gabe closes the flip-phone, and pushes it down into his pocket. only just last week his father had announced the rite of succession. gabriel, not any of his other, more qualified siblings, would take over the company. he suppresses the sigh that threatens to bubble up, instead, turning a smile onto his daughter.
[break][break]
"but buggggg, i'm so tired!" he rolls his eyes sarcastically, and stretches both arms into the caricature of a yawn. at its peak he stops, and he cracks one eye noticeably open to look at her. then, quickly, he continues the motion.
[break][break]
"daddy is pooped! but if his little girl wants to go out...."
[break][break]
he suddenly perks, rushing in her direction to toss her over his shoulder like a captured maiden, "then we have no choice! on-ward we go!"

[attr="class","ooc"]@jessica[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-pyroar"]

"whaaat? does someone hear some strange squeaking?" with one arm safely wrapped around her, he places his hand like a visor over his eyes, turning and looking about like lighthouse with shoulders. he didn't let up, until she mentions the pokemon-type. he brings her back in-front of him, facing him.
[break][break]
"a fire-type? i don't know sweetie, they're dangerous." a figure brushes against his leg and he looks down to see aurum, his m-pyroar, rubbing against his side like a proper cat. an idea thrumming in his mind, he places the girl on the back of his pokemon.
[break][break]
"well, aside from aurum, of course."

[attr="class","ooc"]@jessica[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-pyroar"]

the scar over his eye twitches, and he remembers back when he'd been haughty enough to think fire-types were meant to bow down to him. he learned that day. luckily, his own daughter's temperament was a stark difference to his own, but...
[break][break]
"look, sweetie. fire-types are... proud creatures," he sends a cautious look at his own pyroar, who despite the hands tugging through his fur, didn't seem bothered, "just be careful, okay?"
[break][break]
with a sigh of defeat, he goes along with his daughters wishes, and they depart.

[attr="class","ooc"]@jessica[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-pyroar"]

he holds back the sarcastic look that twinkles in his eye. always careful? how many band-aid has she been solely responsible for using? how many burn ointments? she was taking after him, surely.

and he wasn't sure that was a good thing.

"you're sitting on him, sweetie." he could tell that the pyroar was paying special attention, ensuring that both his flames were harmless, and his stride careful.

"aurumn was a gift from my father to me." and the reason the flesh around his eye was so marred. that and, gabriel's foolish pride.

@jessica

"well..." the great pyroar beneath her growls deep enough to send vibrations up and through her small form, and gabriel gives the beast an apologetic smile. "let's just say he's wise. yeah, wise."

he knew that the lion wasn't actually bothered by the sentiment, but he was built to rule his own pride. he needed a little but of stage presence.

"exactly," he says with a smile, "exactly like that."

he doesn't let her into the fact that the scar on his face was a consequence of his encounter, and that he'd learned a lesson that day.

up ahead something stirs in a brush and lion and trainer stop, giving each other a knowing look. from it, a small fennekin emerges.

@jessica

it was so small compared to gabriel and pyroar, so the CEO takes a moment to step back and force himself to be smaller.

"this one? are you sure, sweetheart?" though, he already knew that answer. kneeling in front of her, he places an empty pokeball into her hand.

"aurum will listen to you, if you need him too."

@jessica

he could only smile down at his daughter. he understood the excitement that bubbled up in her chest now; he understood it too much. he was just glad he could be here for this moment, and with luck, every moment down the road.

how wrong he would be.

"nice throw!" his hands balled into excited fists, gaze falling onto the orb as it collapses the fennekin into light. it shakes, and stirs, keeping gabriel on a bated breath.

then, it clicks.

"you did it! arceus, you did it!" too excited to contain himself, gabriel lifts jessie into the air, spinning her small form in his massive hands.

@jessica