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"I see, I see..." Aria's smirk remained, as amused approval flashed through her expression. "Well, we'll be putting that to the test in a few days, won't we?"

Aria raised a brow, a single name coming to mind that time. A smirk crossed her lips. "Oh? Did that leave you with some expectations I'll have to live up to?"

A few names passed through her mind, but Aria simply nodded, smiling back. "Flattering. She sounds like someone I would've liked. How did you know her?"

And for a moment, Aria found herself reminded of Ben. "...I do what I do because someone has to, or people suffer. Best case scenario, others would be forced to fill my role. Worst case scenario, worlds die because no one came to help them. So... no, I wouldn't run from my responsibilities...

She smiled, her gaze still somewhere far off. "Because I don't get to have that last hurrah. There's always going to be a world in distress -- that's just how it works in my corner of reality. And because I'm one of the few people who can, it's my responsibility to help them. Pretty stressful...

"Hm." Aria studied him for a few seconds, a ghost of a smile on her face. "...Well, you've done exactly that, and now it's almost time for your last hurrah. That makes you pretty lucky in my book." She leaned back on her paws, looking up at the sky. "Not being special isn't all that bad...

"That last bit's my preferred way of putting it, yeah. The term 'hero' makes it sound a lot more glamorous than it is," Aria said, rolling her eyes. "Even if you haven't been here that long, I'm sure you know what I mean by now. Once you're wrapped up in the actual busywork, being a knight in...

She gave him a sidelong smile. "Mine's connected to one, as are a couple of the other worlds I visit. So... yeah. You'll find I'm decently versed in human matters, so don't worry about having to explain every little thing you bring up."

"Started out as one, at least," Aria replied with a nod. "My world had a few more things going horribly wrong in the background, which I ended up having to deal with as well. Came out of it with a lot more work on my hands than I'd bargained for." She blew out a puff of air. "I'm still an...

"Er... hm." Aria tapped her chin in thought, wondering how much detail was necessary. "My job description's kind of complicated at this point, so... how much do you know about the Omen Heroes from Treasure Town? Thyme and Pepper?"

His answer was a lot vaguer than Aria had hoped for... but she'd also put him on the spot, and that was an infinitely more charitable thing to blame than him. "They're... similar to the ones on Cibus, I guess? Oddly personable for a bunch of immortal beings. No Destiny Village or anything...

"Catching them seems like an unnecessary step in that process though, no?" Aria asked, cocking her head to the side. "Sorry, it's just something I've only ever had explained to me, and I still don't think I get it. Surely you can prove you befriended a legendary without putting them in a...

Aria raised a brow, staring at him curiously. Then, she shrugged. "No one does, and then they get caught up in some crazy shit anyways. But I'll take your word for it," she said, sounding just a touch dishonest, before humming in thought. "Catching a legendary, though. Why?"

"Diyem didn't invite him to the reunion party, I suppose. He was ten, and not the best at handling all this blacklight stuff, so... no point forcing him to do it again," Aria said with a sigh, before shaking her head. "Anyways, it's all water under the bridge now. You said you were a trainer...

Aria nodded. "That's exactly what I mean, yeah. He wasn't too good at fighting, but Diyem's influence gave him a few neat tricks for supporting the rest of us. Oh, and he could take more hits than a couple of us combined. That part... never made too much sense to me."

"Would've found it weird a few years ago. Now..." She chuckled. "It's kind of my life. "But anyways, you were a late arrival, then? Funny how that works out. Our late arrival was Kora — no 'maru' at the end," Aria said, completely deadpan as she looked Koa up and down. "Wasn't a human, though...

"Mm... from what I've heard, it wasn't quite the same as what you guys dealt with," Aria replied, looking off in thought. "For starters, Soda wasn't responsible for much of anything — Giovanni kept that crown. Helped that none of us realized who he was." The memory almost seemed to... annoy...

Aria snorted. "If having a full-out brawl counts as training, then yeah," she said, before meeting his scrutinizing gaze with her own. A moment later, the corner of her lips curled up. "Suppose it makes sense, though — I've been getting that look often. You guys seem pretty eager for a good...

"Eeyup." She sat upright, shaking off the numbness in her arm. "Name's Aria. Think I overheard yours earlier — Koa... maru?"

And right up ahead, under the shade of a tree, was one of the 'mon on his mind. The lucario looked to be sleeping, lying on the soft grass with an arm for a pillow. But as Koa approached, she cracked an eye open to look at him, evidently aware of his presence. Her free paw went up in a silent...