Off The Beaten Path. Or Maybe That Wasn't The Path? (Legend)

[Akira "Raine" Kaitos]

'I want you to hold on because you are the reason I keep living
To be apart from you would be more painful than death
So stay with me as you know I'd come for you wherever you will go even if to the ends of the earth
For you are more precious to me than life itself'

---

Akira 'Raine' Kaitos
Music: youtu.be/rKUYW-YZBJI?si=Csvxpj14r4WjT01K || |Location: Maplemaze Forest || Outfit: Picture, plus wearing his usual jacket

OOC Info:
notes: Let's go for meeting this mysterious Avion because why not do something different? || "Akira Speech" || Gardeon

---

Now here was a place in which Akira had not been to in a long while, or at the very least not somewhere in which the raven haired coordinator tended to make a point of purposefully heading into in order to spend any significant amount of time within - but there were always going to be an occasion where such a choice were going to be made in order to change that right? And as it would come to pass today was going to be that day, more so taking into consideration that he would be needing to come this way anyway in order to head to where the nearest ferry dock was to take him back to one of the other islands that made up Shula after having spent some time with his adopted 'mother'.

Of course even after so much time it still felt a little strange seeing Jean Kaitos as such, but at the same time it did feel nice to be able to also - which were all the more reason that Akira were happy to spend some time with the older Kaitos woman (even if it were a detail that some had nagged him on, it wasn't as if he never visited they just didn't see because they were busy). Regardless of his reasons it had been just outright nice to just spend a much of the last day or two visiting and generally helping her out in whatever manner she wished and the pokemon he had brought with him had certainly enjoyed such a thing too - so to say that the visit had turned out to be a success all round were an understatement.

Now though focus would be put into heading home relatively safely and find out whether any chaos had been caused while he were away; for there were always that chance even if there were those who could keep things under control - it would have been a case of being virtually there already had a diversion into the forest not been requested (well, demanded more like) by the small Mimikyu girl that were comfortably situated in the human male's arms. The chance to potentially locate some pretty things that she could make use of when creating her various outfits for either herself or others were more than excuse enough to go for a wander, especially when it had been made clear that she still needed some materials for something she were making for Yaeko.

Thus the collection of feathers that had managed to be gathered up so far during their wanderings, aided by the small white and red furred male that were Seishin wandering back and forth with feathers of different shades for inspection and either dismissal or acceptance. That were pretty much how much of the morning had progressed before Akira had come to a decision - of sorts - that a break were needed, more so when it were becoming clear such were needed and they had finally come across a seemingly clear and quieter area. "Alright, so this looks like a good time and place for a break yes Rennis? Can go looking for more things after." Akira would gently state as he would come to crouch down and set the small girl on a moss covered log in which the pale furred Zorua boy would soon join her.

So after ensuring that the pair were comfortable and tucking away their little 'collection' of feathers and other things for safe keeping would the raven haired man come to release the others on his current team from their pokeballs so they could enjoy themselves also before finally retrieving and distributing their respective lunches to them all - well, what harm would it do to let them have a quick picnic? They weren't disturbing anyone just yet right?

---

[Gardeon]

She needed it to be later. The woman leaned her back against the tree behind her and looked up, eyes scanning over the sky above her before she gave a small sigh and lifted one hand up to brush the sweat from her forehead. She needed to go back, she was going to be skinned alive for being out on her own anyway and slipping her escort but she was so sick of all this.

Who are you? Where do you come from? What do you mean partner? Diamond Crystal. Titan. Lunala. Death. Everything was a bloody question now, and she was being quizzed or baby sat every second of every blasted day. Slamming a hand in to the trunk behind her, the tree the woman was hiding in shook and leaves and twigs dropped from where she had tucked away high in the leafiest branches.

She missed her.

She wasn't to everyone's taste but neither was the gijinka herself. She was loud and she could be rude, she was headstrong and so stubborn, she was so in to making her fur look just right and whined about flying or the wind all the time. But she was hers, and it was them against the world so so long, and now she was gone, thanks to those idiots and their stupid ideals. What if she wanted to make the world the way she saw fit? "You'd all suffer a whole lot more" she grumbled to herself, resting her head back against the wood behind her again.

