[PRP] Breakfast of Champions

[BlackFireKitsune]

While the grand hotel did indeed serve complimentary breakfast in the morning, Alder had had it several mornings in a row now and had grown a little tired of it, and thus had found himself a quaint restaurant in which to eat. Once he'd been seated at a booth against a window, the waitress took his order and departed, and he eagerly awaited her return with his breakfast. He sincerely hoped his food would be out soon - he was quite famished at this point, and this would be absolutely glorious, ohh yes.  

[Tori Honoo]

The restaurant in which the former Champion now found himself just so happened to be the favorite of a certain young woman of Kodo, and just as he had found himself inside and eagerly awaiting his order, a young woman stood near a counter, having only ordered a large specialty tea after her morning run-- her morning run, which was, in fact, far too late in the day for her own tastes. Lovey sat at her heels, waiting as well, until the pokemon's eyes caught sight of something interesting sitting at one of the booths further inside.

At a soft tapping of a paw on the trainer's leg, she turned to look at what had caught the eevee's attention, blinking at the face she quickly recognized sitting at the table. Due to her years overseas, and her interests in all things socially popular--especially when said things involved people in powerful positions-- she immediately placed him as a League Elite. Alder, she thought.

A powerful League Elite that had been involved in the Pokecon catastrophe only a few days before. The media had turned almost rabid in their coverage of it, and his face had definitely been one of the few they had shown, alongside the other members of the panel that had been selected. She had been there, earlier in the day... People she knew... friends, perhaps...

As she lost herself in thought, her gaze stayed on the man, though she was hardly aware, for the most part, that she certainly looked like she was staring. Which she was, albeit mostly accidental.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

While awaiting his order, the older man was casually looking around the restaurant, taking in its atmosphere and decoration, the people in there this morning... And a young woman staring at him. He blinked when he realized that she was, indeed, staring at him, though her gaze looked a little vacant... Perhaps she was thinking of something else? Regardless, he offered her a wide smile and a friendly wave.  

[Tori Honoo]

Though getting lost in her thoughts, the girl quickly snapped back to the present as the older man in her line of sight waved to her. Her cheeks flushed bright, bright red as she realized what she had been doing, and she offered him an apologetic smile and a returning wave, just as the woman reappeared with her to go order.

She took the bag, with a word of thanks, then looked back again to Alder, taking a deep breath and a pause, deciding she couldn't just leave without at least apologizing for blankly staring at him. There were also questions that came to mind, though she wouldn't bother him with them here...perhaps they would reschedule the questioning panel or something...

With a shier smile, though with the easy confidence in meeting a high ranker person, she moved toward his booth, tucking a few loose hairs from her ponytail behind her ear. "Hello! League Champion Alder, right...?" she asked, giving him her best amiable smile. "Of Unova?"  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Alder didn't mind at all when the young woman approached, and his smile broadened at her greeting. "Yes, I am," he replied with a nod, "though I retired not too long ago so that I could travel. Iris, one of the Opelucid gym leaders, now holds that title. What's your name?"  

[Tori Honoo]

She relaxed at his friendly nature, clearly relieved that he hasn't dismissed her entirely. "Oh, that's right... I'm sorry. I lived in Unova for a while, but moved away before that I guess..." she explained, making a note for herself to look over the things she might have missed before jumping into the training style. "and I'm Dove. It's really an honor to meet you, sir."

Lovey, from her place next to her trainer barked her own greeting, as if agreeing with the trainer's.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

He waved a hand slightly to dismiss her apology. "Don't worry! It's still sort of applicable anyway," he said, then offered his hand to shake hers. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Dove. You're a trainer, I presume?"

The bark from down below pulled his attention, and he leaned over a bit to see from where it came. His smile broadened to a grin when he saw the Eevee. "Well hello there, little one! Are you enjoying yourself today?"  

