Hello, How are you? [Miyoko]

Money for Nothing

Oh, she lived for this shit.

To be perfectly honest with herself, Miyoko wasn't able to remember the last time she'd actually taken days off. At least not in the traditional sense - the wonderful thing about being self employed as an oddjobber or trainer is that you picked your work days. The downside, though, was that neither paid particularly much. Miyoko had been clever with her savings and had put together a fairly large war chest in the bank over the last two years, but it hadn't been without sacrifices. Most days had been spent looking for work and the nature of that work often got in the way of training. Heracross was likely the buffest Pokemon people were likely to encounter - at least as much as possible given the whole exoskeleton thing - but that strength was relative. Lifting heavy objects and moving them around for pay wasn't training in the traditional sense, and while Rocky was in very good shape for his level it hadn't raised it at all. He'd picked up a few moves within the last two years, sure, but it wasn't the same and the stress of figuring that out on top of ensuring that her bank account kept growing instead of stagnating ate up most of Miyoko's time.

So when the Gala kicked off in Vega the trainer had finally figured it as a sign that she needed to take some time off. Live a little, splurge. Regret a few decisions and purchases but not the time spent on them.

And regretful she was not... at least for the time being.

"Big guy, this way!" Miyoko shouted, one arm occupied with a collection of items - most of them food - and a small number of trinkets won from the various games and stalls that littered the city streets. Behind her Rocky was in a very similar situation, albeit not without a few noticeable differences. First and foremost being that the fast majority of his food items weren't the heavier meats that most of Miyoko's things were, but rather sweets - a number of which were stuck to his navy blue shell and arms which would likely require later cleaning. As they continued down the street, though, Rocky would pause as the sight of an open square beyond the stalls they were passing, along with a glimpse of a familiar face from years before. Coming to a dead stop, the Bug Pokemon would look first at the Gym Leader sitting by the isolated fountain, then Miyoko, then the Gym Leader again. Mind seemingly made up, Rocky would immediately break from following his trainer and instead began approaching the fountain and the Leader at an awkward run, expression happy but seemingly a bit blank.

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Heracross - Level 5. Endure, Arm Thrust, Bullet Seed, Night Slash, Horn Attack, Leer, Megahorn (Signature Move - Unblockable).

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Money for Nothing

Whatever response Arthur had been expecting, it likely wasn't a complete lack of one. Coming to a stop roughly a meter away from the Gym Leader, Rocky would simply stand there. He was very much aware of the Leader's presence - with the Bug's yellow eyes locked onto the man there was no doubt of that - but the only indication that Rocky heard any of the words spoken was a slight tilt of his body, the closest the Pokemon could come to a quizzical tilt of the head. The expression on Rocky's face hadn't changed at all with the mention of the Woobat - indeed, it was debatable if the Heracross remembered the other Pokemon at all as they'd never fought. For several long moments the Pokemon would merely continue to stare at the Leader with a vaguely vacant expression only offset by an equally friendly yet empty smile, the slow movement of a stick protruding from Rocky's mouth hinting at something being chewed on at the hidden end. It wouldn't be until another voice called out from the stalls back on the main street that the Heracross finally showed some sign that there was a light on upstairs, the Pokemon waddling in place to turn his entire body around to face the sound with care taken not to drop the snacks not already stuck to his arms.

"-t's not funny, the hell'd you go? Rocky!" Miyoko shouted, coming into view for the briefest moment before catching sight of the Heracross carefully raising one arm to quite deliberately wave the other trainer over. Clad in her usual jeans and rust colored t shirt, the distinctively long hair coiled over her shoulders hadn't changed a day over the last two years she spent in Stellara. The only difference now since the last time Arthur would've seen her was the look of obvious annoyance on the woman's face as she broke from the crowd to start approaching her Pokemon, Rocky seemingly oblivious to his trainer's attitude. An attitude that would shift, however, as Miyoko very quickly caught sight of the person behind the Bug and just as quickly recognized him. Once those pieces were in place it didn't take much longer to put two and two together. Blinking in surprise, a single awkward beat would hang in the air before Miyoko took the initiative and fixed it.

