Race into the Night

[Moonlight]

The violet haired mute nodded at his reassuring smile, returning it with one of her own. She was thus far certainly enjoying the other trainer's company, Tyson being one of the few not to make automatic assumptions based on her inability to speak. The change in itself was refreshing, and upon reflection, it seemed they had already made the basis to a solid friendship. One she would be more than willing to upkeep, even if the situation made it difficult. Truthfully, the native Kanto trainer being her first true human friend.

Standing after a moment when Tyson finished his shopping, shouldering her pack as well. "Mmm. It's a bit cheaper than the prices in Sinnoh, but I understand what you mean," the young woman agreed, nodding. Pausing briefly at his words, though. Seeing as Kin appeared distracted, she lightly touched the psychic type's umber armored shoulder to get his attention. Her gaze following Tyson's when it trailed to the steady rainfall outside, which gave no signs of letting up any time soon. In fact, as the bronzed trainer spoke, it just seemed to get heavier. Her smile turned wry, before glancing at the empty table and chairs by the door.

"We can wait a bit to see if the rain will let up," Hannah agreed, noting Topaz's earlier disdain towards the storm. Understandable for the pale leonine, though. She nodded towards the empty chair and table, though, pulling a deck of cards from a side pouch on her backpack. "Have you ever played Gin Rummy?"

Kin, on the other hand, was only finding the unfolding conversation affectionately amusing. "If not, we could always teach them. Its a fun game," the psychic type said openly, glancing at the scheming persian standing below them. Adding to their private conversation once more, though feeling the need to clarify a bit.

"Well, think of it this way, Topaz - Almost everyone she meets automatically makes assumptions when it comes to her muteness. Telepathy, even when controlled, its a personal thing. This shows she appreciates Tyson's differences regarding the matter, and trusts his judgment. It's a step in the right direction, at least," the kadabra said with a nod, examining his spoon as he spoke. Not distracted or nervous, but pondering. "You are right, though, that this is a first. It would not be surprising for her own feelings to sway in due time."

[Australian Chaos]

Tyson nodded as Hannah agreed to wait a little to see if the storm cleared up somewhat, only to cock his head slightly as she pulled out a deck of cards, asking if he knew about something which was obviously a card game, but something Tyson had never heard of, let alone played.

"Uhh...no, sorry," he replied, switching back to their telepathy to avoid awkwards stares from passers-by should any catch him in a clearly one-sided conversation with Hannah...he doubted either of them would want such attention.

"I can learn, though," he offered with a sheepish look as Kin made his suggestion...cards had never quite been his thing. He didn't dislike them, he just never really got around to playing them...Topaz's games were usually entertaining enough when they were both younger, and the Safari Zone and adventures as a Trainer had taken up all his time after that.

Topaz, meanwhile, had found a spot near the table and chairs Hannah had pointed out before, lying down against the wall beside them, her tail flicking cheekily in anticipation of the ribbing she was going to give Tyson that evening as Kin explained things a bit further, nodding her head with his words. "Tyson's never been very judgemental, except when it comes to poachers and groups like Team Rocket and such...that experience with Ladon changed that side of him a little...but he always gives everyone else a chance, no matter what they seem to be like on the surface. And I know what you mean about the telepathy thing...most non-psychic humans are wary of people like Hannah, but Tyson...he's something else, and I'm very glad I got to have him as my human."

Topaz shook off the nostalgic trip as Kin made one final comment of Hannah's feelings possibly swaying over in the future. "If they haven't already, that is...the two of them have known each other less than a day, and they're already interacting like long-time friends. I just can't wait to drag Tyse aside and have a nice chat with him tonight," she added, smirking lightly at the mere though, resisting the urge to laugh as Tyson noticed, his expression growing worried. She loved playing mind games with him, it was just too much fun sometimes.

"Just don't overdo it, okay?" Ladon chipped in, still wrapped around Tyson's shoulder like some kind of exotic python. "I'd rather Tyson's sanity remain intact tomorrow, thank you very much." The young dragon snake bumped Tyson's cheek affectionately, cooing happily when he got a scratch behind his head fins in response, effectively distracting Tyson from Topaz's continuing smirk, even if she did not answer Ladon's small plea.

Tyson for his part, smiled as the unheard interaction, turning to Hannah again. "Looks like they're all getting along, too, huh?" he said aloud, smiling as Ladon cooed affirmatively again.

