Obvious exits:
South <S> leads to Pokemon Haven: Assisi Farm.
North <N> leads to Field and Streams - Route 11: Farmlands.

October has arrived.
Chilling rain pours from thick grey clouds, driven by a furious northeast wind. In the forest, gusts of wind tear through the tree limbs and howl around rocks. Red, orange and gold leaves swirl past you on the wind. While at the coast, the grey ocean lashes at the coast angrily as the autumn storm pelts the waves.

Yuck.

Look, all right. Wind is fine as long as it's sunny. Haze isn't that bad except for what it does to fur. And even though fog makes it hard to see and difficult to breathe, it's better than this.

Rain.

For as much as Peppy the Growlithe likes burgers, he hates rain. Well, Katerwauls, but he really hates rain a lot too. And yet, for whatever reason, he's still out in this weather, splashing through puddles, sloshing through mud. His head is low to the ground - and needless to say his muzzle is filthy. Sniff, sniff. Maybe he's out hunting. But can't he wait for a break in the weather or something? Apparently not. Though the pup ducks into this patch of grass, behind this tree, through these shrubs, he's still pretty much in plain sight. He's too busy concentrating on how much he *hates* rain to focus on hiding from things that could tear him apart.

Tear a Growlithe apart is not an easy job, let alone for a lone burger on a rainy day. Yes, a rainy day. For the drops that continuously fall from the sky are unanimously called Rain, and this so called Rain is falling from those great splotches of grey, unanimously called Clouds. Incidently, this forms the unexpected Rain Cloud phenomenon, and the ground, the shrubs, the trees and pokemon, all get a first hand account of this amazingly amazing wet sensation. As does the lone burger, if he were out at the current time. Instead, a hot dog is out. Yet the fact itself remains, that, <Did you know hot dogs are the cousins of burgers?> An energetic question, said in a form of quick, high yips that manage to somehow penetrate the pittar patter of the rain, and the blowing wind. The owner of the yipping voice, either talking with a more quiet companion or simply enjoying the underrated feats of schizophrenia, continues to talk after a few seconds. <Seriously, hot dogs are the distant cousins of burgers! Ever seen a burger?> The voice becomes louder, and the sloshing of mud slowly fades into existence as well. <Now, ever seen a hot dog? Not much of a difference, right? Right!> Right. <But both of them flee at the same manner. Off from the plate, onto the floor, around people's ankles, and into my mouth.> Elementary, Watson. But does the rain care? Hardly. Yet, somebody must care, because then a second voice joins the conversation, growing loud with every new sloshing of the mud. "Chao... because of you they threw us out of the restaurant." Emotions are hard to point out in this weak voice, but it was probably not very friendly, because then the yipper returns, sounding rather indignant. <So? At least you didn't have to pay.>

Being a Growlithe, Peppy himself -is- a hot dog! And he loves burgers! Man, you can just stick him into that conversation anyday. Unfortunately, Peppy's not in much of a talking mood - his hunt is going very poorly. It's partially because his nose is so stuffed up (maybe he's sick? Or maybe he's just inhaled too much mud), partially because his range of vision is approximately three feet thanks to all the water in his eyes (not that they'd help much in the semi-darkness anyway, what with his colorblindness), and partially because any concentrate he has is entirely and solely focused upon "Water. Hate. Rain. Hate. Rain. Water. Hate." Though his sight, mind, and smell are occupied with other tasks, his hearing is not, and as a result, the pup's sensitive ears pick up the voice of a bunch of yippings and yappings. He freezes. He only hears -that- the Vulpix is speaking, not exactly what the firefox is talking about - you can get that if he heard how Chao is talking about burgers, he wouldn't freeze. <What...> There's a little pause. Peppy's tail just sort of -drops-. <... Was that?> Oh, God. It's a Katerwaul or a Bulbasaur or Charizard or Scarewulf or Horsea or Jynx or Arcanine. It's gotta be.

