Evidently, his current disguise wasn’t flawless.

Hideo hadn’t expected someone here to call him by name, let alone his Beheeyem’s name. He practically froze up with a crooked smile, afraid it was someone that was looking for him - until the second it took him to recognize the voice.

Maybe Andy Blackadder was right. He’d have to put some more work into this disguise if he didn’t want anyone finding him. But at least Eris Halla was someone he could trust.

“O-oh,” he got out, regaining his composure, “Hey Eris.” He offered a small hand-wave to her, while his Beheeyem waved with an entire arm. “Didn’t think you’d be all the way in Sootopolis.” He didn’t expect anyone he knew to be here. At least not roaming the streets like he was.

Not much reason to avoid her question any longer.

“I’m here ‘cause I’m doing the gym circuit. I thought I could take a bit of a stroll around Sootopolis ‘fore I head to the gym here.” Maybe he could even find out where the gym was before reaching that step. “I’ve never really gotten a chance to walk around Sootopolis. Or any city really.”

Not without that metaphorical leash around his neck the entire time.

“So how ‘bout you, Eris? You visiting Sootopolis too?“ He would’ve thought she’d be in Mossdeep. That’s where he assumed Ji-Hoon Ki was still living, and considering he was now one of Eris’s fathers…

Maybe she was also here for the gym challenge?  Or Mr. Ki was in the city too and she was tagging along?

Eris Halla

Hideo's blown low-effort cover was proving to help him more than it hindered him. He had to consider himself lucky that Eris was the only one who knew him here.

"Didn't know you knew Sootoplis so well." Granted, everyone knew more about Sootopolis than he did. Or any city other than Slateport, for that matter. "I guess a guided tour wouldn't hurt." Helped that he trusted Eris, after that disaster with Andy Blackadder and the Type:Null. All the kids in that group, he trusted well.

Only member he was the least bit anxious about was John Sullivan , considering Doug's familiarity with his parents.

As for why Eris knew Sootopolis well? His first assumption was maybe Mr. Ki had moved here, and that's why Eris was more familiar with this city. Judging by how Eris seemed, he could guess they'd managed to get by fine.

Though that assumption was dashed when she mentioned this place was sentimental to her. Curious as Hideo was, he knew Eris was an orphan not-too-long ago. He wouldn't pry, for he believed he already knew what her sentimentality was directed towards.

And he'd already stumbled enough times accidentally asking people about their dead parents.

"I guess everyone's got their reasons to be here," Hideo said. "I've always wanted to check out Sootopolis. I hear the caves here are real pretty." Obviously not something he could really appreciate, but that wasn't why he wanted to check them out; "And I hear the acoustics are really nice!"

Plus there was the more recent addition to Sootopolis. "And, uh, you know anything about the giant tree that popped up? People are telling me not to go there." He had to wonder what made a giant tree grow in the middle of Sootopolis - and what kind of Pokemon he could find around it. "That just makes me want to check it out more."

Eris Halla

Hideo was caught off guard. He didn't expect Eris to just bring it up at all, especially not like that. He hadn't planned to bring it up, but his face was decidedly less subtle. The curse of not being familiar with facial cues - even his own.

"Oh," was the first thing he could muster up to say. "If you're fine with it, then yeah, we could visit them sometime." Not that he even knew who her parents were, but hey, he’d accompany her there if she wanted to visit.

It passed his mind that he should explain how he knew about that. "I, uh, learned about it because I met one of your dads during the Hoenn Star Tournament." He'd learned both that she had been an orphan, and that her orphan status had been revoked fairly recently. "It was Ji-Hoon Ki. I'd actually met him a few times before that match, and he brought up that he adopted you." Nice guy, Mr. Ki. Hideo was glad he found love again. "...does that mean your last name is Ki now?"

He didn't remember what her last name was beforehand.  So either he was correct, or he was going to get a reminder of what was right.

While he was definitely interested in checking the tree out, he knew he wasn't prepared for it at the moment. "Yeeeah, I kinda only got myself ready for Sootopolis itself. I didn't get myself ready to climb a tree." He only had Elga and a flying Pokemon with him, and he only packed for a leisurely stroll around a city. The actual investigation of the tree would've been saved for later, after he learned a bit more about it.

And while Eris's story about her experience did earn the Beheeyem's concern - a hand held up to his "mouth" as she showed off where she was "attacked" - Hideo took it as her knowing about the place. And that she also wanted to investigate the tree as well, but not alone.

The solution was obvious. "Well, maybe we could go together sometime? After I get all prepped for it, of course." Supplies, Pokemon, he could put together easy. "And since you've been there before, you got an idea of what kind of Pokemon are there, so we could know what to bring!"

And he'd been expanding his team quite a bit since he'd left home. The benefits of freedom.

Eris Halla

It was unfortunate how many of his friends had lost their parents, or were separated from them. And the awkward part was he could technically include himself with the latter, even if his situation was voluntary and temporary - he'd go back once he'd gotten what he wanted.

Hideo nodded along, nearly (jokingly) gasping as Eris revealed her middle name. Middle names weren't much of a thing in Hoenn, but Hideo was aware quite a few people had them - especially if they came from a different region. Didn't outright confirm Eris as a foreigner, but it did. "Most people I know only got a first name and a last name," he said, "I don't even have a middle name. Lucky you~"

At her request, he put his index finger up to his grinning mouth. "Your secret's safe with me, Eris," he promised. "I'll only tell people you're Eris Halla." Though he'd definitely remember that middle name.

