"How does it work for you?"
"I'm sorry?"
"How do you start out on your journeys in the city?"
White blinked. Across from her Black stared into his coffee, waiting for her reply. Around them the other patrons of the coffee shop stared out the window and gauged weather or not it was worth braving the snowfall for the comfort of home.
"The same way everyone does, get a pokemon and head out."
"How though? I know some people travel to Nuvema, but what about other people? Do they go to the local gym leader? Catch their own?"
She smiled. Black smiled back, his coffee still untouched. Outside the snow continued to fall.
"Not everyone wants to go on a journey, a lot of people just stay in once place, maybe buy one from a breeder. Almost no one outside travelers bothers catching them these days."
"You then. How did you get Alice?"
The purrloin stirred from its nap on the table then settled back down. Black's dewott blinked sleepily and settled back into its trainer. Black smiled.
"I found her in the park. There's tons of them just roaming around there, she just happened to like me is all. I didn't even have a ball for her at first, it wasn't until I watched Burgh battle that got one."
"He lets people watch?"
"Sometimes, it's a big city, people will pay money to see an actual league battle."
Black nodded. Finally he sipped his coffee, frowning when he realized it had gone cold. White stared at her empty cup, wondering if buying another was the best idea. A group to their left was shrugging their coats on and moving towards the door. Outside the snow had begun to fall harder than before, blocking out the streetlights. She peeked at her watch, it was midnight.
"What's your story anyway? You came from Nuvema right? That's supposed to be the nicest town in the region, what made you wanna leave?"
"I don't know, really. Chren wants to be league champion, Bianca wants to be strong, and me, I just wanted to do something. Anything. This was the option available to me, so I took it. "
"How far are you going to go? Are you going to take on the elite four or just get all the gym badges?"
"I'm getting all the badges for sure, but I don't know if I'm going to take on the four yet."
"What about after?"
"After?"
"When you've reached your goal, what then?"
"I'm thinking of going to Sinnoh afterwards, explore the area there for bit, rest, relax, check out the Canalave Library. I hear it's one of the best."
"I'm going to Hoenn, to be a lab tech in Littleroot town. It's supposed to be the most beautiful place in the world. "
Most of the Patrons had gone now, and the waitress was starting to stack chairs on tables. Black stared at his coffee, fiddling with the cup. She looked outside, the snow had let up a little, but it still looked bitterly cold. The pokemon center would be freezing.
"Your leaving tomorrow right, after you fight Burgh? Would you like to stay with me till then?"
Black stared at her for the first time. He had sad eyes, like someone who'd seen too much too soon. Dewott awakened and wiggled in it's trainer's lap. They were the only two left in the shop.
"It'll be a lot nicer than the pokemon center, warmer too."
"Thank you."
He'd gone quite again, like he'd been when she found him in the park wandering aimlessly. It was all right though, he was tried she was tried; silence was acceptable. Without a word they slipped on their coats and slowly made their way to her families apartment. Above them the stars twinkled and the snow ceased to fall. All was quite.