"hoenn. it's where we met." [break] [break]

he folds his arms, one hand curving underneath his elbows as he thinks. [break][break]

"we dated for three years."

[break] [break] it's not quite like that would give any away either, but that was sort of the point. if it was easy, then what was the point in playing games?

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] illeana reyes [break]
ROCKY STEPS

[attr="class","illeana"]

[attr="class","illeana b"]

[attr="class","illeana i"]that did not, in fact, help.

both councilwoman are from hoenn, which dawns on her as he says it. oops…

”umm…”

she tries to buy time to place reasons together before giving in to asking one final question.

”how old is she?”

ollie morales

"younger than me."

[break][break] his lips spread into a wide grin, knowing very well how silly he was being.

[break] [break] "she inspired me to become a ranger, you know."

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] illeana reyes [break]
ROCKY STEPS

[attr="class","illeana"]

[attr="class","illeana b"]

[attr="class","illeana i"]they’re both younger than him, really, but she doesn’t place him as a man who’d date someone fresh out of high school…

”is it PENELOPE LIVY?”

she guesses based on a hunch and tilts her head curiously.

”why’d she inspire you to become a ranger?”

ollie morales

ding ding ding!

[break][break] "you got it."

[break][break] he gives a gummy smile, expression warm.

[break][break] "it was her idea. she thought it'd be good for me."

[break][break] even though she apparently regretted it.

[break][break] "what do you think? you think she was right?"

[break]

[attr="class","ooc"] illeana reyes [break]
ROCKY STEPS

[attr="class","illeana"]

[attr="class","illeana b"]

[attr="class","illeana i"]oh, cool, she was right!

she returns the smile, although hers isn't nearly as warm as his.

"yeah, i think she was right."

truthfully, she can't imagine any member of the morales family not being in a position to help people. where Eva Morales is their head professor, ollie is a ranger captain. it's as fitting as anything she's ever known.

"are you happy being a ranger, though?"

is that what he actually wanted to do?

ollie morales

of course, PENELOPE LIVY always makes the right choices. he never thought her to be any different, now or back then.

[break][break] "huh?" he says, blinking. "yeah, 'course! why wouldn't i be?"

[break][break] pause.

[break][break] "are you happy being head scientist?"

[break][break] it was where they were meant to be, after all.

[attr="class","ooc"] illeana reyes [break]
ROCKY STEPS

[attr="class","illeana"]

[attr="class","illeana b"]

[attr="class","illeana i"]her shoulders roll into a lazy shrug.

"i dunno... i always figured some people always want to be something different as they're growing up."

not what they end up as...

had it been the same for her? she can't quite remember anymore.

"most days i am."

it's not a lie, not necessarily. the bad days have certainly outweighed the good, however.

"sometimes it can be taxing, though. do you ever feel like that?"

ollie morales

"hmm, i guess! when i was a kid growing up in kanto, i thought about being a pokemon trainer."

[break][break] he'd even tried the gym circuit once or twice, but found out that it wasn't for him. not because he was a bad battler — just because he'd always felt like there was something more.

[break][break] pure battling. it never brought him any sort of thrill. he only did it because he had to.

[break][break] "about rangering?" he says, kicking a pebble and watching it go off the side of the cliff. "no."

[break][break] the answer was easy. the second one, not so much.

[break][break] "about other stuff? yeah, sure." he smiles at her, blithe. "doesn't everyone?"

[break][break] but he said it in a way that meant the complete opposite.

[break][break] everyone could feel burdened. everyone could feel taxed.

[break][break] but not ollie morales, light of the league. not ollie morales, happy-go-lucky man-child and easy-going ranger.

[break][break] never a morales.

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] illeana reyes [break]
ROCKY STEPS

[attr="class","illeana"]

[attr="class","illeana b"]

[attr="class","illeana i"]"a pokemon trainer, huh? like the best there ever was?"

did he, like many growing up, dream of becoming a champion?

she blinks.

"no? really? i'm jealous."

the sensation of having weight free shoulders has always been a lofty daydream. it'll never be tangible, not for her.

"yeah, i suppose everyone does."

something about him, though, makes her believe otherwise. maybe it's the tone or the smile but there's a hidden sense to the concept. he can handle the weight of the world on his back and still be a spot of sunshine in a crowded room.

she's jealous, she realizes, of such a trait.

"oh, should we keep going?"

they still have... how many more miles to go?

ollie morales

weight-free shoulders was a concept that everyone wanted. just like no one ever wanted to grow up.

[break][break] people wanted to be peterpan forever.

[break][break] maybe even ollie too, but not like he would ever talk about it.

[break][break] "oh yeah! we should." he smiles blithely at her. "you sure you're ready for it?"

[break][break] his eyes sparkle.

[break][break] "ms. leader?"

[attr="class","ooc"] illeana reyes [break]
ROCKY STEPS

[attr="class","illeana"]

[attr="class","illeana b"]

[attr="class","illeana i"]"ms leader?"

she cracks a smile, a laugh escaping a moment later.

"ready as i'll ever be."

as if to solidify the concept, she rolls her shoulders and bounces on the balls of her feet.

"let's do this."

maybe this time around, it'll hurt a little less.

ollie morales