New to Town

First topic message reminder :

After a long journey from Rainfront town Emmett finally makes it to Grassveil town excited to join the guild and start out on his adventures. upon first arriving he encounters a older pokemon struggling to carry their groceries and graciously helps them. After doing so he introduces himself and states hes here to join the guild, he gets a 'your a good little pokemon' and thanks the elderly pokemon and is on his way. Takes ten steps and remembers that he doesn't know how to get to the guild. But figures he will ask someone else to not bother the elderly pokemon he has helped any further.

Several hours later.....

Emmett is quite upset with himself he must have helped a dozen people by now but continues to forget to ask for directions, now wondering aimlessly through the streets. A bit lost but there are no other pokemon in sight, he begins pacing trying to back track to recollect how he ended up lost like this.

"I suppose coming up with a name isn't a big deal if you'd rather just join someone else's team," 'Loren' mused after Tusk had spoken, not moving his eyes from the station, which steadily filled more and more of his view. After Emmett finished explaining his team name, the acorn chuckled. "I figured you'd go for something like that. It suits you!"

The joy died down as they after they arrived at the police station, though. The paladin had just proposed they join forces as a team, and had even detailed in what ways it'd be beneficial. Honestly, 'Loren' had just used the guild-related question as his distraction because it was the first one he could think of. He had not anticipated for it to progress into this. Especially after stating that the guild did not interest him earlier. "You're asking us to join you?" the Seedot asked, mostly just stating the situation to himself. He had lied the first time he had been asked about the guild, and he probably should lie now as well. He wasn't cut out for that, and he knew it. But... there was no denying he wanted to try it. It was such a great opportunity to be helpful, and prove to himself and others he wasn't just some amoral thief. And Emmett was so selfless and brave; he'd be a great leader to follow! If the three of them formed a team, he could both learn from Emmett and help Tusk with his androphobia, and...

No! He couldn't do that. He would be an awful addition to any team! If he joined, he would probably just get caught stealing or something, and soil their good name. Guilds were packed with experienced exploration teams, too, who easily could hound down and arrest someone like him if he did. He'd just be tempting fate if he joined one. And these guys didn't even know the real him! They'd have no idea who they just brought along. "I told you they're too controlling, didn't I?" he began, reluctant in piecing together a rejection despite not showing it outward.

"Tusk's right, though. You'd be a pretty good leader-"

-so it's a good offer, but I've got to decline, was what he should have said.

"-so I'll consider it," was what came out, sounding somewhat whispery and ever so slightly rushed.

He was surprised... did Emmet suggest the two to... team up?? That sounded like a good idea! The Poliwag was a good guy... strong! He was a good leader! Tusk could learn so much from him... Mentally and physically! His eyes sparkled with joy with that thought. Only for something in him to ruin it, his worries... he looked down out of shyness...

"That would be nice if... we make a team together...! O-Or at least start as one team...! ....O-Oh but... maybe... maybe I won't be a good teammate to you...! What if you're in need of help and I just... froze like back there...? Or if I get you in trouble because of my actions...? You... you're sure I can just... join you...? You wouldn't mind?"

He barely looked at him, visibly embarassed and in doubt. Now he seems to have self doubt over his abilities... understandable, from the judgement of the others he met in his past encounters... he wasn't exactly being the "dragon" he's suppose to be... he thought to himself... remembering all the teading about him from the other children in the past... But that didn't affect him on the outside this time. Though it gave off feelings of anxiety from it...

The group finally at the police station entered, unpleasant and unconscious company in tow. the front office seemed to be quite quiet, typical of a normally peaceful town. At the front desk sat a Rhydon sporting a pair of glasses reading the days paper with a nice golden police medallion strung around his neck. As the trio approach he barely looks up and sees what they have and chuckles.

"Huhahuhahuha... I see Lawrence has gotten himself beaten up again. let me guess he tried to rob yah and you gave him a one for. If you couldn't guess hes quite the regular."

