"You were the girl that gave me directions to Little Root if I remember correctly…" Heath tried to play it off suave but he felt ridiculously dumb once he took another second to think about what he was trying to do.

"Yeah, exactly." Claire said as gave a flat smiled, before forcefully nodding. Heath copied her movements, not knowing what to do.

'So smooth. Heath. So Suave' Heath thought making fun of himself.

"Oshawott, Osha" The Oshawott let the shell fall from his head as he didn't like the situation the was going on. He looked at Heath before noticing that Heath also had a Pokémon.

"What are you looking at?" Piplup who was sunbathing looked down while he keeping his belly exposed. Oshawott just shook his head, before pulling on Claire's dress.

"Osha."

"Oh that' right. Shit we were meant to meet up with Sarah" Claire sighed deeply, before Heath heard.

"Claire!!!!"

The both of them turned to the left and saw a girl with an extravagant dress. She had looked as though she came from 1933, though, her professionally done dark-pink hair had let Heath know that she was indeed from this world. She propped up her dress with her hands as she shuffled over. She quickly arrived next to them but instead of stopping where they could both see her, she had attempted to block Heath with her petite build.

"Uh-"

"Claire, omg. You're here! I didn't think you be here so early, how are your parents? We should get coffee or better yet, sign up for the tournament." The girl spewed out whatever she was saying like a firehose, causing Heath to only hear every other word which still turned out to be a jumbled mess.

"Sarah, relax." Claire tried to calm her friend down, she looked at Heath rolling her eyes slightly before focusing on the princess in front of her.

"My parents are fine and I already signed up for the tournament. I'm going to be battling day 2, I'm trainer number 23 on the registry." Heath was going to walk away but Claire shuffled over, pulling Heath into the limelight.

"By the way, this is my friend Heath. He's come to Oldale City to participate in the tournament too. Heath this is Sarah Knight." Claire introduced. Heath was about to correct her but they then heard.

"Milady, must you always leave my side. My heart aches from your attempts to escape from my sight." Erwin, in a full suit and umbrella to reduce the sun's affects. Quickly stomped over and covered Sarah from the sun's attempt to keep her healthy. Heath saw that Erwin was excited that Sarah had been introduced to him and looking at Sarah, she wasn't the most excited person either.

'I need to escape this.' Heath though. Sarah and Erwin bickered for a while before Claire whispered.

"Sarah and I have been friends since we were children since my mom sought it fit that if her daughter grew up around royalty, she wouldn't feel as abandoned. Anyway, she's not the easiest to be around but she has her own ways of caring. For some"

Heath leaned over.

"You're mom or Sarah?"

"Both."

"Huh" Heath nodded, causing Claire to heave in a attempt to not randomly giggle while Sarah and Erwin fought. Heath felt a hand on his shoulder and looking over it Brendan, who had googly heart eyes for someone. He traced his sights back to Sarah which prompted him to immediately face palm.

'You got to be kidding.' Heath thought before. He turned to Brendan and waved Heath waved his hand slowly across his face.

"Brendan. What you want."

"Her-"

"Woah there boy, are you in heat or something?"

Claire giggled, before Sarah looked over, seeing another person had arrived.

"Fine Erwin, I'm sorry for ditching you, just shut up." Sarah apologized which caused Erwin's eyes to slightly widen. Heath noticed a pair of eyes both trying to melt his face off and looked to Sarah, who stood in between Claire and him, drawing an imaginary line between the two of them.

"Who's your friend Jacob?"

"Oh, uh- it's Heath and this is my unfortunately love stricken travelling partner Brendan."

"Hey.." Brendan pushed Heath slightly before making a goofy smile to the rest of them.

"I see, so I'll see you guys at the tournament? Claire let's go!!" Sarah grabbed Claire and tried to pull her away.

"Actually no-"

"Yes. We'll be there." Brendan rudely interrupted. Heath sighed in frustration.

"Good, Claire let's go and do-"

"Actually, I was going to just say hi, Oshawott and I've been up since yesterday morning. So we need some caffeine…. Heath and I were going to get some and catch up." Claire lied. Sarah looked a little disappointed, even furious at Heath and Brendan. She looked like some baby who just had her toy stolen

"Fine. Fine, we'll meet up for tonight, I'll text you where I'll be staying okay?" Sarah asked with restraint. Heath looked at the growing tension like he was watching a drama movie.

"Yeah, I'll see you tonight. Promise" Claire smiled sincerely which calmed Sarah down, who immediately left without saying goodbye. They stood between the three of them until Piplup's stomach growled, causing Heath's head to slink down in sadness.

"I just fed you. Piplup" Heath then looked at Claire with a funny smile.

"So, the cafe?"

She nodded and they both walked off with him following her. Brendan still dazed and looking at Sarah as she left, was only brought back by his Cyndaquil lighting his socks on fire. Brendan scrambled to overcome the distance between the group after patting out the flames, while Heath and Claire talked about the choice of Cafe's they could try but they eventually with some persuasion by a slightly sweaty Brendan that they should go to the cafe that Heath met Norman in. They entered and quickly got seated after a little wait. Brendan sat next to Claire while Heath sat next to Piplup who for once wasn't on his head and instead tried to imitate them by looking over the table but it had to stand.

"Such a cutie." Claire rubbed Piplup's head which caused him to smile.

"I like her, can we bring her on our conquest." Piplup chirped at him. Heath plucked the back of Piplup's head causing him to rub his oversized head.

"We're not taking over a country Piplup." Heath scolded.

