where do we go from here? [o]

[Deleted]

The Lake of Rage. Not his usual spot to gather but he assumed, or at least hoped, that the area would be a nice place to relax for a bit without worrying about gathering unwanted attention from too many people. It certainly didn't help that he was closer than he'd been for a while to his home region of Kanto. Dangerously close in fact. Sure, chances of running into anyone he knew were slim but it was still too close for comfort. With his luck, he wouldn't be surprised if a familiar face showed up. But it couldn't be helped. He was perhaps getting a bit too worried about his friends, his feet leading him closer and closer to home while his mind screamed at him to go further away. It was all very confusing and very exhausting for the young man. He sighed at the thought, offering a smile as Vee paused and turned to him, looking mildly concerned. "I'm fine.." he assured with a nod, the Espeon remaining still for a moment or so longer, as if he wasn't buying it, before finally turning his attention back to stretching his legs and enjoying the fresh air with the others.

His Pokemon were getting tired of being confined and he himself was tired of walking. He was really hoping to find a place to settle down for a bit without worrying about anyone finding him but so far, he'd had no luck. Instead, he was forced to roam, constantly changing towns whenever he started feeling unsure of the area. It was a lot of trouble trying to hide, but he supposed it was necessary. Why? Well.. What use would he be? Just standing in the way of everyone else. He wasn't the legendary trainer anymore. The hero. He was just some nobody who wanted to be alone. Only, he really didn't want that either. But he figured it was something a man like him deserved. He was being much too selfish about his own needs to the point he completely ignored the trouble the world was getting into. He even thought sometimes that he didn't deserve his Pokemon, occasionally contemplating releasing them back to the wild. He'd be even more lonely then. He smiled a bit, remembering when he brought the idea up to Pika. The mischievous Pokemon wasn't having it. The same Pokemon who wanted nothing to do with him about ten years ago. The little warning shock was enough to get it off his mind at the time. Funny how that worked out. He'd be sure not to mention that again. At least not in the mouse Pokemon's company. Which was pretty rare.

Another thing he often wondered about were his friends, the whole reason why he was having so much trouble in the first place. He sometimes imagined their responses to seeing him again. Would they be happy to see him after so long? Or would they be as angry as his daydreaming had lead him to believe? It was something he didn't hope he'd have to find out anytime soon either. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to handle it. Then again, maybe they thought like everyone else. That he'd died. He remembered when news stories speculated the idea a few years ago, and he never bothered to try and argue against the rumors. He could pretty much be a ghost now if he wanted. Then again, it had been a while since anyone had actually seen him. Last time he could remember was when he was still a kid. He was much older now though, looked a bit different and more mature.

Perhaps his appearance change could help him from being recognized too easily. Well, in either case, he kept low and hidden, sitting beneath the shade of a tree with his hat pulled down and a hood pulled over that for extra measure. Better to be safe than sorry, right? Even if it was a bit warm and a hoodie hardly seemed fitting for the lake. He was sure no one would bother him though, that is if they could find him. He had managed to get across the lake to a more secluded area where hopefully they wouldn't be interrupted. Meanwhile, his Pokemon were enjoying the water. Well accept for Aero of course. He took to the sky, not straying too far in case Red would need a quick get away. At least he could say he found happiness in seeing his Pokemon enjoy themselves. It made him feel slightly at peace, if only for a while. That's all he could ask for really.

CODED BY ELECTRIC OF GANGNAM STYLE

[MEI MORIMOTO]

Mei was dangerously far from home. She knew that she should have probably chosen a region she knew better than Johto, but it had been the worst affected and was, in her opinion, the best place to start when it came to the plans to bring down the Knights. She had been working behind the scenes as ever, thinking about all she could in order to fix the world. She wasn't clever like some of the people who had been given Pokedexes before her, but she was defintiely determined and she loved that she'd been able to at least accomplish the bringing down of a vicious evil team.

Well, the leader of said evil team anyways.

It wasn't particularly warm when shed begun travelling, but a lake had brought Mei to the point where she was ready to relax. She'd been searching and exploring the destruction of Johto for some time and she had found herself near Mahogany Town. The Lake of Rage had drawn her in and she had agreed with quick determination that though they were close to the ice path, she could use a swim. So used to being around water in Unova, it was nice to be able to sink into the cool temperatures of the lake.

Habitually she wore her bathing suit beneath her every day clothing and she stripped it off within moments and stuffed it into her satchel. She released her Samurott, Odie, out of his Pokeball and he was instantly in the water, surfacing easily and waiting for his master. Mei sank her ankles and then slowly submerged the rest of her body as she climbed onto the back of her Pokemon, sailing across the water to a more secluded area of the lakefront.

She dismounted as they reached the shoreline and reached for her now shoulder-mounted satchel to pull out a towel. As she began dabbing herself dry, Mei released her other collection of Pokemon. Before anything else had happened, her Espeon, Morella and her Arcanine, Callypso, had both instantly gone on the edge after sensing Red. The brunette blinked in confusion as both the Pokemon stopped. She searched the area until she noticed all of the Pokemon and then their trainer sitting nearby.

