[attr="class","witness"]"Hm?"

Francie's whole person perked up at the sound of somebody nearby speaking loud enough for her to hear. She was just repelling down the mountain when she heard them. Her three lycanrocs used their rock climb to follow her, bouncing around at her feet when she paused. Louie paused to perk his ears up and listen to the girl that called at their Francie. A small bristle later, and immediately, Francie's tapping his nose.

"You be nice, Louie."

The scolded lycanroc snorts before slowly approaching the girl with a sniff and then deeming her safe before plopping down to sit while Francie makes her way over.

"Hello there! Yes, I'm also on a hike. Well, kind of. We finished ours, and I'm on my way back down."

Louie's serene moment of no brothers is interrupted when Lincoln tackles Lyonel into Louie and the three of them go tumbling against the gravel of the ledge they're perched upon.

Ruby Walker

[attr="class","witness"]"Two of them can be. It's usually Lyonel's fault, though. He's such a taunting turd."

Francie gave a smile at the girl's attempt at explaining herself. The idea of doing this sort of thing for her health hadn't crossed Francie's mind. Ever since she could remember, she was climbing up mountains and looking at rock pokemon. This was second nature to her.

But that didn't mean she didn't have advice for the girl.

"The trick is moderation, as far as hiking goes. If you do too much at one time, you'll ruin the whole experience! Best to take your time. Even if you're only able to go for about twenty minutes, or even five, without feeling exhausted. Call it a day, try the next day! Slowly gain that muscle and be sure not to force it!"

Realizing she was rambling, the gym leader shut her yap and gave a nervous grin.

"S-sorry, I got carried away."

Behind her, the three settled in a literal dog pile, with Louie on the bottom with a very deadpanned expression while the other two gnawed on various parts of one another.

Ruby Walker

[attr="class","witness"]Relieved that she wasn't being a bother, Francie relaxed her features and smiled softly in response. She looked behind her at the pile of lycanrocs and let out a chuckle.

"They're something. A handful, for sure, when they were smaller. But they all learned how to mind me pretty well. Helped that they had previous training before my father traded for them."

Her thoughts on them being siblings were short, and she was quick to respond.

"But no, they're not related. Well, not by parent pokemon anyway. They certainly think they're all brothers. Louie sometimes likes to pretend he isn't, doesn't claim the other two. But you'd think the other two were hatched at the same time, they're so close."

Ruby Walker

[attr="class","witness"]"Ohmygosh... you're right!"

Francie had raised her hand to her mouth in shock before laughing, and giving a polite smile and wave.

"I'm Francie Myrtle! Petalburg City's new gym leader."

She glances over and sighs, returning all but Lincoln, who'd decided to give upon doing anything but whining until his not-brother-brothers left him be.

"C'mere Lincoln."

He quickly obeyed, making his way over and plopping down to lick and nurse his wounds in the process. Francie gave his head a pat or three before smiling up at the girl.

"And you?"

Ruby Walker