[attr="class","sideinfo"]

[attr="class","text"] In the time that had passed since Yumi Hasegawa had transitioned from working under him at the hotel to running her own establishment, Enzo had come to find it strange to not see her floating around The Nimbus. At some point over the last several months, she’d become a staple presence without his having realized it.[break][break]

In a way, he supposed he missed her seeking him out with suggestions on how to spruce up this or that aspect of the business, and how it was presented to the public.[break][break]

So when Casino Starlight made a successful re-launch, it felt like a sound idea to invite her out. Both to celebrate, and to relax after the amplified stresses of both a launch as well as a large-scale event back to back.[break][break]

“Of course,” he replied with a tilt of his head in her direction, “it’s a well-earned respite.” Though he’d perhaps forgotten to be as diligent with his breaks as he’d once been when he was younger, Enzo certainly knew the benefit in relaxing.[break][break]

Even if it was now a tad more difficult to step away from The Nimbus as it once had been. Even more so than the days where he’d conclude his tasked assignments and cases by holing up somewhere like this to rest before the next gig popped up.[break][break]

In fact–[break][break]

“Well, I’m a longtime guest of this particular establishment,” he remarked, a chuckle slipping loose as she prodded him. “I like a well kept hot spring, what can I say? I don’t think I’ve been here in quite some time, though.” Behind him, Astra plodded along, sniffing the air curiously.

[attr="class","ooc"]

[break]

[attr="class","credit"]MADE BY GUNSMILE

[attr="class","wildpkmn"]

[attr="class","wildtag"]Yumi Hasegawa vincenzo de luca

[attr="class","wildnote"] WHAT WILL YOU DO?

[attr="class","wildpkmn"]

[attr="class","wildtag"]Yumi Hasegawa vincenzo de luca

[attr="class","wildnote"] WHAT WILL YOU DO?

[attr="class","text"]

The rustle of tall grass indicated Pokémon nearby, but Yumi was more interested in the conversation with her mentor than whatever crossed their path. She knew nothing of Enzo's history. It had never come up in their months working together, and she'd known better than to ask.[break][break]

After all, certain transactions occasionally took place at The Nimbus, one that suggested connections as questionable as her family's back in Johto. Yumi understood and appreciated secrecy as much as any other criminal's daughter.[break][break]

She and Enzo were equals now, however. Perhaps he'd be more open to discussing it, especially in the seclusion of their walk.[break][break]

"How long ago was your last visit?" Yumi asked, tilting her head in curiosity.

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

[attr="class","sideinfo"]

[attr="class","text"]Brief silence fell between them as they walked, and for the first time in a while, he found himself curious as to what might come of their trip, and consequential conversations. He was prone to keeping his cards close to his chest. Everything about his past shrouded in a fine layer of intentional obscurity.[break][break]

As it stood, there was only one person around who knew about his life prior to Hoenn. But would the fact that he’d come to value Yumi nearly as one might a younger sister shift his openness? He wasn’t sure.[break][break]

Normally, that would be cause for internal alarm bells. It was strange that for the time being, they remained silent.[break][break]

Soon enough, the rustling nearby belied a wiry lucario. A sharp whistle sent Astra darting forward, the wordless command all that was needed to set her against it. The lycanroc let out a low wuff before the earth erupted under the jackal’s feet and a STONE EDGE slammed into it. Enzo paused, if only to send a pokeball hurtling toward the lucario before his attention returned to Yumi.[break][break]

His face twisted in thought as he did the mental math. “Oh, several years ago now. Once the hotel really took off, I suppose I didn’t travel quite as far as I used to, when I worked at a lower level.”

[attr="class","ooc"]

[break]

[attr="class","credit"]MADE BY GUNSMILE

[attr="class","wildpkmn"]

[attr="class","wildtag"]Yumi Hasegawa vincenzo de luca

[attr="class","wildnote"] WHAT WILL YOU DO?

[attr="class","wildpkmn"]

[attr="class","wildtag"]Yumi Hasegawa vincenzo de luca

[attr="class","wildnote"] WHAT WILL YOU DO?

[attr="class","text"]

Enzo kept his answer vague, yet Yumi picked up on the details hinting at his previous life. A low-level grunt certainly might have to travel far for his boss' business, whether that involved murdering people, smuggling goods, or other illicit activities.[break][break]

"Oh, you traveled? Where have you visited?" Yumi asked as a Ponyta trotted into view. She murmured a command to her Popplio. Suimei subdued the wild Pokémon with SING, giving Yumi plenty of time to throw a Pokéball.[break][break]

Turning back to the conversation, the woman said, "I traveled all over Johto as a child, and we took vacations to Alola and Sinnoh, too. And you know I lived in Galar for a time."

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

[attr="class","sideinfo"]

[attr="class","text"]“Ah, just domestic travel, really.” He’d probably been to just about every corner of Hoenn, if he really reflected back on it. “There was one interesting trip to Lumiose, though. And I’ve spent time in Sinnoh, as well. You’ve been?”[break][break]

He deflected the subject back to her, careful to avoid the fact that he’d more than simply visited Sinnoh. As far as most were concerned, Enzo was native to Sootopolis, not Alto Mare. But surely it wasn’t a misstep to say he’d been there. Or perhaps if it was, it was a calculated misstep.[break][break]

So he’d claim. He wasn’t really sure what sort of game he was playing at just then.[break][break]

“Did you enjoy Galar?” he asked as he reached the pokeball he’d tossed, and stooped to pick it up. “The climate seems nice.”

