Dagda and Bede had split up, and Dagda headed directly to the Pokemon Center. He knew that his Pokemon would appreciate the rest, and Dagda could leave them in their Pokeballs on the way to the Inn to get some rest. He knew that he'd try to challenge the next gym as soon as possible, but he didn't want to make it too quick. He knew that there were shops in Motostoke, and he needed a new bag badly, the crusty bloodstains on his beginning to grow harder to look at.
With his Pokemon healed, he immediately headed towards the Budew Drop Inn. Since he was a registered challenger, he'd be able to stay free of charge. He looked about the town, finding it's look rather nice. The brick walls and industrial vibe all looked great under the moonlight. So much so, he almost missed an advert pasted onto one of the walls.
He walked over to it, seeing a familiar logo across it. It was a flyer, the imagery of people and Pokemon crossing it. He read it closely, rather surprised at how convenient it was. "Laverre Theatre Company's first Galarian performance." he read aloud, noticing that it was tomorrow afternoon. He had to go, nodding to himself as he continued on his path.
He laid in bed, relaxed and calm. His Pokemon laid about, fully healed and enjoying a nice rest. Dagda had his eyes closed, his mind wandering throughout the land of dreams as he again had the same dream of huge warriors facing mammoth Pokemon, and yet, this time he wasn't afraid. In this dream, he could feel people at his side, his partners as well. It was a pleasant dream, a nightmare made enjoyable by his own strength and growth.
When he awoke, he noticed that it was early in the morning, the sun still rising in the sky. Dagda wasn't a heavy sleeper, and he didn't mind getting an early start to his day. He shifted through his clothing, realizing that he didn't have much left. He'd have to go shopping, but not after seeing the Laverre Theatre Company's play. He had to see that.
When he stepped out of the shower, he noticed one thing. That his hair was still down. He hadn't tied it back after running into Bede, or after his confrontation with Team Yell, something that was still sour on his mind even now. "You knew you were wrong." he heard, glancing to the side to see Fairy curled up in the corner, Dagda humming to himself as he dried off. "Not really. I was pretty mad." he said.
Fairy frowned. "Didn't you listen to anything anyone has said? You shouldn't listen to Evil around people you care about. Bede was scared of you." he said, and Dagda blinked. Was that true? What would cause him to be afraid? "You're talking too much." Dagda heard, turning his head in the other direction, seeing Evil looking out the window.
"You're one to talk! I've never felt Dagda get that mad before! He's not a monster like you." Fairy said, and Dagda blinked. His… imaginary friends were at odds, but never this much. "And what should he have done? Coddle the rich boy and his horse while those fat shits laughed at him!?" Evil shouted, and Fairy recoiled, as if in fear.
"How is that going to make him happy!? Who's gonna want to be around him while he's like THAT?" Fairy asked, and Evil hesitated for a second, he growled, shaking his head. "This called for it and you know it." he said, the two of them completely ignoring Dagda as he got dressed.
"Are you two alright? You never bicker this much." he asked, and they looked from him to each other. "I'm just worried about you. You've never gotten that mad before." Fairy said, and Dagda smiled. "I'm fine. Besides, Hresvelgr said that I'd be able to meet one of his friends here to help me control myself better." he said, and the pink Dagda sighed, nodding quietly as the two of them began to fade away.
Exiting his room garbed in casual clothing, his last t-shirt, black in color, and a pair of blue jeans, Dagda sighed. He had to decide what he wanted to do first. Part of him was hungry, but as he checked the time on his phone, he noted that he might be late for the play. He had to find out where it was to begin with, finding it rather annoying that there wasn't a location on the flyer.
When he reached the lobby, he noticed one thing. There were multiple members of Team Yell in the lobby, cheering someone on. Pushing through the crowd, his nerves on edge, Dagda noticed a girl at the reception desk. She was rather cute, her black pigtails framing a bubbly face. She was likely younger than Dagda, but not that much. Part of her head was shaved, and she had an odd, plump rodent Pokemon with her. It had brown and black sides, and the center of it's body was yellow, like a Pikachu.
He assumed that this was Marnie, the trainer that Team Yell was so fervently advocating for. Dagda felt a nagging desire to confront the girl about how overzealous her fan club was, but he chose to ignore her, walking past and leaving the hotel without a second glance.
"Took you long enough to get out here." Dagda heard, blinking as he saw Pops standing outside, waiting for him with a Pokemon at his side. This Pokemon was a Rapidash, but it's horn was much longer, and this one had a more feminine look. And, oddly enough, this Pokemon had eight legs instead of four, making it look very unusual, random passersby commenting to themselves about the odd creature.
