alia hadn’t expected to be this far out of town today. she had figured it was going to be a slow morning, with the only item on her assignment being the regular, day-to-day patrol. however, when she caught the variety vlogger heading out to route 114, an area well-known for its infestation of dark and dragon pokemon, the ranger couldn’t help herself and interfere.

next thing she knew, she was accompanying the vlogger on her little adventure. alia was on high alert, deep blue eyes darting around her surroundings for even the slightest of movement. a grey rock adorned with light blue crystals floats nearby, eyes bright as it takes in its new environment.[break][break]

alia eyes julie when she speaks, and lets out a laugh at her remark. “i’d argue i worry just enough,” the ranger says, shaking her head out of both amusement and disbelief. she couldn’t believe how at ease the other woman seemed - did julie really not know what could be waiting for her out here, or was she genuinely not scared? it hasn’t been long since alia met the vlogger, so she had no way of telling.[break][break]

“have you done this for long?” she watches the rotom phone zoom ahead, and the carbink flicks an ear at the sudden movement. alia has always been intrigued by long-form video content, but never could figure out how people just decided what to shoot. “are you trying to film anything in particular today?” she asks after another moment, giving in to her curiosity. [break][break]

+ Julie Solette skipping mudbray!

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alia simply nods as julie talks about her work, taking in the latter's words quietly and folding them neatly into a corner of her brain. it was always fascinating to witness how people radiate as they shared about their craft, but simultaneously it tugs at the envy alia desperately tries to lock and confine in her ribs. she wished she carries that same spark, but instead all she has is a box of matches that refused to burn. [break][break]

julie's question barely left her lips when alia opens her mouth, ready to shut down the idea as soon as she can. her, alia song, shooting a vlog? no, that was absolutely ridiculous. impossible. sure, she might know her way around a camera, but that was different from knowing how to shoot interesting content. and alia really did not think she was interesting enough to hook anyone's attention, not like julie did. thankfully, before she could protest, a pokemon steals the spotlight from her, saving the day. [break][break]

not just any pokemon, at that. a shiny one! alia lets out a gasp herself at the sight; she's never ran into one in the wild before. she mimics the other woman’s excitement, slapping her hand over her mouth from disbelief. "yes, yes you did," she breathes out with a gentle drop of her hand, eyes fixed on the luminous green pokemon in wonder. [break][break]

she tears her blue gaze away from the creature in front of them at the sound of julie's frantic pleas, a laugh bubbling at her lips. oh, julie was cute. "yeah, you got it! that's a good approach. you don't have to knock it out completely, but if you weaken it enough it should be a lot easier to catch." her voice was restricted to a soft, steady whisper, as if she would scare the pokemon away if she was a mere decibel louder. "a move or two should do the trick!" alia crosses her fingers, hoping so hard for julie to catch the shiny that anyone else would’ve thought it was her own catch.
[break][break]

+ Julie Solette skipping mudbray!

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alia holds her breath as the pokeball shakes violently, like sacrificing her need for oxygen was going to increase the chances of the pokemon being caught. it escapes her once the capsule stills; a mixture of relief and joy filling her features. she turns to julie, laughing at the vlogger's current stance before grabbing her shoulder excitedly. "look, you caught it!" she says, shaking julie slightly as she points her free hand towards where the flapple was. 
[break][break]
"that was a great catch! i can't believe that was your first time," alia says after they recover from the earlier situation. the ranger looks impressed as she continues. "you're a natural, you and your skitty took on that flapple like a champ! i'm sure you guys will be catching a bunch of new pokemon in no time." as encouraging as she had been, alia couldn't deny that she was initially worried the situation would turn messy. with how nervous julie was, the ranger thought that she might have to step in, but she was glad she didn't have to. [break][break]
"so, how are you feeling about your first catch? ready to show your flapple off to the world?" alia grins, any tension from her earlier hyper-vigilance gone. with things going more smoothly than she expected, the ranger's blue gaze no longer flit restlessly around their surroundings but instead rests steadily on julie.
[break][break]
the momentary peace is broken by her carbink's shrill squeal, alerting alia about the weavile that had wandered into their path. the weasel-like pokemon bares its teeth and hisses, yowling a harsh screech at the sight of the traveling group. the piercing noise cuts through the air, causing both trainer and pokemon alike to flinch at the noise. the predator pokmeon begins to hone its claws, and alia takes the pause as an opportunity to attack. "zuli, let's do a power gem." she calls out. despite the weavile's menacing aura, alia wasn't too worried about the present situation - they had the upperhand here, with her carbink's overpowering type advantage over the foe. [break][break]
the shimmering rock flicks an ear in acknowledgment before it begins generating a blinding ray of light that mimicked the sheen of precisely-cut diamonds. it sends the light beam towards the weavile before the latter can attack, successfully knocking it down to its belly. at the sight of the weasel taking damage, alia reaches for one of her empty pokeballs and flicks it at the other pokemon, attempting a capture. 

