PokéRangers: New World

A Time for Discussions

"Best. Vacation. EVER!!!!!!!!!" The Dusk Ranger screamed at the top of his lungs as he stood on his balcony overlooking the pool below.

Toho Shores was legendary in terms of its natural beauty, and that was due in large part to it never really becoming commercialized. Because of its small population and vast access to natural resources such as the dense forest mountains and bustling sea life, it largely remained self-sufficient. Only about 25% of the island was made available for tourists and real estate ventures. Though even these resorts/ luxury buildings couldn't be built higher than 3 floors – so as not to obstruct the island's stunning views. As you can imagine, this limited access led to resorts being ridiculously expensive, but all the funds went directly back to maintaining the island and its untouched way of life. It was the perfect fusion of nature and modern amenities.

The Dusk Ranger took a deep breath as the cool ocean breeze blew through his hair. "I really have to thank Moltres Ranger again for setting this up. I'd never have been able to afford this on my own." He laughed to himself. "I should cover for her and Rapidash Ranger more often."

He stepped back inside the room for a moment to check his phone. Still no new messages. He started to unlock it before stopping himself. 'They're fine', he assured himself. 'Relax'. He took another deep breath before placing the phone into his bag. "Okay. Vacation mode!", he cheered himself on as he headed down towards the pool.

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It was still pretty early in the day, so it didn't take long for the Dusk Ranger to find a pair of seats by the pool. He grabbed a couple bottles of water - each made of glass with the hotel's name written in cursive across it - and put them on a table beside him. After that, he threw his bag on the chair beside his and pulled over one of the nearby umbrella stands to give himself some shade. Between the ever-present cool breeze and the quiet of the morning, it wasn't long before he began to doze off. An hour or so passed and the pool began to get more crowded. It was around this time that our hero began to stir.

"Excuse me", a woman's voice began.

The Dusk Ranger awoke to an absolutely stunning woman standing over him. She wore a light yellow sundress and held a small purse in her hand. Her long blue hair cascaded over her shoulders, almost completely concealing the straps of her dress as well as a pair of long, golden earrings. Though the one feature her hair couldn't conceal were her piercing purple eyes. Even when covered by bangs, they shined like a pair of gemstones.

"Hello?"

"Ummm, hi", he finally muttered.

"Hi", she smiled. "Is this seat taken?" She gestured towards the seat next to him where he had left his bag.

"Oh! Yes! I mean no.... I mean." The more he tried to talk, the more he fumbled over his words. "Sorry", he apologized as he quickly removed his bag.

"No need to apologize", she offered. "All of the other umbrellas are taken. So I was hoping you wouldn't mind sharing yours." She placed her small purse beside the chair and took a seat. "May I?", she asked as she pointed to the Dusk Ranger's assortment of unopened water bottles.

"Please!", he smiled back. "Be my guest!"

"Thank you", she replied as she picked up a bottle and proceeded to open it by flicking the cap off – it was a twist off.

"... Um... Wow!" the Dusk Ranger offered. "That was impressive."

The woman finished her sip and placed the bottle back down. "Didn't realize you were so easily impressed." She smirked before laying her head down and closing her eyes.