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[after]

Her shoulders sagged in relief as Kedric seemed to perk up at her arrival, Ammy yipping her own approval at Collette's feet. Admittedly, Collette was still very new to all of this and the sudden development was slightly, understandably, overwhelming. She'd not had a lot of opportunities to battle, especially not as a team, but now was certainly not the time to dwell on insecurities and the fretting voice in the back of her mind.

She had no choice but to succeed, there was no other alternative! Not to mention, how would she probe the boy for answers to her questions if they didn't? Why we're there holes all over and what exactly had he been searching for if anything at all? She knew he'd dug them, his peculiar exclamation had told her as much, but her natural curiosity wanted to know why. For now, though, her questions would have to wait, she could ask as many as he'd permit after they were both safe.

"Alright, Ammy! Burn it down, let's take them out quickly!" The  Vulpix chirped happily in response and focused her attention on a target of her own.

[Spoiler= Ammy uses Ember!]
This dice roll has been tampered with!
Rolled 2d6+21 : 1, 1 + 21, total 23
[/spoiler]
[Spoiler= Editing in a d20 I forgot!]
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20 : 16, total 16[/blockquote]
[/spoiler]

Collette followed after Lynne without question, clutching her Pokémon to her chest. It was nervous habit, of this she was well aware, but it helped. A sense of relief seemed to wash over her, however, at the familiar sight of the Pokémon center once they had reached it. She appreciated the comforting uniformity of the place without a doubt. "So... I assume I'll be up against you at the arena?" Collette looked to Lynne for confirmation, her curiosity drawing her back to the final stage of her orientation.

Despite her embarrassment there was no way Collette was going to let that egg get taken! Perhaps it was selfish, she would admit to that, but that little green and red egg was calling to her. So when Daniel acknowledged Foxy, Lynne, and herself, she took the opportunity to advance to the table. Offering a polite bow of her head in return to his own nod, Collette muttered a shy "thank you" before looking at the eggs lined up before her.

Much to her relief the egg she wanted was still present and she, very carefully, scooped the little treasure up into her arms. She ran her fingers over the pleasantly smooth surface as she turned back towards the classroom, slipping silently away from the crowd. Once free of the crowd, however, Collette couldn't help but notice the trainer staring down the table in silence. Smiling to herself she slipped over to the other girl, carefully nudging Synn's arm with her elbow. "You should go grab one too, while the crowd is still calm."

[Info]Taking number 4![/info]

Collette blinked slightly. She'd never been to Goldenrod before! Then again... Cherrygrove was all she had really known prior to the academy to begin with. She was about to probe the other girl for more information when she spoke up again, filling Collette with dread. A trainer battle was her final task. A nervous giggle escaped without her permission as she shuffled awkwardly next to Lynne. "Oh dear... I hope I do alright, I'm not used to very many other trainers I'm afraid. I guess I'm ready whenever! Just need to heal pretty girl up first, right?

[spoiler=clicky clicky for pretty sounds] http://www.youtube.com/v/kWj4fKPdlw0&autoplay=1[/spoiler]

This was not how she'd planned her day. Her plan had been simple, so disgustingly simple, when she'd filled her back and slipped out in the dark of the early morning. She was to sneak out, watch the sunrise, maybe stay and sky gaze until lunch, and return to her dorm. Quick, easy, simple. But as the sun chased away the black of night, painting the sky with the warmth of day, all sense of time escaped her. She lay on her back with the grass tickling her bare skin for hours as orange and pink made way for deep blue, and the clouds began to change their shape. Before she knew it dusk had begun to creep back over the sky, rising along the horizon much like dawn had hours before. Then it happened. A sound, muffled yet distinctive, rose over the silence of the evening leaving her heart lodged in her throat and butterflies dancing in her belly. She knew that sound. It was an intercom system and if that didn't concern her, the muffled shouts coming from the academy certainly did. To add to her concerns night was falling, a fact she'd blissfully disregarded previously, and quickly. Unnerved but determined, Collette clambered to her feet and quickly released Ammy from one of the Pokéballs she'd stuffed into her back that morning. The Vulpix chirped and stretched her legs in appreciation of her freedom. "Hey pretty girl..." she couldn't help the smile that blossomed on her face at the sight of her closest companion "something isn't right, come with me to investigate?" Ammy chirped again, brushing her tails against Collette's calves as if agreeing to accompany her, and with wary steps the two set off.

It wasn't long before the duo stumbled, quite literally, upon freshly dug holes in the earth. After pulling herself from the small hole she'd fallen into Collette and Ammy carefully tiptoed around the remainder. Whoever had dug these was likely still close by. The smell of freshly unearthed soil still clung to the air and as she slipped around yet another hole she heard it, heard him. She could have cried in relief when she heard him but something was... off. She couldn't quite place it but surged forward regardless, hopping over the disturbed earth in an eager dash. It wasn't until she heard his voice again that she realized what she couldn't quite hear earlier. He was in pain. Panic settled in as she bolted for the sound of his voice, praying whoever was just out of her line of sight could hold on just a spell longer. She was almost there! Ammy was hot on her heels as they ducked through a small thicket of trees when, at last, another trainer came into view. He was scratched up and exhausted, much like the Sandshrew at his feet... and completely surrounded!