October means Kats come out to 'play', save the data! Right away! (Saving)

One can see why a Growlithe will never win the lottery, what with such an error range. Also, the fact that Growlithes lack opposable thumbs, like many smart men have pointed out before, contributes to the matter to no end. But be hot dog, burger or just plain nuts, it matters not because few people bother themselves with the lottery with such a weather. <This is such a weather! Do you think a burger would've survived out here in the wild?> The yipping creature, designated as a Vulpix with a V, continues talking with a T. <Doubtful. With the help of a hot dog, though, a burger would have made wonders. Why, lettuce grows in the wild. As do tomatoes. A delicacy can be made!> The previous indignant tone is gone, as if it never existed, now replaced by triumph. However, it is shortlived as the human, voice now considerably louder, speaks. "Don't even think about it. You ran into enough forests already, searching for the Holy Hot dog." The sloshing continues, rhythmical, sounding almost like footsteps in nature. <Oh, bah. Party pooper. Like I'd go into a forest at this weather!> As if to prove the point, the rain beats harder for a second. But then, in a burst of impatience, "Chao! You -are- going into the forest at such a weather! You're just using me to do so." And the rain... continues... <...Whoa. Touchy.>

Oblivious to Peppy (and undoubtedly to October and his pokemon too) is the fact that the teenager is marching closer and closer to him. That would explain why more and more of the Vulpix's words are audible to him and aren't just "Vul"s and "Pix"es in the wind. Peppy picks up about four words: "burger" (of course), "grows", "wild", and "forest". His heart skips a beat. Could this be it? he thinks to himself, his tail suddenly springing up and wagging back and forth excitedly, the corners of his mouth perking up into a rather bright grin, a sparkling contrast to the gloomy rain. Could this be it, the path to the... the... burger tree? "Gro-o-owlithe!" Peppy lifts his head up to the sky and howls, the droplets of water splashing into the soggy fur on his face, his eyes slowly closing as he announces his presense. Chao might (or might not) detect it as what it is - not an angry howl, but simply one that says, "<I'm out here!>" Barking loudly into the rain (he still can't see very far), he shouts out to them, <Are you talking about the burger tree? Do you know where it is? Are you going there? Is it far? Can I come?> Has he been taking Naiad lessons?

Speaking of lessons, Chao Lesson #32 : <When everything else fails, fight! 'Everything else', is to panic and flee.> And Panic he does, as soon as he hears the howl. <Aiee! Monster!> The little beastling, lying on his trainer's backpack, head on human shoulder, jumps and begins digging at the aforementioned shoulder of flesh. "Wha-- Chao. Sto-- Chao!" A cringe and twist of the body, and the black umbrella held by the boy is caught in the wind, revealing the two beings of warm blood. In an amazing display of consideration, the rain begins to envelope the two in an attempt to keep them safe from whatever the umbrella was fending off before. How nice. <Ack! Rain!> Panic twice. "Chao, would you, hey! Get your paws out of ther-- Cha--" And then the boy hears the barks of the Growlithe. Energetic, loud and quite close. As for the rain... it beats down, weeping for Chao, the brave hero. For surely, when he meets with the Barking Beast, and a horrible battle ensues, though he'll cause great wounds to erupt on the foe, he himself will not venture out of the battlefield alive. <I'm too young to die.> He cries, but as no comfort comes from his trainer's side, the little fire fox pokes his head with a paw. <Hey. I said I was too young to die.> He's quickly shushed as the boy tries to find the location of the noise. <Hmph. See if I allow him to be mentioned in the great ballads of Chao.>

Peppy, Mightly Slayer of Rattatas (sick, young ones), doesn't receive a direct reply. He only gets a bunch of fearful squeals of fright, to which Peppy only sort of cocks his head. Who would be scared of him? He's a fellow Burger Tree Believer (like it's some kind of religion or something)! <... Are you still out there?> Peppy asks, despite the fact that he can clearly hear the Vulpix's cries. Plop, plop. Peppy takes two steps forward, lowering his head even further to the ground. If he stuck his tongue out right now, he could lap up some mud. Ew. This is something of a dilemma - what if it's a Katerwaul or Bulbasaur or etc. etc., but it knows about the burger tree? What if Peppy must face death and pain and... more death and pain in order to learn of the burger tree's secrets? The Growlithe woofs, <Where are you?>, though this is much quieter and more timid - he's more scared now that he realizes that he doesn't exactly know *what* is out there. Chao's too young to die, but Peppy's got a wife and kids (almost).

What's more important? The exuberant life force of youth, or the not-so-exuberant life force of not-so-youth? The first, of course. Although hot dogs top them all, in Chao's opinion. <Damn straight.> The Vulpix replies, rather cross with his trainer, the latter trying to silence his pokemon. "Chao, don't--" <Damn straight we're still here.> The fire type continues. <Now, come out and show your face, evil fiend, and let my human will teach you what happens when you cross paths with me!> "What? Hey!" The annoyed cry of the human goes unnoticed. The rain, however... <Say, Trainer Boy... think you can get the umbrella back in place?> The Vulpix quickly whispers before anything bad happens. Trainer Boy, not in the least bit amused by what is now transpiring right under his nose, seems to sulk rigidly, eyes still scanning the underbrush around him for the, apparent, wild pokemon.

