the captain's words don't fall to hollow ears. no, francie is quick to heed the advice given. she moves over closer to skyler, keeping close because she doesn't want to just go flying off the boat and if she does maybe skyler will help catch her before she's lost to the waves.

not that she didn't have pokémon with her that wouldn't pop out of their capsules to save her, but still.

"oh my gosh!!" francie laughs out as the boat speeds up. when she gets her footing, she lifts her hands up and calls out to the sky with a big, "wooooohooo!"

whether she's supposed to be enjoying herself as much as she is or not doesn't matter. leave it to francie to have fun on the water as much as she would in a mountain or forest. nature and pokémon have always felt like home. and the wind in her air? it's a new kind of rush she'll be excited to experience anytime she comes to visit skyler.

yes, she plans on coming to visit more, shh.

skyler dross

angelo knew just how to get her relaxed; hiking!

excitement courses through her veins in a quick sort of skip jump. it's the beginning of her walk toward that rocky path and she's all too quickly heading toward it, keeping beside angelo so they can walk together.

feels good to have somebody walking beside her. not that it was a rare occurrence, namely when she escorts people through tougher terrain near mt. chimney.

"i'm glad to hear you're doing well... i feel really guilty for not being able to even sit and email you back. i mean, i've had the email open multiple times, it just like, never happened. i uh," she laughs in an effort to disassociate her own shame. "i mean, i have no excuses. i just should have started writing. but then it would be a novel... y'know?"

another excuse, which has her grimacing and shrinking a bit, smile falling.

"anyway, sorry i've been a bad friend ange."

angelo vestri

"they do!" francie's quick to immediately begin oozing about her precious boys. "that's lyonel, and that one's louie."

she points to each, and each looks at her for at least a fraction of a second before playing with the ice types that emerge.

"i um, i actually just came here because i wanted to learn how to skate. i know it seems super silly but like, i'm on my way to thirty and it's closin' in fast so i wanna get as many skills learned as possible! i really should start that pottery class..."

and she's completely serious. she just likes to have a thousand hobbies. why? because she's always looking for where she belongs in life. where her shape fits perfectly. it's not an easy task and she's becoming exhausted.

hopefully she'll get her answer soon. or at some point. at all.

or maybe her shape doesn't belong anywhere; her one true nightmare.

Nia Acadia

nobody would blame mars for avoiding petalburg altogether because bugs are gross. certainly not me, certainly. not francie.

with a bright smile, she looks to mars like he'd just lit up her world like nobody else. really, her smile's just that bright all the time. it's very deceitful, that smile. and she's no idea.

"oh, quite the variety. but y'know, i like it. it keeps things interesting. and i'm never bored."

yes she's hinting at the fact that she gets bored easily. which, she does. but it's not because life isn't interesting. her brain's a little different than everybody else's and she's always got to be moving and doing. the more different the task, the more she can focus on it, the less likely she is to wander off and start collecting pebbles or digging for fossils.

the hound and lycans are making quick work of the bugs, corralling them into nets. in no time at all the task is complete and francie's giving mars a reassuring smile; bright, happy, the sun might be dim compared kinda smile.

"there you are! all taken care of! i hope we worked in a way that won't cost you too much in repairs."

Martín del Mar

"r-really! because, because if it is, i'll come into some other, uh, accommodations quickly i'm sure!"

the way she quickly rambles herself into a grave is surely one of her most well used talents. her body is rigid with nerves and she suddenly feels like she's imposing... but the apartment is nice and it would make work so much easier.

"but, i should point out, i'm um, i've got a knack for baking and i can keep my pokémon in their capsules while i'm at home! being that most of them are, erm, not uh, not apartment friendly... kind musty and dirty, by uh, by nature."

rock types, what'll a girl do?

Raziel Beckett FERNANDO SILPH

accepting! Sob

the hand shake was firm, the help up was appreciated. francie nodded at being inquired about having sailed before, even adding in, "i even went mantine surfing in alola, what a ride."

then, she's in the boat and skyler's showing her delicious food and alcohol. being that she's nothing short of a girl who tries to make her best decisions all the time due to a lack of self-confidence in herself, she pointedly ignores the alcohol exists and instead beams brightly at the food.

"oh my gosh! that's super thoughtful, wow. and i like, didn't bring anything but my badge and pokémon..."

suddenly she's thinking about desserts that would have paired well.

"next time, i can bring a cheesecake or something."

leave it to francie to be determined to make a better impression the more she saw a person.

skyler dross

greeting razz was easy enough. he seemed like a very nice person, though a little shy, which was totally fin given they just barged into his house not super invited. poor thing. she sort of felt bad.

then fernando goes and mentions she doesn't have a place to stay, or he imagines so, and it has her dense little head tilting and a squeak of an, "eh?" escapes her lips.

then, frantic waving, it's short lived but it's energetic.

"wh-what? no, no no, i don't wanna impose on him! that'd be so rude, wow." a nervous laugh, then she's playing with the ends of her hair. "no, it's fine. i'm staying in the pokémon center for now. i'm sure i'll figure something out!"

Raziel Beckett FERNANDO SILPH

seeing barnaby's starmie just take the little houndour out didn't phase francie. the law of pokémon was something she'd become numb to. and wild pokémon, she had learned, could be very brutal. best to get ahead of them and apologize later, sometimes.

other times, they could be reasoned with. and much to her surprise, barnaby just handed her the capsule. she smiled brightly, taking it and nodding.

"thanks... and, as far as working for the silph company, i love it. i've always wanted to, and i finally got the courage up to apply."

though, could surprising FERNANDO SILPH on christmas day and telling him, 'hey fernando, i'm here to stay!' really count as applying for the job? sure.

it'd gotten her the job, at any rate.

lyonel came closer, avoiding the scary ass starmie that could wipe the floor with him given the chance and instead moving closer to give the terrified dwebble in francie's arms a friendly sniff.

// passing

BARNABY FINCH

not long after all that drama, they'd relocated the nest safely, situating it the way alexei felt best. francie was giving a warm smile and happily watching the way the mother talonflame seemed to thank them by not glaring at them anymore.

"loooooooook!" francie cooed, to which louie just wagged his tail. nicky gave a small twist of his boulders in agreement, growling a bit. "she's so happy! and everybody so safe."

the job was done and francie was beyond happy that in her report she could tick off all the right boxes!

"i'll inform the rangers of the changes, get the report submitted. you might get a call regarding it all, but it shouldn't be too much of a hassle. just answering basic questions that i'm sure you deal with regularly with your safe house for birds."

Alexei Ivanov

"oh! perfect, no no." francie's onix, nicky, had started to greet the steelix in a small grind of his boulders.

he's not straight flexin' cause that steelix is definitely a hell of a lot stronger and dope than he is, but also, he's more agile-- not by much...

"you can go ahead with you're arcanine, i've been told they have better sense of smell than lycanroc's, like houndours."

which, she needed to get her one... or maybe more? why not two?? fiery friends!

Greyson Connors

the moment kyle enters, francie's attention is taken by him in full. as he walks closer, she'd about stood up to hug him but instead was pulled by her sleeve to stay by her houndour, who wants to play.

"no, you're not late." a small boop to the houndour's nose with a certain gesture has her dropping francie's sleeve. sign language training, something she's learned that the pup responds to the best.

"yes! this is ... well, she doesn't have a nickname yet. i've called her various things. but in the end nothing's fit."

picking up the pup, she hands her over toward kyle.

"want snuggles???"

kyle lopez