[Akira "Raine" Kaitos]

'I want you to hold on because you are the reason I keep living
To be apart from you would be more painful than death
So stay with me as you know I'd come for you wherever you will go even if to the ends of the earth
For you are more precious to me than life itself'

---

Akira 'Raine' Kaitos
Music: youtu.be/rKUYW-YZBJI?si=Csvxpj14r4WjT01K || |Location: Maplemaze Forest || Outfit: N/A

OOC Info:
notes: Let's go for meeting this myterious Avion because why not do something different? || < Nico Speech > / "Akira Speech" || Gardeon

---

Now to say that Akira were currently not paying a significant amount of attention to what were going on in the greater area around where himself and his current team of pokemon were then this would be something of an understatement and something that the raven haired man would be finding himself being quite embarrassed about such a thing. But as it stood he would be a little bit too distracted to be concerning himself about potentially being embarrassed on account the man would be somewhat more focused upon trying to encourage the little Mimikyu girl to eat rather than worrying about the feathers she was trying to arrange. "Rennie come on, can look through these once you've eaten - otherwise will give these to Theo." Would the man threaten good naturedly before gesturing towards the Trapinch in question, this would seem to be enough to get the little ghostly girl giggling before settling herself into the mans lap to let him feed her.

Meanwhile in the case of one of the man's other pokemon, the Gabite that were Nico had found himself having wandered of a short distance in order to find himself a spot where a small amount of sunlight were falling through the tree's so that the dragon type could literally sun himself while enjoying his lunch, to say that Nico would be quite pleased with such a seemingly small thing were quite an understatement. The only issue that would arise would be when a near literal 'rain' of twigs and leaves from above would shower over the Gabite and causing faint grumbles to escape the dragon male as head were tilted back and upwards to look into the thick foliage. < Birdies go away! Go drop leaves somewhere else, don't want any here. > Would the dragon male grumble / call out before starting to quieten down slightly but continue his soft grumbles while brushing himself off.

Though out of context the sight and sound of the dragon type doing this would cause some puzzlement from the small Ralts that had vaguely noticed what were going on with his team mate and while nibbling at a piece of fruit would cautiously move nearer to check on the other slightly older male while trying to offer some reassurance - well, Terzo didn't want Nico all upset now did he?

---

[Gardeon]

The gijinka was wrapped up in her own thought and mind as she sat there, thoughts moving back to the times she had battled with her partner and taken on huge pokemon who were 10 or 15 times the size of the little beastie and yet they had come out on top. They had flown from region to region, they had raced her father no less on one occasion and the psychic type had fallen from her.

The woman shivered at that thought, more leaves dislodging around her as she reached out her wings either side of herself without thinking. She had never known how fast she could really fly until that moment, dropping down so fast and with such a clear mind to just grab her freind before she was in danger. "I lost for you, and now, i lost you" she muttered softly, her hand moving to her pocket to take out a pokeball.

It was wore, scratched and a lot of the red on its top was gone in places. However it was also bent, the top sphere clearly cracked along one side and the bottom devoid of all the lights and wires a normal ball would have when open. Closing her eyes again, the woman threw the pokeball as hard as she could with a grunt, not picking out a direction really but just wanting it away from her.

[Akira "Raine" Kaitos]

'I want you to hold on because you are the reason I keep living
To be apart from you would be more painful than death
So stay with me as you know I'd come for you wherever you will go even if to the ends of the earth
For you are more precious to me than life itself'

---

Akira 'Raine' Kaitos
Music: N/A | |Location: Maplemaze Forest || Outfit: N/A

OOC Info:
notes: N/A || < Nico Speech > / < Terzo Speech > / "Akira Speech" || Gardeon

---

And it would be about this sort of time and after having made sure the larger Gabite male were alright that Terzo would have decided to go for a little wander, though not too far that he would be out of sight of his team mates and human companion but just enough to be able to explore a little while he were to have the chance. For it certainly seemed like a nice enough day and good chance to be able to do such a thing in order to stretch his legs a little and there were so many interesting things out here too!

It were just as the small Ralts boy had gotten to the edge of the immediate area of where the human and pokemon group were currently resting and the small psychic were examing some of the more colourful plants and the like in this area that a sense of alarm would pass over him at hearing something - reasonably - heavy dropping through the tree's and seeming to come to a stop a short distance from where Terzo were currently standing. A mixture of caution, uncertainly yet curiosity passing through the small boy as he tried to see what this was.

