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Match ends 5/19 4:30 PM CST

Match ends 5/19 4:30 PM CST

Anima had smiled a bit while they walked, particularly as the others battled. While Confi was too tuckered out to participate in any of them, the act of battling itself was enough to force Anima’s mind to move, as she thought about what she might have done in their situation. Of course, she didn’t dare comment on or give Anneliese advice as she had Roland battle, but Anima did watch fairly closely; nodding or shaking her head very subtly whenever she may have had a thought to give. In fact, the closest she came to giving advice of any kind, was as Roland began throwing sand… Just about everywhere as they walked. Only, when she had opened her mouth to do so, sand had flown into it; and so, she resolved (after spitting it out), to keep her mouth shut as much as she could for the remainder of their walk.  So it was, that when they arrived later that evening, Anima had already resolved in her mind to get a room at the local inn (even if she had to sell possessions for the funds to do so), and take a shower. It was only the nostalgic smell of saltwater and fish, which drug her kicking and screaming back home, that seemed to stop her from immediately enacting that plan. “Reminds me a bit of, uh… Hulbury, actually,” Anima smiled towards Jacklyn, as she watched the girl visibly recoil from the smell. It was true-- It was a strong scent, but when you had lived near enough to it for much of your life… Well, she had gotten used to it, was all. There was almost a lightness to her step as she followed behind Jacklyn, listening to her ramble on, as she watched the waves; almost absentmindedly following, only to pause as she heard the phrase ‘buy ten’. “Wait-- Uh, No, no, there’s… No one needs ten fishing-rods,” Anima interjected, shaking her head. “Really, you just, um, need one trusty-rod-- Well, someone who fishes more often may use several different kinds, but, uh, for us, we really should only need one that suits our needs…” she trailed off, bringing a hand to her chin, before nodding. “I lived in the port-town of Hulbury in Galar, so… It’d be, uh, a little strange if I hadn’t fished,” she admitted, laughing idly. “I’ve not done it in a bit-- Mom and Dad weren’t particularly keen on letting me go to the water too often after I met Confi, and I didn't exactly want to get too close to it either, but…” she trailed off for a moment. “This ocean-air is making me nostalgic; I could even maybe show you to the ropes,” she remarked with a nod, sounding ever-so-slightly more confident than she normally did. Of course, if she was going to show them said ropes… They’d need rods. Luckily, it was a port town; so they’d either sell them just about everywhere, or there would be exactly one place to get Fishing Rods easily: either way, someone at the dock would know where she could get one, so… It was that she set out in front of the group for once, in something between a brisk walk and a jog. Luckily for her, the layout of the town was… Sensible enough. Since the city was off a cliff-side, it only took a quick jaunt down some stairs to find the actual docks… Which were suitably dock-ish. There was everything she expected to see, and then some; something about a fishing competition had even been posted, and while she wasn’t that confident in her abilities… Jacklyn was sure to want to participate, and Anneliese would follow her into that… That would certainly give Anima some time to go over those papers she had been given, at least.  But, that wasn’t why she was here. She scanned the docks to see who all was actively fishing. It would be bad form to disturb someone who was currently in the midst of it, after all; and for a moment, she was afraid that there would be no one to ask. She only got lucky when she saw an older-man relaxing on a lawn-chair, with a smattering of fishing equipment beside him. “Ah…! I bet we can ask him,” she murmured, jogging over-- Careful not to slip on any water that had been tossed up onto the docks by stray waves. She had learned that lesson enough times as a child. “Excuse me, sir,” she began with a quick bow, violently jostling poor Confi in the process, before rising again. “Me and my friends are, uh, new trainers-- and… Well, I was wondering if you knew where we could get a fishing-rod in town?” she asked, her normal nervous tone wandering off as soon as she reached the topic at hand. "Sir? Woo boy never been called a 'sir' before how fancy!" He replied with a big smile. "In'tristed in fishin are ya? Notta lotta younguns are these days. Back in my day you could har'ly find a spot ta fish in the whole place!" “I am!” Anima nodded, smiling. “I used to fish a lot, back when I was younger; and though I had to stop for, er…” she trailed off, glancing down at Confi, and then back up; her composure breaking for but a moment. “Health reasons, as long as I’m able to stay safely on the dock, seeing everyone fishing here, breathing in the saltwater… It’s made me want to fish again,” she explained. "Younger? Why yer still young arentcha?" He replied. It seemed that he noticed the break in her words but didn't bring mention to it. Instead without changing tone he kept talking. "Well that sure does make my day! Most folks buy fancy new rods over there at the shack but fer a nice girl like you." With a grunt he sat up and reached over to his pile and pulled out a weathered Old Rod that looked to be handmade and handed it to her. "How bout you take this here rod fer free." Anima would have chuckled, a little, at his initial statement; if her eyes hadn’t practically sparkled when he continued on, offering her the Old-Rod. It was weathered, and handmade… And had been certainly used several-- No, countless times before, and yet… That was what made the gesture so interesting, and so meaningful as she took the Rod in hand. “I-- Thank you, sir--!” she began, bowing once again-- And unceremoniously dumping Confi on the ground; the little coral-Pokemon righting herself with remarkable speed mid-air, as if this was not an uncommon occurrence when Anima was actually excited. “I’ll make you proud!” she announced, Rod in hand, as she turned towards Jacklyn, and Anneliese. “I’ll make master-fishers out of them yet, in your name…!” He chuckled, coughed a bit, then said, "Well I'll be aren't you a firecracker! Think yer lil friends would want one too?" He seemed almost eager to hand the things out now. “I’m, er… Not normally this excited,” Anima chuckled, rubbing the back of her head with her free hand. “Guess I just, uh… Got nostalgic?” she wondered, before shrugging. “Either way-- That would be wonderful! It’ll mean they learn by doing, rather than just by watching!” she grinned, glancing over towards the two of them. “C’mon! Jacklyn, Anneliese! We’ve got fish to catch!” she announced, triumphantly.