Emmett reply's -
"Why yes this man accosted my friend tusk seeking to take his necklace, i was able to fend him off but couldn't quite save the necklace... ha.. ha... "
*Emmett chuckles softly remembering he broke it even if it was by accident*

The Rhydon gets up with a grunt and cuffs the unconscious Sneasel.
"Alright you three wait here ill be back shortly only some paperwork ill need you to fill out shouldn't take too long, while i go and book this one, you can have a seat here."
The Rhydon points to the bench near the front then drags the hooligan to the back.

The trio takes their seat and true to his word in a bout 10 minutes returns.

"Alright I'ma have to get a statement from each of you separately, its going to be your name and what happened, lets start with you blue one."
As he points to Emmett, the desk is far enough away from the bench that a normal conversation cant be overheard from the desk unless you slightly raise your voice or are named Emmett.

Emmett gets up from the bench says "yes sir" walks over to the counter gives the Rhydon his name and recounts the story of what happened. Needless to say Emmett goes rather overboard including showing up to the town to join the guild, running into 'Loren' how he ran into 'Tusk' and finally the confrontation in great detail with 'Lawrence' the Sneasel.

"Well I didn't need half of that information there, Emmett, but good luck on joining the guild and welcome to Grassveil town sorry about this lowlife giving you a sorry reception. well then based on Emmetts here statement ill take you there, 'Loren' next for your statement. You can return to your seat Emmett."

Emmett returns to his seat and reiterates to his friend,
"You just got to get up there and tell them your side of the story okay, 'Loren'"
he says smiling.

What are you doing!? Control yourself for once! You're not joining a guild! 'Loren' chided himself as they entered the station, while simply humming a quiet tune outwardly to fill the silence of the room with something. That, and to help himself keep his composure after messing up like that. He had to stop as the officer spoke up and told them more about the Sneasel, though.

Finding it funny that this chain offender was called Lawrence of all things, he let out a small snort. His parents probably had not seen something like this coming. Lawrence being a regular but still not being behind bars made 'Loren' wonder what the limit for offenses was, both in number and severity. He feared being jailed himself, but it didn't seem like they'd throw you right in the moment you did just any small crime. Testing those limits himself didn't feel particularly appealing, though.

For most of the ten minutes they spent waiting, the Seedot kept on thinking about jail sentences and tried to recall anything he'd overheard on the matter while living with Eleanore. It was actually quite relieving to have his train of thought be obstructed by Emmett's statement (which he at this point should have expected to be this loud, but was surprised by nonetheless), as those thoughts only made him uneasy.

After the paladin returned and told him it was his turn next, the acorn nodded and got up. "Alright." The station felt smaller than the last time he'd been there, and moving from the bench to the desk took almost too little time. Upon arriving, he looked nearly straight up to face the giant of a pokémon that was the officer.

"Name and story, please."

"Loren, and we were-" He stopped as he noticed the Rhydon squinting intensely at him. "What's wrong? Is there something on my face?"

"Aren't you El's kid? That guy, Emmett, called you "Loren", and now you're saying it too, but... Wasn't your name Leander or something? Why're you calling yourself something else?"

Leander did his best not to tense up. He should have expected something like this and asked to stay outside the station, damnit! "Kakaka... About that..." He took a moment to think up something he deemed to be believable, grabbed the first plan that came to mind, then narrowed his gaze and looked to the side as if he'd just thought of something insufferably annoying.

"These two... are really getting on my nerves. Emmett said he needed a guide to find the guild, so I said I'd help. Then Tusk, that Axew, came along, too. I'm fine with helping, but they're just way too friendly and up-in-your face, y'know? It's tiring, and I was worried they'd come looking for me again after I drop them off, so I gave them a fake name to stop them from finding me later," he explained, putting on his best peeved douchebag-face. As far as he could recall, he had not spoken to the rest of the officers a lot after being adopted by Eleanore. And she didn't strike him as the type to blabber excessively about her kid at work, so... There was a fair chance that if this guy had been around when the Seedot had first come to the station, he would still believe him to be sort of a brat. And what your target expects to hear would usually be the easiest lie to convince them to believe, in his experience.

