Gwen sat red in the face alongside Robin inside of the hot springs. Just seeing her in a bathing suit like this was a little embarrassing, but she didn't want to be caught staring. She would have been happy to really spend some personal time with her bestie, though her body language was off. Maybe it was all the time she spent around Pokémon and more now, but the girl was slowly getting used to getting a read on the many creatures of the world. There wasn't much layover when it came to humans, but she could tell something was eating at her.

"Yeah, I've noticed some of it.” Gwen said as she got comfortable inside of the springs. The warm waters felt nice against her tired and slightly tanned skin. "Some of the Pokémon are acting weird lately. It's like something has them on edge."

Robin did seem to be concerned while Gwendolyn could only try and be the more upbeat one. She swallowed back whatever worries were present before offering a smile to Robin.

"Hey, whatever it is, we'll find our way around it. As long as all of us stick together, we can manage through it!" She said, finally looking towards Robin again. "I promise. Do you have any idea what might be causing it?"

Was Gwen downplaying how on-edge the entire world had felt, or was she just confident in her ability to course-correct should disaster strike? Robin wanted to feel good about her best friend - she knew Gwen was capable, and she was growing strong every day. But the fear was so real. She couldn't risk anything happening to Gwen. Robin was nearly abducted for getting in over her head; she couldn't let Gwen face the same fate.

She fought the urge to blurt out her worst fears. Instead, she cleared her throat. "Um. I think it's a response to malicious energy. Like, all the wildlife knows something bad is about to happen. These behaviors are like, um, if an earthquake is gonna strike, but the Rangers in charge of environmental monitoring have been upping their range on the devices. Nothing appears to be coming."

Even people were responding to the nervousness of wildlife by stockpiling themselves. Many stores in Dewford had sold out of essentials, according to her older sister. Criminal activity had suspiciously not hit an uptick. That is what set her off -- surely, Rocket was planning something. They were organizing something; otherwise, lowly thugs would be taking advantage of such rapid movements of goods in all the cities to smuggle or steal.

Robin explained as much, looking to be approaching a nervous breakdown.

”That would explain a lot. It feels like all the birds near the park we go to are skittish now. Maybe they can feel that something's coming.”

Gwen nodded in agreement. There was a lot happening around Hoenn for the time being, so narrowing it down to just one singular thing was something that was going to be near impossible. Still, she was doing her best to put on a brave face between the two of them, even if deep down she was just as terrified.

Robin looked worse for wear. It was visible. Seeing her friend like this was the last thing that either of them would have wanted to see the other go through. But besides coaxing her that they would be alright, Gwen wasn't sure how to help her.

Silence rang between the two of them while she sat in the hot springs. Her mind was tangling itself attempting to think of something to say that may put the fears aside.

”I know it's scary, I know it looks like things are the worst they are right now, but we can pull through this. I'm not about to let Rocket lay a finger on you as long as I'm still here.” She said, leaning over to try and bolster her friends’ spirits. Gwen's hand had inched closer to Robin while the nerd continued on.

”What's scaring you most about it? Is it because of all the people stealing supplies?”

Robin placed her head in her wet hands, taking a calming breath. It felt like something inevitable and heavy was coming, and they were just watching it happen. "I just. I have such a bad feeling about it." She hadn't felt this bad about something or had such strong intuition in years. Every time she had stated anything like it growing up, her family had dismissed her. She wasn't a real psychic, after all.

Would Gwen believe her?

"I just need you to be careful." She pulled her face from her hands, but even the soothing hot water wasn't making a dent in her worry. "I've been doing all I can to get stronger lately, even getting punished for it, but I still feel like I'm the same girl that got abducted all those months ago. I don't... I don't feel like I can handle what's coming. And there's an even stronger reaction in nature to whatever's on the horizon than we experienced in August." Indeed, things just had to be worse this time around.

She closed the distance between herself and Gwen and cupped the girl's face. "You'll stay safe, won't you? Even if it means running?" Survival at all costs. That's what Annalise, Greyson, and Navy had instilled in her.

She wanted her to be careful? Talk about the roles being reversed. Gwen had gotten so used to being the worrywort when it came to Robin, and now, the shoe was on the other foot. Was this what Robin felt like when she was being talked to this way? It was pretty weird in a way.

”Hey, I'm careful…Kinda.” She protested. ”The crystal guy was just a one time thing. Gishath and I have-”

Oh shit. Fuck, holy shit!