Failing that would the small boy dare step through the plant life in order to locate whatever it was, just as he were doing this and his curious eyes and attention come to land upon the pokeball(?) - was it a pokeball? - on the ground would the small boy bend down to try lift it into his hands just as it would seem as if one had noticed the youngsters wanderings and followed to ensure the boy were alright. The larger Gabite that was Nico slowly stepping after the small boy who would turn slowly with a long on intrigue on his little features as he looked between his friend and what had been found.

< Look Nico! It's a strange pokeball - I wonder whee this come from? Think someone dropped it, wonder if they still around. > Terzo would find himself saying in a near excited manner before first starting to case his gaze around then without quite realising probing the area with his meagre psychic powers too.

---

[Gardeon]

Sitting in her perch, Avion pulled her knees up in to herself and wrapped her arms around them. Hiding in the trees and leaves, the woman wanted to cry and to sob, to wail as loud as she could in the hope that it might make her feel better. Only nothing happened, she just felt hollow and now she had nothing to hold on to. It was a good and bad thing, without the pokeball she had no comfort in the worst moments but also, she had no reminder of her pokemon anymore.

Entirely wrapped up in her own mind, her own world, she was not paying attention to the ground.

[Akira "Raine" Kaitos]

'I want you to hold on because you are the reason I keep living
To be apart from you would be more painful than death
So stay with me as you know I'd come for you wherever you will go even if to the ends of the earth
For you are more precious to me than life itself'

---

Akira 'Raine' Kaitos
Music: youtu.be/rKUYW-YZBJI?si=Csvxpj14r4WjT01K || |Location: Maplemaze Forest || Outfit: N/A

OOC Info:
notes: || "Akira Speech" || Gardeon

---

So preoccupied withhis other pokemon that it had taken Akira a short time - sure it were only a few minutes but it felt both short and long at the same time - to begin allowing his focus and attention as a whole to begin to wander and seek out his wayward psychic and dragon pair, not that it would be all too hard or take too long which were always a good thing especially in a place as large as Maplemaze. All the same though it were always a relief to not have the worry of having to going out searching for anyone due to them having potentially gotten lost, this were all that were needed to keep the coordinator man somewhat relaxed as he rose to his feet while brushing himself off and slowly moving over to where Terzo and Nico were situated nibbling on their snacked while examining whatever it was they had found.

"Hey what have you two found there?" Akira found himself querying in a curious manner as he wouldcometocrouch down slightly a short distance from the pair and facing them slightlyas he tilted his head to oneside, a faint frown of curiosity forming upon his features when Terzo would move nearer and hold out the unusual pokeball for the human man to take. Of which the raven haired man were willing to oblige the small boy in doing in order to curiosuly study the clearly old but also well cared for contraption, now why would someone have thrown this away so carelessly? And whoever it was couldn't be too far could they?

Now just maybe Akira were being a little too hopeful in the fact that just maybe he would find the one who had either dropped or thrown this, for whoever this person was could so easily have moved away a significant distance by now possibly right? But then again it would never hurt to try, just where to start? Either way though it were just one little step at a time and to see if this would work and if not then there were always the next option / step after that see if that were to work.

"Hello? Someone out there lose their pokeball? Looks valuable, wanna get it back to it's owner." This were indeed a long shot with this, but at the same time who knew what would work?

---

[Gardeon]

The air was quiet, save a few pokemon going about their normal lives in the treetops and those on the ground shuffling about. It was normal to her, so Avion tuned it out, right until a voice cut through them which spoke words in the now common tounge and seemed to call out loud enough to be heard a little further than themself. They wanted attention, to bring atttention to something.

Taking the distraction happily, the gijinka forced herself to focus and remember what she had heard before she felt the punch to the gut of working out what had been said. Deciding to play the fool, she pulled her hood up over her head and shifted herself so her wings were forced behind herself and a little hidden in the tree branches before jumping down a few, climbing along another and sticking her head out of the leaves to call down.

"Huh? Someone lost a pokemon you say?"

