Put Down Roots

[Raphael Green]

Raphael was quite sure he was done with traveling, thank you very much. From the Gaia Ranch in Sinnoh back to Kanto then all the way to freaking Ascua only to get on a ship just to get to Gaia Island... Raphael was ready to put down roots and that's that.

Damn, he sounded old, even to himself.

He took a deep breath, gave Dixie a quick chin scratch to hear her purr (he didn't care what anyone said, it was totally therapeutic listening to a friendly Pokemon purr or whatever noise it made when it was happy), and went into the main office of Gaia Island.

It was empty. Raphael did a double-take, seeing the open sign on the office door, knowing that the door was unlocked, and he couldn't help but roll his eyes, even if his lips quirked into a crooked smile. Vaguely, he wondered if Kurt was in charge of the office that day. Kurt would be doing something in the back room, letting people wander in without a care.

Or maybe not. Kurt could be cautious in new places, even if he was one of the friendliest buggers Raphael had ever met. Kris would be the one with the confidence and strong Pokemon (not to mention a decent right hook herself) to not worry about the front door of the office.

Then again, it could just be a slow time traffic-wise for the island. Raphael wouldn't know anything about that, not just yet.

"Guess we'll wait," he murmured to Dixie.

The Raichu, on her part, didn't seem to mind in the slightest. She leaped down from Raphael's shoulders and slowly walked around, Raphael not seeing the reason to keep her too close. As long as he could see her, she was fine.

Except when she darts right past the counter and into the back room with an enthusiastic, "Rai!"

"Dixie, get your tail back here!" Raphael called. "You're not supposed to be in there!"

Pokemon Happiness: Dixie -- Maxed
Notes: Kris Parker, since it'd be weird to go back and forth with my own two characters.

[Kris Parker]

Tags: Raphael Green, glad to see Raph again!

Kristen heard the door swing open to the office and she expected it to be Kurt coming in. He had been going in and out of the office all morning, trying to get his area of the office settled while also being in charge of managing the maps and doing the rounds of the other ranch plots to be sure they hadn't been overrun by wild Pokemon.

Which was highly doubtful because, honestly, most of the wild Pokemon tended to stick to the denser parts of the island rather than the man-made houses and roads.

What Kristen didn't expect was to turn around in the back office and see a Raichu staring up at her.

"Well, hello," Kristen said, bending down she was eye level with the Pokemon. It didn't seem threatening. "Where did you come from—" She cut herself off and dared to let a crooked smile appear on her face. In a whisper, she asked, "Dixie?"

"Dixie, get your tail back here!" called an all too familiar voice from the front lobby. "You're not supposed to be in there!"

Kristen chuckled and gave the Pokemon a small shrug. "Technically you're not supposed to be back here, but it's okay." Assuming Dixie would be right behind her, Kristen stepped back out into the lobby and grinned at seeing Raphael, the relief at seeing an old friend probably palpable in the air.

[Raphael Green]

Dixie greeted Kristen with enthusiasm, but did seem a little sheepish when it was apparent she hadn't been supposed to go into the back room. The Raichu ended up dashing back out ahead of Kristen and into the lobby to reach her trainer's side once more.

Raphael, on his part, bent down to pick up his Raichu and stick her on his shoulder, giving her stern instructions to stay with him. He was still broad-shouldered, his bicep muscles being shown off from his rolled-up sleeves. Worn jeans that Kristen probably had seen so many times while on Sinnoh's Gaia Ranch helped complete the comfortable ensemble, but Raphael was clutching the straps of his pack a little tightly. He used his other hand to take off his flat cap when he spotted Kristen, his reddish-auburn hair smooth from being hidden for probably the duration of his ride over to the island.

He gave her his usual crooked smile, his green eyes giving her a once-over to see if she had changed during their time apart. She hadn't seemed to change too much, if at all. Her muscles seemed a bit more developed in the arms, but her smile was still familiar and welcoming.

"Hey," Raphael said simply.

Pokemon Happiness: Dixie - Maxed
Notes: Kris Parker, thanks! It's good to bring him back!

[Kris Parker]

Tags: Raphael Green

Kristen laughed. "Hey?" she echoed. "That's all you have to say?" She came around from the counter to stand before him. "I know you were never one of the huggy sorts, but…"

She asked for a hug from her good friend, enjoying the feeling of another familiar face before her. "How are you doing? You look well. And Dixie is a Raichu!

"Here, sit down," Kristen said, gesturing to one of the lobby seats. "Would you like anything to drink? Eat? How was your ride over here? When did you decide to come?"

[Raphael Green]

Raphael huffed out a chuckle at Kristen asking for a hug, his crooked smile turning into a smirk. "I'll make an exception for you. How ya doing, boss?

"Heh, yeah, she evolved." Raphael reached up and gave his Pokemon a caress on the cheek. "She accidentally came into contact with a Thunder Stone while we were at my parents' place in Vermillion City. We're all cool with the change, though. It suits her, I think."

Raphael did take a seat in one of the chairs they had in the lobby, the crooked smile still staying in place even as Kristen pelted him with questions. "Thanks. I'm good on food, actually, they took care of us on the flight. As they should, considering it was twenty hours long…

"How are you doing out here?" he asked. "And Kurt? He still a goof? I'll have to barge on him at some point. Maybe after I get my own place settled...?"

