"Good to see you too, small lady." Rex gave her a look, before whistling at the mechanical marvels that surrounded them. A dozen sci-fi movies couldn't have prepped him for this. It was a mix of fantasy, fiction, and science merged into one. "Well met. Didn't think I'd see you here on a training exercise."

Togepi waggled his fingers before Rex quickly stopped the incoming Metronome. While Togepi's Metronomes were typically lucky, Rex wasn't risking them here.

"I'm training so I can fight the prince! I live in Littleroot, it's not exactly a hard trip." Only in this clownfest of a region was traversing worlds 'not a hard trip', but there was truth to his words. "Why are you here?"

---

Eris Halla

"Guilds, huh?" He only knew about those from those online games that all his neighbors had played together. World of Wobbucraft or something? His parents hadn't paid for a subscription, so he had never gotten a chance to play. Instead, he had been stuck with Varoom Kart 64.

Galar had guilds, didn't they? Old-timey rich people stuff where people pretended they had a profession?

"I never knew." Rex admitted. "Not all too familiar with Sinnoh, if I'm being honest. Old place. Lot of ruins. Why'd you come here? This region sucks."

Eventually, they came across a group of trees that had been curved in on themselves, likely due to wind and time warping what was once a straight-backed set of palms. Everything crumbled eventually, but they could use this to their advantage.

If they found some grass and sticks, it would make an adequate abode to pass the night. Assuming they didn't burn it down with Keiko's legendary fire skills.

"This place looks pretty good." Rex peered towards the sky, where the sun threatened to wane as it descended over the horizon. "Wanna board up here?"

---

keiko mori

Wilderness was an x factor in modern life, and it was one that Rex had slowly accustomed to after setting off from Littleroot. Weeks of wandering in Petalburg Woods looking for strong Pokemon had sharped his instincts. That, plus a crippling lack of money meant that he wasn't unfamiliar with sleeping in ditches, at bus stops, or in the bushes.

"Keiko." He cut through her rambling with a word. Anxiety would soon blossom into fear, and fear would become panic. How many people had he watched lose their minds in hysteria while hiding in the cellar under his house?

How many had he heard slip away into madness before Dialga snapped them away? It didn't matter. He knew how many had returned from the temporal ether.

Zero.

"Listen to me." He gave her a cheery smile. The small, cold core in the center of his pupils sparkled slightly as he pointed at Togepi. "We're gonna be fine. You're gonna be fine. I've slept on a dozen bus benches. I'm basically a survivalist pro!"

A small chuckle escaped his lips before he grew serious again.

"You know a lot of survival facts, though. Do they teach that at courier school?"

---

keiko mori

She had a storage clipboard? Damn.

They were going to die.

Even as the courier hid her letter from the young man's prying eyes, it didn't stop him from attempting to sneak a peek at Keiko's stationary selections. Even as she tried to hide it from him, he still managed to get a glimpse of bright pink parchment as she squirreled it away in an envelope for Pelipper to deliver.

She had pink parchment? Damn.

They were really going to die.

"Still gonna take the poor bird a hot minute to reach civilization. It'll take another to come back." Rex crossed his arms, as if protecting himself. His expression was tight, slightly pained. "I'm fine. We'll be on our own."

The prospect didn't amuse him. Hyakkaryōran Tsubaki 's gym awaited him in Dewford, and he had planned to challenge it for his first badge.

"I'm good." Rex scooped up Togepi and gave Keiko a look. "Let's find a place nearby to set up shop."

---

keiko mori

"Do I look like a ranger? I ain't no boy scout! I just respect the rules!" Rex grumbled as he poked around the tower, his Gallade standing vigil over him like a loyal knight. Every kingdom needed a knight, and while his Gallade was no machine, his loyalty was ironclad.

They had been together through thick and thin, after all.

"I guess I like the Deliboys. Oh, or Pink Florges. Or Melody Miro and her newest album!" Rex beamed in pride. Meeting the Top Champ had been an interesting experience, but it was one he was still working through. "What're you doing with this tower?"