And while the part of not being able to stand them had been fabricated, there was still some truth to the fib. Lies that had rooting in truth were also easier to pass off as facts, after all. He was still trying to make it hard for them to find him again, but for a reason different from both what he'd said and the reason he had originally told the lie. They had not caught him doing anything incriminating and he did enjoy their company, but if he stuck with them, who knows what he might sign up for without thinking? He couldn't just hang around pokémon who made him think such dangerous thoughts as joining guilds. Avoidance was the only answer.

The officer gave him a judging stare for a moment, then sighed. "Thought she said she'd fixed this..." he murmured, frowning.

"Sorry?" Leander said, leaning closer in hopes of hearing better.

"Nevermind that. I'ma need ya to finish that statement."

"Right away," he replied, still curious as to what the Rhydon had said. But as it seemed he would not be told that, he just picked up his statement again where he had left off. His account was much shorter and to the point, describing Lawrence's threat and how he'd gotten violent when they had refused to give him the charm. He chuckled smugly as he retold how the Sneasel had been defeated, in order to strengthen his current persona's authenticity. The Rhydon nodded, jotted down some notes on his paper and straightened his glasses before looking back at the Seedot. "You may go back to the bench," he said, which the nut gladly obeyed.

"Welp, time for the last of yah. Green guy, your turn!"

During the two's statements, the Axew couldn't help but get lost in his thoughts. That Rhydon... he looked so scary in his eyes, after all he was tall! Really tall... and tough! Then the thoughts of giving his statement began to... scare him... He tensed up and began to sweat as he imagined... unreasonable scenarios happening by speaking to the officer! From being ignored, to being accused...

Soon enough, it was his turn, and when he was called, Tusk looked all around him, was he talking about him? ...Looks so, there wasn't any other... "Green guy" other than him! He was leaving the bench to stand up and approach the officer. Obviously he looked stress, staying silent even when in front of him. He even looked back at the two with a worried face...

-Well? Come on, I won't bite! Just... tell me what happened and you can go...!

The Axew shook his head, trying to regain his composure by saying to himself that... he indeed won't hurt him! That he is here to take care of bad people... and since he hasn't done anything wrong, he shouldn't have to worry!

-I uh...... well... I'm... I've... I arrived here... a few days ago... I... I wanted to look around the town today, so I went to the... to the market...! I've met a nice lady... she gave me... she gave me the charm, the necklace! Then... I met Emmet and... Loren... they were going to the guild, and since it was on the way to my home... we went there together... but on the way... HE got in the way...! He... he wanted it... s-so bad that... he threatened me.... and them too, if I... didn't hand it over... But Emmet defend me! ...But the necklace... broke during the fight...

He then concluded by saying that... they dragged him here afterwards, that he knew the rest of the story from here! But then he began shaking, speaking made him kind of overwhelmed, he wanted to leave now...

-Hmm, I see, well if that's all it was, you can go back to the others.

He nodded before going back to the bench with the others! But now what? What do they do now...? Do they go back outside? Do they wait for the Rhydon...? He didn't know! So he just... stayed by their side.

After the trio had given the officer their statements he fiddles with his papers for a few minutes closes up his folder then stands, folder in hand. He sees the green one is still nervous and the seed seems a bid dodgy so he tries to alleviate a bit of the tension so he turns to the trio and states.
"I apologize to make you three nervous, its just standard protocol to get statements from the parties involved its pretty clear to see what happened. Attempted theft and then self-defense from the victims party so y'all should be good to go, Lawrence here will be staying for quite awhile. If you hurry you should still be able to hit the guild before dark. Keep your nose clean you three."
The rhydon speaks staring at 'Loren' intently with his last line. The officer then walks off to file his paperwork leaving the trio alone in the front on the bench.