Skidding to a halt, wild Pokémon now baring her path to the other trainer, Collette couldn't help but stare. Her breathing came in quick pants as time seemed to slow. Wild Pokémon had him surrounded... since when did that happen? Something was wrong here, very, very wrong. Shaking her head Collette tried to muster the most reassuring smile she could manage at the boy before her "you look like you need a hero... sorry you'll have to settle for me instead."

A break sounded great! Collette gave Bones a careful squeeze and looked around the campus once again. It was so much bigger than she was accustomed to and would definitely take some getting used to. "Where were you before Xan? I come from a really small town so all this is a little... weird?" She smiled sheepishly and looked off to the side, perhaps weird wasn't a proper descriptive word now that she stopped to think on it. Eventually she glanced back at Lynne, a light blush still dusting her cheeks, and smiled. "Sorry if I ask too many questions, I'm disgustingly inquisitive."

[info] Rolling Command!~
[blockquote]Rolled 3d6+2 : 4, 2, 2 + 2, total 10[/blockquote][/info]

Collette scurried to catch up with Lynne, Ammy hot on her heels, as they made their way back. The left over excitement still coursed through her, leaving a bounce in her step, and a grin plastered on her face. "I agree, Ammy and Bones are my two closest friends after all. What was your orientation like, by the way? If you don't mind me asking more ridiculous questions." She laughed at her own, potentially poorly made, joke as the two girls walked back. Conversation with Lynne came easily and any excuse to have one was welcomed with open arms.

Admittedly, battling other trainers was not something she usually excelled at but she couldn't let it stop her now. Not when Lynne needed her help. Collette pursed her lips in thought before working out a plan of attack herself. "Alright pretty girl! Follow Honeydew and use Confuse Ray!" As soon as the words left her mouth her Vulpix bolted forward, stopping just shy of Lynne's Oddish, before casting her own attack at the Shinx before them.

[info]Vulpix moves 4 spaces forward. Movement Resolved.
Vulpix uses Confuse Ray!
[/info]

Collette entered the classroom as calmly as she could, despite her excitement. Raising a Pokemon, out of an egg no less, on her own was a thrilling prospect both educationally and personally. Ringing her hands together nervously she stopped just shy of the table utterly perplexed. There were students there fussing and fighting over eggs. Very delicate and fragile eggs. Not to mention her, seemingly dejected, teacher had been forced to sit out of the way lest the frenzy of students swarming the table bowl the soft spoken woman over. The lack of respect for their teacher struck a chord and before she could stop herself she was fussing.

"How rude! Have you no respect for any authority!? How do you plan to raise an egg if you can't politely listen to instructions?" The longer she shouted, the redder her face became, until her appearance could be likened to that of a tomato and her fists were clenched at her sides. Her outburst complete, Collette cleared her throat and smoothed her, now shaky, hands down the front of her skirt. What on earth did she just do? She managed to shoot a glare at the rowdy crowd before glancing at the table herself, catching sight of a two-toned green egg with a single red dot on it. If she ever got to the table her choice was immediately made. After another dismissive glare, Coleltte moved off to the side to wait for the bickering students to dissipate. She refused to be another headache for Ms. Firestart, her pride would not permit it.

Collette wasted no time in slipping on her apron and proceeding to the ingredients table. She was, for once, rather confident in her abilities. Cooking was something she'd done quite often growing up and to get a grade for it was too good to be true. Gathering what she needed in her arms and apron pockets she returned to the bowls she'd had the sense to leave out before walking away. She cleaned her hands, coated them rather heavily in flour, and set to preparing her dish. So far so good. Her inner sweet tooth had all but screamed at her to bake a childhood favorite, Sopapilla Cheesecake, and honestly how could she resist? Equal parts messy fun and hard work, it was a dish she never tired of making. With an impish grin, Collette began mixing the first portion of her dish. The dough. Thinking ahead, however, she quickly preheated her oven before digging her fingers in, making a mental note to wipe down the stove once she was done. Flour, baking powder, a pinch of salt, and cut up chunks of shortening were mixed up in her first bowl, followed shortly by a splash of milk until she could roll the mass out on the flour drenched counter. She'd have to clean that too and, good grief, if she wasn't pale at the start of the class, she certainly would be by the end of it!

Collette flattened the dough out over the counter and cut it in half, spreading one half over the bottom of a buttered casserole dish before tossing it into the warmed oven. Flour coated her forearms, and cheeks where she'd lifted her hand to scratch an itch, and she quickly washed herself back down to proceed to the next step in her treat. What remaining butter she had was placed in a small sauce pan to melt while Collette combined cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a clean bowl. She stirred until her arm ached and her butter had melted fully, humming her content as she quickly pulled the saucepan off the burner. Retrieving her casserole dish from the oven, pleased to see she hadn't accidentally burned anything, she sprinkled a mixture of cinnamon sugar over the warmed dough, followed by the cheesecake mix, and finally the second sheet of dough on top. She double, and triple, checked the dish before nodding her approval. Butter was lathered on top followed by another coat of cinnamon sugar before the completed concoction was slid into the oven to finish baking in its entirety.

