At the castle...

"Before you go... may I take a look at your Pokédex recording? It's not much, but it could help us catch them." He shows Seymour how to look at his Pokédex's recording, and let him bring up the meeting with the tie-dye pair.

As the pair returns to the hotel, the Laconney clings to them, seeking what comfort it could.

---

On the phone...

"Perfect. We will send the car four you and your friends at... would six o'clock be fine?" That leaves a good three hours to get ready.

Though Portia held the Laconney close in a constant hug all the way back to the hotel, she hesitated outside its doors.  "Here, you take it, Seymour.  I don't think leaving Laconney with the Professor would do much good at this point... you'd be better to keep it comfortable." she gave the little Pokemon a reassuring squeeze before it was passed over to Seymour's care.  Besides, she had to make a fairly long jump - the fewer passengers Houdini had to manage, the better.

"I'll be back in a little bit with another new friend.  Houdini will need a minute to catch his breath between jumps, so don't wait up on me." the young woman was still disquieted from the whole situation as she stepped back a short ways for clearance.  With a little wave to each of her companions, Portia and Houdini both suddenly vanished away in a flicker, gone without a trace.

>>> Portia and Houdini use Teleport to travel to The Border of Cadien >>>
This message was last edited by the player at 00:10, Sun 24 Nov 2019.

"Yes, that would be just fine. Thank you very much. I look forward to meeting Ms. Wells in person." Once the call ended, Eve used her Pokedex to start and write into a group chat of her three contacts.

<We have dinner reservations. Meet back at the hotel by six ready to be picked up, if you'd like to come.>

She rose to her feet and made her way to the front desk to talk to the receptionist. "Pardon me," she said politely. "Can you tell me a little about the Sekheta's Trove restaurant? And, what level of formal wear is expected?" So many people didn't utilize the hotel staff when they traveled. And this hotel was gaged toward tourists. The staff would, in theory, be well versed in local attractions and restaurants.

Jake relaxes on the bench and watches the people moving around as he ate his hot dog. It was an odd place. Despite missing his friends back home, he was consoled by having new friends -- both pokemon and human. In some ways, he had already achieved his dreams. He was a real pokemon trainer! But he needed to do more than that. He needed to pay the price for achieving his dream. That, and he needed to become a better trainer now that he was one. It was a sudden change in his priorities and he was taking it as best as he could without revealing the stress that he occasionally felt creeping in. He hardly noticed as someone sat beside him. He politely nodded, gave a few polite words of greeting and tried to ignore this stranger as he finished his meal.

At the hotel...

The Laconney welcomes Seymour's hold. After what's it's been through, it doesn't want to be left alone.

Seymour reached the hotel just as he received the message from Evelyn. He notices the girl right after, as she talks to the receptionist. "Sekheta's Trove? It's a restaurant commonly frequented by well-to-do visitors and trainers. It's themed after a legendary Pokémon said to have been brought to Cadien from the Narmes region.
Since part of their clientele are traveling trainers, traveling clothes are perfectly a acceptable dress."

OOC: Narmes is the Pokémon world's equivalent of Egypt.

---

At the park...

The hot dog seemed like a pretty light meal, so Evelyn's message promising a dinner sounds quite attractive. A few rattatas run away as Jakey discards his trash, and he soon returns to the hotel.

Seymour nodded to Portia as he took the pokemon in his arms. "Stay safe," he said as she teleported away.

After reading Evelyn's message and entering the hotel, he waved at her and approached his fellow trainer. He petted the laconney in his arms soothingly as he waited for Eve to finish her call. When she was done he said, "So dinner, huh? Sounds like it might be just the distraction we need right about now." He then proceed to catch Evelyn up on all of his and Portia's findings of the day. Jakey too, once he joined.

Jake stretched out on the bench after having it all to himself, letting the hot dog get processed by his digestive system. After a couple minutes of lounging, he checked his pokedex and saw he had some time left before the nice-sounding dinner. He wasn't quite ready to go back yet, so he let his Mudkip out of the pokeball and went on a brisk jog with it around the park a couple times before making their way back to the hotel. It took more than a day of walking and a pokemon battle to tire Jake out!

On making it back to the hotel, Jake waved to Eve and Seymour. He was a bit surprised to see Seymour without Portia -- it seemed those two split up at some point too. He listened inattentively to Seymour's recounting, but definitely noticed the new pokemon in Seymour's arms. Jake too expressed interest in dinner,
"I just had a quick snack when I went for a run, but I am totally down for dinner!"
This message was last edited by the player at 16:27, Sun 24 Nov 2019.

