15[02:16] <Thomas> It's dusk Friday, the 16th.  Approaching Dusk.  Thomas goes to the usual spot, picks up the same thing he always does, and heads to the local graveyard.  He approaches what seems to be an arbitrary tombstone among the rows.  "Sup, bro?  Betcha didn't expect me back this soon eh?" He removes a bottled beer from the bag he's carrying, sets it it in front of the grave.  Plops down himself in front of the tombstone, cracking a second one open with a bottle opener on his keychain.
15[02:18] <Thomas> "...About twelve days, I reckon.  I know I'd been plannin' on not comin' back here for a while.  Then again I didn't really have mucha plan other than go around challenging gym leaders or some shit," he sips the drink.  "Seems luck's finally shinin' on Errai though.  Had a surprise waitin' for me.  Let's just say I got a new band of sorts." He chuckles.
15[02:23] <Thomas> "We picked the wrooooong gig back then, bro.  That's about the easiest way to put it.  Hell, somehow we're the towns hope now instead of some dumb punks with a van and some instruments..." He sighs.  "I haven't visited Kim yet.  Think she's tryin' to forget that whole mess, move on with stuff.  Jerome's either layin' low or jumped town.  And I'm still stayin' sober.  Comin' here's the only time I drink now."
06[02:28] * Thomas stares at the bottle before the grave with a rather thoughtful frown. "It's been...somethin'. This whole Trainer thing. Just like when we started out, only with nicer hotel rooms and faster movin'. Had a shakey start Thing's are lookin' up for now though. Even met some crazy assholes. Remember those jackasses in that band, god what was it called, Death to all Lillipups? Fuckers that shanked Jerome. Had somethin' like that happen even. Even went to old Scheddi. Funny thing about that..."
06[02:32] * Thomas shakes his head. "Man, you were right. World just shoved this place aside and tried to forget about it or something. Scheddi's all still there, more ghosts than Hell itself, they didn't even try to bulldoze it. Just left it sitting. Fuck probably coulda found where our families used to live if I tried." He's quiet for a bit, finishing up his own drink. "I'll be seein' to change that for real this time. Think I can do it. I'll let ya know how it goes, I guess." And with that he gets up to return to the club.
15[02:34] <Thomas> (done monologuging if you guys wanted to shoot the shit, sorry 3:)
06[02:35] * Alexis is simply sweeping up the main room. Roland also has a broom in hand, but doesn't look particularly happy to be doing menial tasks. Then again, when is he -ever- happy?
[02:35] <Alexis> Still, he seems to be enjoying his bitchin' scarf.
06[02:38] * Thomas tries to sneak back in, which is horribly foiled by someone just being right at the entrance. "Oh, hey wassup?" He closes the front door behind him, still carrying the empty bottle.
[02:39] <Alexis> "You've been gone for a bit," Alex notes, setting the broom against the wall. "but should I ask?"
15[02:41] <Thomas> "Ask what?"
[02:43] <Alexis> "Where you've been, obviously," she says, gazing at the empty bottle.
06[02:43] * Thomas tosses it up, catching and staring at it, gives it a quizzacle stare. "Hm."
15[02:45] <Thomas> "That is a good question, what to call it.  Let's go with therapy."  He drops it in a nearby trash can.
[02:46] <Alexis> "Just as long as you didn't get into trouble, I don't really mind if you head out. But sure, therapy."
[02:47] <Alexis> Roland sets his broom down, too. If she's not working, neither is he. >:T
06[02:48] * Thomas stares at Alexis a while, before cracking up. "Aahahahah, gettin' into trouble. What the hell did you think I was up to?"
[02:48] <Alexis> "I don't know. That's the entire point," she says with a grin.
[02:49] <Alexis> "I -have- been thinking, though." She reaches for her gauntlet, and a spare Devon-made Pokeball.
06[02:50] * Thomas finds a chair to sit in, a former lobby should have some around anyway. "It's stupid."
[02:50] <Alexis> "What is?"
[02:50] <Alexis> "And I'd suggest not getting too comfortable. We're going to go for a walk, if you don't mind."
