{Bellamy} All Around Me Are Familiar Faces

A MODEL CITIZEN OF DOUBT

The footsteps stopped nearby, and Galen could almost feel the other person - for they were now sure it was a person and not a Pokémon - standing right behind them. Still, they made no attempt to look back at whoever it was. Instead, they rummaged around in the pack that rested on the ground next to them.

They made a small noise of triumph when they dug out an orange notebook with a pen clipped to its spine. They rested the notebook on their crossed legs, but they made no move to open it. Rather, they unclipped the pen and rolled it between their bare hands. In weather like this, they knew, the ink wouldn't work until it was properly warmed up.

After almost a minute of rubbing the pen, Galen determined that it should write just fine now. They uncapped the pen and opened the book, flipping through pages of scribbled notes until they found the first blank one. Then they began to write, in a sloppy script.



Though they had not written much, their hand was already beginning to cramp up. They closed the book and clipped the pen once more to its spine before putting it back in their bag.

Once their right hand was free, they began stretching and flexing it, trying to remove the muscle aches. They took notes often, but they had poor writing 'posture'; their hand gripped the pen tightly and at an angle that was not conducive to progress, and they always seemed to fall back into the same position no matter how much they tried to right it.

They much preferred typing to writing, but they didn't think that was an option for them, at least not out in the field. Technology was unreliable, and more times than not quite fragile and easily broken. It felt both cumbersome and unwise to lug a laptop around with them, and they'd never been very good at using the on-screen keyboards of mobile devices. So, a notebook it was.

Of course, there were perils involved in this method as well. It could be damaged by the elements, or lost. But Galen's notebook was sturdy and weatherproof, and they keep a close eye on it at all times. So far, they had encountered no problems, other than the fact that writing was uncomfortable, and sometimes they could not stand the scratching of the pen or the feeling of their skin on paper.

The stranger did not seem to have moved, and Galen decided it was finally time to get a look at them.

They slid over several feet before slinging their bag over their shoulder and standing up, for if they had tried to get up where they had been sitting, they knew they would probably topple backwards into whoever had been standing behind them.

After standing up, they stretched out their arms and legs to work out the stiffness in their muscles before they turned around to face the other person.

They had told themself that they wouldn't be the first one to speak, but they couldn't help it. Upon seeing the other's face, they blurted, "I - I think I know you."

And know him they did, though not very well. The two hadn't really spoken, but Galen recalled seeing him at a conference for researchers some months ago, when they were still very new to the region.

Almond, still perched faithfully on their shoulder, clacked her beak and gave her trainer a confused look. Galen laughed lightly, and reached up a hand to ruffle her feathers. The Pidgey made a soft noise of contentment.

"Of course you don't know him, silly," they whispered to their Pokémon. "I met him before you started traveling with me a few days ago."

They looked at the man again. They couldn't recall his name, but they remembered his blond hair and his height - he was notably taller than they were, though in the grand scheme of things his height would probably be considered only average.

Galen didn't say anything else, instead waiting for the other to speak, if he intended to at all.

761

Bellamy Jordan

¯\_(ツ)_/¯