Allie didn't know how long she'd been standing there on the sands with Seth. It seemed as though the moment she touched down that she'd forgotten how her legs worked. Did she move towards him? Did she jump back on Swanna and fly? She hadn't quite worked out exactly what she'd do the moment she arrived. The moment their eyes met, for some odd reason, she felt her heart leap a little after he'd addressed her with her title. Forsaking the thoughts that began to swim in her head, she kept her stern expression and took a confident step forward.

Now only a few feet away, she looked up into those deep blue depths of his and placed a hand on her hip while adjusting the strap of her bag with the other hand.

"So... how's this going to work?" Seth asked directly, earning a sigh from the redhead.

"Three days. I will be accompanying you for three days on your journey. During that time, I will be taking notes, so it will be in your best interest to treat me nicely. If I feel that I'm not respected in any manner, it will reflect poorly on how you do in this competition. It's simple, Seth. You graduated with top marks did you not? it shouldn't be too hard of a task to please me," Allie smirked, flipping her hair in a haughty fashion.

"Well there's a surprise. You actually did some research. Tell me, did you study up on the rest of the competitors, or was a poor attempt at finding dirt on me to hold over my head during the course of our time together?" Seth asked with a wry grin.

Allie huffed and crossed her arms.

"While I may not particularly like you, I would not be so uncouth as to do such a thing. Just who do you take me for anyway?" Allie fired back.

It had worked. Allie had kept eye contact with Seth, which was what he'd hoped for. During that short period of time he studied her posture, her eyes and the way she spoke, analyzing any unusual shifts in tone while she dialogued with him. She was indeed speaking the truth. And that could only mean one thing if she was.

"I'm going out on a limb to say that your mother had a hand in this..." Seth said after a few moments, earning a flustered glare from Allie.

"Smart aren't you? yes, she did tell me of your educational background, and while I am impressed... yes, you heard right, that doesn't change much of anything," Allie said sharply.

"I wouldn't expect it to," Seth shrugged. "So... are we just going to stand on the beach the entire time, or are we heading into the city?"

Allie thought for a moment. Shalour's beachfront was looking pretty lovely at the moment, and if she was being honest, she wasn't quite ready to head into the city just yet. Glancing about, she took note of Seth's team. Intrigued could only begin to describe what she was feeling at the moment. Clarity formed in her eyes as she realized the reason why Seth hadn't managed to defeat Korrina.

He was at a complete disadvantage at every turn!

"Are you in there, princess?" Seth spoke up, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Yes, and to answer your question as to what we're doing now, the first option sounds lovely. Time on the beach for a little while would do me some good," Allie replied casually, setting down her bag to open it to pull out her towel.

Seth took a deep breath and exhaled, clearing his mind so that he could focus. He knew why she chose the beach. His time started right then and there. Deciding that it wasn't entirely a bad idea, he turned towards his team to command them to continue their training. As his team continued their drills, he felt a presence at his feet, prompting him to look down to see Allie's Furfrou. She seemed to be curiously studying his team, so much so that she sat and followed their movements with her head. Taking note that he was paying attention, Furfrou looked up at Seth and then jerked her head slightly to the left, as if to tell him to look behind him.

Arching a brow, Seth turned his head slightly, blinking in surprise as he saw Allie finishing undressing, sliding her shirt off to reveal a red bikini top and bottom. Averting his gaze, Seth looked back down at Furfrou who gave him a smug grin before walking away. Furfrou sauntered back to her trainer and sat next to her towel before laying down with her. Slightly taken aback, Seth was nearly burned from a fiery assault from Litleo which hit the water and kicked up steam. Seth shifted his gaze towards Litleo who gave him an apologetic look.

Seth shook his head and waved her off, letting her know that she could continue her bout with Combee. It was at this point, Tyrunt trudged over and nudged Seth's leg. The swordsman looked down at the dino-dragon and patted his massive head. Not one to be left out, Litleo padded over and sat beside Seth and began nuzzling his leg. Getting the message, Seth clapped twice, a signal for his team to stop.

"Alright, everyone take a breather. We've been at this for a while now. Go play," Seth commanded. Upon hearing this, his team darted off to spend time the way they saw fit.

As Seth interacted with his team, Allie casually observed him from the corner of her eye. She had to admit, the way he was with his companions was pretty cute. Especially his Carbink and Litleo.

"Just out of curiosity," Seth began, "how long do you plan on staying here?"

"About an hour or so, I usually like to get as much sun as I can. Maybe go for a swim," Allie replied, tapping her chin as she debated what else she'd be doing.

So I'll be here another hour huh? Seth thought, wiping his brow of the sweat the accumulated from his training on the beach. Guess this isn't so bad. I might as well go for a swim and then challenge the gym after. I could use a little more time to cool off anyway, even if I'm in less than pleasant company.

Seth detached his blade from his hip and pulled his shirt over his head, casting it aside onto his towel. Already in his swim trunks, Seth headed for the water, trekking past Allie who looked up. As Seth reached the water, Allie slowly sat up and lowered her sunglasses. Like a child full of wide-eyed wonder, she studied him, taking note of how well toned and pronounced his frame was. As he went into the water, Allie slid her glasses back on and swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat.

Oh Arceus help me...

Furfrou looked up at Allie as she fixed her gaze on Seth.

