"just great!"

[break][break] he says, head snapping up. of course, one look at his face would show that perhaps it was not so great — soot colored the bottom half of his face, making him like a poor rendition of santa clause. a sweep of his togekiss' wings draws the dust away, revealing his bright emerald green eyes as he stands up.

[break][break] he rubs his neck.

[break][break] "thanks for inviting me out, mels."

[break][break] he limps his way through the grass, trying to be careful on the way he makes his way over to her.

[break][break] "are you doing okay?"

[attr="class","ooc"] Melody Miro [break]

a laugh bursts out of ollie as the canine tackles him to the floor, dousing him even more soot. not that ollie minds, as he allows himself to be peppered with kisses, before pushing the pokemon gently off. "aight, easy dude."

[break][break] he pats the pokemon on the head once, before taking the peace offering from melody. the water is a much appreciated relief from the soot in his throat and he hands it back to melody, just as she calls her pokemon to heel.

[break][break] he laughs again as he watches the canine walk back over to his owner, looking like he's sulking a bit, before he plops down onto the floor. his togekiss perches on the floor next to ollie, but he doesn't get up just yet. he leans back against the grass, grinning up at her.

[break][break] "why wouldn't i say yes?" he chuckles. "i'd be a fool to say no to a pretty girl."

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Melody Miro [break]

he blinks. that was...

[break][break] "that's kind of depressing, mels."

[break][break] he says it with a deadpan face, before he breaks into his signature grin again. teasing, as always.

[break][break] "i'm sure that's not true. you're selling yourself short! you're great company. i would know, " he adds, giving a soft laugh. "i'm a great judge of character." though there were probably a few people that would see differently.

[break][break] as always, ollie is ignorant to his effect on others. he doesn't even notice as she basically smushes her face against a bag of soot to hide her embarassment.

[break][break] "huh? oh — i'm fine. i'm made of stronger stuff, ya know?" though, even he couldn't hide the way his gaze flashed over in sorrow at the remember of his lost pokemon. "well, physically."

[break][break] a pause, before he adds a bit softer.

[break][break] "i miss 'im."

[attr="class","ooc"] Melody Miro [break]

oops. he always kind of tumbles into these things, didn't he? he hadn't really meant it like that... but this suddenly felt like fifth date convo. not like, two.

[break][break] in an attempt to steer their convo into a more light-hearted mood, he jabs a thumb at his chest. "and now you've got me!" he flashes a grin. "i've got your back too."

[break][break] he picks at a piece of dirt on the ground, moving it around with a stick, as he struggles with the words to say. ollie didn't really like talking about dark topics, but he trusted melody. and she was easy to talk to.

[break][break] "yeah. sure. okay." he takes a deep breath. "he just — it went by so quick. i've heard from eva the stuff that could happen on hoenn, but i guess —" he swallows and then looks up at her. "didn't ever really think it'd happen to me, i guess?" a pause before he adds, "i've never lost a pokemon before. tabs was my first."

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Melody Miro [break]

"your relicanth?"

[break][break] admittingly, ollie isn't an expert on pokemon in general but he's most familiar with the ones from kanto. that being said, a vague memory rises to the surface of going to the slateport aquarium years ago with PENELOPE LIVY, and the way the relincanth had looked so magestic in the way they had floated through the water.

[break][break] watching the different expressions form on her face, ollie waits patiently for her story to end before he decides to make a comment. his expression is soft as he looks at her.

[break][break] "i'm sorry, mels. that's really sad."

[break][break] he stands up slowly before stretching his arms out.

[break][break] "do you want a hug?"

[attr="class","ooc"] Melody Miro [break]

to ollie, it isn't awkward. if there's one thing he's good at, it's giving hugs!

[break][break] his arms fold around her smaller frame easily, listening to her as she confides in him. he's not able to help the way that his brow furrows, however, at the confession. "not nice to you?" he asks, frowning and pulling back. he holds her by the shoulders. "why not?"

[break][break] how could anyone be not nice about someone losing their pokemon? that sounded awful.

[break][break] what kind of monsters were in the league, anyway?

[break][break] "oh," he says, with a blink. smiling sheepishly, he lets go of her to rub one hand behind his neck. again, awkward when talking about himself. "tabs — tabasco. he was a staraptor. we were in a battle against some rockets, and — " he swallows, thinking of the way that boy (fern delaney) had folded over his dragapult. the guilt that ollie had felt, having accidentally caused it. "then their bird came out of nowhere, chucking him off a cliff... i wanted to believe he was okay, but then, when all that stuff happened with palkia... i didn't seem him on the other side of that rift."

[break][break] his voice cuts short as he remembers the screech, the sound of tabs falling to his death. he shudders.

[break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Melody Miro [break]

not good people?

[break][break] his brow furrows in disbelief, but he doesn't say anything because he doesn't want to interrupt her story.

[break][break] as she lists off names of the various league characters, they're not people ollie is totally familiar with. he knows illeana reyes, because she works with his sister. he knows of MATIAS SILPH, only because he's dating his sister, but they've not met officially yet.

[break][break] "that sounds tough," he says instead, for lack of anything better to say. "let me know if you want me to beat any of 'em up for you." he gives her a flash of a smile, pulling her in for one tight squeeze, because that's the only thing he can think of doing before she continues.

[break][break] "i've just never lost a pokemon before," he frowns. "well — not like that. on the farm, we used to see it all the time — but rocket was never involved. it was — ah — " he pulls back, rubbing his neck with a hand. "before i left kanto. things are probably different now."

[break][break] he smiles broadly at her as she offers him a place to say, before he shakes his head. "evergrande is where i'm stationed, so i have to be there to make sure everything runs smoothly. but thanks, mels. the same to you! you should come over sometime."

[break][break] his eyes glitter with mirth as he steps away, needling her with an elbow. he teases. "a private beach, huh? i guess being a celebrity has it's perks."

[break][break] part of him still can't believe she's so famous, and that he is able to hang out with her so casually.

[break][break] ollie returns to the floor, gathering the soot like they're meant to do.

[break][break] "do you think tabs and your relicanth are together? oh yeah — did they have a name?"

[break][break] he blinks, inclining his head to look at her as he crouches in the grass.

[attr="class","ooc"] Melody Miro [break]