Well, that first encounter was a disaster.

A fucking disaster, and it doesn’t dispel my doubt… there’s something strange in the air, he thought to himself as he had stayed at the first table to finish off the remainder of the banana split (what? It was too good to leave alone!) before heading off to the second one.

With the name card reading ‘Adrian’, he was hoping that this encounter would be much more relaxed.

…he wasn’t expecting the ‘Adrian’ to be someone pretty famous, though. He’d heard buzz of this song that had hit the airwaves a few months previously, and damn it spoke volumes.

Sounds like abandonment… like what happened to me previously… he continued in the back of his head as he was followed to the table, his two Wooloo bleating curiously at all the sights, sounds, and smells. Finally spotting a table, he hoped that this was the right person…

…oh, dear me.

“Are you—Adrian?” he began by way of apology as he sank into the chair. “S-sorry. Got held up at my first table,” he added, hoping the other wouldn’t ask too many questions.

The Wooloo at his feet let out a bleating noise, before nudging him with their head.

“What?” he asked the black-wooled one. “What did Will do to you?”

The normal-colored Wooloo was currently attempting to nip at the other man’s footwear… oops.

Okay, not bad, he looks kind of cute...

Blinking a few times, he's about to continue the conversation when the Persian starts squirming around, and Adrian's exasperated look is enough cause for him to look down and see...

"William, what did I tell you about eating other people's shoes? Stop that right now," he said firmly. To confirm this, the black-wooled Wooloo tottered over to the normal-furred one and proceeded to nip it in the ear. The normal Wooloo let out a cry of dismay before being herded back by the other.

"Geez, I am so sorry about that. He's normally well-behaved. I hope your Persian isn't upset, he apologized before looking down at the two Wooloo who were bleating at each other. Clearly the black-wooled one was telling the normal-wooled one off before letting out a disapproving noise.

"Yeesh, is there anything I can do about the shoes? I can get them cleaned for you," he offered a few moments later.

Compared to earlier, he could at least afford to relax around the other man. Much as he wanted to inquire how old he was, he decided not to. The next question caught him off-guard for a few moments, however he recomposed himself.

Turning his attention away from the Wooloo at his feet, he replied, "Not originally from here, I came from Unova. I moved out here when I was eighteen. Been living here ever since. Should you be familiar with Mistralton, that's where I originally lived. How about you? From where in Sinnoh do you come from?" he inquired.

He couldn't help but dwell on why the young man's voice sounded so familiar to him. He couldn't place why, but there was something niggling at him about Adrian's voice. It was like the answer was on the tip of his tongue...

Another bleating noise from somewhere near his feet snaps him out of his stupor.

"Want to apologize to Adrian, Will? Eating shoelaces isn't nice," he continued, disappearing for a moment before picking up the Wooloo to face the other man.

"Go on."

Embarrassed to be put on the spot, the Wooloo hid his face in his fur for a few moments before letting out a sheepish (heh) noise, which came out as a squeak.

Of course, Alexei had no idea that the earlier members of his family weren't from Unova, but from a small little shrine town in the same region that Adrian had described briefly. While he wasn't familiar with Jubilife, he had heard of Snowpoint in passing here and there--one of the coldest places in the area.

"The sun rarely breaks through the deep snowdrifts up north there," he mentioned quietly. He had heard curious little stories about the place; of how so many Froslass were sighted around the area especially in the deepest times of night. Adrian's next comment makes the Wooloo he's holding up let out a blepping sort of noise, still embarrassed to be put on the spotlight.

"Yep, he's one of the new Pokémon. Got him from a ranch near Littleroot. Nobody wannted him in the herd, so I decided to take him in myself. He's a classic little troublemaker," he shared with a laugh. The Wooloo wanted to roll out of his owner's hold and just wilt somewhere, he was being roasted (heh)!

The black-wooled Wooloo was more behaved, minding his business at Alexei's feet and giving the normal-colored Wooloo another disapproving look.

"Oh? Miser is shiny? I never would have guessed," he commented--when he saw the underbelly, he realized that normal Persians don't have that coloration.

Just as he was about to ask another question, the buzzers went off. Welp.

"See you sometime then, Adrian," he remarked in return. Not until he had some time to himself later did he realize that Adrian was the voice behind that famous song that had been around the airwaves for some time now...

- Finis -