[Moonlight]

Her lips curved into a smile once more, nodding to him. "It's okay," Hannah said cheerfully, half curled knuckles of her free hand lightly touching her lips, seeming to suggest friendly laughter from Tyson's momentarily dumbstruck expression. Encouraging him to join her with a motion of her hand, before taking a seat at the table.

Sliding the laminated cards out with no pause, muscle memory alone shuffling the deck with ease. White, black and red all seemed to blur as the cards whispered, before the violet haired trainer started dealing their hands. Starting small with seven cards each, and then the flip card, so he could ease his way into it.

Kin watching with mild amusement as the explained the rules of the game, also simplifying it to have the same concept and goal as Uno - First person to run out of cards wins. Turning back to Topaz as the Classy Cat continued her commentary, both laced with amusement and respect. "Judging from what was said earlier about Ladon's origins ... I cannot say I blame him for the change. One would be emotionless for it not to have changed them, that or hardened to the world," Kin returned, now taking a seat on the floor next to the persian.

Offering a nod to her again, conceding the feline's point. "Precisely. I've seen, over the years, that it's not uncommon for people to make assumptions before they even speak to someone. And even after they do, it can take a lot to change them. I can understand why you care for him so much," the psychic said, tone courteous. Laughing after a moment at Topaz's following comments, the persian clearly full of affectionate mirth. "As Ladon said, don't go too hard on him. You may entice the opposite affect of what you want, after all," the fatherly kadabra continued, though still seeming to smile.

Glancing back at the humans now, watching them play their game. Listening to the steady rainfall dance across the roof, pondering.

[Australian Chaos]

Topaz nodded at Ladon and Kin's warning, still smirking. "Don't worry, I know Tyson inside out...I won't push him that far...just remind him that he can't keep trying to ignore these thoughts, that's all," she said, still with the same sly tone, before going silent, watching Tyson as Hannah taught him a simplified version of the card game she had pointed out.

Tyson, for his part, listened as she explained, nodding at the appropriate points to show that he was following her, before sitting down opposite her as she dealt the cards, starting the game, Tyson trying to ease his way into the seemingly simple game. To put it simply...Tyson was atrocious, still trying to understand the rules as he played meaning that he never really stood a chance, even with a fairly simplistic game. But even for a rookie, Tyson knew he must be pretty bad, and was silently relieved as the first game drew to a close, even if it closed in an embarassingly easy win for Hannah.

As Tyson nodded for her to start a re-match, determined to at least learn the game, if not get that good at it yet, he decided to speak up a little, looking to Kin briefly as he did. "So...you two seem pretty close...How did you meet all your friends, Hannah?" he asked, referring to Kin, Bane and Angel in general as he did, even if Kin was the only one present right now. Both Ladon and Topaz perked up at this, also curious, although Topaz was still holding back her amusement at how terrible Tyson was at card games, even the simplest ones.

[Moonlight]

Kin nodded in response, satisfied. "If that is all, then I don't think it'd be harmful," the kadabra returned, laughing softly at the imagery. He could tell that the olive skinned trainer was easily flustered, but a nice person all in all. That much was clear from how much Topaz loved him.

Hannah couldn't help but offer Tyson an encouraging smile as their first game drew to a quick conclusion, despite her holding some cards to give him a better chance at understanding the game. At his nod, though, sweeping the cards back into a uniform pile and reshuffling them. After a few times, passing out the cards again.

As she was arranging them by suit, pausing at Tyson's question. "Well, I actually received Kin's egg when I was six. So, as of the beginning of spring, we've been together for a full decade," the violet haired trainer explained, glancing affectionately at the fatherly psychic type. "About three years later, though, my uncle up in Snowpoint caught Angel for me as a gift when we came up to visit. As you can probably already guess, she hasn't really matured," Hannah added, chuckling silently. The little rabbit never failed to be amusing with her eccentric ways - She certainly beat to her own drum, that was for sure.

Moving onto their final team member, though, her smile softened even more as she briefly touched a hand to the pokeballs in her pocket. Laying down a Queen of Hearts as the first discard on the pile since she had nothing to play, before continuing. "Bane is our most recent companion. When I started my journey back in Sinnoh a few months ago, we met him when we were in Eternia City. And since I couldn't turn down his sad little puppy eyes, I quickly ended up taking him in," Hannah said, smiling warmly as she came to a conclusion.

[Australian Chaos]

Tyson listened, smiling warmly as Hannah explained how her companions all came together. There was no grand adventure or great danger to the tale, but the simple sweetness to it left the dark-skinned Trainer with a smile on his face as Hannah made her first discard, Topaz choosing that moment to pad behind Tyson's chair, leaping up so her front paws were on her Trainer's shoulders, silently obseving the game this time from over Tyson's shoulder, curious to see what this card game was like.