[Akira "Raine" Kaitos]

'I want you to hold on because you are the reason I keep living
To be apart from you would be more painful than death
So stay with me as you know I'd come for you wherever you will go even if to the ends of the earth
For you are more precious to me than life itself'

---

Akira 'Raine' Kaitos
Music: youtu.be/rKUYW-YZBJI?si=Csvxpj14r4WjT01K || |Location: Maplemaze Forest || Outfit: N/A

OOC Info:
notes: || "Akira Speech" || Gardeon

---

NOw it would be more than true that aKira would not be expecting anything too much in the way of a response, for all he knew it might very well have been a case of a pokemon may have either stolen this from someone and dropped it or alternatively something similliar being the case. BUt then again after AKira had allowed his voice to call out before falling into silence and dropped his gaze to examine the pokeball that he were holing did he truly see how well cared for - if a little aged - the pokeball was that somehow this didn't seem quite right for it to just be something that had been lost.

Sure akira could also see that it were a little beaten up too but that was to be expected wasn't it? Light fingers would move over the surface of the pokeball as the raven haired man examined the pokeball and would seem to become so focused on such a thing that he would be a little startled by the sudden and rather close voice that would call out in response and cause the human man to tilt his head upwards and his gaze wander searchingly before landing upon the one who had responded on the tree branches.

Needless to say the appearance of the being in the tree's would cause both the Ralts and Gabite males to look upwards and softly chatter / gasp in surprise at the one above them before chattering to each other softly. "I'm not sure about a pokemon - but a pokeball at least, looks a little beat up though." aKira would find himself calling out cautiously in response as he held up the 'pokeball' in question

---

[Gardeon]

Avion could see the shock of her appearance over those below her, but the man there seemed as odd as she did as she took him in when he replied to her. Rocks seemed not to grow up his arm but out of it, like scales over one side of him to the degree even one of his eyes was blazing in a color different to the other. She could feel the two forms of mana rolling off him from him, it was an odd conflict and yet they seemed to be working together, well they had to be or the human would be long since gone.

Slowly lowering herself down a little to allow herself in to partial view, wings still shadows behind her and her head mostly covered, she kept to her act for the moment. "A pokeball? So maybe its just something someone threw at a pokemon and it didnt work, what makes you think its important?" she asked, looking over the trainer again and then to his pokemon. They seemed mostly happy, if a little shocked by her arrival, but she wanted to try to get a read on this human and often, their pokemon team was the best way.

[Akira "Raine" Kaitos]

'I want you to hold on because you are the reason I keep living
To be apart from you would be more painful than death
So stay with me as you know I'd come for you wherever you will go even if to the ends of the earth
For you are more precious to me than life itself'

---

Akira 'Raine' Kaitos
Music: youtu.be/rKUYW-YZBJI?si=Csvxpj14r4WjT01K || |Location: Maplemaze Forest || Outfit: N/A

OOC Info:
notes: || < Nico Speech > / < Terzo Speech > / "Akira Speech" || Gardeon

---

Though there were to be a significant part of aKira that would come to mentally scold himself for his general reaction towards the other - woman? - that would make themselves more fully known to himself and the two pokemon that were at his feet. THat would be the reason for the flash of guilt that formed upon his features before he would come to note the extra scrutiny - unsurprisingly - that he would come to receive. It were more than true that this were something he had come to be used to but all the same it didn't always make it feel any better. This were the reason that while he would keep his dual coloured gaze upon the other for a short time longer would the raven haired man find himself subconciously flinching and dropping his gaze away from the other and rather down to the pokeball that he would begin fidgetting with the 'pokeball' in his hands.

< Uncle? You alright? Want me to go get Miss Yaeko? SO she can help you feel better? > Would the little Ralts boy come to ask softly and uncertainly after having tugged his curious gaze away from the one within the tree branches he had been watching and towards the man before shuffling a little nearer to gently reach a hand out to tug at the man's trousers a little. Though the temptation were strong to note the small smile of reassurance would be enough to put a halt to Terzo's intentions and cause the boy to go a little quiet.

It would only be when AKira were spoken to once again that he would force his head to lift and tilt upwards to the one who were questioning him before he would come to pause for a long time in order to consider how best to answer or otherwise counter the other's reasoning. "But it doesn't look like one that simply got broken after a failed capture attempt, even the design of this doesn't look like the modern ones that are in use nowadays or even the custom ones that get made. it looks . . . . . old. BUt who knows, I am probably wrong and you right." Akira attempted to reason before conceeding how plausible the other's reasoning was.