[Tori Honoo]

She took his offered hand delicately to shake it, nodding. That done, she rubbed her free arm, shying again at his question, though her smile was bright. "I am, though I'm still rather new to it...my team and I have only been working together or a few months, seriously, at least..." She gave a little shrug. Better late than never, especially given the circumstances. Explaining that--the fact she was nearly twenty one and just now starting her Pokemon training-- to a former league champion was a bit embarrassing though. A lot, actually.

Lovey beamed up at the man, moving forward at his greeting to place her paws on the side ofthe bench of the booth, her tail waving calmly behind her as she strained upward to get a closer look, offered another content 'Eeeeev!' In reply.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"Ah, I see," he replied once the handshake was complete, his smile still present. "That's wonderful - I always advocate pokemon training, because it helps strengthen the bonds between people and pokemon. Who do we have here?" He asked as he leaned down to carefully pick up the friendly Eevee, then he placed her beside him on the booth so that he could pet her easier. "You're quite friendly, aren't you?"  

[Tori Honoo]

She nodded, still smiling. "I can't imagine you not advocating it," she laughed, relaxing a little more. alder was very easy to speak with so far...

She watched as he picked up her companion, and smiled even brighter as the eevee basked in the attention, immediately nosing at his hands and wiggling in the seat next to him before sitting as tall as she could-- which, really, was not tall at all-- to listen to the man as he petted her. "That's Lovey. She's been my best friend since I was little," she explained fondly, nodding as the eevee softly barked an affirmative.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

When she laughed, he did as well, then added, "Am I really that predictable?" He didn't seem too bothered by the rhetorical question, and continued to smile down at and pet the Eevee. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lovey! Ah, she was your first pokemon then?" He hazarded a guess, this time glancing up at Dove with his smile still present.  

[Tori Honoo]

Lovey dipped her head in playful elegance to express her iwn pleasure in neeting the Elite, then resumed her being-petted stance if sitting, clearly enjoying his attention.

Dove nodded, shifting the cold tumbler of tea to her other hand--it was far too cold. "She was, though she's only a friend... My first trained was a cyndaquil, now a typhlosion..." She looked off a bit, tucking her hair back. "I didnt really train him myself though... Not at first." She shifted her feet, the adrenaline from her run wearing off. "But yes...she was my first Pokemon."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"I see," he replied with a warm smile and a nod, still petting the normal-type with one large hand. "I hope you always cherish the memories you have of all your pokemon, especially your first. I've learned from experience that they're usually the ones that teach you the most," he explained with some humor in his expression. He appreciated the comment that she did her own training now, as opposed to having someone else train them for her, but didn't see fit to say anything about it.  

[Tori Honoo]

Lovey, beyond content with how she was being treated, curled up, seeming to not care one bit that her trainer still stood at the side of the man's table.

Dove watched, feeling a little awkward to still just be standing, and checked over her shoulder for any sign of a waitress that might approach. She didn't want to encroach upon his breakfast time, but she was curious, and he seemed amiable...

"Oh, I do... She taught me a lot when I was smaller, but I feel that I've only really just begun... at least when it comes to Pokemon." And life in general, she thought to herself, though she refrained from voicing it. That really wasn't Alder's concern, anyway.

She paused a moment, then looked to the man again, with a question in her expression that was very much his concern, or so she deemed. "How are you? And the other three panelists...?" She rubbed her arm again, somewhat sheepish. "I heard about the convention... I was there earlier in the day, but we left before everything happened..."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

He nodded and smiled at her words, glad that she had, indeed, learned from her Eevee. When she brought up the convention, it became clear to him that the conversation would likely continue for at least a while longer, so he extended his free hand towards the seat opposite him with a smile, "Why don't you sit?" His occupied hand continued to stroke the Eevee beside him as he pondered her questions briefly, debating how to answer and how much to say. "The other panelists and I were fine, as were most of the trainers in attendance. There were some minor injuries, as well as one or two moderate ones, but overall it wasn't nearly as bad as it could've been. It was deeply regrettable that it happened at all, though," he added, his tones growing more serious. "I'm glad you left earlier and weren't involved, though."