Finally, after thirty minutes of bouncing on her heels impatiently, her timer went off and an excited Collette dashed to retrieve the gooey treat waiting in the oven. Some of this would definitely be going back to the dorm with her! Setting the dish off to the side, she pulled out a plate and drizzled caramel over it before cutting two squares out of the sopapilla and placing them strategically in the center. She was beside herself. Memories of home warmed her heart as she delivered her own dish to the teacher. "My dish, Ms. Waterstart, it's sopapilla cheesecake bites. Or, as I've always called them, cheesecake churros! They shouldn't bee too hot, but the warmth reminds me of my granmothers kitchen back home." She smiled politely towards her teacher and bowed her head. "I hope you enjoy them as much as my grandmother and I enjoy making them!"


[spoiler=Click here to make your mouth water!][/spoiler]

[spoiler=This thing does a thing!]
Rolling Focus! I'm a scatterbrain, what can I say?
[blockquote]Rolled 2d6+2 : 1, 3 + 2, total 6[/blockquote]

Rolling Intuition! That's helpful in cooking... right?
[blockquote]Rolled 4d6+2 : 5, 3, 4, 5 + 2, total 19[/blockquote]

Rolling Perception! Lets not pick anything spoiled. Not today!
[blockquote]Rolled 2d6+2 : 2, 6 + 2, total 10[/blockquote]

Rolling Acrobatics! Lets not drop anything on the floor either!
[blockquote]Rolled 4d6+2 : 4, 4, 6, 1 + 2, total 17[/blockquote]

Rolling Charm! Presentation is just as important in cooking!
[blockquote]Rolled 2d6+2 : 3, 3 + 2, total 8[/blockquote]
[/spoiler]

She caught it... she caught it! Collette practically screeched in her excitement, arms thrown up over her head, and jumped up and down. She caught it. "Pretty girl! You did such a good job!" Bouncing over to her Pokemon she scooped the Vulpix up into her arms, buried her face in Ammy's warm fur, and twirled her around in a circle. Even Bones joined in on the celebration, mimicking her trainers bouncing steps with hops of her own. "I can't believe how quick that was! Does it always go that well the first time?" Finally calming down from her high, though still grinning ear to ear, Collette let Ammy down and picked Bones back up before turning to Lynne. "I mean, obviously things get harder, but... wow! I wasn't expecting to get him, y'know?"

Collette's eyes lit up, stars dancing in her vision. She wanted it. "Alright pretty girl, burn it up! We're taking this cutie home today! Ammy's tails swayed to and fro in acknowledgement as the small Pokemon carried out her trainers command.

[spoiler=Ammy uses Ember!][blockquote]Rolled 1d20 : 5, total 5[/blockquote][blockquote]Rolled 2d6+21 : 5, 5 + 21, total 31[/blockquote][/spoiler]

Taking a deep breath Collette followed up with a toss of one of her Pokeballs. Fingers crossed she hoped the decision wouldn't come back to bite her. She did not want to waste all her items today!

[spoiler=Collette throws a Pokeball!][blockquote]Rolled 1d20 : 13, total 13[/blockquote][blockquote]Rolled 1d100 : 36, total 36[/blockquote][/spoiler]

Collette was equally as captivated by the forest as Lynne, if not slightly more so. The smell reminded her almost of home and she couldn't resist stopping to breathe it in, if only for a moment. Ammy was enjoying herself as well, bouncing between Collette and Lynne as they strolled along and happily chasing after birds. The moment the bushes shifted, however, her bounce ceased. Tails flared and at the ready the small Pokemon faced off against the unknown, eagerly awaiting Collette's command. "Sounds like we have company."

[spoiler=Perception Check!][blockquote]Rolled 2d6+2 : 1, 2 + 2, total 5[/blockquote][/spoiler]

Collette smiled at the cashier and nodded appreciatively. Doing a quick check of her current items she decided to forgo the potions and bought two Pokeballs instead before thanking the cashier and bidding her farewell. "Woods you say?" She smiled as she turned back to Lynne and their pokemon. It was nice to see Ammy and Bones getting along with others so soon after their move. "Maybe I'll get lucky and catch something good on the first go, yea?" Collette was more than excited to go exploring around the academy, not having to do it on her own was even better, and quickly returned to Lynne. Once her items were situated in her bag, she quickly tamed her unruly bangs with a thin headband before scooping back up the Cubone shuffling back to her. Bones loved to be carried around while Ammy preferred to walk at her trainers side. It was a curious dynamic but as long as the two never became jealous of one another it did not matter.

Again shaking herself from her thoughts, Collette grinned down at Lynne and shifted Bones in her arms before offering her hand to help the other up. "Shall we? I'm excited to get to see more of the area."

[info]Two Pokeballs purchased.[/info]