no place i'd rather be [c;cynthia]

[LEAF]

Leaf got to just about every town and city Kanto had to offer. It gave her a lot of exposure and allowed her to spread her message everywhere, something Leaf found vital to her job as publisher. Some places were easier to stay in than others and as a result Leaf was more comfortable in some places than others. Without a doubt, Pallet Town was the stop she always felt most at ease. Pallet was essentially a model example of Boure support. Almost all the citizens of the small town were fully supportive of Boure, or at least took a neutral stance. The military branch was strong in the town and offered a steel-tight defense that kept the town safe. There never seemed to be any powerful dissent to the cause. It was like a paradise for her. Sadly, the strength of the area meant she often didn't get to spend too much time in her hometown. Leaf had arrived a day before and had given her regular speech and walked around speaking to old acquaintances, young trainers, and of course the other members of Boure in the area. Now today she was slated for a fairly relaxed schedule. She had a special speech to give to the active members of Boure later in the evening, but her morning and afternoon were essentially all up to her. So, she'd taken the rare liberty of sleeping in a bit before heading to a small coffee shop a couple hours before noon. Dressed casually, hair in a ponytail and wearing a t-shirt and cargo shorts, she'd made the short walk from her parents' house -- empty as per usual -- to the quaint cafe. Leaf came to the shop regularly on her visits, and was more than happy to swap a few words from the owner as he prepared her drink. Black coffee in hand, Leaf then made her way to a table in the back. She could see everything from her seat in the corner. The windows and the door most importantly. On top of that, she enjoyed the relative shade. Lights of course reached everywhere, but the nearest window was a table ahead of her and it left the corner dimly lit and cool. Set comfortably and like practically every other visit, Leaf sipped her coffee and focused on finishing waking up. cynthia

LAIKA OF GAGNAM STYLE

[cynthia]

cynthia is used to the road and its characteristics -- the dust, the occasional walking. it's nothing that she isn't used to, being from a small town herself, but sometimes she forgets what it feels like, to have walked from town to town. she's far more used to togekiss taking her places now, or even braviary, even after leaving her champion post. in short, she's somewhat out of practice of traversing long paths, which could account for how she misses coffee so much at the moment, she supposes. she doesn't usually drink caffeinated beverages, instead mostly opting for cold water in the morning to wake her up, but a week on the road and she is ready to fall on her feet while it is only morning. cynthia ducks into the first cafe she stumbles upon in pallet, glances at the menu only precursorarily, and orders a coffee made with a dash of sugar. as tired as she might be she reckons that a combination of coffee and sugar will wake her body up faster. she's only walked through the night; she shouldn't be this tired. "thank you," she says to the man behind the counter when he hands her drink to her, and sits down at the nearest table, her pack dropping to the floor with a dull thud as she does so. her feet ache and her shoulders are stiff from carrying her travel bag, but she smiles into her coffee and sips, not noticing anyone else while doing so. LEAF ...yeah. iunno. have fun?? <3

[LEAF]

For a very long time Pallet was just another small town. In fact, it was even less than that, not worth note at all if not for the presence of Professor Oak and his renowned lab. It was not a place that got visits from many people who had no history there, especially none of the high-profile celebrities the pokemon world produced. Even now, it was very much the same. Despite its reputation it had earned as a very solidly Boure settlement, and despite being known as a strong and secure on at that, traffic was low. Aside from soldiers and generals visiting from Cinnabar, or the groups that occasionally gathered to make attempts at Viridian's gates, Pallet had remained relatively "off the map". It was for this reason that Leaf could hardly believe her eyes when a big name from Sinnoh walked through the cafe door. Cynthia, former champion of the Sinnoh Pokemon League, and a force to be reckoned with. Not that anyone had to worry about that. Plenty of sources had let her know that the ex-champ was more or less stagnating, refusing to take part in the war on either side. It irritated her to no end to see such a powerful trainer acting so passively. But then again, what else could be expected? Still, despite Leaf's distaste for her actions, Cynthia was still an interesting person to see. Pallet Town didn't draw many champions before or after the war, and despite herself a little bit of childlike awe came over her seeing a champion from overseas. After a moment of thought she got up and walked up to the owner again and, for the first time in a long while, ordered a second cup of coffee. And, with that in hand, turned to face the worn-looking Cynthia. "So, what brings a Sinnoh Champ to Pallet Town?" The question was straightforward and simple, both preceded and followed by a sip of her perfectly black coffee. cynthia

LAIKA OF GAGNAM STYLE

[cynthia]

she's not too busy drinking the coffee and attempting to wake up to not notice the brown-haired young woman move towards her and her table -- she doesn't make a move in acknowledgement, though, taking her time with her cup instead. she doesn't gulp, because that would be rude. she is taking a lot of smaller sips, though, and when she's almost finished burning her tongue she puts the cup down with a quiet thud. what is a sinnoh champion -- a former sinnoh champion, she reminds herself -- doing in pallet town? it's a simple enough question with a simple enough answer, and cynthia shrugs and smiles at her newfound company, or at least, questioner. "it was on my list of places to visit," she admits. "i'm touring kanto at the moment, and my path takes me here." though it is rather odd to see a famous name in a small town, cynthia knows, pallet has its own celebrities. she knows who this woman is, but she takes a sip of coffee and says nothing. there are rather many titles that she can choose, but she uses the one that she thinks will be taken in the least offense. she knows what it is to be simply "cynnie from celestic," after all. "you're leaf the bourean speaker, i presume?" her tone is conversational, simple, polite -- if she does not want to answer, cynthia will take it in stride. though she doesn't really need the confirmation; it's a mere formality that she holds onto, a mannerism from before everything started and erupted. just something left from the old days. she sips her coffee, more sedately this time. LEAF