Tyson ignored the amused snort coming from the sassy feline as Hannah made her first discard, since he could not determine what was so funny about Hannah discarding a Queen of Hearts, although if he understood the connection Topaz had made, he probably would have worried a lot more. As it was, he made his own move, matching one of his cards with the starting prompt card, waiting for Hannah's next move as he responded to her story. "Sounds like you're all very close," he said softly, looking to Kin once more. "Nearly a full decade, huh? Try putting up with this nuisance for nearly all your life," he said teasingly, jerking his thumb over his shoulder, where Topaz still resided, earning him a playful swat on the back on the head from the feline. "Ow! What was that for?" Tyson demanded aloud, although the chuckle behind it belied his joking nature...Hannah's presence, along with her story, had put him in a good mood again.

Deciding to get back on track, considering the glare Topaz was now giving him, Tyson returned to the game...and his story. "Anyway, since my parents weren't around much, they got me Topaz when I was about four, back when she was just a Meowth kitten...so it's been fifteen years now," he added, giving Topaz an affectionate scratch under the chin, which brought a purr from the Classy Cat.

Tyson's mood seemed to falter a little as he continued on. "Ladon, well...I already told you his story," he said, the young Dratini nuzzling his cheek to try and cheer him up, allowing him to move on. "Ryuu, on the other hand...I found him when I was out near Mount Moon, up in Kanto northern borders. He'd been living all alone, and seemed to want to come with me, so I brought him along. I'm still kind of trying to get him used to interacting with others, though," he added softly, thinking about the Charmander's rather closed-off nature, and anti-social tendencies. "Still, they're all great friends, and I wouldn't be without them now."

Ladon's simple reply of "And we love you, too, Tyse," was enough to put the Trainer into his old, bright mood once more, as Topaz quickly prompted a subject change. "When we first met, you said you were all from Sinnoh," the unique Persian commented, her curiosity obvious. "What's it like over there?" she asked, even drawing Tyson and Ladon in, both of them interesting in learning about one of the other regions from a first-hand source.

[Moonlight]

Hannah's smile held true at Tyson's comment that they must be close, inclining her head slightly in confirmation. She wouldn't give them up for the world. Still, she would've laughed at Topaz's antics, now literally hanging off of Tyson, the lioness' paws resting on the bronzed trainer's shoulders. As he spoke, she drew a card and evaluated her hand, before laying down Ace through 3 of Spades, and discarding the Ace of Hearts.

Kin nodded in turn with Tyson's explanation that Ryuu was also new to his group, glancing at both of their hands with a twinge of amusement. "Sounds like we're rather parallel in some aspects, actually," the kadabra commented, tilting his head thoughtfully. The psychic glanced at Topaz after a moment, his interested still piqued on another subject.

Adding to her privately, well assured it wouldn't slip, his voice held plenty of curiosity. "Tyson mentioned a poacher-hunt earlier. I know that he said he'd had a run in with the type before, however, I am curious of something. Something of valid importance. Where there is one group of poachers, there are usually more. Do you have any idea, whatsoever, if they have a leader?"

The mute trainer seemed to consider the Classy Cat's question for a moment, though a smile remained about her lips. "Well, it is much cooler for one. I haven't got much to compare to yet when it comes to the region as whole, but it is nice. If you're not much for snow, you'd want to stay away from it, though. We do have longer winters than most other regions, since the snow is probably only been melted a week or two at home," Hannah added, shrugging one shoulder.

[Australian Chaos]

Tyson tried to divide his focus on both the game in front of him, and the conversations popping up around him, trying not to ignore anything going on. As he listened to Hannah talk about her home region, interested in the cooler, island region she described, he searched his hand for cards to go with the last one Hannah placed down, eventually finding he had spades 4 and 5, placing them down to rummy Hannah's existing chain, before discarding a King of Hearts, pausing as he made to draw a new card when Topaz started bursting out laughing, finding something incredibly amusing all of a sudden. "What?" he asked over his shoulder, the question seeming to only amuse Topaz further. "What'd I do? Shouldn't I have done that?" he pressed, wondering if Topaz had seen a mistake in his game strategy he had missed.

But Topaz just waved him off, struggling to form words to him right now. "I'll tell you later tonight or something, Tyse. Just focus on Hannah and the game for now," she added, snorting in amusement a few more times.