"Thank you very much," she said to the receptionist, before turning her attention to Seymour, eventually directing him to follow her to the lobby so she could sit down again.

"Oh my," she said as he regaled how active and interesting their day had been. "I'm sorry I missed all that! But I probably would have just held you up, so no problem there... And your new Pokemon is just a darling... I'm quite jealous." She smiled, obviously joking.

"Yes it sounds like dinner is just what we all need." She waved a greeting to Jakey as he appeared, then looked back to Seymour. "I'm not sure what to expect from it, really. I was invited to come by someone at the JirachiWish Studios company. They make video games, as best I can remember. Either way, they said I could bring guests, and I think it will be fun for us to all hang out together over supper at such a nice restaurant." She didn't look all that concerned about being asked to supper by a stanger from a company. For her, it actually happened more often than one would think. "Oh, but did you say Portia went to get another trainer who was late? Oh dear. I hope I can squeeze in a fifth person for supper..."
This message was last edited by the player at 20:35, Sun 24 Nov 2019.

Jake looked concerned and glanced between Eve and Seymour. Another trainer was coming but there was only 4 people planned to go? He wasn't entirely sure how fancy stuff worked, so he half-interpreted Eve's comment as being fairly doubtful of the chance of getting a fifth seat at the restaurant. He did kinda want to check out a fancy restaurant, but he would feel out of place. He decided to volunteer himself to be left out if it came to it,
"It's all good if you can't. I don't know how to eat at a place like that. It would be cool to go, but I can just grab some tasty street food too! We should probably all go together though so we are all in the same neighborhood and can hang out after dinner if we can't all eat there."

Jake didn't seem to recognize the company name or light up at the notion if it being a video game company. Either he was good at guarding his reactions or he wasn't into gaming at all. This was in concordance with his lack of knowledge of how the pokedex worked. He kept chattering a bit though,
"Did any of you see any cool locations to go to after dinner? I guess we could just come back here and rest, but the city is pretty big with lots of places to explore. I only went to one park... it wasn't too interesting but I am sure there are more fun places to go."

Jake then looked to his pokedex to see if there was any locations that were both affordable and fun-looking.

Setting aside the Gateway Buildings and the park, Jakey finds a few tourist attractions around the place. The World Museum (boasting reproductions of artworks from around the world), various theater and cinema (offering both Cadien and international works), the 8th boulevard (a street with a large collection of stores and shopping centers), and the Rivierstel Library (the second greatest library in Cadien). Most have an entrance fee, but nothing overly expensive.

There's also a list of attractions focused more on trainers, mostly small arenas for quick battles, with the occasional special rules like Reverse battle. There's also a hall for Pokémon Contest, as well as some tournament stadium.

Jakey also finds a mention of Sekheta's Trove. It says the restaurant is inspired by a legendary Pokémon of the Narmes region, and is a common place for visiting trainer to party. It also says that the end of the League season is the busiest time of the year, with reservation required at least a month ahead of time (except for the League's Champion, who always has a table reserved). Since it's currently the beginning of the season, they should have some spare places.

Eve visibly flushed as Jakey seemed to actively try to back out of going to supper with her. "I-I... No! Definitely not!" she said at once. "I want you to come with us! You're part of our group! Don't worry about it, they will accommodate. I'll see to it myself if I have to, but I don't want you to not come."

She looked back down at the letter still in her hands. "I admit, I didn't look... I usually don't have anyone to go anywhere with, so I don't bother looking. It'd be fun to go out and do something together as a group through," she admitted. "We could see a show. Or maybe swim in the hotel pool? Or the beach?"

"I wouldn't mind checking out the beach," Seymour offered. He had actually been just about to offer to stay behind too, if needed, in order to care for the laconney. But he would definitely hate to miss out on the dinning opportunity if he didn't have to, and the excursion would likely be a welcome distraction for the distraught pokemon too. Same with the beach.

"I bet my lotad would enjoy splashing in the waves for a while."

---

I am ready to skip ahead at any point. Probably after Portia returns would make most sense though.

A look through the touristic pamphlet points to a few beaches on the northern side of the island, in one of the fancier neighborhood. Some are private, but one is noted as a 'must see' for trainer, as water Pokémon regularly swim close to shore, allowing aspiring trainers to catch them.