"... huh. Small world. Who's running the Gym with you gone? Didn't think you guys really got days off." Miyoko said, eyes still on the Leader as she walked up to stand beside Rocky, her arms and hands now free to deliver a playful reprimand to the Pokemon via a cuff upside the back of his head as he turned to face Arthur again. Not that the Pokemon seemed to even notice it - he'd taken far worse in battles and both trainer and Pokemon knew it.

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Heracross - Level 5. Endure, Arm Thrust, Bullet Seed, Night Slash, Horn Attack, Leer, Megahorn (Signature Move - Unblockable).

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Money for Nothing

"Oho? Way you say it makes it sound almost like you didn't want the job." Miyoko replied, stance relaxing as she propped an elbow up atop Rocky's shoulder, the shorter Pokemon not seeming to even notice as his trainer leaned onto him for support as he simply continued to chew on the stick in his mouth. Expression having shifted to one more thoughtful than anything else now that the initial surprise had faded, Miyoko took a moment to look the other trainer over. Two years and he seemed to have changed as little as she had, and at a glance he looked very much the same stick in the mud as before. Not that she was going to hold that against him - different strokes for different folks - but there were a lot of things about the guy that seemed just a tad off.

They weren't big, but enough of them together to be noticeable. His clothing wasn't exactly formal but it wasn't casual, either, and it seemed like if someone got a night off they'd be dressed in something more comfortable than not. And why was he out here, away from everything that made coming to the city's Gala worth the time and effort? It was much the same way when they'd first battled, too - he was strong, sure, as strong as any Gym Leader could be expected to be, but there had been something missing when they'd last fought as well. It was hard to put into words and it didn't make much sense considering he had been actively focusing on the battle and participating, but were Miyoko pressed to say it was like he hadn't really been there.

A particular memory that came back all the stronger on him mentioning the idea of days off. Again, likely different values more than anything else but it seemed like having challengers come to you instead of having to seek them out yourself seemed like a trainer's dream job.

"In a manner of speaking. Pick my own work days but that bank account doesn't fill itself. So, what about you? Not much point to taking the days off and coming all the way to Vega if you're just gonna sit in a corner. If anything it seems like an incredibly expensive trip you could've spent going anywhere else." Miyoko continued, gaze still somewhat observant as if she were looking at a puzzle rather than another human being.

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Heracross - Level 5. Endure, Arm Thrust, Bullet Seed, Night Slash, Horn Attack, Leer, Megahorn (Signature Move - Unblockable).

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Money for Nothing

Being completely honest with herself? Miyoko wasn't all that sure how to process let alone respond to the Gym Leader's answers at first, and several long moments would go by as she wrapped her mind around the concepts just presented to her. He had a job. Good, steady job. A good, steady job that a good number of trainers would kill for, and the talent to make it work. Talent that you were generally born with to nab the job at such a young age, and having battled him before with only one Pokemon at the time with significant type advantage on top of experience Miyoko was well aware of the man's skill with Pokemon. And he didn't want it? It was an extremely alien concept to the trainer, made all the more so in that it didn't explain why he still did it if he didn't want to. What was stopping him from quitting if he despised the job so much? Never once had there been anyone who'd been able to make her do something that she didn't want to do, and as an adult with the strength to back it up Arthur should've been able to do whatever the hell he wanted.

And then the next comment slid into place. It... wasn't exactly something that Miyoko was entirely unfamiliar with, but those years had been so long ago and she'd done as she pleased regardless of what her mother had wanted. At the same time, though..... this was a grown ass man that she could only assume was living on his own, the job he had certainly would've allowed for it. At this point Miyoko's expression had largely become inscrutable, the barest hints of confusion and pity present as she picked up on the next piece of the puzzle.

This guy was a fucking doormat, wasn't he?

