[attr="class","witness"]Francie was nervous as could be. Stormy Silph herself, related to FERNANDO SILPH, and really Francie was afraid that Stormy built her gym up in her mind as something impressive and, well, it was just a maze... it had obstacles, sure, but--

No! Francie! We discussed this, you will be confident in your gym! It's backed by Fernando and by Asher both. If they backed it, you're doing something right!!

Look! Internal character development, good for Francie.

As she talked herself in a circle, she approached the starting line, which Stormy would eventually be told to meet Francie at. Once they were there, Francie gave a wave toward the beginning of the maze, which had already opened up to show tall walls of pure stone, stretching up to the ceiling.

"Welcome to Petalburg Gym's Maze! This challenge allows only non-damaging moves! If you make it to the end of the maze by the time limit that beings once you cross this white line, you win! The only stipulation is that you have to have me with you in order to complete the challenge! I'll accompany you the whole time!"

Despite her blush because she was nervous, Francie was trying to show nerves of steel.

"Are you ready, Stormy?"

Stormy Silph - roll total 0/200
you may begin rolling!

[attr="class","witness"]A Silph that wanted to hold her hand?! She was pretty sure FERNANDO SILPH would die if she took his hand. So the fact that Stormy had offered to take it and even wanted it had Francie a bit frozen in place.

But she had a job to do! Focus Franny!

It was like kim cole-essam was in her head, and it had her standing up straight and giving an excited nod, motioning toward the maze and shrugging her shoulders as if she didn't care or know either way about the whole hand thing.

"If it makes you more comfortable, I'm not against holding hands, and I haven't had a fever in the past two weeks or anything, so, um, I wash my hands too..."

Rambling over, Francie followed Stormy into the maze and smiled. Within the stone walls, the smell of dirt and other earthy tones, Francie relaxed. Even her hand holding had less tension in it. She relaxed her shoulders and looked over the rapidash with near awe.

"I've always liked the darker manes of the shiny... is that um, is that bad?"

Not that fire types were her thing, but, to each their own! Right??

Stormy Silph - roll total 17/200

[attr="class","witness"]"He should feel that way though! Just look at him. He's like, like, like one of those nightmare stallions from Galar."

While she's not a girl that believes in all the fairy tales she reads, she does in fact read them, and her imagination takes the better of her, as usual.

"I really love the color mixture. At night, it looks like smoke, and it's so cool. Like ghosty fire smoke."

Francie used her free hand to wiggle her fingers in the air, as if trying to be spooky. Which, it would appear like a whimsicott trying to be spooky. What a laugh.

Although it would seem the longer route, the one Stormy was going down was definitely the safer route. Other twists and turns would have lead them to a water challenge, or even her rampardos'. But so far, so good, so safe... and they were still holding hands.

Why was that so cool to Francie?? Because she's real simple.

Stormy Silph - roll total 51/200

[attr="class","witness"]Stormy's cool exterior makes Francie as uneasy as it does comfortable. There's something about the girl, and the squeezing of Francie's hand, that calms Francie down. She feels less nervous and, finally, she feels more herself. Like she's not going to somehow embarrass herself in front of yet another Silph.

"Super cool."

Francie's short laugh at herself, and at how cute Apollo was being, only stops when she's asked about her relationship with the region.

"I'm from Kanto, but, I've been in and out of Hoenn for a few years now... it's, it's all really complicated, but I'm here to stay this time around."

Nothing could tare her from this region now, and this determination of hers stems from it. Along with the pride of her gym.

Stormy Silph - roll total 67/200

[attr="class","witness"]knowing that somebody else understand complicated helps francie relax. she's not particularly one to dwell on these sorts of things, but, with the weight of stormy's tone francie can't help but figure that the girl understands her in some light.

or perhaps it's wishful francie thinking.

either way, she they do make it down a correct path, although it leads to a dead in, francie tugs at stormy to stand still and gives a small click for apollo to get his attention. it's a long enough stall, and the floor underneath their feet begins to descend. once lowered enough, the ceiling closes, and all light is lost to them--save that ghostly fire mane.

"welcome to the half way point! or less, you'll never really know until we finish! um... well, you've already got apollo's mane so, that'll be super easy. anyway, find the exit and you'll get the stone badge! but hurry, cause, that time limit."

Stormy Silph - roll total 160/200

[attr="class","witness"]Francie got so giddy she might have exploded internally a little bit.

"OhmygoodnessIwouldloveto!"

Riding horseback, was admittedly, a secret love of hers. But there were no rock horses, so she settled for riding her dinosaurs and typically Nicky her onix.

Either way, she excitedly got on the stallion and grinned as they were ushered forward at a decent pace. Such a decent pace, that when they made their way through a few lucky turns, there was light at the end of the tunnel. With the climb of a small incline, they would surface at Petalburg Gym's battle arena.

Francie threw her hands in the air in victory and grinned.

"Congratulations Stormy and Apollo, you did it! We're across the finish line in the time limit!"

Once Apollo came to a slow, even if they rode around for a bit as a victory lap, Francie dismounted at the podium that held the Stone Badge within.

A quick retina scan, the case opened, Francie took one of the badges, and then she turned and faced Stormy as the case behind her automatically closed and locked.

"Here's your Stone Badge, Stormy. You deserve it! The bond you have with your pokemon, it's like they're apart of you, and I'm so proud that you're going to be continuing your journey and remaining strong. Even in the complicated stuff."

Stormy Silph - roll total 258/200

[attr="class","witness"]Bold enough to take it...

Francie repeats the phrase to herself internally, over and over, while having accepted the hug and giggled at the attention of the rapidash. There is a lot of truth in that, a truth that Francie usually avoids.

While in battle and in most of life Francie is bold, when it came to her relationships, she was not bold. She liked to be reserved. She wanted to be swept off of her feet, but she typically picked to crush on people that wouldn't ever be bold enough to ask her out first. Or even make the first move!

"You're right."

The resolve in her tone is intimidating, but perhaps not to Stormy, but mostly to herself.

"Our life is ours to mold, we just have to be brave enough to take steps... you've taught me today, as well, Stormy... can um, I mean--"

No! They just talked about this, she could be bold!

"Would it be okay if like, we hung out outside of the gym? I mean, I'm asking, if you want to be friends... like, shopping or something?"

Stormy Silph