"Done, accepted, let's go." Mel grinned. Oh she was looking forward to the hot springs.

Ithica grinned back.

"Then let's keep going," she said. She looked around to find the path again. "That way, I think?"

"Sure," Mel agreed after a moment.

Once they were back on the path, however, Dratini gently nudged Ithica in the correct direction with a little chirp.

Ithica couldn't help but laugh a bit.

"Thanks, darling," she said, petting the little dragon. "Mel can tell you, I'm no good with directions. I'm lucky our gear has GPS and a big map."

Dratini absorbed this information and then trilled. Clearly it would keep her on track.

"Ah, finally, help navigating!" Mel joked with a grin.

Ithica laughed.

"I would say I'm not that bad, but I am," she said, grinning. She was quiet for a moment as they walked, just thinking and admiring the caverns. "You know what we should do at some point?" she said after a while. "We need to try to visit one of the professors. I want a pokedex."

"Yes," Mel agreed. "I think we need a pokedex, especially with the traveling we're planning on doing. I'm sure we'll get to a professor sooner or later."

"Yeah, eventually," Ithica agreed. "Maybe we can take a ship to Kanto, once we reach Lilycove or Slateport." She grinned. "Make our way to Pallet Town."

"Yes," Mel agreed. "That needs to happen at some point, hands down." She grinned.

"Yes," Ithica said, nodding. She snickered. "We just show up one day at Oak's lab, Larvesta and Dratini and Zorua in tow. Can you imagine?"

"He'd have a field day," Mel snickered. "Oh man just imagine if Dratini's evolved by that point, or either of the others."

"Imagine a Volcarona in the lab," Ithica said, snickering as well. "With that wingspan and those colors and the fire."

"Oh god," Mel said, choking a little on her own laughter. "Oak would die of happiness and terror at the same time."

"Right?" Ithica giggled. "Oh we need to get out there at some point. Kanto, and Johto, and Sinnoh, and Kalos, and Orre, if we can find Orre."

"I hope so," Mel said. "I want to see everything we can possibly see." She grinned. "It'll be awesome."

"Yes it will," Ithica agreed. "And first-- Fallarbor Town and the hot springs."

"Yes please." Mel grinned.

They had settled down for the night when Mel felt something on her head. She blinked, surprised, and tried to look up.

Ithica noticed Mel pausing and looks over. She was about to ask what was wrong, but she ended up just laughing instead.

The Swablu that had landed on the human's head fluffed its wings and settled here more firmly.

"What just happened." Mel raised her hands to try to feel what was up there. "Stop laughing and tell me what's going on."

"S-swablu," Ithica gasped between giggles. "Bird hat."

The Swablu cheeped affrontedly when the human poked and prodded at it. Darn it, it was comfortable where it was.

"This is not how I wanted to catch a Swablu," Mel grumbled, but she did stop poking the thing. "But why is it on my head."

"I don't know," Ithica said, grinning. "But it's amazing."

Mel huffed. "Get off," she grumbled at the Swablu. "My head is not a landing spot, you silly thing."

Swablu cheeped a clear negative and resettled itself. It fluffed its wings again and tucked its head under one to sleep.

"Aw, come on," Mel grumbled, pouting. But she stopped trying to make Swablu move and instead sat there pouting.