---

[Gardeon]

Bright eyes darted under a dark hood to the ralts as it spoke, the gijinka only more curious after seconds of looking over the pokemon as it spoke and taking in its words. She hummed softly, her words gentle as she leaned forwards and let her legs drop out under herself, sitting on the branch she was on as she whispered over to the child. "Do you know this word? Uncle? It means brother of my father, and, i suspect, does not apply to this one for you" the rogue said softly, the words less than human but enough to be disguised she hoped.

As the human did speak however, she found her eyes moving back to him and the curious look she held lasting. "You know pokeballs well enough to know this is older fashioned? How old would you say, since you seem to be the expert?" she found herself asking, partly as she had no idea how most humans would have that kind of knowledge and partly as she was hoping he would trip up and she could catch him in his lies. That was always fun, but then he paused and doubted himself, and for a moment, Avion felt bad for her test. "Why would someone throw away something so old and, seemingly, precious, then?" she asked a moment later, the question one aimed at the other trainer but also hanging in the air as she said in, feeling heavy to her.

[Akira "Raine" Kaitos]

'I want you to hold on because you are the reason I keep living
To be apart from you would be more painful than death
So stay with me as you know I'd come for you wherever you will go even if to the ends of the earth
For you are more precious to me than life itself'

---

Akira 'Raine' Kaitos
Music: youtu.be/rKUYW-YZBJI?si=Csvxpj14r4WjT01K || |Location: Maplemaze Forest || Outfit: N/A

OOC Info:
notes: || < Nico Speech > / < Terzo Speech > / "Akira Speech" || Gardeon

---

Now, while for the most part the small Ralts boy were a little more focused upon the human man for what were to seem like the longest of times before there would be firstly the feeling of being observed by another - of which would cause Terzo to slowly turn away from the human man just as the voice ofthe female situated above would seem to be directed towards him, this would be more than enough to cause Terzo to make efforts to tilt his head back a little in order to look upon her as she spoke. < I know what Uncle means - could also mean brother of my mother too, not just my father. Males are not the only one who have brothers you know! But does it matter if don't share blood? Still family, like my mother and father's trainers they are family even if not related to me - just that Uncle Aki is married to my mothers trainer that's all but they trust him and so do I. Is there a problem with that? > Would the small Ralts throw back and counter in time in a surprisingly firm yet genuinely curious way.

Now when the female's attention would be turned back to him along with her querying words Akira would not be able to stop himself from wincing ever so slightly and become highly aware of the fact that he were being studied and questioned as a result of his own particular choice of words - just maybe it hadn't been the greatest of idea's of having said what he had previously said? This would be the very reason that Akira would seem to take a significant amount of time before he would come to respond as he seemed to momentarily withdraw into himself while fidgetting a little. "I never said I was an expert - your putting words into my mouth there. I only made an assumption because it's design is different to modern pokeballs . . . . . and there used to be this older gentleman in the region I was born in that created pokeballs from a fruit of sorts callled Apricorns. So only guessing from that to it being older." Would the raven haired man attempt to explain himself though it were likely that what he were to say may have otherwise sounded lame that he knew but he would at least make efforts to sound relatively confident even if he knew what he were saying were true.

"How would I truly know the reason for someone to throw such a thing away? Could be any reason really, though I would assume it was something sad given the condition of this . . . . But I could be more than wrong."

---

[Gardeon]

As the little fairy type replied to her, something in Avion stirred. It was always there, it never went away, but it dimmed like a flame in a strong breeze from time to time and had all but gone out for her this time around with recent events. Listening to the boy correct her, teach her, and then go on to explain himself and his situation though, the gijinka could feel herself smirks softly, nod her head to agree with him, and then break her smirk in to a grin as a small bubble of hope rose in to her chest and settled firmly behind her heart again.

"You are correct, i forgot about that, my uncle is the brother of my father so it slips my mind" she found herself replying at first, not bothering to hide this from the human before she tilted her head back and forth a little as she thought on how to go on. "So your mother, has a trainer, and this trainer is the married partner of your trainer? So she is like the sister to this other man, whom your own trainer has joined, which makes you all family?" she questioned, trying to line up the relations and people in her mind before the human spoke and the womans attention darted to him.