[attr="class","ooc"]

[break]

[attr="class","credit"]MADE BY GUNSMILE

[attr="class","wildpkmn"]

[attr="class","wildtag"]Yumi Hasegawa vincenzo de luca

[attr="class","wildnote"] WHAT WILL YOU DO?

[attr="class","wildpkmn"]

[attr="class","wildtag"]Yumi Hasegawa vincenzo de luca

[attr="class","wildnote"] WHAT WILL YOU DO?

[attr="class","text"]

Yumi raised her eyebrow at Enzo's mention of an 'interesting' trip to Lumiose City. He asked about her own travels before she could inquire further, however, so she put a mental pin on that thought.[break][break]

"Mmm, my family made a couple of business trips to Sinnoh and we always stayed at ski lodges in the north, near Snowpoint City. My father loved skiing, see, and we don't get mountains or snow quite like Sinnoh does."[break][break]

A couple of wild Pokémon scrambled by, spooked by the volume of her voice. She watched them scatter for a moment before looking back at her mentor.[break][break]

"Galar was boring. They don't have a lot of culture there," Yumi admitted. "I did travel around on my school breaks, but there wasn't much to see."[break][break]

She shrugged, a movement that caused Suimei to wriggle in her arms.[break][break]

"Where in Sinnoh did you go? And what's this about Lumiose?" A teasing grin slowly spread across her face.

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

[attr="class","sideinfo"]

[attr="class","text"]“Never did get out to Snowpoint, though maybe I should make the trip now.” Skiing and winter lodges had certainly never been in an affordable price range in those early years of his life. Astra slipped up beside him with a quiet wuff. Idly, his hand lowered to ruffle sunset-hued fur.[break][break]

At the description of Galar, Enzo tutted. “Sounds disappointing. Particularly at that age.” The conversation rerouted back to him, however, and he picked through his words carefully.[break][break]

“Mm, Alto Mare, for the most part.” A scoff of laughter bubbled up, allowing him to gloss over Sinnoh. “Someone’s curious,” he remarked, though the amused smile that hooked the corner of his mouth up belied the fact that he wasn’t truly defensive.[break][break]

After all, his earlier years in Rocket weren’t exactly secret so much as, maybe… unexpected.[break][break]

“Ah, well. I wasn’t exactly quite so…” he trailed, pausing to search for the right word. His nose wrinkled slightly. “personable, I suppose. Or put together.” A street rat only in those beginning stages of playing dress up, really.[break][break]

The rustling of nearby pokemon in the bushes went unacknowledged as he reminisced. “Probably one of the only abroad assignments my, ah, work partner and I did. And for good reason. He was a prickly, nervous wreck, and I was good at pushing buttons. We’d been sent off to collect a loan, and interrogate a deserter while we were at it. We’ll just say that I preferred more creative methods, than my partner’s preference for being straightforward.”[break][break]

In short, he’d always been a wild card where violence was involved. It was always fun, though. “I goaded him a few too many times, and it came back to bite me. Though, we were typically at each other’s throats more often than not.” In more colorful ways than one, he didn’t add aloud.[break][break]

He shrugged, nostalgic smile still present.

[attr="class","ooc"]

[break]

[attr="class","credit"]MADE BY GUNSMILE

[attr="class","wildpkmn"]

[attr="class","wildtag"]Yumi Hasegawa vincenzo de luca

[attr="class","wildnote"] WHAT WILL YOU DO?

[attr="class","wildpkmn"]

[attr="class","wildtag"]Yumi Hasegawa vincenzo de luca

[attr="class","wildnote"] WHAT WILL YOU DO?

[attr="class","text"]

"Alto Mare, really?" Yumi said, glancing up. She thought that city was in Johto, but then again, geography had never been her strong suit in school.[break][break]

She listened as Enzo described his trip to Lumiose. It amused her to imagine him as the type to push another man's buttons and get creative in the interrogation chamber. The man she knew was different — composed, calculating — but she knew well that people never had only one side to them.[break][break]

"So was his method more successful, in the end? Or did you win your game?" she asked.[break][break]

A Gallade sauntered into view, head swiveling for a good look at the two humans and their Pokémon companions. After her Popplio put him to sleep with SING, she threw another Pokéball.

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

[attr="class","sideinfo"]

[attr="class","text"]Enzo blinked a few times, mouth snapping shut as he realized his fumble. Johto. Who forgets their home region? Though he supposed if he told himself a lie for long enough… His eyes cut away from hers, because it seemed that she had also caught the slip, even if she hadn’t made mention of it. Normally, he might’ve tried to skirt around it and smooth it over, but– “I misspoke. It was Johto, not Sinnoh.”[break][break]

Clearly, geography had not been his key subject, either. “But yes, Alto Mare—except I didn’t visit it. I left it. I am…Johtonian. Not Hoennian.” Was he admitting that to her, or to himself? Regardless, it brought the people who knew up to two. He strode forward, as if he hadn’t made a kind of important admission about himself[break][break]

A grin carved across his face in response to her question. “Please, I always won.” That was not true, and usually his behavior came back to bite him. Sometimes literally, which was a benefit, but all the same–there had usually been consequences to playing wild cards.[break][break]

As they met a bend in the path, it became clear that a camerupt was blocking their path. Or “A moo moo,” as Miu would call it, and so that was what fell out of his mouth point blank before Astra leapt forward to bring it down with a powerful BITE.[break][break]

Too much time with the little girl was clearly affecting his vocabulary.

[attr="class","ooc"]

[break]

[attr="class","credit"]MADE BY GUNSMILE