"What's up Pops?" he asked, and the huge man shrugged. This time, he was garbed in a massive suit, minus the suit jacket, a green color with a white undershirt. "I was in town talking to Sleipnir here and I'd thought I'd pay you a visit." he said, and Dagda chuckled. "Appreciate it old man." he said, and Pops chuckled. "Sleipnir was about to head back towards Turrfield to talk to Heimdall, but I'm actually here for you." he said, the mare bowing her elegant head. "Forgive me for not introducing myself. I am Sleipnir. My friend here tells me you're quite the interesting trainer." she said, and Dagda chuckled, slightly embarrassed.
"I would stay and chat, but my ability to speak human isn't as well honed as my brothers'. I will return." she said, glancing to Pops before heading off, her hooves slamming the ground with a sense of authority. Pops looked to the horse, shaking his head. "She's such a pain." he said, looking back to Dagda.
"Anyhow, I'm here to take you to a play. Your sponsor wants you to catch it." he said, and Dagda smiled. "That's awesome. I was just thinking about how I was going to catch it." he said, and Pops chuckled. "Yeah, well that's not all. Come on." he said, gesturing for the young trainer to follow him.
The two reached a small building near the stadium that was covered in advertisements, a line beginning to form at the entrance. Pops led Dagda around the building, entering through a side door and taking a seat in the back, Dagda sitting in front. He was rather excited, as he'd always wanted to see one of these plays for himself. It was an honor to be able to make one of their shows, or even see one of their street acts.
With the seats packed within the hour, Dagda noticed that Bede wasn't in the theatre. He tilted his head, wishing he could have brought his friend along. He decided that next time would suffice, the curtain rising on the first Galarian show the Troupe had ever performed.
The play was glorious. It was a three hour tale of hardship and love, the lead actor forced to fight a demonic insect to rescue his pregnant bride. He fought his way through hordes of hell hounds, forests of spirits and deserts of golems and spirits to reach his bride, forced to fight bare handed against a massive insect, an unholy abomination created by a demon lord by fusing Pokemon together by the rear.
When the curtain fell, Dagda leapt to his feet first, clapping his hands as the rest of the audience followed suit. It was an incredible story, filled with such impeccable visuals and acting that Dagda swore he was right there, at the hero's side. He smiled, staring at the stage as people slowly began to file out.
Dagda shook his head, turning to leave when he noticed that Pops hadn't moved. "Are you coming?" He yelled up, and the huge man shook his head. "I'll leave in a minute. You stay here though. My brother in law wants to talk to you." he said, standing and rolling his shoulders. He began to grumble about his outfit, hating getting dressed formally for little to no reason.
Dagda blinked. Brother in law? Did he mean the man that ran the Theatre, the one who sponsored him and put his neck out for him? Dagda watched Pops leave, shaking his head as Dagda turned back to the stage. The curtain came up again, and Dagda wondered if anyone would come out.
"How was the play?" he heard, jumping in place as he looked behind him, seeing a man sitting in a seat towards the center of the theater. Dagda blinked, gulping before he spoke. "It was… amazing, Sir." he said, the man chuckling as he rose from his seat.
He strode down the walkway, a confident swagger in his step, something accentuated by his garb. He was somewhere between bulky and lean, an odd halfway point that looked unnatural. The man's hair was long and purple, his bronze skin and shining lavender eyes making Dagda wonder if they were related. This man's hair was thick, much like Dagda's own, and it hung in luscious waves down his shoulders and back.
His features were sharp, angular and handsome features befitting someone who lived on the stage. His garb was similar to a few matadors he'd seen on TV as a child, his fingernails well manicured, despite their odd, pointed shape. He was taller than Dagda, but not as tall as someone like Pops. He held his broad hand out to Dagda, giving him an odd smile that seemed mischievous in nature.
Dagda shook his hand, looking him in the eye and hesitating. This man's pupils were slits, diamond shaped like a cat. He seemed rather happy, glancing to Dagda's bag. "I'm glad you enjoyed the show. It was thrown together on the way here. We hardly had time to rehearse." he said, chuckling to himself. "That bag has been through quite a lot." he noted, and Dagda glancing to it before chuckling.
"Yeah, I've had it for a really long time. I was thinking about going shopping later." he said, and the man hummed. He ran his index finger along his angular jawline, his pupils spreading into small ovals as he simply stared. "Kenny!" he called, a stagehand with a rather weird, upbeat attitude popping out from behind the curtain. "Aye aye sir!" he called, hopping off the stage.
He was shorter than Dagda by a little, but he had quite the odd look about him. His skin was slightly blue, oddly enough, and his bubbly, youthful features were complimented by his bright orange hoodie, his blonde hair well trimmed and hanging to one side. His ears were a little high on his head, and they almost seemed to droop, like a bulldog. The man smiled at his assistant, who bore a mouth full of heavy teeth in a smile.