[LEAF]

"Well, we're happy to have you here. A fresh face -- especially one so well known -- is always welcome," Leaf decided pretty early that she wanted to avoid conflict. This was not only a strong trainer, but also a possible asset. Maybe she could find out why Cynthia was being so passive, and maybe she could rid her of that bad habit. Cynthia herself made it seem a possibly pleasant conversation could come out of their encounter. She spoke with a nice tone, and seemed at ease as she sipped coffee and thought. If nothing else, she certainly did seem peaceful. It only got better when she spoke again. The mention of her title alongside her name earned a grin from Leaf. Having a real name, and having people use it, was a new pleasure. Even after a couple years of it she still found herself pleasantly surprised and more than a little thrilled when people she didn't know used it upon a first meeting. Every time she heard it it made all the years of trouble pay off. "Absolutely I am. Proud Publisher for the Kanto region. Any interest in the cause?" It was hard -- obviously too hard -- to hold her tongue. Leaf wanted a kind chat, but even more so she wanted to maybe find a new ally. Still, Leaf did manage to keep up her kind smile and sustain her kind tone despite her insistent question. It would do no good to come off as overbearing. cynthia

LAIKA OF GAGNAM STYLE

[cynthia]

she smiles again with chagrin. it's true, since her championship has spread her name across the regions. meeting people who have heard of her beforehand is something that she has gotten used to by now, as well as the people who are aware of her mere presence. the recognition after many years as simply another trainer with a garchomp will never grow old, nor odd, to her. leaf seems pleased at the use of her name and title, and for that, cynthia is glad. usually she is a good judge of character, and knowing that she has done this small thing right relaxes her shoulders and loosens the tension in her limbs. confirmation of boure allegiance is something else, though, and so is attempt at recruitment. cynthia smiles, this time with an edge of apology. it's not uncommon for people to ask after interest in their causes for fighting -- they had gotten only more common, actually -- but she knows what her answer will be. always. "interest, maybe, but not to become a part of it." boure and zemina's respective reasons for fighting are a source of curiosity for her, though, and she puts down her cup to fold her hands in front of her and lean forward on her elbows in leaf's direction. she's forgotten her exhaustion in favor of a good discussion, now, or at the very least it has subsided to the back of her mind. "as a boure publisher, though, what can you tell me about your cause?" cynthia isn't asking as a person who is unaware of the current status quo; that is the furthest thing from the truth. what she does want to know is, though, what the people on the ground think. because if her years traveling and ones spent with the league have taught her anything, it is that what the leaders of an idea think is radically different from what the every-day people believe in. and knowing that difference with leaf, with kanto, is worth pushing off her precious sleep for. LEAF

[LEAF]

In the same way that Cynthia's lips took on a tinge of regret, of apology, Leaf's twitched down into an almost neutral expression. She didn't know what she'd expected from the ex-champ, from the woman who had pitched her camp in the safe zone of neutrality. No matter what it was she had expected, the blunt denial of her question was enough to make her want to scowl. Of course she didn't. It certainly wouldn't have helped matters. Then there's a shift in mood. For a moment -- and it really had only been a moment -- they'd been on the brink of sharing some non-committal pleasantry. A conversation that would have likely involved where the other woman had been and if Leaf had any shared experiences there. But now it was different. Like an isolated speech, given to only one probing fence sitter. It wasn't how she'd intended to spend her morning, but Leaf was more than prepared. "My 'cause' revolves around one simple truth, a truth I'm sure you already know," Leaf started simply and bluntly, letting the word 'cause' slip like acid off her tongue. She hated that word. The connotation of it too often negative in her personal experience. Nonetheless, she would not deprive Cynthia of an answer. Not when it had such possibilities. "The league has been host of a long string of failures. Not simple mistakes of economics or politics, nothing plainly seen and addressed. Mistakes in management. In my time as a trainer I've seen team after team rise with the desire to conquer the world and enslave -- or destroy -- its people," Leaf had given this lesson in her ideology many times, but the words didn't come out scripted. Rather they were relaxed, rehearsed but not rigid, structured but not separate, "And these teams certainly fall one after another, but someone as bright and attentive as yourself hasn't likely missed who does the dirty work. And someone in your position surely hasn't missed who doesn't." "In the end it is always children who suffer through the task of putting down the criminal cells and all their goons. Kids who fight the legendary pokemon they summon to their sides. Kids who almost die going up against forces they hardly understand. While the league: Gym Leaders, the Elite Four, Champions. Simply maintain the system in place," Again she couldn't hold her tongue, the word 'champions' came out pointed and with clear aim, still she hammers forward, "But really all this is so much embellishing. So here's the simple answer. The league is broken, and content to stay that way. So, Boure will tear it down, and then we will rebuild." cynthia

LAIKA OF GAGNAM STYLE