Contents:
Janelle
Obvious exits:
Way around City <WAC> leads to Pokemon Route 13: Sunny Town.
Northwest <NW> leads to Sunny Town: Town Square.
East <E> leads to Fuchsia City: Twincity Beach.

The sky is cloudless and brilliant blue. The northwest wind is icy, blowing snow across the landscape in swirling white gusts. In the forest, blowing snow drifts against the trunks of the trees, clinging to their windward sides. While at the coast, the sea sparkles brilliantly under the sun, the waves rolling crisply against the shore in a light froth of white.

It's impossible to enjoy the sunny aspects of Sunny Town when the snow upon the ground is blowing up and into your face. Melissa Barlette, a citizen of Pewter City, is learning this now as she stumbles down the beach, covering her face with her palm outward as the wind rushes into her. She wears no mittens, and the warmest clothing she has on is a sweater. Somebody expected a nice week, and somebody is rather surprised. "Ooo!" the teenager growls to herself as her brown hair dances and darts in the gusts, tangling with itself. "I thought... gruff!" She almost trips over a stone covered in white, and hops forward twice before regaining her balance. Stupid beach. "... I thought it was going... to be nice today!" she growls to herself as she marches on. Though it may be difficult for a passerby to see through the snow, Melissa has one very special mark about her. It's a little plush dog, which she has pinned neatly and perfectly above the left side of her breast.

This is definately not the peak season for beach combers or sun bathers, but there does seem to be at lest one beauty taking in the sultry yet pleasant surroundings. Walking along just beyond the water's frigid fingers, Janelle Roberts looks a little more prepared for the cold. Wrapped inside several layers which end in jeans, a hooded sweatshirt and a light wind breaker, the girl's long legged gait carries her along the beach before she breaks off and heads farther from the lapping blue of the ocean. Nestled in her arms is a round ball of cream and brown. The athlete talks to this obstruction in soft tones as she walks. Glinting gentle as she turns, a cat pin can be seen on the lapel of her wind breaker. Janelle raises her eys from her boots and gazes up the beach. Who have we here?

It's pure chance that Melissa even notices Janelle through the blinding snow and her fogging glasses. The teenager comes to a stop and flicks the hand covering her face around to snatch up her glasses. She attempts to find a dry spot on her snow-covered garments, but the best she can come up with is "not very wet". Rub, rub, rub. Placing the glasses back on her nose, the seventeen year old blinks a few times, inhaling as she does, turning her head to examine the area. Her attention settles upon a nonstationary object. Only a few bits and pieces of Janelle are visible through the snow, and Melissa, quite automatically, tenses slightly as the other girl get closer. "W... who's there? Hello?" she calls into the whiteness, nervously bringing her left hand up and her right hand down to cross her arms over her chest.

Janelle's hood is up and the sound is muffled slightly but she catches it and tosses back a brief, "Hi, umm, I'm Janelle." She alters her course toward the sound and squints against the invading army of whiteness. "Mrrr," a lazy voice mutters against the weather. The bundle in her arms shifts slightly and the teen adjusts herself so as not to drop the furry object. The other girl is coming into view as more of a whole now, and Janelle smiles a bit as she first sets eyes on this stranger. No coat. She notes, shaking her head slightly as she continues to appraoch in her slowest lilting walk, her head tipping to the side a bit so that her hood shifts and allows her a better view. From within the hood a pair of bright green eyes look appraise Melissa, waiting for her reply.

Even as the blurred figure speaks, her voice by no means scary or threatening, Melissa jumps a bit, shifting her stance uncomfortably and frowning. "Melissa," she says plainly, softly, as Janelle approaches with her little mass in hand. The timid girl's frown fades softly at the sight of a little bundle of something being carried by the stranger, and the girl's mind races to wonder what it could be. Ms. Barlette opens her mouth to speak, but out of the corner of her eye, she spots something very interesting about this newcomer. The little cat plush. Melissa's question switches. "Oh! Uh... heh, you... are you... heh..." Blush. The teenager turns her head to the side, eyes shifting to the ground, body tensing up. "... Is that your entry into, uh, the, um, th-the Cats and Dogs tournament thing?" Still not looking at Janelle, the Pewter trainer pats her own dog plush.

Janelle stops, her lips tweaking into a wide grin at the other. Melissa, huh. The athlete nods to herself, accepting this information and then affirms the girl's suspicions. "Yeah, this is Savvy," she says, pronouncing the name and letting drip from her tongue like honey. The soft z and v sounds gentle and almost elegant. A pair of dark ears emerge and the Meowth looks Melissa over and grins in a feline manner, green eyes squinting amiably against the weater. "You out here to battle?" Janelle states the obvious, looking to the dog the other teen sports and then sizing the girl up again to see what she is made of.

