positioning himself to avoid the glare of her rose-gold case, he gives her an... attempt at a confident nod. greyson was one of those guys that didn't have a huge social media presence, and with it, a lot of photos online. he just wasn't picture worthy. at least, that's what he always told himself.

the backdrop of his home behind him, he puts on his best smile, ignoring the thoughts in his mind that tell him to show more teeth. the idea behind this was to replicate those celebrities that answered questions in their home, only, he knew he wasn't quite as charming. oh well.

"yeah, i'm ready."

PENELOPE LIVY

"3...2...1.."

"hey everyone, it's nice to meet you. i'm greyson connors, gym-leader and lieutenant in the League." the thrumming of his heart is overwhelming, the blood pounding in his ears like a war drum. but he pushes on.

"we're here today in the town of oldale, or, as i like to think of it, my old stomping ground." a nervous chuckle, but he quickly pushes through it. "ms. penelope livy, the steady hands with the camera, is going to ask me some questions as we wander my hometown and i'll do my best to answer them. so, i hope you're ready!"

looking past the camera, he catches the amber hues behind it. they sparkled, to him, even more brightly than the rose-gold of her phone.

"well penelope? hit me."

PENELOPE LIVY

and so he walks. his steps are light and paced, greyson himself doing his best to appear comfortable. he didn't need try hard, to his surprise. this place was home and that brought a level of comfort that couldn't be replicated.

"i didn't have any grand plans of being a gym leader, other than a sort of youthful hope of being a great trainer, y'know?" his expression turns soft as he remembers the times that were long past, but then it sombers as another memory flashes.

"i think the desire came in the wake of seeing the destruction left by groudon." his lips form a thin line, remembering his time spent with Ruby Walker, administering first aid and more to paniced people and pokemon. "pokemon displaced, peoples homes lost, and irrevocable damage to the eco system."

"i guess I just wanted to do my part and better prepare people for those events."

PENELOPE LIVY

greyson keeps himself focused on the thoughts that flow naturally, and the effort into maintaining his smile. he wanted to exude the confidence and charisma of a gym-leader, and so as he speaks, he falls into that position naturally. eventually, he finds himself not even focused on the show he puts on.

"well," he says with a chuckle, "too many things to count. i've run into rocket agents, dealt with contagious pathogens, region shattering forces, and so much more." each one brings him back to a memory. they all felt like a lifetime ago.

"i think the hardest thing is coming to the realization that one person isn't enough," he confesses, eyes straight and hands moving in emphasis of his points. "it really takes a village to keep hoenn on the right path. i think everyone dreams of being a 'savior' or the 'hero', but in this line of work you really open your eyes to things."

greyson stops moving, turning to the camera.

"it's the little things. from noah faber's 'open-gym day' where he invited the public to come and mingle with newly born fighting-types, to kyle lopez's running of the minor league to promote up-and-comers that might've otherwise gone unnoticed. i want to carry on the spirit of these things and to slowly knit together the league and it's people, so that we can all work together in an effort to make this place better."

he blinks, realizing the tangent he went on, and a scarlet blush creeps up his cheeks.

"sorry, i ramble a lot."

PENELOPE LIVY

Throughout his answer, Penelope was consistent in two regards: one, making sure he kept a solid smile at all times, and two, giving him physical confirmation that his answer was perfect.
[Break][break]
Giving one last OK gesture, she began jutting her chin upward, as a way to keep them moving forward.
[Break][break]
"You mentioned a lot of initiatives from your coworkers, but we're still curious: do you have plans of your own? Any programs to look forward to?"

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Greyson Connors [break]


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

he does his best to make walk of his appear normal, moving on her cue, and doesn't dwell on whether or not it does.

"i... don't," he admits a bit bashfully, turning a nervous half-smile onto the camera. "between my own life, the gym, my family and more, i just don't have that much time anymore."

he passes by townsfolk and their homes, giving them a wave as he does so. nearly all of them wave back, except the most grouchy of them all.

"though we're always taking volunteers in the league, and the gym as well. couple of extra hands to do things that these," he lifts his own up,"can't seem to find the time for."

PENELOPE LIVY

Penelope nodded, a bit disappointed in his response. While she knew Greyson was a good guy, she couldn't help but think to herself: isn't that the point of being a gym leader? To create initiatives to better help Hoenn? But those thoughts came from her more disparaging side-- something he hadn't had the displeasure of witnessing just yet.
[break][break]
Capturing a few shots of the townsfolk waving back, her camera lens slid back onto the star of the day.
[break][break]
"Understandable," Her words are reassuring, contradicting her obvious expression, " Tell us about your family. What are they like?"
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[attr="class","ooc"] Greyson Connors[break]


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

greyson too, was disappointed in his response. he felt like he could be doing more. if he was going to aim for the elite four one day — wouldn't he need too? he keeps his mind on the task at hand despite the idle thoughts, feet never stopping.

"my father served in the league and recently retired — a lieutenant like myself. he spent a lot of time away from home so, it was usually just my mother and i." his expression twitches, lips tilting ever so slightly downwards and into a frown.

"we got by though. she instilled in me my sense of right and wrong, and my love of gardening, actually." he remembers fondly the many, many days he's spent with her in their garden. from growing their own vegetables, to nurturing flowers of all kinds. this thought brings his lips back into a smile.

"they spend all their time together now — going on vacations, relaxing, and all that other retired adult stuff. i visit them sometimes, but, i also enjoy my freedom."

as they reach the cities edge his eyes widen slightly, and he turns towards penny and not the camera.

"come on, there's something out here i want to show you."

PENELOPE LIVY

Penelope's lips twitched downward, in a similar fashion, as he mentioned the similarity in occupations between himself and his father.
[break][break]
A lieutenant.
[break][break]
Was that the same ranking he had? That cop from Kalos, who bragged obnoxiously about his ranking prior to his retirement, and spoke without remorse or care for what he had done.
[break][break]
These flashes of memories came to a halt as Greyson continued onwards, speaking fondly of his mother and love of gardening. With small steps, Penelope inched around him, aiming for the perfect angle to capture the significance and personal aspect of his story. It'd help build character, she thought.
[break][break]
There was another thought there, though. Nestled in between reminders of camera angles, sound quality, and watchability, she had found herself realizing something she hadn't noticed earlier: he looked really good in this shot.
[break][break]
When he turned to her, she only smiled, blinking herself back to reality.
[break][break]
"Oh, okay," She nodded. With two fingers, she gestured for her magnemite to follow close behind.
[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Greyson Connors[break]


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