To be a true hero, kid, is a dying art

[suddenly, Johto network: a boy and his giraffe! Sora is standing right outside the entrance to the Goldenrod Gym, Puddles snuffling at his face as he gives his four-legged friend a final once over. bowtie? check! freshly washed and shiny coat? double-check! looks like Puddles has got himself another hot date with a certain gym leader's Girafarig- it also looks like the trusty old Teddy-cam is doing what he does best: recording conversations he shouldn't be.]

[Puddles bleats and nudges Sora again, as if questioningly.] What?

[kid and giraffe both tilt their heads as they stare at each other.] ... It's okay, really. Riku's already got the Plain Badge, so we can get to Violet and back just fine. I don't need to get it myself. [Sora flails a little as Puddles practically sticks his snout in his eye. BUT TRAINER, DON'T YOU WANT TO BE A MASTER? I MEAN, I'D STILL BE FURIOUS IF YOU EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT HURTING MY HONEY BUNCHES OF OATS, AND I WOULD BLEAT ANGRILY AT YOU FOR HOURS AFTER THE BATTLE, BUT--]

Hey- Knock it off, Puddles! That's someone really special in there, isn't it? I know she's supposed to battle for Whitney, and lots of other people have already battled her... but you still hate it when she gets hurt. Right?

[Puddles bobs his head. yes, Trainer is right, it tears Puddles up inside when she so much as stubs a hoof- you should see him fret when someone inflicts a status on her. Sora... lifts a hand and rubs at his own messy hair awkwardly.]

Look, I... I know how you feel, okay? That's why I can't battle Whitney- and I'm not going to. So... don't worry about it. Go on and have a good time.

[Sora has to swipe his arm out of the way when Puddles turns to avoid being bitten by his tail- but he doesn't really pay it much mind. he doesn't seem to notice the wide-eyed Teddiursa with the pokégear, either. he simply turns in the direction of the Radio Tower looming in the distance, presumably the same place he'd been eyeing warily for days.]

[around 4 or so this morning, Sora had been lying in his bed in the pokécenter, awake, not very comfortable, and bored out of his mind. not a whole lot was going on over the network, and Sora didn't want to wake Hope or Rise or Puddles or anybody else nearby. there were, however, two people he had no problem bothering: Riku got a smattering of text messages full of bad puns-- hey, he needed to practice them on someone! right? but shortly after he sent Kairi a text asking if she was awake, and where she was, a new message popped up on his pokégear screen:]

error: this number is no longer in use.

[... and that's when he silently swung his legs over the side of his bed and grabbed a few things-- including his pokémon asleep in their balls and his notebook-- and for the first time this entire week, Sora creeped out of his room and successfully snuck out of the Goldenrod Pokécenter.]

[first things first-- Sora lurched his way over to the closest vending machine and picked up two bottles of soda. he... made an honest effort to chug them, but wound up dumping the contents of the second bottle into a nearby sewer. it wasn't the soda he was interested in, anyway. next, he walked over to the radio tower-- he couldn't really see the ocean over the fence nearby, but he could hear it... seems no matter where you go, the ocean always sounds the same. he sat down, leaning against both the radio tower and a newly hatched Dratini for support, and began writing.]

( ooc cut: letter to Kairi )

[when the video feed clicks on later that morning, the sun's out in full force by the radio tower. the sound cuts in right in the middle of Sora saying something.]

--tini, could you throw this in the ocean for me?

[the Dratini nods, and wraps its tail around the neck of a bottle with a note carefully rolled up inside. with a grunt, it chucks the bottle right over the fence, and both Sora and Pokémon watch as it soars, then plunks right in the ocean. please don't berate them for littering.]

Thanks. I-- [and Sora turns, noticing Bell pointing his gear at him and recording. he still hasn't actually been out and about Goldenrod wearing something other than his pajamas, but he at least thought to put on some shoes and a jacket this time. he steps a little closer, looking down at the 'gear and Bell-- he's smiling genuinely, but there's definitely a tinge of sadness somewhere in there.]

Morning, you guys! I kind of have an odd question. Have you ever been on a date before? I think we're going to set Puddles up with Whitney's Girafarig today.