the greenette fought without having much to say. was this the bond between (wo)man and pokemon? eric stared in awe all while recording the battle.

in that moment, for a second, it was as if he saw something unfathomable. the world became black. there was nothingness, at first, until the battlefield changed. no longer were they in petalburg city. this was something else. a field of patch of cherry blossoms manifested beneath her. only to expand and scatter all about. an ocean blue sky emanated a harmonic ripple, each one reverberating a harmonic sound. as the battle fought a beautiful melody resonated within him.

a hand would come to be placed upon his chests. his cheeks a rosy color. their battle was creating something visually unnatural. it was as if they were painting a picture, or rather, "..no. it's her and her pokemon." it was as if he was witnessing the beautifully dark-toned woman painting a picture; both her and the pokemon. it was as if, for the first time, he was witnessing the blooming of a trainer. “she’s blooming…” he thought aloud. no, it’s not that she was blooming. he would shake his head, “she’s already bloomed. this is barely scratching the surface!”

a vibrant smile formed on his face. jogging over, shoulder bag in hand, the university student would open with a exuberant greeting.

“that was total crash!”

the white-haired male would jump into the air, with a small twirl and pumped fist, he’d proceed to land in front of the woman and her pokemon. “you bloomed like nothing i’ve ever seen before! talk about total crash!” he wanted to know, he had to know, "how did you create that battlefield? you took me away, somewhere...i-i don't know where, but i wanan go back!" the white-haired male just couldn't contain himself. beady-eyed cerulean orbs, hidden behind a pair of shades, leaned in ecstatically with glee as though he were a star-struck child.

"the medley that played..." he'd attempt to mimic the sound. pantomimning as if he were in front of a piano or a violin. shifting from one pose over to the other. trying to remember the attunement. "dammit, this is so not crash!" he would proceed to ruffle his hair in frustration.

cait alfric

a gym leader? there was a lot that stood out more than just her battle prowess. it was a small glance but he had no idea she was pregnant. to think even women in labor were able to battle in such a sate. it was merely awe-inspiring.

"a-ah, yes!" the boy would come to place himself into a very attentive stance. stiff as a muscle, he'd forgotten about the uniform he donned. "it wasn't exactly my first choice," not at first, "but when i learned that my dad attended this school i couldn't exactly say no, haha. y'know, legacy and all!" the boy would come to be bashful on the topic of his reason for attending said school.

"oh! you said you were a gym leader. talk about lucky, waaaah! i've never met an actual gym leader before!" he'd then come look toward stomach, arms flailed. "and you're with child! talk about lucky-lucky! to have a mom as strong as you, that little blob's got a bright future ahead!" he would come to let out a hearty laugh.

"ah, by the way, i'm eric! eric moon to be exact!" eric would grace her with a small head bow. "your number one fan!" followed by a thumbs and a cheesy grin. keeping his distance, he'd raise his phone into the air. "say 'crash'!"

click.

cait alfric

"what!? two!?" talk about lucky. "waaah, i'm so happy for you!" he cried ecstatically. "i'm so jealous of them. to have a sibling, that's gonna be so fun!" it was then that he learned not only the occupation of their father, but cait's specifically.

"you're retired?" he said with a surprised expression. "that's something i wouldn't have expected." well, when one is ready to settle down it should be expected. it's unfortunate that they lost such a strong leader. "hmm..." he'd come to sit beside the woman and became lost in thought. "you're not missing much, school is pretty boring."

"why theology? if you don't mind me asking. a gym leader like your..." he'd pause, correcting himself, "...a former gym leader like yourself didn't come off as someone who wanted to study religion. are you interested in becoming a minister now?" the thought of leaving an exciting life to do something docile made the boy bewildered. "well, considering you're with children. i can see why you'd want something docile and quiet."

cait alfric

it was never her passion. to switch from something that required talent into something so complacent. for that to have been seen as her true calling was somehow inspirational to the youth. it was heartwarming even.

she would then proceed to inquiry about his path in life. eric's face became flushed at the question. "w-well," he would scratch the side of his cheek, "i'm majoring in ethnomusicology and business, but..." a wavering look befell his expression, "i don't want to just do that." with the life he had and the time that was left. he wanted to do so much more.

"i want to meet so many people, i want to make as many friends as possible." be they man or pokemon. he wanted to create a memorable experience during his stay in hoenn. "when i watched you battle, there was something amazing that happened." what he saw was what he wanted to create. "it was like you changed the scene for me. even though it was so small, you created this imagery that i can't seem to forget whenever i close my eyes. and the sound i heard, there was a melody born from the battle." he'd try to hum the tune, but couldn't remember it fully.

"i want to battle like that. i want people to be able to see and hear my battles. unforgettable pokemon battles, i'm so jealous of you!" eric would proceed to burry his face into his schoolbag. "i could never do what you do, or did rather." he'd look toward the mother of two, "i wasn't born with natural talent like you!" he cheekily grinned.

cait alfric