Metropolis, *gasp* there's a mall here! :D

[Roxas]

Before you could reply to Delibird, your phone vibrated. On it, you saw a message from a familiar friend.

have you been visited by a Delibird recently?

You could see where this was going without too much thought.

[Snowl]

I turned away from Will after reading the message, blushing a bit. "My, suddenly I'm popular," I laughed. I quickly* texted a response:

Yeah. You too? Any ideas? What are they playing? Suddenly we're friends? Smells fishy. You were at Terhapt, Dejavu?

{*Quickly, here, is relative, considering how bad a texter Snowl is. Fortunately, it was a somewhat brief message.}

[Roxas]

lol xD

Within a very short period of time, you received a reply as well. Those full-keyboard phones could be oh so useful for texting sometimes. Among other things

Dejavu is exactly what I was thinking. No idea what they're up to. Has anyone else on our team been invited?

[Snowl]

Well that was quick. I tried to excuse myself to Will; I felt kinda bad ignoring him for my phone. "Sorry, I'll be fast. It's kinda important." As I punched the small phone keys, I made a mental note to pester Gilroy about an upgrade.

No idea. I think I'll accept. An adventure could be as fun as a vacation right now. What are you thinking?

[Roxas]

This time, there was a bit of a delay before the next message came. Delibird still watched you curiously throughout all of this. Finally, after a few minutes, your reply came. It was short enough, but you could tell thought had been put into it.

I think I'm going to accept as well. I think all of the Melters that are going should meet up beforehand. We should be prepared for anything.

[Snowl]

That sounds like a reasonable idea. We can pass the message on through the hq and save texting time.

That seemed doable. I wondered who else was invited. I turned my attention back to Delibird. "Very well my frosty little friend," I said. "I'll gladly accept Team Glacier's invitation." I signed the piece of parchment:

Snowl

and, figuring that would suffice, I gave it to Delibird to see what it would do.

[Roxas]

You received one last response. It was short and sweet, and to the point.

sounds good. call if anything comes up

With that, you stood, wondering what Delibird would do now that he possessed your signature of approval...

[Aquarinyoshi]

Delibird looked up to you, wide-eyed and shaking. If you didn't know any better, he looked like he was going to explode. Luckily the species didn't learn that move, but instead he jumped as high as his body would let him breaking straight into birdsong. He repeatedly jumped up and down, nearly giving the Ninetales a heart attack. Hopping over to the elevator, he tossed you a white gift box wrapped with black ribbon. As you tore away the ribbon and opened the lid, something awfully dark and mysterious caught your eye.

Inside was an orb of a rather basic color, or really, one of no color at all. You looked into the box, seeing only the absence of color. Getting a closer look, you noticed that there was something lurking in the shadow. It was a black orb, one that let little light through. When it did, however, it was oddly comforting. Like a beautiful stone of onyx, it was truly a rare find. Delibird smiled and hopped his way into the elevator, leaving you with Will and his Ninetales.

As he left, something in your arms began to vibrate rapidly. It was the box he'd given you before! It broke open, revealing a bright orb that flashed many colors, unlike your black orb. It was nearly in convulsions, and much like your orb, the future wasn't looking too bright.

[Snowl]

"What...? It's gone spastic," I said, holding the flashing orb. I considered chucking it into the elevator after Delibird, but surely Cole hadn't sent me a bomb. I held my breath as...

[Aquarinyoshi]

As the orb was readying its purpose. Will jumped over the counter to help you get rid of the sphere, but he was too late. The orb cracked into tiny ice shards of color and you knew what was next. Colors flew around you, but surprisingly no smoke; instead, you could feel every muscle, no, every fiber in your being refreshed and relaxed. It was almost unearthly how you felt, like wedding proposal, first kiss, sipping coffee under the star studded sky, etc. Cole hadn't sent you a bomb, in fact, he sent you a gift.