The sky is cloudless and brilliant blue. The northwest wind is icy, blowing snow across the landscape in swirling white gusts.

Shadows lengthen and the light turns golden as the sun sinks toward the west through a clear sky.

Melissa catches sight of the pokemon out of the corner of her eye, and she has to clench up her chest to keep from squealing. "A Meowth!" she whispers, her teeth clenching together. Her eyes shoot up to the little pokemon, and the teenager takes a good five seconds to simply smile at the little feline, looking all snug and absolutely adorable. "Oh! Oh, right, um, battle. Yeah, um, Crysta... um, my pokemon is ready to go. Do you, uh, have a coin?" Even as she speaks, Melissa's eyes keep flickering back to the little normal type. This girl, it seems, is a sucker for cute things.

And cute is Savvy's middle name. Savvy stretches languidly, drapping over Janelle's arm and smiling. <Ah yes, miserable day but why not a battle, hmm? And then a stirring course of hot and sour Rattata soup....> the cultured cat comments. "Sure thing," Janelle says with a slight giggle at the other teens reaction to her little chief gone warrior. The lanky teen lowers the Meowth and drops her gentle to the snowy ground. Savvy picks up one foot after another shaking them in disapproval, then sighs and awaits the battle. Janelle reaches into her coat pocket and retrieves a coin. "Call it!" she utters, flipping the coin carefully into the air.

The Meowth is -talking-! "Aww-" Melissa has to catch herself before she melts into a liquid mass of charmed goo. "Heads!" the teenager cries as the little coin jumps into the air, twirling and spinning in the sparkles of snow. Melissa idly rubs her fingertips upon her pokemon's pokeball before removing it from the belt. She does not release the creature inside yet. "Humm..." she mutters as Janelle presumably catches the coin, and leans over to see the results. Idly, the girl feels a chill run down her back from the cold, but she ignores it.

Melissa rolls 1 die: <6>
Janelle rolls 1 die: <6>

Melissa rolls 1 die: <3>
Janelle rolls 1 die: <4>

Melissa's stats changes have been set to 0. She is ready to battle.
Janelle's stats changes have been set to 0. She is ready to battle.

The tide is high and ebbing.

The result? "Tails," Melissa mutters to herself, running a halfway numb hand through her blowing hair. She gives her opponent a nod, glances down at the Meowth, and gives Savvy some last smile before retreating backward a few steps. She takes her place a fair distance from Janelle, and runs her hand through her hair once more. "Okay, CrystalFire..." she whispers softly, closing her eyes, raising the device to her chest and running her right hand's fingers down its cold side. "You were a gift from Wesley... s... so I know you won't let me down! Go!" And with that, the girl tosses the pokeball at the ground. It lands on a soft bedding of snow, and in a flash of light that contrasts with the white emerges a completely snow white Growlithe with little black markings. She blinks once, twice, and peers up at the snow. <... Melissa?> the little one asks. Though reaching full maturity, she's quite obviously not an adult yet. <... Is now the time?> The Growlithe plops down on her haunches as she waits for a reply, her bushy tail waggling back and forth.

Uh oh! The Rockets are scheming! Better save than sorry! (Saving)

Ready or not, her comes Savvy! The Moewth runs her tongue over her paw and looks to Janelle with yet another feline grin. "Read?" Janelle asks, pacing back as far as she dares to in the blinding conditions. Everything seems set so she turns to the cat. "Ok, Shake-n-Bake!" she calls to the aristo-cat. Savvy stretches and then leaps into action, one Bite, coming right up! Jaws beginning to open in a toothy grin, the Meowth launches herself at the Growlithe, a creamy mess, only her dark points stand out in the snowy background. If the canine doesn't get up and get moving, she will be wearing a new coat and recieve a piercing or two.

The evening stars come out as the red-orange sun sinks below the horizon.

