Not long after she’d moved in, Iris asked about the photographs in Drayden’s study.

Specifically, she’d asked about the picture displaying the man himself and two young girls, which she’d chosen for the fact that it seemed like a happy occasion. The kids matched down to the Pokemon flanking either side of the image, one beaming, unrepentant, at the camera while the other bashfully hid her face behind the Klink on her [side], but the curve of her eyes spoke volumes as to what lay beneath the gears.

It read as a commemorative photo, and given the pair of unevolved Pokemon, the occasion was clear.

She’d been curious, more than anything, if she had siblings now, away on their own journey.

Her exact words, however, had been, “Are these your daughters?”

And the entirety of the answer had been, “No.”

Had she known Drayden a little better, she might have thought to ask some pointed follow-up questions, but, still getting used to their new dynamic and too nervous to rock the boat, Iris had accepted it at face value. There were any number of explanations. Family come to visit during their adventure, maybe, or the children of a friend here in Opelucid. If he didn’t want to talk about it, Iris wasn’t going to push… yet.

With time, she developed a better sense for what would net her a proper explanation and what wouldn’t. The image of a Haxorus in the foyer was […]. Conversely, were the people. The man in the hat was another gym leader. The two with the stupid coats were the Subway Bosses. The long haired woman had been his predecessor– gym leader or mayor, undetermined.

She had no idea why most of them merited a place at home, but had to assume Drayden had his reasons, even if he refused to share who these people were to him. After a while, she just laughed at the idea of someone pointing to her own photograph and being told “She’s a Pokemon trainer.”

It didn’t stop her from making a few detours as she traveled through Unova for the first time.

Clay– the cowboy hat man– was almost as infuriatingly brusque as her father, but she was able to gather from the conversation that they were old friends, and that was good enough for her. It explained something at least, and she could understand why his picture was in the hallway.