Okay... so he's chisled. That doesn't change too much right? she thought, looking over at Furfrou who was giving her a rather knowing look.

With a frown, Allie addressed her companion, saying, "and just what is that look for, hmm!?"

Furfrou snickered and glanced back over at Seth who was now coming out of the water after a quick dip. Parting the hair from his eyes, Seth looked over at Allie who was now in a one-sided conversation with Furfrou. She appeared to be scolding the pooch who was seemingly amused by whatever it was that Allie seemed upset about.

"I swear, it's like you live to cause mischief!" Allie grumbled, looking up as she heard Seth approach. "What?"

Seth didn't say anything. Instead, he simply sat down next to her towel and looked directly at Furfrou. The hound tilted her head at Seth and sat up to look him in the eyes. As she met his gaze, she could see a faint blue glow in his sapphire depths, making them brighter than they already were. It lasted only a few moments before fading out, leaving Furfrou even more curious than before.

"Earth to pauper! stop ignoring me," Allie demanded, slightly agitated that she had to pester him to gain his attention.

Seth shifted his gaze towards Allie who was now looking at him with a flustered expression.

"Back to that are we?"

Allie opened her mouth to speak, but stopped herself upon remembering what she'd promised her mother. With a sigh, she took a deep breath and replied, "Seth... would you please answer me in regards to what I asked you. It's imperative that I know exactly where we will be staying, and what we will be doing the rest of this day."

Hearing how her tone had switched, Seth found himself cracking a slight smile. Her voice wasn't so irritating when she wasn't insulting anyone or being haughty. Giving her the attention she desired for the moment, he informed her of his plans to revisit the gym and obtain his badge from Korrina.

"I see... I suppose going back there isn't so bad. It will give me a chance to evaluate you as a trainer. Part of this competition revolves around how everyone treats their companions. Any mistreatment will not be tolerated..." Allie added firmly, earning a raised brow from Seth. "N-not that I'm insinuating or anything..." Allie added defensively.

Waving her off, Seth stood up to fetch his towel and clothes and brought it over to where Allie was seated and set it down. "So... how long have you had that Furfrou?" Seth inquired.

"She was a gift from my parents on my eighth birthday. Why?"

Seth shifted his gaze to Furfrou for a moment before replying, "she's well taken care of. As a matter of fact, I haven't seen one this well groomed in a while. Not only that, but she seems rather strong, as thought looking pretty isn't all she's good at..."

Taken aback by his statement, Allie blushed slightly at the compliment he'd given her Furfrou. If she was being honest, it made her happy that he said that. Not many take note of so fine a detail as the strength of her companion. While it was true that she did her best to groom her, she put a lot of work into training her as well. The only thing that confused her was the fact that he could see how strong she was without having battled her.

"I... um... appreciate that, Seth. That was very... sweet of you to say," Allie replied nervously, averting her gaze a little, only to watch as Furfrou placed her head right on Seth's lap.

Um... WHAT!? Allie mentally exclaimed.

To her knowledge, Furfrou didn't trust very many people. She was extremely protective of Allie despite how she acted. Yet here she was, having her ears scratched by Seth. Seth of all people! now she was certain something was amiss, but what?

"How long do you usually spend grooming her? there's not a single knot in her fur. I'm only asking because Litleo gets knots in her fur that are tough to get out at times," Seth asked, stroking Furfrou behind her ears, eliciting an approving whimper from the pup, further bafflling Allie.

"Errmm... let's see, I think it's about three hours? Furfrou take a while to get styled so it all depends on what you want them to look like..."

"Three hours huh? so it shouldn't take much to groom Litleo then," Seth said as he continued to pet Furfrou.

"Huh... so Seth likes cute companions huh? that's different," Allie observed, earning a confused look from Seth.

"Oh please, you have six of the most adorable partners around. Your Carbink is incredibly cute, and your Litleo is so vibrant and expressive!" Allie pointed out, indicating to where Seth's team was playing on the beach.

"I wasn't aware you were so interested in my team," Seth replied, eyeing her from the side.

"I-I was just pointing out how cute they are, that's all. You ought to be be thankful that I found something redeeming about you," Allie sputtered.

"I don't know if I should feel flattered or insulted," Seth shot back.

Allie rolled her eyes. "It's called a compliment. And I don't usually just hand them out so therefore, you should feel blessed."

"Oh of course, your majesty. Forgive me for not realizing what a privilege it is to be complimented by you," came Seth's sarcastic retort.

Allie glared at him and gritted her teeth. It was remarks like those that made her remember why she didn't want to see him at all. But she would bear it. She was a princess, and though spoiled she was, she had dignity and would retain it. Taking a deep breath, she looked down to see Litleo wandering up to her.

Without hesitation, the little cub crawled right into her lap and began to purr. Unable to help herself, Allie began to stroke the little furball on her head.

"Look pau—I mean Seth... we both agree that this isn't fun for either of us, right?"

Seth couldn't argue with that. Just seeing her made him flustered, and the same could be said for Allie upon seeing him.

"But, it is my wish, during these three days, that you and I at least come to tolerate each other. So... shall we call a truce... for the time being and for the sake of our own sanity?"

Seth paused for a moment, mulling the thought over in his mind before forming an answer.

" That sounds reasonable to me. Alright princess, a truce it is... "

" One more thing Seth... i—if it's not too much to ask... just call me Allie, okay? "

" Okay, Allie..."