Contents:
Aurora
Obvious exits:
Northeast <NE> leads to Commerce Road - Route 7: Trader Way.
Southwest <SW> leads to Celadon City: Eastern Entrance.

Everything is pale grey, veiled by mist. It's warm, humid, and still. In the forest, only the nearest tree branches show their full color; more distant trees and branches are colorless and indistinct in the pallid grey fog, looking ghostly and not quite real. While at the coast, the sea is sluggish and grey as fog lays on its surface like a thick wet blanket.

Well, the weather today certainly makes a change from the storms of the past few days - even though it's foggy, it's not actually raining at the moment, and so Aurora's decided to venture out of the den. The not-particularly-energetic pup is currently half-submerged in the bushes, little "Grrrow!"s coming from her every so often as she struggles with a particularly stubborn clump of berries from one of the bushes.

At this current moment, Peppy is awake. Only twenty minutes ago he was fast asleep, and an hour ago he was wide awake. For the past few days, Peppy's been sleeping very irregularly, rarely snoozing away for an hour at a time before waking up, but can you blame him? It's tough when, for the first time in your life, you have something more on your mind than 'I'm sleepy! I'm hungry! Burgers are tasty!' He has, of course, been losing a lot of sleep over the anxiety. Whatever the case, Peppy's lying inside Aurora's den, his tail swishing back and forth, his eyes appearing a little worried. She's been gone for a long time! the pup thinks to himself, not aware of the fact that it's been less than half an hour. He should have went with her! No, he should have went out instead of her! ... Yeah, he's perhaps a little too nervous right now.

A few more tugs from Aurora, accompanied by a few more growls of determination, and the branch gives up its struggle to remain on the bush, tearing free with the sound of ripping bark. Grinning widely, Aurora backs carefully out of the bush, and trots back towards the den, stopping just outside and leaning in to deposit the berry-covered branch on the leaves inside. Her mouth now free, she woofs, <There we go!> to Peppy, her tail wagging happily. <Want me to go and get more? There's a lot of them on that bush...>

The moment Aurora pops back into view, Peppy immediately jumps up to all four paws. Whether it's because he's relieved to see Aurora or because he's shocked at her sudden appearance is unclear, but whatever the case... bonk! <Ow!> Sure enough, Peppy hopped up perhaps a little too quickly, because the top of his fuzzy head bashes right into the ceiling, causing the poor pup to whimper and sort of glare at the top of the den. He seems very... accident prone recently. After only a second or two of thinking annoyed thoughts, the pup turns to face the other Growlithe, giving her a tiny little grin. <There you are!> he barks at the exact same moment the other pup woofs, <There we go!> He stays quiet long enough for Aurora to reveal that there's food - mm! Food! - nearby, before he gives her an enthusiastic nod. <Yeah, I'm really hungry!> So what else is new? After a little pause, the pup furrows his eyebrows a bit and asks, <... Is it okay if I come with you, though? I... uh... If I come along, we'll be able to bring back more food.>

The other Growlithe nods in reply. <Sure! If two of us are getting food, we'll get food two times as quickly!> Oblivious to the fact that she's just stated the obvious, Aurora backs up a few paces to give Peppy room to get out of the den, her tail still wagging with enthusiasm. <And like I said, there's lots of berries there. There'll definitely be enough food.> Plop, plop, plop! Peppy pads his way out of the den, his nose giving a quick twitch as his paws sink slightly into the much more 'fresh' mud. The den is not completely dry, of course - but it's definitely a heck of a lot better than the muck that's completely covering the ground now. Still, it is nice to get a little fresh air, and the pup inhales deeply, taking in... a lot of wet, hazy air. The dog's ear perks up a bit when Aurora mentions that there's not just berries, but -lots- of berries, and he woofs a somewhat hopeful little, <Where are they at?> Peppy's tail has burst into excited, hyper wags.

Everything is pale grey, veiled by mist. It's warm, humid, and still.

<Just over here,> Aurora replies, trotting back towards the bushes she was investigating earlier. <Follow me, and I'll show you where they are.> She's almost there when something causes her to slow down, her steps getting slower and slower until she stops just short of the tampled path she made into the bushes. <I wonder...> she mutters to herself, and just stands there, her head tilted a little to one side as she appears to be thinking.

