;; you're gonna go far, kid.

[odyssey]

It was a flawless scene. Suddenly, Octavia was back at her home in Sinnoh, the marvelous ivory mansion and its lush, trimmed lawn gleaming in the soft light of dawn, just as she recalled her mornings. Although, all of her attention was focused upon the woman who stood in the threshold, gazing at her daughter with warm amber eyes and arms spread invitingly. Gasping, the Smeargle 'morph bounded into her mother's arms, savoring the familiar embrace, until everything abruptly shifted - the colors seemed to fade, everything grew chill. Her father's unmistakable voice taunted, stinging her ears, "You always were a monster."

Octavia awoke with a start, her breaths deep and quivery as she attempted to make sense of her surroundings - for a frightening moment unable to recall where she was. Wide aquamarine eyes touched every last object, mind racing, until she confirmed that she still in one of the shabby barracks of Konika Port, recalling it had been the only option for shelter last night other than hunkering down in some shabby alleyway or warehouse. ". . .Only a dream," she murmured, shaking her head as she sat up, and promptly left her tattered bed to make her way outside, brushing and straightening her clothes as she went.

Smoothing over one last patch of fur, Octavia emerged on a busy morning at the docks, the sun just peeking up over the horizon and bathing the mass of people - seamen and ferry passengers, mostly - in a few pale rays. Twitching her tail, the Smeargle 'morph simply observed for a few moments, then proceeded to stride over to a nondescript stand, one that she would of usually passed over if not for the scraggly old owner, who appeared to know his way around these parts. If she didn't wish to wander around there all day, directions were necessary.

"Hello," Octavia greeted, her friendly facade already in place, and noted that the weathered man eyed her with suspicion. She clasped her hands in the small of her back and politely, if not briefly, scanned the laid out goods before her, the two meeting gazes before she continued, "You wouldn't happen to have directions to the laboratory, would you?" Several moments passed in silence, before the owner finally coughed, gesturing with a wrinkly finger as he did so, "Aye, lass. If 'ye be lookin' for the laboratory, it be over yonder." That seemed to satisfy Octavia, for she nodded, uttered a small 'thank you,' and took off in the appointed direction.

---

It was perhaps thirty minutes later, after treading the small town and up the wooden steps, that she arrived upon the laboratory's doorstep. She hadn't been able to help noticing the architecture of the buildings, none of them exceeding a single story - guessing that was to minimize damage from extreme water-front weather - and, unfortunately, how the briny odor of the sea managed to carry on even past the port, infiltrating her nostrils even then. However, she didn't let the stench deter her from her goal to obtain her first Pokemon, not hesitating to stride right through the double-doors of the establishment.

"Er, hello?" The 'morph cooed, neatly adjusting her beret and straightening her dress to obtain at least some degree of worthiness - they probably didn't want to entrust an unkempt stranger with a Pokemon, after all. Her ears flickered beneath the hat, and she awaited some sort of assistance, idly observing her organized surroundings and the numerous sketches pinned on the walls.

[/size]

[Administrator]

OoC.
Lol, for some reason the text was in a giant dark blue box xDDD That was weird.

BiC.
A cool chill seemed to permeat the air of the main lobby of the lab as the 'morph stepped inside. It was quite... unnatural, really, particularly for a location so close to the sea. While it could be expected that the air conditioning was most likely running throughout the entire building in order to combat the increasing temperatures of spring, this chill was almost as cold as ice.

For a moment the chill drew close to Octavia, almost as if it was curious, before it abruptly dissapated entirely. It was certainly a... strange turn of events. An intelligent chill of sorts, that seemed to be more than capable of a sort of free movement. Even so, the chill's disappearance heralded the arrival of another presence, one which was far more human than the cool air which had chosen to greet the Smeargle 'morph.

"Ah, hello," a feminine voice drifted from the hall that led back into the further reaches of the lab, only just indicating the arrival of a ebony-haired woman. She could almost immediately be recognized as one of the individuals that worked at the lab just judging by the white lab coat that hung loosely from her slim shoulders, though she certainly lacked the prim, at least partially formal wear most lab aides or professors seemed to wear.

Her shirt was a simple pale blue colour, slightly faded from exposure to harsh sun, and the jeans that hung from her hips were obviously worn to an extent that a tear was even beginning along one of the knees. Even her shoes, which had perhaps been white at one time, had the characteristic, drab grey tone that showed they had been used for many months already.

She smiled, her pale blue eyes sparkling warmly in Octavia's direction. Pokemorphs were a curious phenomena, to be sure, to some even a fearful or repulsive one, but this woman didn't seem to particularly mind the fur or other clear indications of Octavia's heritage. Rather, she gave a little flourish of her hand, giving a clear sign to make herself at home as she lightly strode over to the main desk and picked up a mug of coffee she had probably left there earlier.

"My name is Professor Aspen," she said smoothly, apparently wishing to jump right into business as she took a sip from her mug. It was typical behaviour, after all, for trainers to wish to move on as soon as possible, and if this particular individual was here for other reasons, well, she figured they'd want to get them over with all the same. "What can I do for you today, dear?"

[/blockquote]

[odyssey]

ooc: weird indeed.

-

Octavia folded her arms against her chest, the fur on her nape prickling slightly; her body subconsciously reacting to the change in temperature. Noticing shortly after, the Pokemorph grimaced, for it seemed she'd been forced to adapt to Konika's humid, blistering climate to a point where she couldn't even withstand a slight chill anymore. Great. Albeit, the feminine voice that came from ahead made all traces of irritation immediately disappear from the girl's features, a pleasant smile twisting her lips as the lab employee approached.