Emmett responds,
"No problem officer!"
Then hops down from the bench turns to his friends and says,
"Come friends let us be off now that our little trip has concluded we should make way. Hopefully that hooligan will learn to better himself, although he seems like a hard case to crack being a repeat criminal."
Emmett takes the lead getting ahead of himself as he walks out the front door. He then remembers as the door is closing he still doesn't know how to get there then shouts back.
"LOREN I STILL NEED YOU TO LE---"
--as the door closes.

'Loren' gave the Rhydon a slow nod as the beast's stare bored into him. Sheesh, it's not like a small lie like that is illegal anyway... He could not help but wonder if he had gone overboard with it, though. He had just chosen the first idea that had popped into his head and gone for it, but perhaps he should have gone for something that hadn't made him seem so mean? Maybe say that it had been a misunderstanding and he'd given the wrong name by accident, and that he thought it too awkward to correct them now? Or maybe say it was a nickname.... Second thoughts about what he could have said kept appearing, but did little to help him at this point. Oh well, what's done is done. Better just move on. It's not like he's gonna do anything about it if it's not against written law anyway, right?

As if to underline the part about moving on, Emmett called out for the team to get going. In reply to his call, the acorn swiftly hopped off the bench, but he fell behind as the paladin darted out the door. It appeared the Poliwag's body had outrun his own mind as well, as the he only seemed to remember that he was still in need of a guide after exiting the station, prompting him to call out to 'Loren' right before being silenced by the door shutting. Leisurely walking over to it, the nut shook his body and laughed quietly to himself. He had felt sort of vexed over his acting choices earlier, but that feeling had subsided now. "Gotcha," he said as he pushed himself against the door to open it again.

He turned back around as it opened wide enough for the light of the setting sun outside to reflect on his shell. "You okay, Tusk?" In order to both avoid seeming imposing and to keep the officer from hearing him being all friendly with the dragon, he kept his voice low and gentle. The boy had looked shaken after giving his statement, and 'Loren' knew from what he had told them before that he feared males, so the ordeal must have been pretty unnerving for the poor guy. "It won't be long until we're at the guild now," he added while pushing his back at the door to open it fully, hoping that the reminder would help brighten his mood in case he was still feeling rattled.

The Axew still looked pretty shaken, even after they went out and was told that the guide wasn't far now... It's safe to say that he had a rough day about his fears! From meeting two guys and walking alongside them, encountering a threatening guy... then talking to a Rhydon officer! Would he really be okay to enter the guild that very same day...? Thoughts of... maybe... join it tomorrow appeared in his mind... But he also didn't want to disappoint them, especially Emmet that seemed... happy about this idea of helping him out.

-I... y-yeah... hope so....! I'm... kind of happy to... to not have panicked completely... in there... I was so scared to... to be blamed for something I didn't do... but he was... he was actually nice to me...!

It looked like... The Axew didn't completely fear that for no other reason than panic... It is possible he had once been blamed and... actually found guilty of something when he was innocent. Well probably not for an illegal stuff, he looked too young and feaeful for anyone to believe him being capable of such a thing! ...But something about misbeahaving seems more plausible. It wasn't exactly news that the victim type in a group of children often gets shifted the blame on themself even if they haven't done it...

-I... feel like this days has been... really eventful... I think I've got a headache from all that... And I'm... tired...

Emmett awaited patiently for his new friends to join him outside, and as they joined him he started up.
"Ah, friends, i seemed to have gotten ahead of myself there hopefully once i have the lay of the land a bit better i can actually know where I'm going. Hahahaha..." Emmett chuckles awkwardly.
"That aside..."
Emmett pauses,
"WE SHOULD PUSH ONWARD! HAHAHAHA!"
Emmett boasts loudly, as he poses pointing in a random direction, well what could be seen as pointing for one with no hands or arms. While he hesitantly looks back at 'Loren' hoping he will correct him if hes wrong. Which he knew deep down he was most likely pointing the wrong way.