[Snowl]

I stood in the basement coffee shop of the Academy's Student Union, soaking in every nanosecond of the revitalizing gift. As it faded, I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath. Thanks, Cole. I opened my eyes, smiling. Then I turned to Will. "Well, that was eventful," I said. A part of me considered worrying about whether this stranger would think me some freak after witnessing the past few minutes of my company, but I was really too relaxed at the moment from the present to care what he thought. I just waited to see how Will would react, and in the meantime admired that beautiful Ninetales of his sitting nearby.

[Aquarinyoshi]

Will ran a hand through his dark brown hair, a tinge of relief given through a soft sigh. His expression lightened, teeth gleaming in a broad smile. He moved towards you with quiet steps, each with a certain sort of grace to them. His muscular frame stopped in front of your petite body, "Quite eventful..."

Reaching out with his long arms, he gently stroked the Ninetales below him, who in your moment of bliss, had silently made her way to the two of you. Her pointed face burned with fiery passion, yet at the same time a restful serenity. She closed his eyes in contentment as Will continuously stroked her silky fur.

"I believe we'd better head back up before someone puts two and two together. It's not everyday you see Pokemon trudging throughout the campus, especially one with a rarity like Delibird." He let out a chuckle, "I can only imagine the expressions that were plastered on the students as the penguin bounced up and down throughout the corridors."

[Snowl]

"Yeah, that was quite... odd. Alrighty, let's head back upstairs. Thanks for the chai," I said. I looked back down at the Ninetales as we walked. "I've got a Ninetales," I said. "Named Vivian. Vivian the vixen." I grinned at the thought of my little diva. "Tell me, Will, do you use Lolita in contests? You asked me earlier if I was a coordinator, but you didn't tell me much about yourself. You also mentioned you grew up in Cinder Oasis?"

[Aquarinyoshi]

Will grabbed the Friendship Ball from his apron and looked at Lolita, returning her to the peaceful serenity of her home. The question seemed to pick at his mind, and it was a few moments before he came to answer your question. He gazed down at the Friendship Ball and the other five balls as he placed them in a sweatshirt he pulled from behind the counter. As the two of you walked into elevator, he let out a sigh of unsettlement.

"Ever since I was little I've trained my six Pokemon to be the best they can be. I grew berries to make gourmet PokeBlocks and Poffins to match their natures, utilized their skills and helped them overcome their weaknesses, and overall been a friend to them." His voice tapered off in the last few words, a slight twitch in his face.

"Then, when I was ten and ready to start my journey, my parents said it'd be smart to wait a while with all the commotion of trainers disappearing. Like a good little boy, I did - I waited for what seemed an enternity, and finally when I turned sixteen I'd decided I was no longer going to wait anymore." His eyelids squeezed tight, like he was trying to rid the memory from his mind.

"So I went to the one person I knew would help me. The kind elderly woman who was all for Pokemon journeys. Sora, like you mentioned, was ready to help me escape the restraint of my parents and provided me with the much needed necessities, but..." His eyes opened, a sense of remorse taking over the usually vivid pupils. "It was too late, and I was caught. My parents somehow knew I was going to escape, and they were ready."

"In order to cease the "nonsense", they shipped me off to this academy. I was required to turn in my Fire-type Pokemon to the Cinder Oasis Gym, but luckily, Sora has great ties with the establishment, and with the help of her grandaughter Anastacia, my Pokemon were returned to me before I left Cinder Oasis for good." The elevator door slid open and revealed the noisy student union where you were quickly brought back into reality from your fantasy with Will.

"In short, I have a great debt to Sora and her granddaughter for helping me while in dire need. Although I want to enter contests and compete in gym challenges, the publicity gained from them would only alert my parents, and I can't even imagine the consequences." He lead you through the chaotic mess and back into the lobby where few students sat, whispering conversations to one another.

"During the later hours, I manage to find time to spend with my Pokemon in dark alleys and rundown parts of town. It's all my friend and I can manage in order to keep out Pokemon healthy."