"Grrrowlithe?" CrystalFire asks her trainer once again, a tiny little smile perking up the corners of her mouth, her bright blue eyes shining in the white environment. "Go on, CrystalFire! ... Eek! Here it comes!" The poor Growlithe hardly has a second to react. Her head whiplashes to the front, and with a yip of fright, she ducks low to the ground, sending the Meowth flying right over her head. <Hey!> cries the snow white pokemon, popping up to all four paws. <Grr, I'll show you!> Her voice doesn't sound particularly angry, but she's not exactly playing with the Meowth either! <I'll use a-> "Flamethrower, CrystalFire!" <... Flamethrower!> Bracing her paws into the ground, CrystalFire lifts her head up, inhales deeply, and spits out a large burst of searing flames toward the feline pokemon. Melissa hopes that having the Meowth caught off balance will allow for an accurate attack, but she hopes to not underestimate the cat's speed.

Baked, not broiled, Savvy yowls as the flames lick over her hind quarters and then she spins to circle to the left in a small arc. "Eee," Janelle sucks her breath in at the firey blast, "keep moving! Hit and run!" Janelle coaxes. The Meowth flattens her ears to her skull and then begins a fast duck and weave back at the Growlithe, as she approaches, she leaps and spins her body, trying to rake her claws along the white canine's side in an on the run Slash. Being slow meant being burned. Janelle takes a moment to look the beautiful poekmon over, her lips smiling in approval.

"Go, CrystalFire! Go!" As the gust of wind swirls snowflakes around her, Melissa, infused with sudden energy, points powerfully ahead, her eyes locked on the battle, her voice loud and commanding, no longering feeling the cold around her. CrystalFire, perhaps feeling her trainer's enthusiasm (or perhaps just letting lucky), perks up her eyes, senses the Meowth coming, and immediately pounces to the side, hurling herself into the snow in an attempt to camoflague. It works beautifully; the poor Meowth's claws don't even nick her fur. "Take Down, CrystalFire!" Melissa calls, her arms crossing across her chest. <Haven't hit me yet!> CrystalFire taunts, though she's more or less inspiring herself than trying to bring down the Meowth. Kicking off of the snow, her paws gripping the sand under the snow, her legs struggling to move fast, the snow white Growlithe hurdles herself towards Savvy, and, at the pivotal moment, jumps into the air and attempts to pounce the Meowth and Take her Down.

This would be called a white wash and Savvy is most unappreciative. She wails and hisses as her eyes, nose and mouth fill with snow, the weight of the larger pokemon pushing her small body in. "Savvy!" Janelle calls urgently, stepping forward a half step and then freezing, hands clenched in little fists and worry creasing her brow. The feline hisses and squirms in maddening desperation as the snow melts into her plush coat. Instinct drives her and she fights, trying to get to her belly and rabbit kick the canine, the attack, Fury Swipes as she fights for her freedom.

Melissa only has a split second to react, and her decision isn't the best it could have been. Even before Melissa calls out to her pokemon, CrystalFire has already begin to dart this way and that to avoid the attack. "G... get out of there, CrystalFire!" Idly, in the back of the white pokemon's mind, she wants to *attack*! Fight! Now! While the Meowth is right there in front of her! But Melissa's voice echoes into the air, and the Growlithe has no choice but to comply. "Agility! Go!" The puppy gives the cat one last glance, before bursting into a sprint, attempting to run a very wide circle around the Meowth - not to confuse her, but to escape from her.

The stars glitter like diamonds in the deep sapphire blue of the night sky.

Janelle sighs with relief as the Growlithe retreats giving Savvy a chance to get to her feet. This strategy wasn't working. "Ok, Savvy, Payday!" Janelle offers when the feline pokemon appears ready to proceed. Savvy bobs her head and then attempts to focuse on the Growlithe, as she tracks the almost impossible to see canine, she rubs a paw over her medalion encrusted forehead and launches a barrage of golden objects at the course just ahead of CrystalFire. Hopefully this golden hail storm will slow her down.

"CrystalFire! Watch out!" Melissa jumps forward a step, placing weight on her right knee, her eyebrows furrowed and locked on her white pokemon. Though the snow-furred puppy is difficult to see through the small blizzard, CrystalFire's chocolate stripes occasionally flash, and that's the easiest way for Melissa to keep track of her Growlithe. "Grrr... rowli!" she yips, glancing over her shoulder. The Meowth has caught up to her, and the little pup can hardly react in time to see the golden coins hurling toward her. <Eek!> she barks, immediately diving to the side and staying low to the ground, clamping her paws on top of her head and sticking her muzzle into the snow. By some miracle, she avoids getting hit. She does not move until Melissa calls out "Ember, CrystalFire!" Now a little more scared, a little less excited, a lot more tired, the Growlithe straightens her stance, turns to the Meowth (who may still be recovering from the Payday), and opens her mouth wide, spitting out a wide burst of flames. Though this Ember attack lacks the range of the Flamethrower, it makes up for it in width and overall thickness.

