A woman’s voice pulls him out of his reverie. Younger than him, but not by much. All the dullness alcohol induced fades away for a few scant seconds. Long enough for sharp detective’s eyes to take in the girl’s features. She’s not from around here. That’s apparent in everything about the way she moves. It’s apparent in her accent. It’s apparent in the fact that she’d come somewhere like this while the sun’s going down.[break][break]

Despite everything, it’s in this career big brother’s instincts to look out for someone else. With a twitch of his lips and an annoyed expression, he lets his beer can drop into the back of his pickup. He doesn’t approach her, he has enough sense to know how a stranger approaching a young woman looks at this hour.[break][break]

His voice still has some bite, even with an Absol beside the woman.[break][break]

“Hey, don’tcha know it’s dangerous here at night?! You can run into all kinds of shady characters. For all you know, I could be a creep.” It doesn’t address her point, nor what she said. It’s just what comes to mind.[break][break]

“…but if you really wanna know why I’m here, guess I’m just enjoying nature. It beats being held up in my office all day.”[break][break]

It’s not a lie. Being cooped up in an office drives Michael Navidson crazy. So, he comes here. Comes to forget himself for a little while. Usually, people give him a wide berth. The worst thing he’s had to deal with are people recognizing him from the few media sightings of Melody when he was close by.[break][break]

“Just be careful, alright?” He adds in a softer tone.




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He’s met champions. He’s dined with a member of the elite 4. He has hunted dragons alongside gym leaders. Yet never has he met a princess.[break][break]
Frankly, he doesn’t believe her. Pulling up his phone, he makes no attempt to hide that he is researching her. Seeing her face on the web’s free encyclopedia, plastered right there, in living color, he returns to staring at her.[break][break]
Well, he’s never gotten to meet a princess before. There’s a first time for everything.[break][break]
“Okay, so then I’ve got one question for ya.” His tone is neutral. Neutrality gives way to clear annoyance tinged with anger. “Why the hell would you tell a complete stranger that?! Do you understand how dangerous Hoenn is these days? We just had a meteor nearly destroy the region! Rockets have tried takin’ us over more times than I can count! What if I was one!? Sure, you may have a bodyguard, but they’re not always around! That Absol of yours would get bodied by a Machamp!”[break][break]
It's like being a few years younger again, when Gabe was sitting out on his Pokemon journey. All bright-eyed. Ready to take on the world. He met an inglorious end. That’s what he sees in this girl’s future.[break][break]
“You have a family, you know. They’d all cry if they lost you.”


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“Yeah,” Navy agrees with a nod, “you weren’t. Look. I’ve been a bodyguard for celebrities before. If you’ve got a Pokepedia page, then don’t just blurt out who you are like that. Any wise guy with a rotom phone can see that you’re not just blowin’ hot smoke up their—their butt.” He remembers himself, stops another bit of foul language from spilling out of his mouth. It’s not that she’s a princess, he just doesn’t like talking that way in front of a lady – princess or otherwise.[break][break]
“But, eh, your life to live, I guess.” He reaches down into the bed of his truck. He pulls out another drink. This time, it’s root beer. Nothing alcoholic. Seems like a bad idea to dull his mind around this woman. She might not be dangerous, but the people coming for her sure might be. Someone like that, a princess, will have enemies.[break][break]
“…so I guess I’ve got a pair of questions.” The astute detective holds up two fingers. “Number one, why in the world are you in Hoenn? Seems t’me like you should be back home doing…whatever princesses do in a modern society. Sit around being treated like a reality TV show star, I guess. Number two, what are you doing out here? Going for a walk?”


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“Independence ain’t all it’s chocked up to be, your highness.” His voice is lighter than before. A wry smile sits on his lips. “Josh, huh? Josh Devlin? I haven’t seen that guy in months.” A tinge of regret. In his spiral, he forgot to keep in contact with his friends. He’s barely talked to Melody. Hasn’t even acknowledged certain other friendships made. Neither did he ever follow up on chatting up that flower shop owner…[break][break]
Absol pulls him from his reverie of self-loathing. The Pokemon noticed something. Elise proceeds to put down what could gently be described as a brutal beatdown of a baby. For a moment, as he saw danger in the shadows, his hand slips towards a black and yellow pokeball marked with a dragon’s head. Vortigern’s ball. The great, ugly monster he took out of its natural environment and pushed towards the pinnacle of its species.[break][break]
“Y’know, you could’ve just talked it into coming with ya. You can do that. Most ‘mons, especially babies like that one, will listen if you approach ‘em like a civilized person.” Most. Not all. But now is not the time to dwell on such matters. He sighs, steps away from his truck, and watches her pokeball wriggle.[break][break]
“I can’t let you go out here alone. I’m tagging along while ya train and catch Pokemon.” His tone grows stern, probably sterner than a princess is used to hearing. A big brother’s tone, one that will accept no contradictory arguments.

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He smiles despite himself. Despite the gloom and melancholy that has come to define his heart through the cold winter months, Michael Navidson’s lips manage a smile. There’s still a tinge of sadness, but the simple fact that it is a smile cannot be taken away. It’s rare to meet a person who can take advice, much less a princess.[break][break]
Really, it makes him doubt, with some amusement, whether she’s a princess at all. They’re supposed to be stuffy, prim and proper girls. She sounds like a princess and walks like a princess, but the attitude’s too good. Shrugging, he decides to just go along with it. His sharp, gunmetal blue eyes watch her talk to the Clefairy.[break][break]
Behind it, out behind a tree, fading in and out of existence, is a Dragapult. One not dissimilar to his own Dragapault, Fafnir, which has been in daycare for the past few months. Its eyes are the eyes of a protective mother. The Clefairy and Teddiursa are not her children, but she watches over them all the same. Her own yellow eyes watch Elisa, ready to release darts and escalate this…[break][break]
Until she makes friends with the Clefairy. Both Navy and the Pokemon relax. Shrug. Move on. The Dragapult accepts, as most Pokemon must, that there is a chance they will be pulled from the world. She looks to Navy with curiosity, perhaps wondering if he wants to take her along. With a quiet shake of the head, the creature knows it’s time to move on.[break][break]
“You’re lucky, y’know.” Navy says as he grabs a backpack from the back seat of his truck. “A Clefairy out this early, and we’re not even on Mount Moon. Wonders never cease, huh?” He turns his attention to the path, lit up by lamps.[break][break]
“Well, let’s go, Princess.” He teases her and starts to walk.


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