Pokemon Happiness: Dixie -- Maxed
Kris Parker

[Kris Parker]

Tags: Raphael Green

"It does suit her," Kristen agreed, giving Dixie a scratch under the chin before taking a seat herself to listen to Raphael talk. She winced when Raphael mentioned that his flight had been about twenty hours. It had only taken Kurt and her about ten. Sinnoh was closer to Ascua than Kanto, apparently.

"Kurt still has his sense of humor," Kristen said with a grin, "and he's doing great, as far as I can see. He's been a fantastic help with getting Gaia Island all set to go for new inhabitants, and his Pokemon and he seem to like their new home."

Kristen, though, hesitated when Raphael mentioned getting his own place. "You're sure about your own ranch here?" she asked. "I mean, it's absolutely brilliant to see you here, I can't tell you how glad I am to see another familiar face… but it is a huge commitment to be here."

[Raphael Green]

Raphael smiled as Kristen gave Dixie a good chin scratch and allowed his smile to broaden when she mentioned how well Kurt was doing. Then the talk turned to Raphael's decision to have his own ranch on the island.

"Kris," Raph said, his tone dry, "I didn't ride in a crowded airplane for twenty-plus hours on a whim. It took a little bit of thinking and decision-making, yeah, but the decision has been made.

"When you told us how you were moving," Raphael said, "I seriously considered buying the deed from you. Gaia Ranch has been my home for a few years and I never thought that I would need to make a decision like that. To move away or to try my own hand at being in charge of such a place. Ultimately, I let Gaia Ranch close, figuring I wasn't quite ready for that big of a commitment.

"But when it officially closed," Raphael continued, "I didn't really have anywhere to go. So, I went back to Kanto to visit my folks. They had their own center and I think I thought I'd be able to work there for a while, take it over when they were ready to retire. It wasn't too big of a difference than from Gaia Ranch. Jessica was actually there, my sister having just gotten back from a trip to Unova. She told us all sorts of stories of the regions she's been in, enthralling our parents. They were proud of me too, of course, being breeders themselves and knowing how important our work in rehabilitating Pokemon has been.

"But, with my sister's stories and our parents' small breeding center," the young man said, running a hand through his hair even as Dixie nuzzled him, "I realized that I had grown out my hometown. I needed my own place to grow further. Gaia Ranch had been that, had taught me so much more than what my parents could, but it's time for me to get my own place. I know Kurt and you are here to help if I need it, but I'm confident I can figure out what I'm doing.

"So, here I am," he said with a shrug. "I'm hoping you have a spot for me and my Pokemon, both the ones I have now and the future Pokemon that will be under my care."

Pokemon Happiness: Dixie -- Maxed
Kris Parker

[Kris Parker]

Tags: Raphael Green

Kristen stared at Raphael, sitting so casually after dropping such a passionate speech about his personal growth, his future. There was a sense of awe but also relief bubbling through her. His words reminded her as to why she had taken the plunge and turned Sinnoh's Gaia Ranch into Gaia Island. At that time, she just hadn't been able to adequately put those feelings into words. Leave it to Raphael, one of the quietest, strongest men she knew.

She was absolutely floored.

"Well…" Kristen gave him a smile. "After hearing all that, there is no other option. Let's get you set up at a ranch of your own.

"Alright, here's one of the most updated maps we have," Kristen said, wasting no further time in getting out the paperwork and describing the areas to Raphael. "What Pokemon do you have with you? Anyone besides Dixie?"

[Raphael Green]

Raphael heaved a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Kris…" he murmured, following her over to the counter and waiting dutifully for whatever forms he needed to fill out and sign.

To her question about what Pokemon he had, Raphael said, "Got the main six that I had when I arrived and when I left Gaia Ranch."

"Chu! Raichu!"

"Yes, that includes you, Dix," Raphael said, his tone ever deadpan, but patient, when it came to his excitable electric type. He took a minute to look at the map of the ranches before showing it to Dixie, asking, "Think this spot looks good?"

Dixie tilted her head and brought her nose close to the map, sniffing it.

"I'll take that as a yes," Raphael said, moving the map back toward me. "We're gonna go west, I think. The area seems dry enough for my types."

The door banged open courtesy of Kurt, whose visor was in his hand and his backpack only half on. "Hey, Kris, everything seems fine by the Apricorn Woods, but I'm sure there's a nest from some—RAPH!"

Kurt's energy came bounding back as he realized that it was his old roommate standing in the office with Kristen. Raphael let out an audible, "Oof!" when Kurt barreled into him with a hug. Dixie neatly leaped onto the counter to avoid falling off of her trainer's shoulder, and the Raichu seemed just as pleased to see Kurt as Kurt was to see Raphael.

Dixie prompted Kristen to give her a pat as Kurt begin to babble to Raphael, and Raphael's mouth curled into a smile at seeing the other man, the two catching up.

Raphael was home.

Pokemon Happiness: Dixie -- Maxed
Notes: And end thread! Thanks!
Kris Parker