Peppy blinks and cocks his head a little bit as the female goes ahead, so sure on her course. Come to think of it, if this berry bush is really as plentiful as Aurora suggests... With a sheepish little grin, the pup blushes a little behind his fur as he entertains the thought of asking her to help him find that burger tree of his. Nah, he couldn't do that. Naiad said it doesn't exist... With a headshake, Peppy tries to match Aurora's pace as he stays behind her, letting her lead the way. After a short while, she comes to a stop, and Peppy steps forward a few paces and stands right next to her. He's looking right, left, down, and up - everywhere but right in front of him. <Is it around here somewhere?>

Aurora nods absently. <The bushes near it got squashed down when I went there first - it's near here,> she says, then looks up at the sky - which is, of course, overcast and barely visible through the fog anyway. <I think... I don't know, but I think it's been six summers since I was born. My mother told me I was born some time in summer, so...> Looks like the possibility of Aurora's birthday having just passed has just dawned on the little pup.

Peppy gives a little nod, now taking a step forward. He gets halfway through a second step, but Aurora's next comment makes him stop. The pup spends about three seconds with his left paw suspended in midair before gently bringing it down to the ground. He turns his head to face Aurora, his eyebrows furrowed slightly, giving her a little nod. <Your... mother told you that?> he asks, as though he's drawing Aurora's sentence wrong completely. Turning his head to the front - oh, there's that berry tree, he notes to himself somewhat vapidly - he nods once more, adding, <Six summers seems like a long time ago, doesn't it? I hardly remember last summer...> Granted, he was in a pokeball half the time, but...

Aurora nods again in reply. <I don't really remember that much about last summer, but I think... yeah, I think it's been six summers now.> She stands there, thinking silently for a few moments, then with a nod and a small wag of her tail she continues. <Anyway, let's go and find those berries!>

A Meowth kitten starts to chew on the database -- better save, quick! (Saving)

The fog is grey-white in the light of mid-day.

Hm. Everything Aurora's just said has given Peppy a little food for thought - but that just sort of shattered when Aurora mentions getting some food for -tummy-. "Grr-owl!" is Peppy's cheerful reply as he plods a step or two forward, though he'll actually let the female take on the bush first. After all, she led them here - in Peppy's mind, it's only fair that she gets first dibs. While waiting for her to take the lead, the Growlithe entertains a thought in his mind, and he gives the other puppy a quick little glance. Wonder what he's thinking about - with Peppy, you never can tell.

With a little grin and nod to Peppy as he waits for her, Aurora steps carefully into the mass of bushes, taking the path she took before. Once she's at the bush, she woofs to Peppy, <You can come through now!> and starts to wriggle over to another part of the bush, one where more bunches of berries are hanging. Despite the large branch Aurora tore off, there appears to be quite a few clusters left at the part Peppy will be approaching.

(look Aurora)

An agile and playful Growlithe with a fuzzy but unkempt off-white mane, tail and chest, and with the black stripes on her back and legs blending into her mussed red fur seamlessly - with the addition of a few burrs (it seems that she's been rolling in long grass). Bright eyes and ears ever-alert for danger, a nose that could detect a Water Pokemon very well (though probably only at close range), and strong jaws ready to bite if a threat is sensed, although they've recently been more accustomed to eating plants. Her legs are short yet wirey, and seem to have been built for running. At two-and-a-half feet tall, this Growlithe may not seem imposing, but she's ready to hold her own in a battle.

Even though the difference in size between Peppy and Aurora is not too great, it's there. Peppy doesn't even know what he's getting into as he woofs a content little "Lithe!" before padding into the collection of plants, stumbling over the small ones as he basically misses the path Aurora made. He spots the other Growlithe squeezing through the bush, shifts his weight a little, and decides... maybe that's not the best idea for him to follow. Thankfully, there are enough bushes from outside reach, and the pup pretty quickly stumbles upon a nice little bunch of them - and begins to munch on a few of them, getting juice all over his muzzle and face. <Mmm!> he growls contentedly, grape liquid oozing out of his mouth. Yuck! <These are really tasty!>

Aurora grins at Peppy's words as she continues to wriggle through the undergrowth, then shuffles back slightly on her path and leans over to bite at the berry bush. Juice dribbles from her jaws as she eats, and she nods again to Peppy. <Yeah, they're really nice!> she says, though through a mouthful of berries it sounds nothing like that.

