”She’s quite beautiful isn’t she?” Francie would hear the voice coming from behind her and it belonged to a familiar face. Samuel had come to Mt. Chimney for reasons similar to her own, though he was more focused on the training aspect that he was doing with his Mienfoo than just a simple trek up the mountain.

And it was the mountain that he was referring to, a place that Samuel had fond memories of exploring when he was younger.

”What are the odds that we’d meet up again like this!” Samuel smiled. He was on a ledge a bit above the woman but far enough away that he couldn’t see or hear her.

The man, along with his Mienfoo, climbed down to close the distance. ”First helping cleaning up the beach and now scaling mountains, maybe you’re more of a nature lover than I thought.”

francie myrtle

[attr="class","witness"]A voice caught her ear, causing her to turn and look. The face was more familiar to her than the voice, and she gave a great big grin his way.

"Hey there!... erm." ...had they introduced themselves? She couldn't remember. "You." No, that wasn't awkward at all.

"It's so good to see you again! Fun fact: Francie loves nature."

She confirmed as she held her hand up to fist-bump the little cutie that came with Samuel.

"How have you been?"

@samuel

”You?!” He hung his head and let his arms drop, how could she?! ”You don’t even remember my name! I’m hurt!” Samuel laughed, changing his dramatically sad face into a smiling one.

His Mienfoo wasn’t receptive to the fist-bump at first but after Samuel gave the Pokémon a bit of a nudge and a smile the little Pokémon reached out its little fist to meet Francie’s.

”It’s good to see you again as well. And I’ll have to remember that fun fact.” He replied as he folded his arms and admired the view from the ledge they were at.

”I’ve been good, nothing to really complain about. How about yourself? Planning on reaching the top today?”

francie myrtle

[attr="class","witness"]"Wh-- the top? No way. I'm not dressed for a volcano."

The tease was given with a playful wink, which she thought nothing of, before returning to her munching. She gave Louie, the orange lycanroc that had laid down once Samuel was seen as 'not-threat' a pat on his head, rubbing behind his ears.

"What about you? Thinking about going all the way to the top with mienfoo here, or just taking a stroll?"

Either was acceptable. Mostly because Francie didn't think twice about people who didn't want to climb the mountain. It wasn't a task for everyone.

@samuel

He chuckled at her response and then tilted his head to one side as she then reversed the question to him. ”I don’t know just yet.” He replied, looking down at his Mienfoo.

I’m sure this little one will want to make it all the way to the top but I don’t know if it’s in the cards for today. Don’t want to push him too hard, ya know?” The Mienfoo gave his trainer a flustered look at the suggestion he wasn’t strong enough to make it to the top to which Sam just laughed in response to it.

”But making it to the top would be nice, it’d be interesting to see how the volcano was doing.” Or extremely unfortunate depending on how it was doing in terms of activity. Death by volcanic eruption isn’t how Samuel wanted to go out.

”Maybe discover if those myths about a Pokémon being dormant in the volcano are true.”

francie myrtle

[attr="class","witness"]Suddenly, Francie was listening. She stopped petting her lycanroc and looked to Sam with sparkling eyes. Like she'd seen a valuable treasure, or possibly a rare pokemon.

"Do you... think it'll be a rock type?"

Suddenly she was on her feat, everything was packed in one swift anime magic movement, and she had her gear hitched and ready to go.

"Let's go Sam, mienfoo my little man!!" She remembered his name in her excitement. "We've got a pokemon to wake!"

Careful Groudon, here she comes.

@samuel

Did he say the magic word or something?! What was nothing more than a simple joke for him had turned into some serious motivation for Francie. He didn’t want to break it to her and tell her that the likelihood of them finding such a beast was close to none, she was too enthused for him to be able to break her spirit.

”Uh I don’t know, maybe it is?” He replied.

”But it’s just a myth, it’s not actually there…right?” Given what’s been happening in this region Samuel wouldn’t really be surprised if the legend was true.

”I guess this’ll just be our excuse to keep going higher.” Samuel shrugged as he looked down at his Mienfoo.

francie myrtle

[attr="class","witness"]"Even if it is a legend," Francie began climbing up the mountain as she spoke, just straight up where she had been sitting, using grips and rocks to just get herself further up. "I think it would be a lot of fun to prove the legend right or wrong!"

As she continued her climb, whether Samuel followed or not, she continued her excited spectating.

"I mean, what if it's one of the Galarian pokemon I've been hearing so much about?? I hear they've got some really sick rock types. Even a rock and water type turtle, drednaw? I think? I might be saying it wrong."

@samuel - post 5/5!

Samuel didn’t follow her at first and instead stood there and listened to her excitement. This one was full of surprises she was, he hadn’t expected this level of interest.

He then quickly followed behind her, Mienfoo swift to follow along as well.

”You’ve got quite the soft spot for rock types, huh?” He felt a bit silly to not have noticed that until now but it was endearing.

”But you have me convinced! Let’s see if there’s any truth to this legend.”

francie myrtle