"Yeah, you did well in there," 'Loren' told Tusk, giving him an approving nod for managing the situation despite his fear. "We should hurry if we want to be sure to reach the guild in time, but... Try to take it as easy as you can while doing that, alright?" Honestly, he was not even sure himself how one would go about taking it easy while also running. The boy had enough energy left to at least make it to the guild, right? The acorn figured offering to take them there another day would be a bad idea, as it either meant bailing on them completely and being kind of a jerk, or spending even more time with them and getting more attached. No, they had to manage this today.

He hopped from the doorstep and over to Emmett, and was quickly greeted by his awkward chuckle, as well as another booming proclamation and pose. How this guy kept on beaming with energy and spouting racket while the other one was drooping like a wilting plant was honestly kind of baffling. They were so vastly different! After being given an uncertain look by the paladin, the thief laughed briefly, sounding somewhat akin to the one Emmett had uttered moments ago. "Yes, but... We'll be going thataway, actually." He spun around, until he faced almost exactly in the opposite direction of where Emmett had pointed. Before them, about the length of two outstretched Dragonair away from 'Loren', a fairly straight street laid paved, leading north and only snaking a little every now and then. He was sure it went all the way out of town and would end near the guild, with few obstacles to delay them any more than they had already been.

"This should be the fastest way," he told the two.

"Do you... do you really think I did... great? Umm... Th-Thank... you?"

Tusk said silently, maybe he did great on the outside, but from his view, during the whole thing, he felt like he showed more fear than he actually did! Oh well, he took the Seedot's word... after all in his mind... it could only mean it's true if... even a guy tells him that!

Looking at Emmet going pratically back from where they arrived here, Tusk didn't really said much about it. After all he was still too fearful to openly tell someone is wrong, so he just merely muttered a "Y-Yeah..." after Loren took care of pointing that out...

He continued to follow them, but right now, it... looked like he was growing a bit distant physically, maybe all that happened today led him to want to distance himself from others, even those he trusts? Simply to recover from his emotions by going back in his comfort zone for a while... at least! But another reason is that he has apprehensions about the guild, and he fears to tell them, especially Emmet, that he might not feel well going in there today... He pretty much feared of making a fool of themself on his own by panicking inside and... passing out...

Which means that once they got to the guild, He could feel something rather odd deep inside, soon transformed into something more recognizable: stress. But... stress that was building up as time went by... while they were around... And it soon manifested into the start of a... panic attack... Which Tusk tries his best to hide, buuuut it was something beyond his control...

He turned his back to look away from the building in question, and took nice and slow breath to calm down his panicking mind. They couldn't see it (unless they decide to talk to him face to face), but his eyes was becoming watery, he wasn't crying, but he is making sure not to, as he was on the brink to do so... And while doing his best at it, he tried and succeed a little to utter the words

"I....'m... so...sorry.... I... Sorry...!"

"Thank you my friend."
Emmett said at 'Loren' pointing out his direction error.
"I am of many things, but good at direction is not one of them. HAhahaha..."
Emmett chuckled nervously, and with that the trio were off.

As they traveled for a bit Emmett took note of the distress on his friend, Tusk's face. But as the little dragon did not seem keen to share Emmett thought it to just be to the stress of the day. As Tusk, not being used to such stressful situations had actually been doing quite well holding together despite his disposition and the events that unfolded. It wasn't until the guild was in sight that the dragon seemed to have had too much as the dragon had turned himself around and was apologizing while sounding like being on the verge of tears.
"My friend Tusk, do not distress our end goal is in sight. You have been doing quite outstandingly for a pokemon not used to stressful situations, don't let yourself fall apart now. Taking deep breaths tends to help alleviate tension you can try that."
Emmett stated with a concerned tone and look on his face, although the dragons back was turned he hoped to get through to him. Emmett then paused for a moment and began again.
"Whenever my sisters or other pokemon I help get distressed I tend to tell them a joke to break the negative air. Laughter is the best medicine after all. Hahahaha!"
He then started with some of his favorite jokes,
"What did the electric type say when he drank milk?"
Emmett pauses,
"I'm Zaptos intolerant. Hahahahaha!"
Emmett attempting to get his friends to join in to the laughter then tries again,
"If that one doesn't get you this one definitely will. How do you get the pikachu on the ferry?"
Emmett pauses again,
"You POKE-MON. HAHAHAHA!"
Emmett is now hoping his impeccable sense of humor and words of encouragement can lift his new friends worries at the very least get Tusk to laugh at him. Instead of be down on himself. As he poses with kind of a ta-da stance.