"Do me a favor and get our friend Dagda here some new stuff. I assume you remember his measurements and taste?" he asked, and the young boy nodded, heading off without a word. Dagda blinked after him. What was he? He'd never seen anyone that was even a little blue in a literal sense.
"Kenny is my lead Stagehand, and he even helps with auditions and rehearsals. If he wasn't such a goof, he could star in a play." he noted, tapping his jaw with a clawed finger, humming. He looked back to Dagda, who seemed all too confused. "Why don't we get something to eat? I have a lot I wish to ask you." he said, and Dagda nodded, rather cautious.
Sitting at an expensive restaurant, Dagda felt very, very out of place. He was wearing plain clothing he'd had for over a year, and everyone around him was likely wearing some fancy garb that they'd discard just because they could. His host seemed to pick up on this, because he chuckled lightly. "You must relax. The people here are not worth your time." he said, the boy sighing and shaking his head.
"I hope you do not mind me replacing your damaged or discarded belongings. I don't feel it's right for someone that can catch his attention, and mine, to be parading about in rags." he said, and Dagda chuckled, still kind of nervous.
"I didn't really do anything to impress Pops, you know. He just saved me from a rabid Pokemon attack." he said, and his host hummed. His weird eyes seemed to study Dagda, almost like a master director looking for an actor. "You must have been rather valiant if he'd take time out of his day to help you." he mentioned, chuckling.
"Regardless, I would like to extend my thanks to you. If not for your Gym Battles, I fear we may not have sold as many tickets as I had hoped." he said, and Dagda felt rather embarrassed. He fiddled with his silverware, trying to shift the focus of the conversation. "I didn't really do anything, Sir." he said, and the man chuckled. "You're humble. I like that." he said, tapping his clawed fingers on the table.
"I was told that you were a fan of mine. I must admit that I'm flattered, but I can see my influence on your style. Your last battle, you tried to put on a show, yes?" he asked, and Dagda blinked. He nodded, wondering what his host was getting after. "I would like if you spent a day or so with me, so that me and a few of my actors could train you. You see, if you could hone your act, to the point where someone watching live would be able to feel shifts in your presence, you would be a great asset to my company." he said.
Dagda was surprised to say the least. A chance to spend the day with the legendary Laverre Theatre? He knew that he wanted to challenge the gym leaders, but this was something too good to be true. "What do you mean by shifts in my presence?" he asked, and the man hummed. "It's the ability to act without acting. Let me show you." he said, placing his drink down and tilting his head slightly.
Dagda stared, noticing that he felt nothing, interpreted nothing, and felt slightly awkward. However, he instantaneously felt fear, a chill running down his spine as he began to sweat, that feeling of his life being in danger kicking in automatically. And then, it vanished as quickly as it came. He shook his head, wondering if he was imagining things.
"That is what I mean. Despite making no movements, facial or otherwise, and not saying anything, I was able to shift my presence from a kind host to a hostile enemy with a thought. If you could do that, I think that you'd be quite the entertainer." he said, and Dagda nodded, feeling slightly nervous about this.
"In return, my company will aid you however you desire. Traveling partners, assistants, clothing, money, food and drink, room and board, training advice, even Pokemon. You are part of our family now, and we wish for you to feel that way." he said, and Dagda felt a smile tugging at his lips.
He liked that for some reason. No matter what, people stating audibly and truthfully that he meant something to them made him feel much better. He nodded to himself. "Thank you Sir. I'd love to take you up on your offer. I hope I don't let you down." he said, and his sponsor chuckled.
"You won't. As long as you meet us in the same spot tomorrow morning, we can begin rehearsal. Of course, Kenny should have everything I sent him for by then as well." he said, and Dagda's mind went back to the orange garbed boy. "If you don't mind me asking Sir, is Kenny sick? I've never seen anyone with blue skin before." he said, and the oddest thing happened.
A frown and furrowed brows crossed the man's face. It was hard to discern the real meaning, but Dagda guessed it was somewhere between anger and confusion. He couldn't decide which, but he noticed it regardless. "Really now? That's peculiar. Especially since you're from Kalos." he said, and Dagda blinked.
Everyone around him said such odd things, and it began to upset and unnerve him. Why was it odd that he'd never been someone blue before? He began to grow worried.
"Where are you from, Sir? As a kid cooped up in Lumiose, I didn't venture outside much." he said, and the man chuckled. "I'm from Unova. Although, I've spent quite some time in Kalos, and ventured throughout the world. Many of my family members have done the same, barring Galar. It's a very interesting place we have yet to truly travel. Perhaps… we'll figure out why there aren't more people like Kenny around." he said, and Dagda frowned slightly. What could that possibly mean?