"Why not?" Piplup slapped Heath with his flipper. They fussed over a while before the waitress came, where the instantly stopped with Piplup getting the last hit. Heath ordered pokémon food for the Pokémon while getting a raspberry tea for himself. Brendan and Claire had similar orders for him and now all they had to do was wait.

"So Brendan right? You remind me of someone familiar."

"Norman, the new Gym Leader in Petalburg City is my dad." Brendan stiffly nodded

"So is every city in hoenn getting a gym leader?" Claire joked before changing the subject back.

"Wait it's Norman right? I think I've met him during a trip to Johto when I saw my mom a couple of months ago. He is a little, eccentric"

"You're telling me" The both of them chuckled.

"Hey, you know now that I look at you, you kind of remind me of Champion Cynthia from Sinnoh." Brendan tilted his head to get a better look. Heath looked a little closer as well and saw major semblances to her, especially the black and yellow bead in her hair though it was just blue.

'Woah, I should've realized. Oh my god, I've had a crush on her mom since I started playing this game.' Heath thought internally.

"Well she is technically my mother-" Claire mumbled, Heath could only barely hear her but Brendan was too busy paying attention Piplup, Oshawott, and Cyndaquil playing under the table to even notice her speak. Claire looked a little annoyed at something so he decided to change the subject.

"So you guys are joining a tournament?" Heath questioned. Claire pepped up when it came to the Tournament while Brendan just nodded excitably.

"Yeah, and to go on a conquest of love!" Brendan blurted before hitting the waitress coming to service them in the face. Brendan, being embarrassed that he hit the waitress in the face, quickly sat down and apologized profusely. The waitress, who was naturally ticked off set off all of the drinks and food nicely before giving Brendan a death stare as she left.

"For Sarah?" Heath asked?

'I thought he and May…you know what...Nevermind' Heath thought. Claire winced which also went unnoticed by the tomato faced Brendan.

"Yikes" Claire said softly, before looking at Heath for help. She quickly wrote something down before passing it over. He opened it and read it.

'Sarah likes girls, only girls.. So he'll have a problem…Unless'

Heath's mind immediately went off in understanding why the situation with Sarah and them transpired like she did.

'Makes so much freaking sense.' Heath thought before looking at Brendan and leaving him alone. Claire made a curious face but got the understanding once Heath shrugged.

He then set up food for Piplup who enjoyed the food one pellet at a time. Heath took a sip of his tea before wondering what the Tournament was about.

"So back to the tournament. I am not joining."

"Do you even understand what you declining to join."

"No, please tell me though."

"Okay, well Oldale until not recently was just a town, with a decent economy and infrastructure that would unassuming but ever since the promise of two Gym leaders and some other region's like Sinnoh becoming too expensive- and cold, People decided to start moving here. Oldale Town is growing abnormally, so much so that over the past decade the town had become an instantly hot spot for beginning trainers and schools. The region's council- the government decided that this town needed a gym leader and since Norman was already finalized, they brought in a new mysterious Gym Leader from Unova."

"Woah…. So?" Brendan asked, getting rid of the embarrassment he felt.

"Sooo, they want to celebrate their authenticity by having a festival. The first part is the tournament where beginning trainers are asked to join in order to get prizes for winning. I heard the first price gets a pokémon egg" Claire explained.

"Like this" Heath brought out his egg chamber with the pokémon egg that Professor Oak gave to him. Claire's eyes lit up in surprise.

" It's a dragon type pokémon apparently. I don't think it's from Hoenn though, maybe Galar. Where'd you get it?" Claire fired back her on question.

"Professor Oak. It's a gift from joining the Research Organization…Association. Yeah Association, but how'd you know it was a dragon type?" Heath probed.

"The aura it produces feels like it but it's definitely not pure Dragon." Claire shrugged.

"Woah." Both of the Boys sounded in amazement. They both tried to get her to explain her background but she wouldn't budge on the issue much. Not more than she wanted too. They soon found themselves leaving that topic for another day and going back to the tournament.

"I am definitely going to win and you have to be my opponent in the Tournament." Brendan said with determination. Heath looked at him awkward.

'I don't want to do it though. Too little prep time.' Heath thought.

"The tournaments for those who have High copper to Mid Silver rank. At least in the preliminaries. Once we get to the quarter finals, we are able to use two pokémon. But they could be at most Mid Gold" Claire tried to encourage but it ended up backfiring.

"I only have high silver pokémon though." Heath smirked.

"Wait what. How? Professor Birch said you'd only been training for what 2 months?" Brendan asked. Heath returned with a shrug. Leveling his pokémon wasn't the hardest thing in the world, so the levels came easy, at least for the moment.

"I'm just saying the truth. My pokémon are both actually at the border of gold." Heath informed. Brendan stood shellshock, while Heath took a long sip of his drink.

"Well, just catch one." Brendan demanded. They both looked at him before Claire looked curious at Heath.

"It doesn't work like that. For me at least" Heath shot down.

"What do you mean, I caught Poochyena because I saw that it could be strong."

"But I need a special connection with my Pokemon. It's special but they need to add potential quality to the team, and just not quantity" Heath tried to word his point as well as he could but Brendan didn't understand.

"He's saying that catching random pokémon, without getting to know it's personality and mind, is not the best for him. It might be for trainers like you or me but for him it would be more a detriment than bonus. Some people are picky. Some don't care, it depends" Claire reworded his answer better causing Heath to nod., but Brendan was still a little iffy but nodded, not wanting either or them to try to explain it again.

"Well, I guess you won't be-"