The flames cut through the snowy evening and the panting Meowth is too exhausted to do anything but tun her whiskered head away from teh licking flames. "Ahh, Savvy," Janelle says, feeling the pain and worrying aobut her companion. <That's it! No soup for you!> the little spitfire of a feline informs the Growlithe. Hmm, do Growlithes like Ratatta soup anyway? Well, if she is going down, it will be in a blaze of glory. Savvy summons all she has and charges head on at the larger pokemon again, she leaps into the air, claws splayed and ready, attempting to at least draw some blood on her foe. Janelle clenches one fist tighter, the other slipping into her coat to retrieve a small sphere.

Uh oh! The Rockets are scheming! Better save than sorry! (Saving)

The icy northwest wind howls, blowing snow about in savage gusts. The cold is intense. The sky is clear deep blue and the stars glitter, brilliant as diamonds.

But again, CrystalFire is able to see it coming. She once again dives to the side, rolling over once onto her back and back onto her paws, and struggles to get back to all four paws. Melissa was afraid of this; like a typical youth, CrystalFire has terrific speed and energy, but it dies out very, very quickly, and her spirit and heart drains rapidly. "Don't... don't lose focus, CrystalFire!" Melissa cries, half pleading, directing a point at the Meowth. "Take a couple seconds.... and Growl!" CrystalFire closes her eyes for a second, inhales deeply (she's short on breath; on regular breathing, she wouldn't be able to growl for even a couple seconds), and Growls, her teeth bared, her eyes pointed at the Meowth, trying to keep aggressive but quickly getting tired.

Savvy is stubborn. For a moment, the Growl deters her and she hisses and sidesteps, back arched and legs stiff, then, the attacks again, chosing her own way. Janelle watches, biting her lip. She won't stop the cat since she seems to want to do this. White teeth flash again and the Meowth comes after the Growlithe, attempting to sink those small, pointy spears into her thick hide. The feline /wants/ to leave her mark on this battle, but is her will strong enough to goad her weary body on?

Crunch. One of CrystalFire's eyes widens larger than the other, and the white creature thrusts her head up to the air, howling to the sky. "Groo-o-o-ooowlithe!" It's perhaps a slight overexaggeration; the cut is not deep, and no blood trickles down. "CrystalFire!" Rrgh. The puppy thrashes about, placing her rump in the snow and whimpering piteously to herself. She's too young, Melissa thinks to herself. She needs to learn to accept pain more. "Don't you d-dare give up yet, girl! Quickly - strike back... with y-your own Bite attack!" The Growlithe has a positively apathetic look on her fuzzy face until Melissa gives away her plan. A Bite attack. CrystalFire's pained face warps into more of an evil grin, and she kicks off of the sand towards the Meowth, perhaps catching him off guard, and attempts to take a Bite out of the Meowth's own hide - if possible, aiming for the same area the Meowth bit on her. What a vengeful little pup!

The Meowth is an easy target, her reflexes are slow and she is lightly charred and sore. With a last hiss, the Meowth gives in to the blackness as the Growlithe chomps down on her back. Janelle fears the position of the canine's teeth and the pokeball shoots up. "Savvy, return!" she wails urgently. Perhaps it was a fluke, or perhaps she underestimated this trainer, but the athlete isn't fond of losing. Clutching the ball to her chest, she walks smoothly to Melissa and attempts to grab her hand and shake it vigorously. "Good job. What a stunning and energetic Growlithe you have! It was nice to meet you and good luck," she says, pushing past the girl and then hustling on her way. "PokeCenter, mmmph mpph," she calls back over her shoulder as she excuses herself, one tear trickling down her cheek. Is it for her injured friend or the lose? No one will ever know.

Melissa blinks as the Meowth goes down, all passion and fire sipping out of the girl and dissipating into the air. "... ... My goodness, CrystalFire. I didn't know you could do that." The Growlithe is licking her poor hide wound by the time Melissa recalls her, almost as if the puppy is unaware of the victory she just pulled on a tough opponent. "Um... um, bye! ... Bye..." Melissa raises her hand to wave as Janelle rushes off, but it slowly comes down as she sees the pained expression on the running girl's face. "... Oh." The Pewter girl glances down at her pokeball for a moment, before lifting up her head. The wind picks up, and her hair dances in the night wind. She is silent for a minute or so, before mumbling, "Thanks... Wes." With that, she slowly begins to trek across the snow-covered beach towards the Pokemon Center to retire for the night.