'Loren' took the lead as they began hurrying to the guild, carefully scouting the streets for any unwanted company as they raced past them. He would also glance back sometimes, but made those looks sparse as not to miss anything in front by accident. It made it difficult to really decipher how the other two were doing. One thing he did note was that some distance had formed between Tusk and them, but... That was to be expected. Emmett and himself had much more energy left to go, after all. Thus he kept his eyes on the path and made sure to not get them ambushed rather than stopping to counsel the boy again.

As they arrived, not doing that turned out to have been a mistake. He had been admiring the sundown-lit building that was the guild and running his gaze over it almost longingly after they'd arrived, until he heard Tusk's muttery, strained apology. Empathetic pain curdled within him for a moment at the sound of the dragon's voice, and he turned around, not hiding an ounce of his concern as he saw him hunched over with his back turned to them.

His eyes scanned the kid as he pierced together something to say, and he was just about to speak up when Emmett beat him to it and told Tusk to take deep breaths. He was conflicted between wanting to finish the guild trip as fast as possible and wishing for Tusk to be all right, and was thus alright with letting Emmett have a go at cheering the boy up before he would try anything himself. He feared anything he said would be compromised by the discord of interests within him, so for now he just forced the concern in his eyes back in, laughed along, and waited to gauge Tusk's reaction before deciding on what further action to potentially take.

Fortunately, the Axew wasn't too deep enough in his fears to ignore the words around him! So... he managed to hear Emmet out and listened to his advice! He took deep breaths, trying to calm himself down... Miraculously, his intervention helped him regaining control of his feelings! It appears that the puns, although "bad", really helped him feel better!

He began to rationalize his thoughts slowly, thinking how quick it is to think "such things", and despite his anxiety telling him about how he coulf cause problems to Emmet, he repeated in his mind that one promise he made to himself when starting his life outside of the safety of his home... That promise being "I'm going to get better, I'll face my fear and grow at the end!"

He then turned back towards the two, his eyes were happily closed... and giggled, despite letting a single tear rolling down his cheek...

-Haha... they are... they are pretty funny! I'm... sorry I... if I worried you... I got afraid thinking myself get too close to a group... And... potentially make a fool out of myself and you in there... I guess that's one of my many fears being in a group of lots of people it... kinda reminds me of bad experiences... B-But... if you really don't mind me... n-no matter what I do... I-I guess... it can work out... I just don't want to ruin your dreams by causing problems for you is all...!

After hearing his friend Tusk's words, Emmett is quite elated that he was able to help cheer him up so he began,
"FANTASTIC, Tusk I'm glad you could pull yourself together. I hear that commitment can be scary, but fear not my dreams cannot be dashed so easily. You shouldn't discount your own as well, but everyone will make a fool out of themselves eventually, as I did back at the station to my embarrassment."
Emmett takes on a small tinge of red making him purple for a few nanoseconds.
"Or like when I slipped on the ice from even earlier...."
Emmett is now purple for a few nanoseconds.
"Or when I got lost in the city from even earlier than that..."
Emmett now violet for a few actual seconds, shakes his head and clears his throat,
"Ahem, but see everyone messes up from time-to-time. I'm sure 'Loren' could also share stories of similar embarrassment. Now, if your feeling better we should look to our future encounter with the guild receptionist before it gets to late."
Emmett then nods to his friends to gauge their reactions.