Peppy gulps down the berries, slurps his muzzle with another content little growl, and munches away at one or two more of the fruits. Wow. These are almost rivaling burgers - and these really do grow on trees! ... Tree, bushes, whatever. After a few moments, the pup swallows the chewed up sweet food, and looks to take some more. He happens to give the other pup a glance, however, and the sight of her enjoying herself (not to mention how silly she looks with her mouth stuffed with berries!) is enough to put a warm, deep smile on the pup's now-purlish face. <Hey... Um, Aurora?> Should she reply, glance at him, or give any hint at all that she heard him call her name, the pup will continue to woof a small, <... You said your mother told you when you were born. How long has it been since you saw her last? Was it six summers or less?> Interesting question. One that would probably seem a little more serious if berry juice wasn't smeared all over his face.

<Er... it must be... over four summers, now. I've been away for a long time.> Her berries eaten, Aurora starts to crawl back out of the tangle of bushes. <I never thought it was so long. A lot's happened to me since I left there... and we never got to go back and see her. Karen said we would, after we'd finished in Saffron-> The puppy stops, mid-step, and it's a few seconds before she unfreezes - and sinks down onto her paws, her head lowered so much that her nose almost touches the ground.

A Meowth kitten starts to chew on the database -- better save, quick! (Saving)

The berries are completely forgotten as Aurora seems to get depressed, and obvious worry becomes pretty visible on the pup's face as he narrows his eyes at her. It only takes a second to react before Peppy springs off the ground, ducking under, hopping over, and sidestepping the occasional obstacle in his way. He comes to a sliding stop (the ground's still a little muddy) and, with a tiny whimper, lowers his head to match Aurora's own. <Don't be sad,> the pup woofs gently, trying to comfort the other pup. <Maybe you'll see them soon.> With a little tail wag, Peppy woofs a very, very slightly more cheerful, <Maybe we both will. They can't be that far... right?> The thought to give Aurora a soft, comforting nuzzle does pop into Peppy's mind, but he doesn't move - maybe he's shy, maybe he's uncomfortable, or maybe he just doesn't feel it's the right time.

Everything is pale grey, veiled by mist. It's warm, humid, and still.

Aurora raises her head slightly, still looking at the ground. <It's a long way from here, across a big, big lot of water, that's what she said. And we were going to go back there after we'd finished in Saffron, but that's the day I ran away from her, and...> Her head droops back down, and the pup's shoulders start to shake a bit, though she remains silent - no sniffing or crying is audible.

Peppy simply whimpers once more, trying once again to lower his head to catch Aurora's eye. He's silent for a few moments, before woofing a very, very quiet, <You loved her very, very much, didn't you?> Given Peppy, it sounds like another one of his usual 'obvious' comments at first - but it sounds more like a question, like the pup is actually... confused about this and can't relate. The pup's chest sort of hurts right now, and he feels extremely... helpless. There's absolutely nothing he can do. Nothing at all. Growlithes can't cross big bodies of water, and they'd likely get lost if they went a long way. Frustrating.

Aurora freezes for a moment as Peppy's cheek touches her own, then she raises her head slightly and nuzzles back, giving a little sigh as she gets to her feet. <I do miss her a lot. I wonder how she is, and... there's so much I want to talk to her about. Like the places I've been, and people I've met, and...> She looks over at Peppy with a little grin, and then blushes and says quickly, <Should we get any more berries, or will the ones in the den be enough, do you think?>

Aurora doesn't run away, sling mud into his face, or Flamethrower him - Peppy can only consider his action a good thing. Retreating his head back, and smiling softly at Aurora's trailing comment, the pup woofs a little, <If we can't find your parents, then we'll find Karen. Someday, maybe, when... Berries!> The bark is loud, cheerful, and something of a contrast to the quiter mood Peppy was expressing only moments ago, and with an enthusiastic tail wag, the pup glances back at the berries, then at Aurora, then at the berries once more. <We should take a few more,> the pup woofs, shooting the sky a quick glance. <It might rain, and I wouldn't want to go out into the rain if we get hungry.> Whoa. Peppy using common sense. Not too common for him.