A brief observation contented Octavia - faded clothes a telltale sign that this woman was no stranger to the sun - which led the 'morph to assume she had been here, working in Konika, for quite some time. This was favorable, defiantly, for she had no intentions, polite facade or not, to wait around while some inexperienced buffoon fumbled around in an attempt to assist her - this lady actually appeared very collected, calm. For once, the adolescent was genuinely happy underneath her act, which caused her paintbrush-like tail to begin softly swaying behind her as she moved to take a seat.

Crossing her legs after situating herself upon a tiny stool, one which faced the woman's desk, Octavia fixed her vibrant eyes directly on Aspen's ebony-framed face, tail still flickering. It wasn't surprising, really, to find that she was the Professor, the one who Octavia had heard the occasional whisper of while venturing through town; there was a certain vibe about her that implied such importance. It only pleased her further, however, that Aspen didn't seem to doddle around with business.

Finding it only proper to introduce herself then, the 'morph cleared her throat before speaking, "Octavia VanHale. Pleased to meet you, Professor Aspen.

[/b]" - her words were followed with a slight inclination of her head. "As you might of guessed, I'm here to obtain my Starter Pokémon. I've already done my research on Lanorae, and if I may, I'd like to request an Iglora - female would be ideal, if it isn't too much trouble.[/b]"

[/blockquote][/size]

[Administrator]

"Ah, excellent. I enjoy it when those who choose to visit know exactly what they want," the dark-haired woman smiled, pushing a few strands of her dark hair back behind her ear as she straightened herself from where she had been leaning against her desk and lightly placed her mug back upon it. "Of course, I trust you are familiar with the rather... noticable personality changes of the later stages of the Iglora line as well? It shouldn't be too hard to handle seeing you're raising it from a young age, but all the same."

She quickly eased herself away from the desk, her worn tennis shoes making a simple tapping noise against the tile as she momentarily vanished into a back room that served as a more-or-less storage chamber for the Pokémon that were handed out and, in some cases, an incubation chamber when it came to the Pokémon eggs that were occasionally chosen. Even so, judging by how quickly she returned with a Pokeball in hand and a small pack tossed over her shoulder she had known precisely where everything was located.

"Here you are. Your Iglora, along with the typical starter kit we award beginning trainers."

[img]http://i39.tinypic.com/23rmj2b.png[/img]
[b]Name:[/b] Your choice.
[b]Gender:[/b] Female.
[b]Level:[/b] 5.
[b]Attacks:[/b] Scratch | Growl.
[b]Nature:[/b] Your choice. Most common nature generally Playful.
[b]Experience:[/b] 0.
[b]Happiness Status:[/b] 0.

[img]http://www.pokemonelite2000.com/rsitem004.png[/img] Pokeball x5
[img]http://www.pokemonelite2000.com/rsitem013.png[/img] Potion x5
[img]http://www.pokemonelite2000.com/rsitem023.png[/img] Full Heal x3
[img]http://pokemonelite2000.com/rsitem294.png[/img] Region Map x1

[ Credits shall be added shortly. ]

"Is there anything else I can do for you? Questions about the region, anything of that sort?" the woman again smiled, not seeming to notice as the chill returned to the room. In fact, she seemed to be rather used to it, and judging by the semi-translucent shape that was now faintly visible dancing around the room, she probably knew precisely what it was being caused by.

[/blockquote]

[odyssey]

"Terrador,

[/b]" Octavia muttered to herself, recalling the fearsome beast that she would inevitably own one day, along with all the grim tales of masters who were too inexperienced to handle them. "Yes, I'll be able to handle it,[/b]" she responded, briefly wrinkling her brow, and although she was quite confident in her abilities, couldn't help the occasional doubt from leaking into the foregrounds of her mind. As Aspen had said, she and the Iglora would be bonding from its young age, and she really didn't give a dam if it attacked others when it evolved, as long as it knew friend from foe, especially with her and its teammates.

Gaze following the Professor until she vanished, Octavia then idly appraised the drawings tacked on the walls, upon closer inspection discovering they were all rather impressive. Humming, the sound of footfalls, signaling the woman's swift return, interrupted the artist's silent pondering, and she peered to see Aspen now clasping a Pokeball and small kit. "Thank you,[/b]" Octavia cooed, happily accepting both items; slipping the bag onto her shoulders while keeping the red-and-white sphere in-hand.

Her ears gave a few brisk bobs, focusing down on the device which contained her new, her first, companion. Sure, she'd been exposed to a number of Pokemon before, what with the brief time she'd spent at that damned academy and, after running away, living on the outskirts of Sunnyshore City with that pack of Floatzel, but it was quite an alien experience to have a Pokemon to actually call hers.

"Actually, I do have a question,[/b]" Octavia said, looking up from the Pokeball as she suddenly formed an idea, "You wouldn't happen to have any employment opportunities here, would you? I'd love to help out around here every once in a while.[/b]"
[/blockquote][/size]

[Administrator]

Professor Aspen would be lying if she said she hadn't been surprised by the question that came afterwards. Even so, a warm smile touched her lips as she gave a slight nod of her head. "Yes... in fact," she responded slowly, almost as if she was carefully wording her response. "We welcome anyone that's interested in aiding with the day-to-day running of the lab. Some of my current aides, in particularly, have found it to be relatively tiresome to stop whatever research they may be doing in order to tend to new trainers."

She leaned against her desk again now that her responsibilities as a professor fetching a starter Pokemon were over, her blue eyes twinkling warmly in Octavia's direction. "I will warn you that not all my aides may respond kindly to the idea of you working here for reasons of their own..." the reasoning of her words were rather obvious considering the fact the woman she was speaking to was a 'Morph, "But most will remain quiet about it and treat you kindly. Your aide is very welcome in my laboratory, my dear, so if it is what you wish then welcome to my team."

[/blockquote]