"Hey, boy. Friend! Get!" Miyoko said, voice sharp but friendly as if she were speaking to a young canine Pokemon, knuckles quickly knocking on Rocky's head with a sharp double whistle as the trainer turned to start walking back towards the street. Not alone, however, as the Bug type seemed to perk up at the different sounds his trainer had made before stepping forward and reaching for Arthur with little to no warning, fully intending to start dragging the man along behind him as Rocky moved to follow his trainer.

"Wouldn't bother struggling, can guarantee he's stronger than you'd probably be on your best day. Not doing anything you want and I'm getting bored, so might as well do something I want. Can't beat you in a battle yet but twenty Poke says I can kick your ass at these games. Call it payback."

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Heracross - Level 5. Endure, Arm Thrust, Bullet Seed, Night Slash, Horn Attack, Leer, Megahorn (Signature Move - Unblockable).

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Money for Nothing

Frankly, Miyoko had been hoping for a bit more than what she got. When Rocky had reached out to grab the Gym Leader she had expected the sounds of struggle and those had indeed come, but after that initial warning she'd thought Arthur would change tactics or try even harder, perhaps use one of his Pokemon. Anything it took to break loose or make her think twice if he really wanted to be left alone that badly, some sign that this guy had at least something resembling a spine. That wasn't to say that Miyoko was entirely oblivious as to where her irritation was coming from, either. She knew herself well enough to know exactly what it was rubbing her the wrong way. Not that it helped as it only seemed to make things worse - to know that she hadn't just lost to someone this weak willed but that it was pushing her buttons to this degree.

"Just going to roll over that easy? You're a trainer, show a bit of grit. Challenge is a challenge, you're making bets every time you battle. Not like it stops the rest of us." Miyoko continued, albeit with an offhanded and distracted tone of voice as she paused in the middle of the street once she'd returned to the stalls with Rocky and Arthur in tow right behind her. That really was the question, though. The hell were they going to do? A lot of these games were just pointless wastes of time and money, a lot of them likely rigged. The people running the things had to make money somehow and Miyoko wasn't about to begrudge them that, but at the same time most of them hardly made for fair games of skill. As for luck - no. Not that she'd been lacking in that department but given how the Gyms tended to select their Leaders Miyoko wouldn't have been surprised if someone told her Arthur had any sort of latent talent as a psychic. She was well acquainted with the stories of Saffron's Leader and had heard mention once or twice of other powerful Psychic type specialists from other regions, and all of them tended to have the same thing in common.

Well, if nothing immediately came to mind...

"Here's a question. When was the last time you did something you wanted? Bothered to look around the Gala at all?" Miyoko continued, pivoting to continue down the street in the direction she and Rocky had initially been going. Ever dutiful, the Heracross stuck close behind with his payload, largely oblivious to the overall situation as he used his free hand to pull one of the wayward snacks stuck to his shell free to chew on.

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Heracross - Level 5. Endure, Arm Thrust, Bullet Seed, Night Slash, Horn Attack, Leer, Megahorn (Signature Move - Unblockable).

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Money for Nothing

"Where's the fun in that? Not going to get any better if you don't try. Besid-" Miyoko started, only to pause and glance back to Arthur again with another unreadable expression. From the way he said it- no. He didn't? Gaze shifting to the Pokemon still holding Arthur by the sleeve, it was a very alien thought to the trainer. She'd never been anywhere without Rocky before, and whenever there was a problem he usually just toughed it out in his Pokeball until she was allowed to let him out again. He was an equal, a partner, and they shared not just their triumphs but the hardships that came in between. To go anywhere without him would've been like leaving a part of herself behind in the process. Miyoko understood that not every trainer felt that way and there were certain scum that viewed them just as tools, but at the very least Arthur had seemed to care about his Pokemon the last time they battled and she had to assume he still did. He couldn't take all of them from the Gym in case someone showed up and had to stand in for him, but at least he'd certainly taken one along if Woobat was going to wander off or remain with family...?

While Arthur was at least able to give an answer to her earlier question, it took several moments for Miyoko's mind to finish processing the first bit of information and the implications before moving onto the next, during which a brief but awkward silence would fall.