With a nod in reply, Aurora turns to the bush and grabs the base of a berry-laden with her teeth, tugging at it several times before it comes loose with the sound of bush-bark tearing. Holding it tightly in her jaws, she steps away from the bush a little way, giving Peppy space to tug off a bunch or a branch if he wants to.

A Meowth kitten starts to chew on the database -- better save, quick! (Saving)

Peppy's never actually torn a branch off of a bush before. He happens to find them lying on the ground, or just munches berries straight from the plant. Thus, he pays very, very close attention to how Aurora does it, just so as to make sure he doesn't botch it up. How can somebody botch up something like tearing a branch off of a bush? Peppy could find a way. Aurora yanks off the stick of the tree. His turn. Peppy steps forward, tries to adopt a similar body position as the female, and tugs. ... It doesn't come off. He tugs again! ... Nothing. He tugs and tugs and tugs! Nothing, nothing, not - snap! With a look of surprise on his face, the pup peers down... and notices he's got a branch in his mouth. With a bunch of berries. <I did it!> he growls contentedly, glancing over at Aurora as though he's so proud of his accomplishment. <That wasn't hard at all!> Some of the words (the ones not "Grrr"ed) come out garbled, of course.

Aurora grins as best she can with a mouthful of branch - the corners of her mouth curl up in a smile, but her jaws stay firmly gripping the berry-laden stick. <Let's go, then,> she says as best she can, and nods to Peppy to indicate that he should go first.

Victory still shining proud in the pup's eyes, Peppy growls a gentle little affirmation before taking... about two steps towards the den. Then he pauses for a moment. His grip on the food tightens a little, and he realizes that... well... he's not sure if he can recall the way home. Turning his head, he gives Aurora a look and a nod that says, 'Yes, I am fully competent and able to lead us home!' When he directs his attention back to the front, he's not quite so sure. After another small hesitation, Peppy begins to walk on, praying he's heading in the right direction. He'll probably stray off course once or twice.

Aurora follows Peppy out of the bushes, giving a little nod in reply when Peppy turns, and stepping slightly more quickly once she's out to catch up with him. Aurora takes the quickest route back to the den, trusting that Peppy will either know it anyway or follow her lead - although once she's outside the den, she leans over and deposits the branch on top of the first one, then steps back to wait for Peppy.

Everything is pale grey, veiled by mist. It's warm, humid, and still.

It takes him a little longer, because the pup probably couldn't find his way out of a 10 X 10 foot empty room, but Peppy does eventually make it back to the den after going the loooong way around. As he approaches the den, however, he blinks, furrows his eyebrows, and cocks his head a little. He sets the branch down outside the den - not quite on top of the neat little pile Aurora's made - and grins softly at the other Growlithe. <How did you make it here so quickly?> he woofs, a little twinkle in his eye... and real curiosity in his voice. He seriously doesn't know, apparently.

Aurora grins as she enters the den, pushing the branches to one side to avoid them being squashed, then backs out again, and picks up the third clump of berries. <Come in,> she says in a muffled voice as she settles herself in the den.

A Meowth kitten starts to chew on the database -- better save, quick! (Saving)

Peppy just sort of looks at Aurora while she organizes the branches, sets them to the side, adds his own stick to the pile, and so forth. The pup's not peering at her in a mocking tone or anything, however - having never done anything even remotely neat in his entire life, it's almost sort of interesting to the pup. With a small nod, the pup takes one last glance at the pile of sticks... gives Aurora a quick little glance... and a small grin. <Hey!> he woofs playfully, taking a small step forward. <You didn't answer my question!> And with that, the pup squeezes his way into the den, for the first time in six or seven months content to know that he's going to wake up to see food right in front of him. In Peppy's mind, at least, that's one of the greatest comforts.