The day was long and tiring. The two of them; Ryan and his young companion, Shauna, trudged pathetically along the long road north to Lumiose city. The day wasn't a complete waste however, as she had run her hand through the flowers while they walked, Shauna found after a while that one blue flower she had brushed against before had continued to drift along with her. Gripping the top of the flower was a small white and green creature with a small crown of yellow dots around it's head. Knowing the Flabébé having seen one before, Shauna squealed in excitement. Her squeak had not startled him, only hurt his ear, with the small flower hovering above the palm of her hand she turned to face him. The small Pokemon looked up at the faces, drifting closer to her chest at the appearance of the tall man. "If it happily comes along, no argument here." He said with a smile, making her bounce excitedly in place with the flower above her hand.
As the sun set, the two companions breached the gate into the 'city of light', the great and famous Lumiose City. The great city seemed as if it were day, no matter how the sky hated them. An odd smell, ever present but less pungent than Mr. Cabberin, hung about the city. The large stone buildings had beautiful arched windows and often small balconies. An enormous spired building rose from the center of the city, shedding light as a beacon around it. The Ryan tapped the young girl's shoulder and pointed to the building, explaining that it was Lumiose's Pokemon gym, should she want to try her hand at it. However for now she had an appointment down the road from where they entered, a very old, quite classical building with a sign declaring 'Sycamore labs'. With a pat on the back, the man left Shauna to enter the building of her own motivation.
Only one store near the professor's laboratory seemed to still be open at this time. A fabric awning covered the entrance as a somewhat bored man stood inside the door. Having only a little money to his name, and not seeing many other places he could get food for those following him, Ryan entered the Café Soleil. The elegant store was small but well lit, a collection of stools stood at the counter, while more personal two person tables were scattered around the room. Only about six people were in the café, four of them were staff, and one of the remaining was Ryan. He stuck out like a sore thumb, a long ragged and filthy trench coat over a tattered hoodie and burnt and torn slacks. The only other patron in the place was a woman not much younger than Ryan, with green and brown hair and a large black and gold serpent wrapped around the legs of her stool. The man by the door turned to the vagrant, a hand over his nose and mouth in both disgust and surprise. "Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to leave." The man shakingly whispered up at him. The vagrant was actually insulted by this, demanding to know why he had to leave despite not starting any sort of issue. "I am sorry sir" the fellow stuttered "But we have a standard we must maintain." This only enraged the towering man who began to shout about indecency and discrimination.
Hearing the commotion, the woman at the counter slipped from her stool to stride over to them. She was taller than average, though the top of her head still barely reaching Ryan's eye level. "Hey. Hey!" she growled, her footfalls light but vicious and striking. "That is my wallet you're messing with here, kid." She grumbled to the staff member, placing her arm around behind Ryan to grab his far shoulder. He didn't know this woman, they'd never met before, so her coming to his defense made no sense at all. "He's with me. I told you when I came into this lovely little cafe that I was expecting company - and you're denying your customer?" Her words seemed to attack the man, she hissed and spit, but to be honest; Ryan found it quite interesting. The canine beside him was unsure whom it should be growling at? The woman with the viper words or the man she was spitting at? "If you aren't careful, you're bound to lose quite a few customers with that attitude and policy. There've been worse people in here besides." The Serpent from the stool she had been sitting at, unwrapped itself to slither over. "You're wearing those shoes with that pair of pants? Who taught you how to judge other's clothing and appearances?" she was on eye level with this man, but his stance and posture definitely showed her well above him. In a quick hiss of red light, a large black and white ursine creature joined the room with them. Ryan, the woman, the snake and Ryan's Pokemon all took a moment to stare at this huge imposing beast as the waiter once again demanded Ryan's exit. With a word of command the woman's serpent retrieved her bag that she may leave also. The man asked her about her bill, only to be shot down one final time by the woman. "As far as I'm concerned, I am not a customer, as you are forcing me to leave. That and the shoddy excuse for service you gave hardly counts as worthy of a tip. Therefore, I am leaving." A brush of the pads of her fingertips against her denim shorts was all it took to encourage a menacing hiss from her serpentine companion, sharp bladed tail glint in the soft sunlight coming through the glass window. "I understand there isn't a problem, sir?" the woman asked quietly with a hint of a threatening growl barely masked by cold politeness.
