dressofheaven | 1st Grail: [Action for Goldenrod]

[There is a young girl in Team attire wandering the halls.

Ilya was getting bored sitting and waiting for someone to come get her, and she doesn't yet understand how to use the gear, so instead she's decided to poke her head out and find out about this place firsthand. She doesn't seem to have any real idea where she's going, or what most of the things she's surrounded by are, so she could probably be found anywhere, and she's distracted enough that other team members will probably notice her before she notices them.

That, however, is not true of the Duskull that just popped out in front of her, right in the face of anyone looking at her. Red eyes staring at them, it lets out a spooky wail.

She turns to follow the sound and beams, uncaring of how discomfited the other member may or may not be.]

Good work, Orpheus, you found someone!

[Late in the afternoon in Goldenrod city, there is the sound of something pounding on the pavement.

Is it a swarm of pokemon in the city? A new rocket plot? Another angry legendary?

Nope, it's just a young girl-]

Faster, Berserker, Faster!

[Riding through town on the back of her Rhyhorn.

People dive out of the way of the galloping rock-type, but Ilya doesn't seem to care in the slightest. She throws back her head and laughs gleefully, not even paying attention to anything but the rush of her ride.

... Someone might want to try and stop her before she smashes something.]

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The same thing happened to me a few weeks ago. Team Rocket's an organization that seeks power over both people...

[She gestures at the two ghosts.]

...and pokémon. If you've just woken up, you'll be starting training soon. I don't envy you. It sucked.

Oh, so they're like the Mage Society, only with... Pokemon, instead of magic.

[She draws out the new word a bit, as if adapting her tongue to saying it.]

What sort of training is it? [She's not too worried. It can't be much worse than what she was put through to be a Grail War Master.]

I suppose. Unfortunately, any magic or special abilities you might have had are gone here. These little guys are the strongest things around.

The training is going to test both your physical and mental capabilities. My advice? Don't show any weakness, because they'll exploit it.

[She hadn't shown any, but she had watched another recruit start bawling when they got teased, taunted, and beaten. Perhaps Ahri has a soft spot for children.]

[As soon as she hears that, she starts pouting. Granted, she'd already felt that her magic was gone, but to hear it so plainly just grates on her.] That's no good at all...

Hmmm, but the training should be fine. I don't have any weaknesses.

[Ahri feels your pain, Ilya. She misses setting things on fire.]

Oh? They might pick on you for being so small.

Then they're stupid. That's not my problem.

[She seems fairly cheery about that, as if it's funny that they'd underestimate her like that.]

What do they want us to do, anyway? Just capture more "Pokemon"?

They do seem to underestimate some of us.

Well, that seems to be what they want the most. There are other jobs you can sign up for though. Easier jobs.

[Aaaand Ahri has like, the easiest one there is. Because really, work? Pfffff.]

What sort of other jobs? What do they want besides Pokemon?

[Silly Ilya. Obviously the answer is "money". And power, but that's kind of interlinked.]

Waitstaff for the game corner, lab techs, handing out flyers, and other menial chores.

I would like to get out and see the rest of this world eventually, but I'll need to save up some cash first.

[She groans just at the sound of that.] Those sound boring. Capturing new Pokemon has to be much more fun than that.

[Seeing the world, huh? That does sound kind of fun...] I'd like to do that too. But I have to wait at least a week first, right?

Two weeks, actually. It seems like forever, though.

Catching them random pokémon is probably easier and more fun.

Well, I guess that's at least some time to train Berserker and Orpheus. [Not that she has to like the forced waiting.]

So what are you doing?

That's what I've been doing. Training my team to become stronger.

I'm heading out into the city. See what I can do training-wise, window shop, and maybe see if I can get some gullible fool to buy me a few drinks.

I meant for the team, but that sounds fun. I think I'm going to take Berserker out for a ride later.

Right now I'm assigned to passing out flyers for the game corner. It's pretty easy. I just slip them into people's bags when they're not looking.

Sounds like fun.~

Game corner? What sort of games? [Probably not as fun as actually going out there and beating up wild animals.]

It's all games of chance and luck. People spend more money that way.

Oh. Gambling.

[She honestly doesn't really see the appeal to that sort of thing. But then, luck's never really been with her...]

I don't think they'd let me inside, much less work there.

Yeah. Whatever floats their boat, I guess.

[She doesn't particularly care for it either.]

They let you in the team, didn't they?

Yes, but do I look old enough to gamble to you?

[Whether she is or not depends on the country, back where she comes from, but that doesn't change the fact that she certainly doesn't look it.]

Then again, I guess a group like this isn't too concerned with following a law like that.

[Ahri shrugs. She doesn't know what ages are allowed and what aren't. Nor does she particularly care.]

I don't think they're too concerned with following any laws.

No, probably not.

[She can't help but giggle.]

No rules but their own. That could be fun, too.

Indeed.~

Well now, I suppose I should be off. Enjoy yourself while you can.

Bye bye!

[And she waves Ahri off.]

1st Grail: [Action for Goldenrod]

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