"Oh, wow, this is embarrassing!" Mei laughed as she wrapped the towel around her bathing-suit clad body and looked sheepishly at the the other man. "I'm sorry for interrupting, I just wanted a bit of privacy and was coming over here.. I didn't realise anyone was over here.. I guess I should have seen your Pokemon swimming but I assumed they were wild." She laughed, rubbing the back of her neck gently.

"If you really want some privacy I can head back over to the other side of the lake, maybe?"

[Deleted]

He had heard splashing nearby, certainly aware of the new presence. A wild Pokemon? Perhaps. But it was best to be sure. Not that he figured there would be any problems. He was in such a secluded area that chances of being noticed had to be quite slim, right? His Pokemon were enjoying themselves, refraining from making too much noise to further help keep their trainer safe. Red wasn't sure if they understood why exactly he hid but they tried their best to keep him happy regardless it seemed, something he appreciated very much. It was the thought that counts, right? With his mind having gone elsewhere, he'd barely paid attention to the sound of someone swimming closer to them till it was far too late to do anything about it.

First his Pokemon had stopped in their tracks, watching the other Pokemon closely once they noticed how on edge they were. You could never be too sure. Some wild Pokemon could attack humans. Red had learned this lesson plenty of times before. So they made sure they didn't step much closer, Pika climbing into his lap for extra measure should anyone of them managed to get too close. But luckily, they stopped, calming down somewhat as his own Pokemon did the same. Unfortunately though, they were not wild. And their trainer stood before him now, noticing his own presence. Well. That plan sort of backfired, didn't it?

He instinctively grabbed the brim of his cap, pulling it down more to make sure his face couldn't be recognized. As luck would have it, she didn't seem to recognize him right away. But by the looks of her Pokemon, she might not have to begin with unless she kept up with all the Pokedex Holders. Still though, better to be safe than sorry. He didn't want to be found. He didn't want news of where he was getting to his friends back in Kanto. He had the worst kind of luck. How was he to know someone would actually come back here? But his mental conversation with himself was interrupted as she began to speak.

Privacy, huh? They could relate somewhat. Though he wasn't sure how private they would be with the both of them present. He was already tempted to just get up and leave at this point. He didn't want to risk anything. But then part of him felt compelled to stay. That part of him that was much too lonely and longed for human companionship. He couldn't even remember the last time he had a conversation with someone, let alone just speak to a person. And while he loved his Pokemon dearly, even they couldn't seem to fill the gap. But he had to remember, she was also looking for privacy. So obviously, she wouldn't want to hang out with someone, right? Especially not the failure Red. He frowned a bit before she continued, offering to leave if he wanted her to. Much to his surprise, he spoke before he could even think about it. "N-no!" he paused, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "I mean.. You don't have to.. If you don't want." he explained, not sure why he was allowing her to stay. Then again, it wasn't like he owned the lake. If anything, he should probably leave.

CODED BY ELECTRIC OF GANGNAM STYLE

[MEI MORIMOTO]

Mei didn't really know what to say in those moments leading up to Red's response. They had locked eyes- well she had looked in his direction to where he was hiding beneath his hat, anyways - and both were probably feeling rather awkward as they had been seeking a more private spot and somehow had both found the same one. It was an unlikely happenstance at the best of times and the brunette couldn't keep the small chuckle off her lips as she thought about it. There she was stumbling over her words because she'd walked in on someone's alone time. She was doing that so much lately, to poor Hugh and now to this poor man whom she was a complete stranger too. She had even wanted to stop being such a nuisance, but there she was.

Though the Arcanine and Espeon were still on edge, the growl from the former and the flicking tail of the latter had ceased. Mei held the towel closely to herself as she looked up at Red as he spoke, letting a smile dance on her lips as he mentioned that he didn't mind if she stayed.

Blue eyes blinked a few times to make sure she completely understood and she nodded. "You know what? It might be nice to have some different company for a change. My Pokemon want to stretch their legs and other limbs, and if you don't mind, I'd love to hang around." Her voice soft and childlike in it's simplicity, she absently wrung out her hair and moved further onto the shore in order to introduce herself properly. She wasn't one-hundred percent certain that this man whom she'd just met really wanted her there - she had an inkling that his brain had done what hers did and spoke before he could think it over - but she wasn't going to complain.

Mei was a social person by nature, she was never going to say no to some company when it was laid out in front of her.

She shook her head to dislodge the wet hair off her shoulders as she approached and gave him a winning smile. "I'm Mei, I'm.. not from here in Johto, but I'm visiting at the moment. I'm from Unova, so I'm used to having a lot of water around.. Are you from here in Johto? I'm really sorry if you are, it must be hard to see your home region under so much damage.." She quietened herself with a quick and subtle closing of her mouth, realising that she had been rambling. It really was her weakness, talking far too much upon first meeting. She should try to get to know people more slowly.