15[02:53] <Thomas> "Alright, alright," he gets back up.
[02:54] <Alexis> "We're heading to the Center, actually. I've got something for you."
06[02:56] * Thomas thinks for a bit. "Hm. HEY FREDDIE! THROW ME THAT PREMIER BALL WILL YA?" He just sorta shouts into the building. The Nidoking comes astompin' and chucks it. "You really wanna know what I was up to? It really is stupid."
[02:57] <Alexis> "If you're willing to share, sure," she says, opening the front door and waiting for Thomas.
06[02:59] * Thomas shrugs and follows along. "Hm. How to say this. Every Friday for the last year or so, not counitn' the last two weeks obviously, I've gone down to the grocers, picked up exactly two beers. I put one of them in front of a grave over yonder, and drink the other."
06[03:01] * Alexis frowns. "Whose grave?"
15[03:02] <Thomas> "Old friend of mine.  Name's Shawn."
[03:03] <Alexis> "Sorry to hear it."
[03:03] <Alexis> The center is just next door, so the walk isn't long at all.
15[03:05] <Thomas> "Eh, I've gotten over most of it.  It's more just a...tradition, I guess, now.  We went through a lot together, brother from another mother, ya know?"
06[03:06] * Alexis nods. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost my friends."
[03:06] <Alexis> "I don't see them often for other reasons, though."
06[03:06] * Alexis opens the door. "I can't say that I really know what it's like."
15[03:09] <Thomas> "We were this close too," he holds two fingers barely apart.  "Almost had it.  Then things just fuckin' collasped on us...just glad I got another chance to try what we started, sorta."
[03:10] <Alexis> "What happened? That is, if you're willing to tell me."
06[03:10] * Alexis walks over to the trade machine, and preps her gauntlet to place one of her Pokemon in the ball.
15[03:12] <Thomas> "Well, I'm probably gonna get drilled on it in this interview anyway, so sure.  Sorta surpised it ain't been a thing so far anyway." He watches this, then chuckles, placing the Premier Ball in the other side.
[03:13] <Alexis> "As far as this goes, though....I don't think I'll be able to raise him properly."
[03:13] <Alexis> "But I'd feel guilty just leaving him alone, though. I think you'll find that he's pretty metal - not like I'm a particularly good judge of that." She places the ball on her side.
[03:14] <Alexis> "I think Tristan will agree with you a bit more, if you don't mind. You'll do a better job than I will - and it's thanks for Ayara, let's say. I quite literally owe my win in the Scheddi Gym to you."
15[03:19] <Thomas> once the trade is done, he releases the little guy and picks him up with a smile. "Hmmm. HMMMM.  Well he would make one hell of a head banger with a noggin like that.  Aight.  I'll see what I can teach em."
[03:20] <Alexis> "One last reason why, though."
[03:20] <Alexis> "I know I can trust you with Tristan."
06[03:20] * Alexis chuckles. "He seems more your style, too."
[03:21] <Alexis> ( Tell me when you've got his sheet copied so I can remove his entry. )
15[03:21] <Thomas> The two of them seem to mutually know what's coming next, and head butt each other.  "FF- okay, I was askin' for that.  Can't say I disagree with that assessment."
15[03:22] <Thomas> (done.)
[03:23] <Alexis> "I hope he doesn't hate me for that, but....I think you'll be better for him in the end."
[03:24] <Alexis> (I'll wait until the entry actually goes up on Thomas's page )
15[03:24] <Thomas> (no like it's copy + pasted into it.)
15[03:24] <Thomas> (I just haven't hit submit yet :p)
15[03:25] <Thomas> "Maybe, but hey, ain't like he'd have to go far from seein' any of us anyway.  I'll take good care of em' though.  Think he'll enjoy 'playing' with Satriani."
[03:27] <Alexis> "I'll talk to him occasionally. Hell, I'll have to do that in the end - if we're training them, that means we also have to get them used to working together."
[03:27] <Alexis> "Who knows? They might even find that they have a lot in common. Maybe Roland and Satriani will be best buds if we work at it."