She cracked a brighter grin at his words, waving one hand through the air before she flicked the fingers together and snapped her gaze to him. "Another Jhoto native? How rare we are here..." she found herself saying, again nodding to his words this time and trying to hide behind her tone as she went on. "Something sad? Why would something sad lead to a ball being thrown away? Forgive me, im not use to all this pokemon stuff, so what might make someone do that?" she found herself asking, quickly lying as she went on and felt her painful feelings growing again, trying to displace them with more questions.

[Akira "Raine" Kaitos]

'I want you to hold on because you are the reason I keep living
To be apart from you would be more painful than death
So stay with me as you know I'd come for you wherever you will go even if to the ends of the earth
For you are more precious to me than life itself'

---

Akira 'Raine' Kaitos
Music: youtu.be/rKUYW-YZBJI?si=Csvxpj14r4WjT01K || |Location: Maplemaze Forest || Outfit: N/A

OOC Info:
notes: || < Nico Speech > / < Terzo Speech > / "Akira Speech" || Gardeon

---

Though once Terzo went all quiet there were a mildly conflicted feeling within the small Ratls boy himself, for there were a part of him that felt a little proud of himself for having managed to say what he had said and generally explains things - at least from his point of view anyway - but also he felt a little embarressed and guilty for having seemingly done such a thing to one who were clearly considerably older than himself too. This in itself were more than enough to get the boy eventually lowering his gaze down and away from the female and subconciously shuffle nearer to the Gabite male that had been cautiously watching this exchange between the two before gently extending an arm to wrap around the smaller male to offer some reassurance.

However when the female would begin to speak once more and not only confirm certain details whilein some manner admiting she may have been wrong due to only having known a particular scenario, this were enough to get Terzo managing a small smile in turn while she continued to speak further and in places manage a small nod of confirmation before finally offering verbal confirmations. < That's right - my trainer and my mother's trainer are married, so like family in that way. Though I never said my mother's trainer was a man; only that female's could have 'brothers' too - but you are still right, Uncle Logan is Uncle Aki's husband so all family. But does that could for my daddy's trainer? She's not married to anyone but I still call her Auntie. > Terzo would find himself speaking with various amounts of uncertainty and thoughtfullness.

Meanwhile though Akira would mostly be trying to keep himself slightly apart and out of the 'conversation' between the two, while this were mostly due to the fact that he were trying to gather his thoughts in regards to his own conversation with the woman there were still that part of his mind that were beginning to register the fact that she were actually talking with the small Ralts. This were more than enough to get the raven haired man beginning to lift his gaze as a frown creased his features slightly in confusion and a sense of potential realisation that just maybe she were not quite what she first seemed, not that Akira would be able to question such a thing due to the fact that his attention would be gained by approaching chattering of his other pokemon that were coming to seek him out.

As such this would lead to the Akira turning slightly to observe Yaeko - with the smaller Zorua, Trapinch and Mimikyu in tow - coming into view moments before the little Mimikyu girl would charge forward and a flurry of chattering escape her as ghostly hands reached out to show the seemingly new feathers she had been holding as the human male briefly crouched down to scoop the little girl into his arms to listen and watch her for a while or at least up until he would need to shush her a little when he were addressed again.

"Another? Guess you must have hailed from Johto at one time then? Yes, certainly seem to be a rarity to run into another from home." Akira would find himself responding in a mildly surprised yet agreeeable manner before he would also offer a nod, from here would he come to pause for the longest of times as he continued to consider for a suitable answer before finding himself answering the only way he could. "Honestly? The only thing I can think of is a death . . . . . . . . The sadness anyone feels about such a thing affects everyone differently and yet also the same with things like that. If it was me I would probably want to keep something like this for sentimental value and remember the good times but also can imagine if I was having a particularly bad day for whatever reason I would probably throwing it away. Of course if was meI would probably regret doing such after a while but everyone has their reasons for doing things and regrets doing certain things too . . . . . . . " Would the man find himself musing in a thoughtful and cautious manner before coming to shrug as silence followed his words.

---