[Snowl]

"Thank you for sharing your story with me, Will," I said, stepping out of the elevator. Thank you, Reality, for you continuous rude awakenings. I took a deep breath. "But seriously Will, if coordinating is your dream, you need to grow up and do it. You look to be my age. That means you're almost finished here at the academy. It's time to put on your big boy boxers and get out from under your parents' thumb. You're half-way across the country. Stop living in the shadows!" Aaannnd end monologue pep-speech. The goo-goo goggles were off: Will was human after all. I waited to see how he'd respond to my little lecture.

[Aquarinyoshi]

The normally cheery smile turned drastically into a frightening frown, and muscles all-around his body seemed to tighten up in defense. He may have been chiseled by the Gods, but it was now clear to you that he only came with extra baggage. Afterall, he was human, and was bound to have imperfections.

"You don't understand..." His voice shaky, he continued. "When I was younger I didn't have a care in the world other than the one dream I wished to pursue - Pokemon. We lived in the poorer districts in Cinder Oasis, so anything new and exciting appealed to me. My parents did everything they could to support me, and then some; however, after all their wasted effort in me, they were at a loss. Knowing I would make the wrong choice, they stopped me."

"That's when I was sent to this academy, to make something of myself. After living life as a scrawny kid in the slums of Cinder Oasis, something hit me, an epiphany. I didn't think of what would happen to my family when I finally left on a Pokemon journey, not knowing where life would take me or if I'd come back. They invested so much in me - how could I not return the favor?" He slouched back into the leather loveseat the two of you were sitting on, hiding his calming eyes.

"That's when my mind changed things to a different perspective. Do I want to give up on my dream? No." The conversation seemed to be picking at a new approach as his body relaxed and his voice grew softer. "Though I'm not ready for the shackles of disappointment to chain me just yet. I'm not letting my parents down, and that's coming from me. If you were in my shoes, would you simply crush your parent's hope and possibly never see them aga-" He cut himself off, the sound of tapping and the clearing of someone's voice behind you.

"Will, I had no idea you gave new students tours around campus. I don't remember recieving one myself..." The voice was higher pitched and extremely cold. It was potentially angelic, but the sound of jealousy tainted its purity. "How rude of you to not introduce me to your 'friend'." She snickered, "I never knew you liked your girls grimy and insecure." Although you hadn't turned to see her, you could feel the woman's eyes icily scanning you from head to toe. "Honey, I believe a date with hot water and soap is in order."

[Snowl]

My first thought was 'release Fervian and BBQ her without even turning around.' My second was, 'no, that's irrational. You could catch the building on fire. Have Landon electrocute her instead.' But what I decided on went more like this: I turned around, eyes dripping with agreeing sympathy, and said, "I know, isn't it sweet of him? I didn't know guys like Will still existed in this world. How fortunate for poor girls like me."

[Aquarinyoshi]

You turned around and saw another vision of beauty. As leading quarterback, it was only to be expected that the head cheerleader was his girlfriend. Beautiful eyes of violet seemed to lighten the shadowy black strands that draped down to her shoulders. Her figure was that of an hour glass, and her clothes were no less than imported name brands. Typical, witchy girls - what else?

Will put a hand over his face in embaressment, obviously at a lack of words. "Snowl, this is Felicity. She's in the dorm room next to me... and the other 'friend' I was talking about." The woman smirked down at you, clearly having a height advantage. She seemed to feed on his every syllable, fueling her already fiery personality.

"Yes, you must be poor with a name like 'Snowl'." Her eyes darted around you towards Will. "Now Snowl White, sadly your prince hasn't come, so do yourself a favor and return into your toxic coma of innocence." She reached into the small and black leather purse slung across her shoulder, resting her hand there. "Or shall I make you, wretch?"

[Snowl]

Toxic comma of innocence? What was this girl on? "Wow, I am so, so sorry. It must be awful, a beautiful, rich girl like you, so insecure that a mere stranger would send you into fritz because some other girl was talking to a guy she liked. You know, insecurity in relationships generally stems from lack of faithfulness in the party of the one who's jealous." I raised an eyebrow. "Is there something you need to talk to Will about?"