He continued to watch the joltiks with amusement. They squabbled just like actual human siblings did, didn’t they?[break][break]

“For real! They’re like little shocky puff balls.” And apparently awful powerful too, for something so little.[break][break]

Wren smiled as his reassurance seemed to take effect. “Definitely! I’m sure he’ll be right as rain in no time.” He paused, looking around the center they were seated in. “It’s super helpful. I can’t imagine how stressful and hectic it would be if there were only a few.” That would only cause problems for both the staff and trainers, alike. So it was good that there was accessibility, and also enough people to man them – even if the volunteer work was still appreciated on busier days.[break][break]

“Yeah, it’s not so bad!” he admitted with a short laugh. One of his hands lifted to push through his hair. “I can be a bit clumsy on the job, so I’ve had to use the resources for myself too. It’s not a hospital hospital, but it does the trick when you’re out in the field and nowhere close!”[break][break]

Definitely saved him some extra aches and pains here and there.


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Hideo Kino      [break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-leafeon"]

[attr="class","icon"]

"Yeah, okay. I will." He nodded repeatedly, half-convincing him that the nerves some of his other teammates were feeling weren't shared by him as well. It'd be far better to keep the mood up, for sure. Still, he stuck close to Levy - wondering just how much the other new compared to himself. Wren had only seen all of this from a distance.[break][break]

It felt way more bizarre and surreal up close, without a barrier preventing him from falling in.[break][break]

The distant clocktower drew nearer, looming overhead as he took up the middle of the pack along with Luka. He glanced back over his shoulder as Paxton mused aloud. "Yeah, do you think pokemon could have done this? Or something..else? Maybe?" The technology that rose up around them was just so different, but maybe that was only because it was obsolete in comparison with what they had now.[break][break]

"Hear what?" he asked, glance moving toward Luka. But now that she mentioned it... "Wait, yeah." His brows knit together, head tilting as he frowned and strained to hear the faintest notes of an entrancing melody. Much like her lopunny, Juno had stopped- the leafeon's ears twitching as she registered the pattern. "Where do you think that's coming from?" Was it from the clocktower? Or somewhere else? Unconsciously, he drifted closer to Levy, fingers closing around the other's sleeve at his elbow.

[attr="class","bottom"]Levy Alinsky luka chêne paxton concordas [break]

"This is, um...this is fun!" Wren would consider anything done outside as fun. But it was better with Levy. Even if things were a little wobbly and confusing between them. If this was a date, were they dating? Were they a couple now? They hadn't exactly talked about it, had they?[break][break]

Wren's smile widened, and some of his nerves eased. He swung their clasped hands between them excitedly. "Me too." Well, duh. He'd already said that. "I like you." Also a given, considering the fact that he'd said things much stronger than like not so long ago.[break][break]

with a gentle tap, the smoliv was contained in a pokeball. "Yeah, uh, one of my ranger friends seemed to really like the one I had sooo...he might be willing to trade later or something." Even if he wasn't, he'd probably give it to Kieran Roth as a gift. It made him feel a bit sheepish, being complimented by Levy about it, though. Or was it weird, talking about his buddy like this on a date?[break][break]

A decidueye watched them from the treeline, but Wren didn't pay it any mind. He watched the other catch the durant before tugging him down by his coat to give him a short kiss.
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Levy Alinsky     [break]
poison/bug/grass // skipping!

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-leafeon"]

“Aw, I can understand that, sorta.” Even his younger sibling could be the same way. But that was because Wren had fully proven his clumsiness countless times. That never meant that he adored his family any less, even if they coddled him. He was doing alright for himself now, after all![break][break]

Still, this wasn’t about him, was it? It sounded like a complicated thing between Kieran and his sister. Maybe it was super like that for twins–amplified by their shared connections. He shrugged, unbothered. “There’s nothing wrong with that. I’m the same way. You’ll get there, though!” His nose wrinkled as he gave the other young ranger a big thumbs up.[break][break]

Wren stilled slightly, eyes shifting over toward Kieran, though he didn’t try to make things awkward or anything. “Oh. I’m sorry you had to deal with that.” Even he’d been aware of what had happened in Kanto those few years back, as a teenager. It was kind of hard not to know about it.[break][break]

He wasn’t trying to dismiss the somber subject, but Wren was quick to latch onto the positive shift in the conversation. “Awesome! I know lots of cool spots.” He scanned the water as his poliwhirl and psyduck followed, rounding around either side of the corsola herd to keep them contained. “Just gotta look out for predators..”


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+ Kieran Roth     | m: corsola conservation

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Wren looked over at all the little joltiks again, smile widening. “That makes it even cuter!” His hand rose as he waved back at the galvantula. Then he looked back down at the sandwich in his hands before taking a bite from it.[break][break]

Juno pawed at the fallen fry, quick to gobble it up when it finally landed in her reach again–web and all.[break][break]

When the boy expressed concern about his last joltik, though, Wren hummed in understanding.[break][break]

“Oh,” Wren looked back over his shoulder toward the back office where the joltik was still being checked over. “I’m sure they’ll be fine! They haven’t come back out yet, so I’m not sure exactly, but the nurse didn’t seem like it was super urgent.”[break][break]

Surely that was a good sign! “I think if it was a bigger problem, they would’ve come back out by now to say so.”[break][break]

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Hideo Kino      [break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-leafeon"]

Juno very clearly preened at the praise, prancing about in the snow in front of him. “That’s gonna go straight to her head!” he said with a laugh, though his bright energy faded a bit as talk turned toward the vague reference of Littleroot. There was still a lot branded into his own mind from that day. “Ah, yeah. That wasn’t…that was-” he hummed, struggling to find the right words and failing. “Yeah. The 18th. Not the greatest day. But I hope you’re able to get your Waft back soon.”[break][break]

When he smiled up at her, it was as genuine as he could manage. Earnest in his hopes for her leafeon’s safe return. Best to shake that day off quickly, and get back to the task at hand! “Can’t say I’ve ever been good with bug-types, but I have a…friend who seems to like them a lot! So I’ll have to keep that in mind!” Was Levy Alinsky still only a friend? He wasn’t sure how to define it now. But that wasn’t something to dwell on at the moment. He needed to focus.[/break][break]

“Oh. Uhhhh, sure! Why not? I’ve never flown before.” Not on a large insect-type, anyway. But she had a point. It was probably way different from riding on the ground, but there was a first time for everything, right? Wren slipped off the back of his gogoat, but left him out of the pokeball, alongside Juno. “You two can follow from the ground, yeah? That way we can keep up if any start to scurry.”


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Shalin Nariya   [break]

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