You spend sometime preparing for the evening... including calling a fold-up bed for your new traveling companion. As 6 o'clock rolls up, so does a small limousine to pick you up.

<<< Portia, Houdini, and Atticus Teleport in from the border of Cadien <<<

"Two...~" Portia counted aloud even as her and Atticus suddenly popped into existence outside the hotel she was set to stay at.  She gave a playful laugh and let go of his hand, letting Atticus sort himself out after his first time teleporting.  "C'mon, I'll introduce you to the rest of the gang.  We're all traveling together for the time being, so you should come along with us.  Safety in numbers and such."

It didn't take long for Portia to reunite with her new traveling companions with Atticus in tow - quick introductions were easily accomplished and the young lady herself was quite pleased to hear that they'd gotten some surprise dinner plans arranged.  At a fancy restaurant, no less!  She wasn't quite sure how to dress though - she hadn't really packed for formal attire and settled for swapping out her windbreaker for a nicer peacoat at the very least.  As a Kalosian it simply wouldn't do to be unfashionable on an evening out.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:04, Sun 01 Dec 2019.

Seymour got dressed for the evening by switching out his traveling shirt for a similar, albeit cleaner, button-up shirt from his pack. He still wore his vest with his pokeballs attached to it, but traded his jeans for a pair of khakis and hiking boots for some sneakers. When he was ready, he met the others by the limo. He still had the laconney in his arms and really hoped it would not be an issue to bring it into the restaurant. But he would worry about that when the time came.

On the way he hoped to learn a little more about their new arrival. He had scarcely had a chance to talk with Atticus since he had arrived.

One minute they were chatting near the Professor and the next, they were gone. Atticus lost track of himself in the sudden distortion, and indeed felt dizzy when they reappeared among the group of Portia's companions. He felt like he had been midthought or in the middle of a sentence but quickly lost track of it after their short displacement.

Atticus learned that they were going to a restaurant so he changed too. He wore black jeans and a black button-up shirt with long sleeves. It had a small stitched Beldum on the right pocket, a nice addition thanks to his mother's handiwork. He never bothered with his hair since it was always a mess and too much to deal with. His single Pokeball stayed on display on his belt, holding the Pokemon he had raised since it was an Egg. He didn't address the others right away, keeping to himself until someone said something to him. Groups like this were the bane of his existence and it took him a while to get used to new people.

The limousine trip is fairly short, with little traffic despite the hour.

The restaurant is peculiar, shaped like a pyramid made out of glass. Interior walls help preserve the privacy of the patrons, though they leave visible a line of people waiting for a seat. Above the main entrance is a statue of a cat-headed Pokémon.


As the limo drops you off, a waitress (dressed in the style of ancient Narmes) welcomes you and guides you to your table. The inside continues the Narmes style, with hieroglyphs and foreign Pokémons on every walls. At the table, you see a short woman with a cloud of chestnut hair waiting for you. She turns her sky-blue eyes toward you as you approach. "Ah! Miss Evelyn! Glad to see you. And those must be your companions. I'm Regina, pleasure to meet all of you. Please, have a seat!"

A waiter quickly brings an extra set of cutlery for Atticus, as well as distributes menus to everyone. "Don't be shy, JirachiWish will pick up the tab." Regina says with a wink.

The restaurant itself seemed to intrigue Portia quite a bit, though given how adamant she'd been about exploring unknown areas, it was little surprise she'd be interested in decor focused on another region.  The cat-headed statue especially seemed to catch her eye as she pulled out her smartphone - her actual phone, not the Cadien PokeDex - to snap a few photos for posterity.  A Legendary Pokemon perhaps, she wondered?

Once they were seated, Portia shifted Houdini off her shoulders and onto her lap instead while she perused the offered menu.  "If that's the case, I'm not gonna apologize for the bill ahead of time." she snickered over the idea of a free dinner.  She might have looked a waif, but both she and her Pokemon could really pack away food - teleportation took up huge amounts of energy and calories, which left Portia herself perpetually underweight since she didn't have the option of sleeping 75% each day away like her Abra did.  The waiter didn't even get a chance to leave the table before Portia beckoned him over and pointed at the menu's appetizer line.  "I'll have this, this, and two orders of this to start with, please."

"So what's all this even about, Evelyn?  I kinda figured we'd be roughing it in Cadien - what's a studio like JirachiWish got going on here?" she wasn't certain exactly what sort of career Evelyn had outside of being a Trainer, but it seemed her work followed her even to distant regions.