"I- it's something, at least." Miyoko replied, voice a bit off as she started to say something else before directly addressing the Gym Leader's answer. Her expression, however, was still visibly disturbed by the implication of not having their respective partners by their side as the trainer tried to dig memories of Saiph from her mind. It'd been well over a year since she'd bothered to venture to the southern portion of the main landmass, largely because there was nothing for her there. The kind of work that people did there was more reliant on those with higher education, and as a trainer there was nothing for her those deserts unless she intended to travel to Antila Island to train in its remote jungles. Tucana rainforest was the only exception, and it was a location that she'd only visited once back when she and Rocky had first arrived in the region. Most of Miyoko's internal musings were cut short a moment later as Arthur continued to speak - and only a short five years ago she would've been sorely tempted to respond to the clear attempt at a taunt with action that both of them would likely regret not soon after.

"Oh? That sounded like a taunt just now. Bit of backbone? Now why would you be trying to get me mad? 'cause you'll have to do a lot better than that." The trainer countered, a smug smirk spreading across her face as she fully turned to face him, arms crossing and Miyoko leaning forward slightly as if to get a better look at the Leader. Before leaving Sevii or Johto it was quite possible that the man would've gotten exactly what he wanted, but in her head now was why he wanted that. Miyoko may've been a bit out of sorts when they'd first met but most people generally figured out rather quickly what happened when she got angry, and it was only thanks to the good graces of age and experience that her more aggressive tendencies had been tempered a bit. A good portion of it was his fault in fact, along with a string of others that came afterwards. One loss is a bad day, but when you kept losing battles because of reckless aggression you either learned some self control or kept getting played the fool.

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Heracross - Level 5. Endure, Arm Thrust, Bullet Seed, Night Slash, Horn Attack, Leer, Megahorn (Signature Move - Unblockable).

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Money for Nothing

Miyo assumed that they would just have to agree to disagree on that one - a difference of opinions, at least. Sure, there was fun to be had in planning things out and what not. Of knowing what you were going to do and making it happen - after all, that tended to be the goal of most trainers or anyone taking an intelligent approach to competition with the intent to win. She wouldn't deny that, and it was a lesson she'd learned the hard way after leaving home. At the same time, though, half of what made things worthwhile in life was not knowing how they were going to turn out, of taking a chance and seeing where things went. To know from the start how something would end was frankly boring, and it was the very reason people got pissed about spoilers with their favorite stories. They liked to be surprised to a certain extent, and Miyoko herself embraced that mindset. Plus you tended to learn more from failure than you did from success - anyone who'd experienced both could very well attest to that.

Not that it didn't suck when it happened, but she'd long since come to recognized what was gained.

But, more to the point, Arthur's comments finally began to strike a more positive note as far as here and now was concerned.

"What, you get off on pissing people off or something? We call those trolls where I come from." Miyoko responded, although the smug look on her face didn't change a bit as she stood up straight again. Granted, his comment went right back to the root of the problem - as much as she wanted to do something, the idea of having a fair competition wasn't exactly coming to mind easily. Most of the games at the stalls were the sort that required some degree of physical fitness or hand-eye coordination, and a cursory glance of the Leader was enough to tell the woman that she was probably in far better shape than he was and would likely have a distinct advantage in that regard.

"And you say that, but... well. Here's a question for you, how good is your throwing arm? Can't be completely terrible as you're a trainer." Miyoko said, glancing to Arthur's arms but unable to get a decent read on them through the shirt's sleeves. Judging from his overall build she wasn't all that hopeful, but.... just being a trainer in the first place meant he probably got at least a bit of exercise in that regard if only from tossing balls at Pokemon for captures and sending them out onto the field during his Gym challenges. At least that's what she was assuming. For all she knew he could've been built much the same way she was, wiry muscle in the place of the usual brawn most expected of athletes.

"And don't worry about the cash. At least not unless you want to make it interesting. Loser pays for the game costs?"

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Heracross - Level 5. Endure, Arm Thrust, Bullet Seed, Night Slash, Horn Attack, Leer, Megahorn (Signature Move - Unblockable).

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