Gwen's face turned red as she felt Robin's hands cupping her chin. The distance between them was far less than what it was before. She could almost feel the heat from their bodies interweave with one another. Her entire being shook as her mouth just babbled on about something.

She had to say something to her, even like this! Gwen racked her noggin to think of what could calm her down like this. What would noah faber do in a time like this? Her lips quivered at Robin's request to run away at any danger.

”I promise. Besides…” Gwen put on a grave face and gave her best noah faber impression. A dashing, handsome smile with a face that was heroic as hell! ”A smile as cute as yours is worth protecting.”

Robin was so busy worrying that she almost didn't catch Gwen's face turn bright red. "Oh, geez. We've been in here too long. C'mon, let's get out!" She didn't want to give her best friend heat sickness! She stood up in the hot spring, tapping on Gwen's shoulders to encourage her to stand, also. She felt better about Gwen's promise, but she couldn't bring herself to smile as Gwen complimented it.

She still felt the heavy seed of worry in her gut. The over-positive encouragement didn't sit well with her; was this what Gwen felt every time Robin forced enthusiasm down her throat? "I'd feel better if you focus on protecting yourself," she murmured. She took another look at her red best friend and tried to picture what Gwen was feeling. "Sorry, I guess I've been trying to make you anxious this whole time. I just. I can't lose you, Gwen. And I think we're... I think there's gonna be loss." She stepped out of the spring.

"Um. Let's just get some ramen. Gotta keep our strength up." She wanted to spend as much time with Gwen as she could.

They had been in here for a while, haven't they? Gwendolyn was at least a little worried about the incoming future and what it may hold. But she had to really hold herself together for the other person's sake. They both stepped out while Robin let her worries flow out of her. The taller ginger couldn't blame her. Something was definitely coming for all of them. But Gwen had to say something.

Her arms pulled Robin into a close hug, their warm bodies pressed against one another while Gwen brought her close. Her face was close to Robin as she pushed through the blushing.

"I know. I put on a brave face, but I'm scared too. Everyone I know might get hurt or worse in this. I don't want to lose you either."

Gwen feared that one of them would be among the bodies counted that were tragically lost during the conflict. A future that she'd pay anything to prevent from happening. Gwen frowned, still clutching onto Robin as she mulled something over in her head.

Should she confess here? Just in case either of them wouldn't make it? Or would it be a burden to carry? It wasn't a weight she wanted to put onto the girl, but if it was better than keeping it before it was too late...

Her heart raced while Gwen leaned her head closer. The anxiety she had created for herself made her unable to form a complete thought in her head. For a moment that old Gwen that Robin knew so well had become visible again. So unable to function with the thoughts and fears spinning around in it that she froze on the spot.

"R-Robin, I..." Her throat felt clamped by a vice. She just had to push 3 more words through! C'mon! What would Robin think of it? Did she feel the same way? Was this a mistake to do this here? IN a vulnerable state like this? She didn't know, but damn it! "I'll be careful and run if it gets dangerous. I promise."

She followed Robin out for ramen, hoping that it would help get her mind off of things, at least for a while.

Hearing that Gwen was afraid too was a relief. She felt better with a scared Gwen than a brave one. She didn't know what she would do if she lost her. The thought was unbearable.

As they pulled apart and got out, Robin felt a better mood very slowly returning to her. She wanted her friend to get stronger and more confident, but not at the cost of her life. Gwen was worth more to Robin than...

Huh.

More than anything. She wouldn't lose Gwen. Not until she had exhausted everything on the planet, all of her pokemon, and herself. "Thank you, Gwennie." She playfully bumped shoulders with the other girl. "But if you think I'm not stealing an egg from your ramen, you're kidding yourself." She giggled, pleased that, despite all the hard times she'd faced and the ones coming, she had Gwen on her side. Gwen, who she really, really liked.

The bump by Robin made Gwen laugh to herself, cracking a grin across her face once more. Something about the small gesture was like raising the anchor of her mood and bring her back into the fun times with her best friend by her side. It was those little things that really seemed to improve her mood.

"Not if I eat yours and mine before you do it." Gwen joked while her mouth began to water about how good the dish would taste. "Or I can have them make it super spicy and see if you'll want it then."

The two girls stepped out of the building a short while later as Gwen began to lead the way to the ramen restaurant. If she did have even a small chance of dying in this, maybe it was time for a few risks? Just to step out of her comfort zone like Shalin said to. It sounded like a good idea anyway.

"I might even get the super spicy version this time~"