Jake was dressed up the best he could, and thanks to Eve's assistance with shopping, he didn't look too shabby. He had also taken the extra step of combing his hair. He carried his Mudkip along with, not wanting to return it into its pokeball and not wanting it to run free around the limo or restaurant. From leaving the hotel to the restaurant, he looked more than a bit nervous. It was his first time going to a fancy restaurant and first time in a limo. It was all a bit much. He waved friendly enough to the new trainer, but Jake himself wasn't up for much chatter.

At the restaurant, he looked to the menu with dazed eyes, there were so many foods that he did not recognize the name of. He also didn't have a firm concept of the amount of money he had with him, so he was greatly relieved to hear someone else was paying. Seeing Portia's enthusiasm for food, he figured he would follow her example with food.
"Oh, Nice to meet you. I'm called Faulkner. I'll just also have what Portia is having, unless you know something really tasty besides that."

He didn't have much to add to the conversation, so he just half-listened as he admired the food and furnishings.

"I recommand the gollash. It's phyllo dough stuffed with minced meat or cheese." Regina ask the server for a plate of them, before turning to Portia. "Honestly, we don't have much going on. This country could very well be an exceptional untapped market. Of course, selling our products requires that people hear about them. And who better than the niece of Lance Wataru to name drop our games?"

Laconney seems calmer now, looking around curiously at everything that's happening. It seems it never been that far from it's nest.

The remark about a name drop certainly got a reaction out of Portia - she was mid-sip at a glass of water and nearly sputtered on her drink.  "W-wait, Lance?  Like, The Dragon of Kanto, Lance?" she coughed into her fist.

As soon as Atticus entered the restaurant, his eyes darted towards the imposing Pokemon that was standing at the entrance. He sat down and ordered what everyone else did and then some, including the gollash that the nice lady had mentioned. When she included the tidbit about one of the greatest Dragon trainers ever, Lance, his eyes widened and then glanced over at Evelyn. He didn't say anything, though, not the type to put anyone on the spot. Although he wondered if she shared an affinity for Dragons, too. "Um, what's the Pokemon statue at the door?" he asked quietly when the conversation died down.

Seymour was impressed with the restaurant's style as they moved to their table and fully intended to look up some of the pokemon depicted on his pokedex when he had the time. But first he ordered the food that was suggested, as well as a glass of moo moo mikl and some greens for the laconney. He kept petting it calmly as it looked around curiously.

But Seymour was just as surprised as the others when Lance was mentioned. He could definitely see now why Eve had drawn so much attention. "That explains a lot..." he commented quietly.

Regina turns her gaze to a carving of the Pokémon Atticus mentioned. "Sekheka? That is an old tale..." She gets a distance look. "I believe it was back during the conflict between Cadien and Kalos, and the various allies both had. Narmes had sided with Kalos, but was quickly overrun by Cadien's forces.

But in defeat, Narmes became an even greater threat. The troops stationed in the region fell prey to various illnesses, water points in the desert would often be tainted, and local assassins would regularly attack Cadien officers. The troops started speaking of curses.

That's when Cadien's king decided to investigate. As it turned out, it was a curse. From Sekheka, the Pokémon goddess of poison and illness. With the help of her devoted followers, the same sect of assassins attacking the invaders, she was fighting for Narmes in the shadows.

But the king had his own aid. Prizetzal, the prism Pokémon. It's light cut through the protective darkness of the goddess, and the king was able to capture her. According to the legend, the royal family still hides Sekheka somewhere in Cadien. Assuming she ever existed, of course.

She shrugs as she sips her tea. "It seems a bit strange to have a restaurant dedicated to such a Pokémon, but there's sometime little to separate poison from medicine. Honey is a good example of that."

Seymour listened to the story intently, storing it away in his memory banks. He was also thinking that a pokemon of poison and illness was a strange choice for a restaurant mascot, but Regina's explanation was satisfactory. Besides, Seymour had to admit, the legendary pokemon certainly had a striking presence. "That is a really cool story," he commented.

After the tale from the past was finished, Seymour started directing the conversation back toward the present. "So, sorry if I missed it but... What was the purpose of this dinner again?" He looked between Regina and Eve. "Just a welcoming dinner simply because Evelyn is famous?" Seymour felt a bit silly for needing to ask, but he honestly didn't know. He felt a little lost. Unsure of what he should expect of this social situation.