But Topaz was brought heavily back to earth by Kin's private question about their poacher-hunting vigilante operation. The Kadabra's question was obviously serious, valid, and important, too. Pausing, Topaz actually thought on it for a few moments, before speaking up mentally, getting the impression Kin wanted this between the two of them only. "Somehow, Kin...I doubt it. Tyson's been watching the media for any signs of poacher activity. The attacks always seem to be committed by random group, all of which are very small. There's no coherent pattern in what Pokemon are being poached, and the attacks spread from Mount Moon to the Seafoam Islands, so there's no distinctive location, either. This isn't the mark of an organised Pokemon trafficking ring, we've concluded that it's simply a collection of small gangs with little to no organisation amongst each other, trying to take advantage of both a rise in demand for Pokemon and Pokemon products on the black market, and a lack of police enforcement of anti-poaching laws. They know they can run amok, so they do...and we intend to remind them that the police aren't all they have to fear."

Tyson, meanwhile, had returned his focus to Hannah, responding to her comments about Sinnoh. "It sounds like a really interesting place. Ladon might not like the snow very much, as a Dragon, but for the most part we're not too fussed about it. We'll definitely have to visit sometime. Now that I think about it, how long are you staying here in Kanto?" he added on, almost as an afterthought, realising that if she lives in Sinnoh, she will eventually want to head back home.

[Moonlight]

A small smile remained about Hannah's lips as she shook her head. "You're fine. You're picking up the game fairly well, too," she added, drawing a card. Jack of Hearts. Apparently she hadn't shuffled the deck too well this time. Shrugging one shoulder, she picked up the last two cards from the discard pile, playing the King through Jack now.

The young woman paused momentarily at Tyson's question about when she was supposed to return, before discarding her 2 of Clubs. "Well, the ship I came in on is supposed to return to Sinnoh in two weeks. It was a lucky break that I got here at all, really," Hannah added, although still wistful about exploring Kanto as much as she could. So far, she liked what she saw. It'd be worth returning, to be sure.

Whilst the two humans talked, however, the psychic pokemon was focused on more than idle chatter. Considering what all was going on, and Topaz's report about the poachers. "I suppose it wouldn't necessarily be all grouped together with that range. But there is a possibility the ones around Fuchsia and Lavender are linked together, since it's only a two days' walk with the bridge. It wouldn't be hard, if they wanted to," Kin observed, not paying particular attention to the game of gin rummy now. "Even so. I've no doubt we'll be accompanying Tyson and yourself if we're welcome - Hannah wouldn't knowingly let something so risky happen if she could provide help."

[Australian Chaos]

Tyson was disappointed that Hannah's stay only had two more weeks left before she was due to return to Sinnoh, but managed to hide it fairly well at her mention that she was lucky to even be here at all. She did have a good point, after all. "It's a lucky break for all of us here, I think," he said, glancing back over his shoulder at Topaz and Kin, the Classy Cat still perched on Tyson's shoulders, even she was no longer watching the game.

Returning to the game himself, making his next move, grimacing as he noticed he was starting to have trouble again, focusing once more on Hannah. "We'll have to see if we can keep in contact after you return to Sinnoh. Even if you're half the world away, it'll be nice to have someone to talk to," he said warmly, giving her a smile, glancing over his shoulder when he found no teasing remark from Topaz forthcoming, cocking an eyebrow at the back of her head. Seeing she was obviously distracted by whatever deep conversation she was having with Kin, he shrugged, glad for the minor reprieve from her teasing, before turning back to the game.

Topaz, meanwhile, looked thoughtful at Kin's interpretation of the situation. "It's possible, I'll admit...but unlikely. Tyson's not the type to just charge in, guns blazing, without any knowledge. We have studied these poachers. If these groups are linked, they're being exceptionally subtle about it, because all appearances, even under scrutiny, suggest they're just disjointed, oppourtunistic rabbles."

She turned back to look at Hannah as Kin mentioned their intention to assist. "While the assistance will be appreciated, please understand, and make Hannah understand, too...this is dangerous stuff, the legality of which is seriously questionable. Tyson's essentially embarking on a vigilante mission against these poachers. If something goes wrong then you, Hannah...all of us, really...will have our lives on the line. Even if it doesn't affect your decision, just take a moment tonight and remind her of how dangerous joining us on this is. Tyson will gladly set aside this for a week or two to just have a normal adventure with you, I'm sure," she added with that teasing smirk that had become her signature.