I'm getting TWO!" The youth huffed before hailing the bartender, who within a few moments slid him two new beers...

Right unto Eva Morales's hands.

The knives just kept coming, one after another.

"Gasp." He said, actually gasping a moment later as the blonde not only took one, but handed the other to MATIAS SILPH. Et tu? "Is nothing sacred anymore?"

As it so happened, something was.

"Oh, nevermind then!" The youth said as he grabbed the mug Matias slid him over with a broad grin, utterly ruining his subtlety as he lifted it in the air like a prize. "Thanks bud! Bottoms up!"

The youth quite literally threw back his head and chugged down, never once pulling away from the mug until the drink had been downed like a shot before slamming it down on the counter with a sigh.

He grinned at the man besides him, a froth mustache on his upper lip.

"I am so long as yer here." He said cheekily with a wink, leaning his head against Callie's shoulder. "Thanks for the ticket, guys~."

---

TAG: MATIAS SILPH

Another sip of taken of her own stolen drink, Callie giving a soft huff of laughter when John Sullivan leaned his head on her.

"Have you ever drank before?" It's not like she could really scold him in good faith. She had a wild streak in her when she had been younger. A beer was the least of what her mother had had to worry about.

But, she did still worry for Doug. Or, at least the hangover the uninitiated might stagger into if they weren't careful.

"I hope the tournament is treating you well." Her very last match had been against MATIAS SILPH. Just like old times. Sadly, she hadn't gotten to face Eva Morales in a battle. Oh well. There was always next year.

Oh no, what did they get themselves into? Eva watches in shock as Doug chugs his beer in a surprisingly quick fashion. She takes a purposefully small sip of beer before setting in on the bar. Instead of taking a seat, she remains standing between John Sullivan and MATIAS SILPH , naturally shifting closer to the later, “Alright, Doug, you better behave yourself. I’m not gonna babysit you,” or tolerate reckless shenanigans. They’re too recognizable in a place like this.

Eva’s attention shifts to Callie when prompted. She smiles, “It was a blast! Got to test out a bunch of my newer pokemon. And there were some unique battles, for sure,” In other words, it is her excuse for her horrendous win:loss ratio.

John Sullivan & Calliope Marks & MATIAS SILPH

[attr="class","matias"]"guess this isn't your first drink."

matias gestures for another round, and the moment it comes, he reaches for the glass of beer and chugs it in one as well, matching the youngster.

he slides another to John Sullivan, and for himself.

at the mention of battles, matias chuckles, then punches doug on his shoulder.

"i hear we're sitting with the winner of the tournament right here."

[attr="class","noodles"]John Sullivan + Calliope Marks + Eva Morales

Cheers mate, I'll drink to that

Amidst the madness of the HsT

"I'm seventeen, not nine." Doug said, more or less responding to everyone's queries one way or another with a sniff while laying his mug on the table. "I drank when I first set out from home, just like everyone else!"

... Right? That wasn't just a weird local custom... hopefully.

"Grandpa said a wild Charizard might well eat a young trainer, so they might as well enjoy the finer things in life 'fore they bit it." He said, smiling fondly at the horrifically dismissive memory.

He snorted after, rolling his eyes.

"And then he went and got me borderline piss in a bottle; bloody thing might well have been water. Cheap ass old man." he said with a bark of laugh before hailing the bar tender for another drink.

A moment later, he almost falls off his chair as Matias smacks him in the shoulder.

"Wha- me?" Doug said, brow tilting before he barked a laugh. "Damn, where do ya get yer info? I gotta thank 'em for the vote of confidence!"

With so many people from all over the world participating, and specially with one kyle lopez running around with a rampaging 100% win record, he wasn't too certain he could pull it off.

---

TAG: Calliope Marks Eva Morales MATIAS SILPH

"I'm pretty sure the legal age is eighteen here." A small sip is taken from her own drink. She shoots John Sullivan a teasing look. "Do you think we need to report Doug for underage drinking?"

She slid her eye over to MATIAS SILPH, a bit of mischief sparkling there.

"And Matty for buying alcohol for minors..."

Silly things.

"It was fun. I did the same as you, Eva. Used some of my newer pokemon."

Subconsciously, she touched her pocket where her pokeballs were. Some gifts, some hard earned, all hers again. A slow build up from what had been taken.

Eva Morales

“Are we really??” Eva smiles, teasing John Sullivan alongside MATIAS SILPH, “Winner of the tournament; Making Kanto proud! Congrats, Doug!” Eva knew this, of course. She had been paying close attention to the rankings to mostly watch Matias rise towards the top. Eva’s very proud of both of their efforts throughout the tournament.

“Perhaps you can teach me a thing or two. I seem to be losing my touch with all this lab work,” she loves what she does, but there’s a hint of distaste in her words. It’s easy to miss the thrill of being out in the field.

“I’m sad we didn’t get to battle, Callie,” Eva sighs, turning her attention to her dear friend, “Guess we’ll just have to carve out some time for a battle then, eh?”Maybe not sometime soon, her pokemon are quite worn out from the lengthy tournament.

John Sullivan & Calliope Marks & MATIAS SILPH

[attr="class","matias"]at Calliope Marks's remark, matias glances over to eva.

"i'm not buying..."

Eva Morales is. hehe!

he sips at his beer this time, not quite wild enough yet to chug it.

"we should all battle each other sometime. i hear the kids are calling it a fatal four-way match, or something."

[attr="class","noodles"]John Sullivan + Calliope Marks + Eva Morales

Cheers mate, I'll drink to that

Amidst the madness of the HsT

Noodles Style, activate.

He bumped his elbow against Matias' side gently, sniffing.

"Yes you are, I ain't got a penny on me!"

Most of it went to hot&corn-dogs. A truly difficult meal to deepthroat, but luckily, he had practice.

With Churros, of course.

Doug sniffed at Calliope Marks, narrowing his eyes with a pout before quickly throwing a grin at Eva Morales.

"Aw, thanks! Congrats are nice... how 'bout buying me a drink as well?"

---

TAG: Calliope Marks Eva Morales MATIAS SILPH

"Better be careful so you don't stagger onto the stage when you get that trophy." Was said to John Sullivan, a small grin on her face. Didn't that start soon?

"Wouldn't be a good look in front of the crowd." She raised a brow at MATIAS SILPH but gave Eva Morales a very subtle elbow.

Reaching over, she tried to snatch the drinks from the two boys. Hopefully with help, if Eva caught on. If she succeeded, they would be drank down quick and smoothly. Only on success.

"Which means more for us, Eva!" The benefits of being in the loser's circle.