The chance of finding music that fit the average Hoennian youth's taste in this day and age was likely impossible. The Mechanical Kingdom produced music, not noise. Come to think of it, it made plenty of that too.

"Is it broken or something?"

---

Eris Halla

Keiko was fine. Rex took a deep sigh of relief as she rose, her Pelipper appearing in a flash of red light. The poor thing looked rattled and on the verge of collapse. If it could make the journey back to Dewford or Slateport, Rex would eat his shoe.

"Togepi can't teleport us that far. Sorry. You'll have to call for help." Togepi was only a baby, and Rex suspected that relying exclusively on Metronome wasn't particularly wise. Yet still, he tapped his belt and the egg appeared, waddling over to Keiko and Pelipper with surprising swagger. "But I can do this."

Togepi waggled a finger, before tapping Keiko's Pokémon with a Life Dew. The young trainer smiled in satisfaction as he turned to face Keiko.

After that, he turned to Keiko and poked her.

"I think we're somewhere between Slateport and Dewford. You hurt?"

---

keiko mori

Rex let out a mad laugh as Gallade guided him down to the ground. After landing, Rex let out a bark of pure bliss and enjoyment, his eyes wide and alert.

"That... fucking rocked! That's so fucking cool! I want to do it again!" Rex took a deep breath to compose himself as Eris descended from the heavens. The Salamence disappeared into its container, leaving Rex and Eris to their own devices, featuring Reiner. "Wait... I know you!"

Rex's eyes narrowed, before brightening in recognition. He knew this kid from Sea Mauville.

"We did temp work together! Good to see you, Small Lady!"

He followed her into the depths of the kingdom.

---

Eris Halla

Glub glub...

Diving was hard. Water pressure was a pain. Luckily Rex's Togepi was defending his various knickknacks on the surface. He would've killed for a Water-type Pokemon, but he had never bothered to catch one.

Glub...

---

8/11 - incense
hUmjEBG4

"Never give up! I'm not gonna give up!" Rex let out a yell as he ran towards the surf. The water coalesced around his feet as he continued running. "SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURFS UP!"

The wave crashed down on him with a thunderous roar.

---

MAGIKARP SPLASH
BQ6vFfam

The fallen poacher reached for his Pokeball, but Rex's Gallade brought a blade to their neck. They quickly stilled afterwards.

Rex slowly meandered over, whistling to himself as went to inspect the Wooper. They were scared and shaking, though Rex suspected that they'd be fine. He had been fine after Littleroot. Time was all they needed in order to mend. Hopefully this would encourage them to grow strong.

"Nice work, sheriff." Rex waved a hand in appreciation. His Gallade cleaned the blood from his blades in one elegant motion, before bowing his head in respect to the stronger trainer. "I assume you'll want to question them? Sweet! I'll help tie 'em up and we can go our different ways."

The youth's eyes were alight with mad fire.

---

Montgomery James

The gunslinger saved him again. Rex was starting to warm up to the rootin' tootin' shootin' deputy.

"Nice hit! Keep saving my life and maybe I'll buy you a drink!" Assuming that the pay from this whole 'Sea Mauville' thing ended actually leaving him with some change in the bank. Montgomery was strong, and strong people were respected by the young trainer. As Breloom dealt with another trainer, all Rex could think was one thing:

I wanna fight that.

The poachers were on the back foot now. Gallade cut through a Klingklang like it was soft cheese with a Close Combat, while Rex kicked a stunned poacher in the shins.

It did not take long for the rest to flee.

---

Montgomery James

A stunned enemy was a weakened enemy. A weakened enemy had already lost.

"Nice one!" Rex barked a compliment as he danced with one of the poachers. The man barked at him in rage, though all Rex could do was laugh as Gallade downed the weakened Tyranitar. As the Stun Spore slowed the man's movements, Rex kicked the man in the gut and he fell to his knees. "You're a big help, sheriff!"

Monty reminded the young trainer of Navy, though that was potentially just the shared hats that the two lawmen shared.

As his head turned, his eyes widened as a massive chunk of stone flew towards his face, too quick for Gallade to stop.

---

Montgomery James
03. Address environmental hazards.