And he'd make sure to remember her last name this time.

He listened to Eris as she explained the tree, facing forward the whole time; no need to look down, both because he trusted Eris to guide him and in his Beheeyem to move any tripping hazards they might miss. "So it's...a bunch of trees inside a tree?" he asked, trying to wrap the concept around his head. "And it's aware of people?"

Her theory about it being related to Xerneas was plausible. "Xerneas is the...Stantler-like one right?" It was the only Pokemon he knew to compare it to; Stantler was the only deer-like Pokemon he'd been able to touch, and he heard Xerneas was a lot like that, just with a lot more colors and much bigger antlers. "I remember learning about it from my brother. Guess it would make sense that the big tree is related to it, since it's all about life. Also why it has an entire forest inside it, though I never heard anything about trees inside trees."

Though that led to a fairly pressing question. "But...why is it only showing up now? I think people would've noticed a huge tree like that a long time ago, especially in Sootopolis. And if it's aware of people and pushing them away, does that mean it's gonna wake soon? Or it's already awake?  It's not like Xerneas came down from the sky out of nowhere; people would've been all over this place if that happened."

Eris Halla

Hideo tilted his head slightly, listening to Eris explain how she got a middle name. “Oh, so that’s how middle names work?” he asked. “That...technically means I got a middle name. My oldest brother told me that my parents almost named me Icarus. Dunno where they got it from, ‘cause it doesn’t sound Hoennian. They decided something more Hoennian, anyways, like the rest of my siblings. ‘Icarus’ stands out among Koichi, Junko, Karou, and Nozomi.”

He grinned. “Guess that means you know my ‘middle’ name now too. It’s only fair that I share mine, isn’t it? No sharing with anyone else though~” Not that he’d care much if it got out. He kinda liked how it sounded.

Hideo noticed how the ground he walked on began to change; the cracked pavement and gravel gradually shifted to a smaller, finer material. He might’ve suspected they were just passing through a more damaged area, had he not heard the soft waves brushing against sand. Or that there was enough sand that his feet no longer felt pavement.

So the first place she’d bring him to was a beach? He heard Sootopolis had some nice ones, with pure-white sand. Probably a nice sight for everyone else, but he could appreciate the sounds of the waves, the salty scent of the air.

“Feels like there’s always something big about to happen. Even if we don’t know about it yet.” It wasn’t too long ago that he and Eris helped deal with the rampaging Groudon, and even managed to contain a volcano eruption. Came out of nowhere too; he’d only been there on the lookout for a good camping spot when it happened. “Wouldn’t surprise me if Xerneas was ready to burst out of that tree any second now, with its big fairy-ish Stantler body and colorful horns.”

He even paused for a moment, waiting to see if his words magically summoned it.

No such luck. A shame; would’ve been funny if it did, and he would’ve liked to hear how Eris reacted if that happened; she seemed pretty passionate about Xerneas.

“Wish I could stick around to watch Xerneas pop out like a newborn Pokemon. But I can’t get every badge if I just stick around in Sootopolis. If I wasn’t busy with that, I’d probably be one of those people surveillancing that tree!” Granted, that’d also mean finding a place to stay around here. Maybe setting up a camp nearby. He wouldn’t dare impose on Eris and Mr. Ki for something like that.

Not when he wanted to prove he didn’t have to be dependent.

Eris Halla

It was for the best that Hideo was left in the dark about his "middle name's" origin. Ignorance is bliss, and he was enjoying his time sharing secrets. He offered a thumbs-up as Eris confirmed they had a mutual secret, a grin on his face.

It helped that he wasn't aware of Eris's mixed expression. And that his Beheeyem didn't know how to explain it to him.

"It might sound cool until everything gets cramped," Hideo said. "Five kids and two parents in a single house meant stuff could get wild sometimes. Especially if you mix in Pokemon too." Even if their Pokemon were small (at first). "No shock my oldest brother and oldest sister moved out when they could."

Among other reasons.

"It's cool that you got a secret base! I would've killed for one before I left." He could barely leave the house without his parents knowing where and when he'd be - making a place of his own to return to was near impossible. "Well, guess I kinda have one now. But it's just a little camp. Not much of a base." Nowhere near here either, but it was nice to have a place to go back to if he needed it.

He followed Eris along, only stopping when his Beheeyem Telepathically told him to. He hadn't realized Eris was digging about until he heard the sand shifting near her, the tiny clanking noise of...rocks?

He heard something hit the water - twice. Then felt Eris deposit something in his hand; it was easy to tell from texture alone that it was a rock, but he still moved his fingers over it - smooth, flat.

He put the pieces together right as Eris gave him the answer. "I've tried it a few times," he said. "I kinda suck at it though, even when the water is nice."

He pulled his arm back horizontally, the rock tight within his grip. He swung forward, releasing the rock.

*plnk*

Not even a single bounce.

But he smiled anyways, even letting out a small snort. "Case in point. At least I'm better with a Pokeball than a rock."

Hideo knelt down, taking a seat in the sand. He propped himself up with his hands, planting them right in the nice, soft, warm sand. "You do this often? Coming down here to throw rocks, I mean." She sounded pretty familiar with this area in particular. "I never really do that much when I go to a beach, other than burn myself in the sun listening to waves or eating ice cream. Not much I can do."

Eris Halla