Ryan's hand moved to the small of the woman's back, gently turning her. He watched her green hair leave the building before he did, patting the red ape's head while it held the door for them. "I appreciate that, but you didn't need to disturb your own meal for me." he commented once the door had swung loudly shut behind them. She laughed, petting the small red robin that had landed on her shoulder. It had been her pleasure, she told him, her day would have been nothing but boring if he had not wandered into that cafe. With a smile she handed him a canteen from her pocket, commenting that he'd not eaten or drunk anything for a while from what she could tell. "Boring is never my intention. Thank you tremendously" Ryan took a single swig before handing the drink back, his hand returning to the small of her back. "So what are your plans now, and may I escort you?"
She paused in her footsteps abruptly, the dirtier of the two almost bumping right into her shoulder. "I also can't stand the smell of Trubbish - which is exactly what you smell and look like." The short but sly woman grinned at the vagrant's taken expression at the comment. "Tell ya what. You can crash at my place and shower, and then you can keep me company at dinner or something in return. Sound good?" She paused before continuing, cutting off his response. "Oh, and I greatly dislike being told 'no.' Just thought I'd throw that out there." She said lightly with a dismissive flick of her wrist, grinning a little
Across the road stood a man in a long rigid suit, a strange blend of a a tuxedo and a trench coat that had almost no movement in it at all. The neck and chest line of the vest was lined with a thick fur pelt that coiled under itself. The red trimming of the collar, sleeves and hem, being both the primary contrast of the jet black suit, and perhaps the exact colour of his hair. The man's mane was tongues of fiery hair, whipped back in an impressive explosion. His facial hair was the greatest testament to this man's sheer attention to detail, a perfect line of hair reaching from his jawline to create a red arrowhead beneath his skull. A horrible tragedy that despite this man's efforts to appear the best he can; he was cursed with perhaps the most phallic nose possible. Every muscle in Ryan's arms tensed when he noticed the man, who was quite confused at seeing Ryan standing near him. "Well, well. Ryan Cabberin. Quite a surprise to see you here, has it been two years already?" The man maintained as calm a tone as he could, approaching the group who stood opposite him. A concerted effort to create the most intimidating and masculine walk he could, and prevent it turning into a crease-less waddle. Snarling, Ryan simply spat the number three before the man continued. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?" He bowed to the woman at Ryan's side, "My name is Lysandre-" she cut him off, snarling with slightly less malice than her companion that he, the man in black, owned possibly the brightest and most obnoxious cafe in the entire city. A feat in and of itself. After basically spitting back at the woman to keep unfashionable opinions like that to herself, the man fixed his outfit before turning back to the filthy vagrant. "My offer still stands Ryan. My R and D department could always use a mind like yours" he smiled warmly. The mans hand, embraced by a fingerless glove, waited expectantly for Ryan's to join it. The moment looked almost frozen in time for a couple seconds before Lysandre continued "You're only qualified for two things Cabberin and with your recent history, one of them isn't really an option anymore is it?"
Ryan's eyes moved from the hand, to the piercing blue eyes on level with his own. "I'd rather spend my life rolling in the gutters than work for you Lysandre." the left of his mouth twitching to prevent curling in a snarl. He didn't need to growl, the Fennekin between his feet was doing enough of that. The songbird on his shoulder made not a note, and the ape stood meekly to Ryan's right, staring up at the man whose hair made the shape of a toothy maw attempting to swallow his face. "Now leave, before I decorate your face with a natural red paint" His fist clenched, an act that easily drew the eye of many around as the distinct cracking of glass could be heard between his fingers. Though no drop spilled from the splintering bottle. "I mean it Lysandre. I expect Mable won't be too thrilled to hear why you need thirty minutes more makeup." The man's uneasy glare broke away as he adjusted his plumage and strutted away silently, head held high as he waddled. Suppressing a smile, Ryan turned to his female companion. "Sorry about that, if my company is still desired-" he bowed with one hand stretched to the side, pointing the way they had been heading "- then please lead the way". The woman laughed openly, strutting down the street with the tall man in tow.