"Sure." Derek accepts the kind gesture, though he is reluctant to actually try the treat. Many say fruitcake is terrible. Select few allow for minor praise. But if it really was no good, why did people take the time to make it every year? It had to be at least a little good.

As they're moving along, his taste buds are not disappointed. Hints of this and that, which he cannot tell exactly, give him some sense of satisfaction. Though not one to overindulge, he forfeits the remaining portion to the Sobble upon his shoulder. It keeps Jonesy distracted while it's trainer sheds light on the day he forced it to stay home.

"Sore." His figure was cut and bruised, pummeled by a myriad of explosions and the like. If Callan inspected him closely, he might notice a certain stiffness to the gym leader's right leg. A laceration of some length scabbed over, and flexing the flesh around it was not ideal. But enough days had already been spent resting indoors. And plenty more were on the way, thanks to the coming holidays. "But y'know, all's well that ends well."

There'd be no protest from him about how things turned out. Perhaps not the best of circumstances, it was surely better than being dead. Or completely gone from existence, whatever that was like. Derek would leave prying at such answers to the philosophers. For now, it was time to see if they could find some of the pokemon that came out on their side. Word had it there were all new kinds of things popping up in the region...

Callan Young

☉

"Well, now that you mention it." He didn't have a Togetic, or any of it's line. It was time to change that.

Like some kind of COMET, it flutters and darts around. Derek is quick to react, throwing a spare pokeball to attempt capturing it. There is some amount of surprise when he succeeds, but part of him had a feeling that this one wanted to be caught. It ventured far too close not to be curious about the two trainers in the area.

"So these Paldean pokemon...are they strong?" If that were the case, perhaps he would try a little harder to find them. Not that Derek had any idea what they looked like.

CAPTURING TOGETIC!

Callan Young

☉

"Really?" Maybe I will have to find one of these Gholdengo...

Though in the meantime, Derek has to deal with a wild Haxorus. Or at least he thought so. A bluff charge was made before it dashed away, with the gym leader rather confused. Usually they'd full commit to something like that.

No matter. Now Derek could return his thoughts to the question at hand. "I think I did. Something called a Varoom. Weird little engine looking thing." For a pokemon, it was weird to see. But all in all, the little guy was pretty cool. "Not sure how strong it will be, but apparently it's a steel type so I am gonna train it just to see."

SKIPPING!

Callan Young

☉

"I try to." He whispers back while watching Callan try to claim a wild Tyranitar with a surprise ball. "But lately I have been using all kinds. Steel types are just my personal preference." Having grown up in Blackthorn with a phobia of the dragons in their den nearby, steel type pokemon were one of the ones who could withstand a powerful dragon pokemon.

Until they found one that could breathe fire, anyway.

Derek's casual chatter halts upon locking eyes on some kind of dog pokemon he spotted ahead. A rogue sprint sends him out ahead, with the sound of a pokeball and an eventual battle taking place. The Nidoking he looses upon the Dachsbun delivers a devastating POISON JAB that renders it unable to do battle.

It's whimpers made him feel terrible, but the thing began running as soon as he tried catching up to it. Derek would just have to figure out how to make it up to them. They'd come around eventually.

"Speaking of gym challenges." Derek starts as he makes his way back, returning to Callan's side. "I hear you're running two operations now." This was of course referring to the fact Callan was double dipping, acting as both gym leader and a member of the elite four. "Do you say that because you think your gym battles aren't serious enough to mean anything? Or for some other reason?" Perhaps he was just growing tired of battling so much, and for no other reason than to pin a badge on someone else.

But having the right reasons to do something didn't make it good. The thing was either good or bad in of itself. And Callan was good for the assessment of talented trainers.

CAPTURING DACHSBUN!

Callan Young

☉

"Oh?" Derek questions, though with no need for an answer. "Well... Maybe?" Obviously Derek was nearing the time where training simply wasn't enough. He needed to turn to the Elite Four, sooner or later, in order to truly get a grasp of his capabilities. But before that, he still needed a badge or two. He wasn't exactly keeping track as well as one could.

"Not sure I am ready for all that, though. Not yet." He ignores the silly pokemon that seem to have wandered closer. They are kind enough not to interrupt the conversation. "I'm still preoccupying myself with other ventures. Like the incident involving Registeel that me and the other rangers witnessed." Though it was possible his priorities were misplaced at this time.

"But you'll likely be the first I talk to about it. Katherine, Melody, Matias... Not sure I could say I know any of them very well. Scarce, brief encounters with them all. Well, Katherine a little more than that... To my dismay, if you know what I mean?" Part of him assumes Callan knows what he is talking about. But maybe doesn't, or thinks differently.

There's also the chance she shows a different face to someone who could be considered her equal. Something Derek definitely didn't deserve for the time being.

"Anyway, I will definitely be back to the drawing board for when I do decide to challenge you four." His last battle with Callan made it quite apparent that he was just barely getting by. Perhaps only because he was being allowed to. "Strategy isn't my calling, but if anything is to change, I suppose I'd better be willing to."

SKIPPING!

Callan Young

☉