15[03:28] <Thomas> "Satriani ain't exactly the most disagreeable character, so who knows?" He chuckles.
15[03:29] <Thomas> "Where were we though...oh, right, the band. Hm."
15[03:35] <Thomas> "Shawn...was the one who really got us all on board with it.  Sorta held us together like clue, lot of our success, which really wasn't all that much, was due to him.  And welllll..."
[03:35] <Alexis> "Hm?"
06[03:37] * Thomas frowns. "It was during a concert. Some assholes in the mosh pit got into a fight, and sic'd their Pokemon on each other. A Steelix and a Gyrados. Caused a fucking riot."
15[03:39] <Thomas> "Shawn jumped off stage and...tried to get them to cut that shit out.  I don't think I need to go into detail on what happened next."
06[03:41] * Alexis winces. "That's horrible."
15[03:43] <Thomas> "Shit sorta...fell apart after that," he scratches the back of his neck.  "Sorta came back home with our tails between our legs, defeated.  Kim went back to workin' at her family's coffee shop, fuck if I know where that crazy ass Jerome is now.  And I uh...sorta gained a booze problem."
[03:45] <Alexis> "....ah. I didn't notice in the past two weeks, actually."
[03:45] <Alexis> It's hard to find a proper response to all that.
15[03:46] <Thomas> "Sorta cleaned up after someone suggested the whole trainer thing."
15[03:46] <Thomas> "I don't really drink anymore, other than that one thing," shrugs.
06[03:47] * Alexis nods. "But at least you've got a better shot at this now."
[03:48] <Alexis> "How long has it been since you've spoken to Kim and Jerome?"
15[03:48] <Thomas> "Uh..."
06[03:49] * Thomas thinks pretty hard on that one. "Let's just say I might as well be a god damn ninja in a town this small."
[03:51] <Alexis> "Do you plan on finding them again?"
[03:51] <Alexis> "They probably took it as hard as you did."
06[03:52] * Thomas scratches his head at the term 'finding.'
15[03:53] <Thomas> "Alex, Kim like literally works over there," he points to coffee shop not far off. "And Jerome is sorta impossible to 'track down.'  He's sorta a character, came from the same place as Jin and Dick I think."
[03:56] <Alexis> "But maybe they've already found their own ways of dealing with it."
06[04:00] * Thomas nods. "Pretty sure they have," he looks over to their pudunk gym. "Hm."
12[04:01] * Mons (Mons@sux-530AA3AB.nap.wideopenwest.com) Quit (Quit: we are entering the age of Fatso)
[04:03] <Alexis> "What's wrong?"
15[04:04] <Thomas> "Nothin'.  Just don't plan on our rag tag band of sorts meet the same end.  Specially when we actually got people bankin' on us."
[04:06] <Alexis> "Maybe this band's going to be even bigger, just like the major clubs and gyms."
15[04:07] <Thomas> "...Sorta wonder what else we can do.  Hmmm," he turns back to Alexis.  "Thanks, by the way."
[04:09] <Alexis> "Thank -you-. This is just repayment in kind."
06[04:10] * Thomas chuckles. "Wasn't referrin' to just Tristan."
[04:10] <Alexis> "Hm?"
15[04:11] <Thomas> "Just for listenin'.  Much as I try, tombstones don't exactly talk back to ya."
06[04:12] * Alexis smiles. "I'll definitely be around if you need an ear, then."
15[04:12] <Thomas> "...Unless you're one of those crazy ass folks from the isles.  That's another story."
[04:13] <Alexis> "Always lived in the city, so no worries there."
15[04:14] <Thomas> "Oh, wasn't referring to you but like - aw nevermind."
06[04:17] * Alexis chuckles. "Come on. We've got a lot of work to do."
15[04:19] <Thomas> "Right, right.  Keep findin' new broken shit here too.  Startin' to think those guys DID come here, just to fuck up the place more and leave.  Not even kill us."
15[04:22] <Thomas> (annnd guessin' we're good~)
[04:23] <Alexis> ( Yep. )