+ Julie Solette catching weavile!

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alia laughs, rubbing her neck a little self-consciously at julie’s sudden flattering remark. now that her socializing is at an all-time high, compliments such as this one are no longer as rare, but it was still taking her some time to get used to. “aw, that’s so sweet of you to say…but honestly, i just had a lot of practice! the ranger program’s been brutal, drilling a bunch of skills in me within the last couple of months. at least they seem to be working, though.” she shakes her head with another laugh, this one less shaky than the last. [break][break]

her marine eyes widen as she processes the fact that she, alia song, was going to be featured in julie’s vlog. the ranger was so focused on weakening and catching the weavile, the camera’s presence had gone unnoticed by her usual vigilant self. “oh!” she breathes out, hand fluttering over her mouth. despite alia’s usual paranoia for attention, the usual claws of fear were absent this time around. if anything, she was feeling kind of giddy right now. [break][break]

okay, she's gotta like, chill out a bit. she's smiling like she was having her own twenty minute special, not a fifteen second feature. “oh, wow. i’m so honored to make an appearance!” she says, heart fuzzy that julie thought of including her on the channel. the vlogger probably didn't think twice about it, but the action made alia felt so…seen. [break][break]

“well, if i somehow get overnight fame from this - i’d be indebted to you forever.” alia cuts through her own sentiments with a joke, avoidant tendencies taking over. her lips part to make another playful comment when a drakloak float into their path, its eyes wary of the strangers. distracted, alia immediately sends her carbink into battle, excited by the prospect of having another dragon on her team. although difficult to tame, they’ve proven to be fantastic for ranger work and even better partners once you earned their loyalty.[break][break]

“you know, i don’t think we’ve ever talked about this before, but what made you move to hoenn?” she asks afterwards, letting the question linger in the air. if there’s one thing that alia’s learned in the short time that she’s lived in hoenn, it was that almost everyone had a story to tell. she wonders what julie’s would be, if she chose to share.

+ Julie Solette catching drakloak! <3

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while alia had been excited by the thought of her first vlog appearance, she hesitates to confirm it out loud. saying it verbally made it feel so much more real, and that intimidated her. [break][break]

instead, she hesitates. the words falter on the edge of her lips as she tiptoes around the line, silently mulling if it was one she should let herself cross. after a few moments, however, alia swallows. “yeah, screw it - there’s a first time for everything, right?” she says, smiling softly. a strange wave of relief washes over her as she finally gives herself the permission to step out of the shadows, take up a little more space. sure, it was still scary nonetheless, but maybe it wouldn’t be as bad as she thinks it’ll be.[break][break]

just as julie gives alia the space to think things through, the ranger offers the vlogger the same courtesy in return. “that’s a very admirable cause.” she replies after julie finally gave her answer. “i love it. we all need a little more hope in this world, yeah?”[break][break]

despite all of the terrible events that alia has heard and witnessed throughout her time in hoenn, she continues to hold on to the belief that the region could flourish. perhaps it was naivety on her part, but it kept her going. it was nice to hear how other people were also nourishing that flame of hope, in their own ways.[break][break]

“i’m from sinnoh.” alia answers, honey brown orbs flickering to the vullaby waddling nearby. it was a cute lil thing, but didn’t particularly pique her interest. “i ended up here because i’ve been meaning to see more of the world. i’ve lived in my hometown my entire life, so it was due time for a change.” the words slip out of her like smooth honey, a testimony to her experience in omitting her past. "and i suppose i wanted to do more good for this world, when i picked up ranger work. it was a bit spontaenous of me, honestly, but thankfully it worked out. i enjoy it a lot now." as she spoke, a genuine smile breaks through her features, eyes crinkling in warmth with the shift of facial muscles. while the career started off as a coping mechanism of sorts, alia was beginning to find a more authentic purpose in it. she hopes that her newfound interest and love for it will stay. [break][break][break][break]
+ Julie Solette         skipping! [break]