The clouds darken further, rain drenching the landscape as evening approaches.

Okay. Peppy is not a very easy pup to annoy. Even after he's been out in the chilly rain for hours hunting frivilously, away from his mate, away from food, away from *warmth*, he's still not in an entirely bad mood. But this - being ignored - is icing on the cake that Peppy really doesn't appreciate. They are talking - but not to him. <Hello?> he woofs, now a little louder, now a little more annoyed. <Are you going to attack me or not? Because I'm really cold and wet and hungry, but I want to know about the burger tree.> He's more or less just wailing into the air and -hoping- they can hear him; he can't see far at all, he can't understand what they're saying, and his nose is too stuffed up to be of much help. Needless to say, his head is not directed at all towards them. It's almost perpendicular. Peppy plops down on his haunches, his rump smearing into the mud on the ground, and waits for a reply. If it's a Katerwaul, it should show itself so he can know whether to run or not!

October means Kats come out to 'play', save the data! Right away! (Saving)

A cold rain driven by a howling northeast wind drenches you while the clouded sky fades from grey to black.

Fun Katerwaul fact. It's not Chao or October! Not to mention The Chao wasn't ignoring the Growlithe, but rather challenging him to a duel to death with his human. Much to the trainer's chagrin. "Chao, just... just be quiet now." He requests, and surprisingly enough, the Vulpix complies. <Hey, Trainer Boy. Umbrella.> Almost. So thus, the umbrella is put back in position, albeit both beings underneath are now neatly drenched, and the trainer begins advancing into the greenery in the direction of the sound. For one must understand the qualities of memory. For one thing, it's there, which is already a plus. Secondly, it allowes a creature to review past events and think to itself hypothetical things, like, 'Hey. That sound is very familiar. A Growlithe. I met one before. This can't be bad. This doesn't sound bad. Let's go onward!'.Of course, hypotheticancy, not being a real word at all, ceases to exist once the said hypothetical event takes place, and that is exactly what happened here. So next week, pop quiz! Back to our heroes. "Yoohoo, anyone?" The boy calls out, trying to prompt the Growlithe to make another sound, while an annoyed Vulpix lies on his backpack, grooming his wet fur. <Bah.> Skillfully summarized the Vulpix's point of view, no doubt. But no other sound from the wild pokemon is required, as at that exact moment, the boy comes face to back with Peppy, making enough noise to make the creature take notice of his presence.

Shake, shake, shake. Peppy takes this opportunity now to shake himself dry. Though he gets wet again, like, a fourth of a second later, it does actually help to clear his vision a bit. And what does he see? A big... trainer... approaching him. "Gro-owlithe!" Peppy woofs, now leaping up to all four paws, taking this really, really weird looking defensive stance. Half of his balance is shifted to one side, one of his back paws is pivoted, and Peppy just generally looks like he's going to do one of three things: A: run, B: fight, C: just sort of trip over himself and fall to the ground. What he actually does is D: peer up at the boy, getting more and more uncertain of what he's supposed to do. "Lithe," he woofs, like an "<Uh>". Glance to the side. Peer at the ground. <You don't look like a Katerwaul,> Peppy arfs with a little eyebrow quirk, although he remains in his position. Remarkable observation skills, Peppy. Makes you wonder how he figured it out all by himself.

As a wise Professor once said - "Growlithes are not the most smart of creatures. Give them some food, and they'll eat it. Give them the boot, and they'll eat it as well." Ironically, the said Professor passed away a day later when an errant Growlithe chewed on his boot. While he was still wearing it. So instead, let's concentrate on what a wise Chao says at the sign of danger, no danger, and the confused Peppy. <Aiee!!> Not a very befitting behavior for brave and noble fire type, but it hardly matters, because for the second time that day it has come to pass, for October to go deaf in one ear thanks to a certain-- "Chao!" The trainer hisses, and the Vulpix freezes, paws already ready to borrow an escape tunnel in the boy's body. Luckily, for all parties involved, this position allows the Vulpix to get a better look at the creature down below, and lo! Once again, the Memory to the rescue. <Hey, don't I know you?>

The last light in the west begins to fail, heralding a stormy night.

Peppy would go a lot worse than eating boots when he's hungry, but that doesn't need to be brought up. The pup's ear twitches and he cringes into himself a bit when the Vulpix screeches. This Growlithe really -does- -not- -like- loud noises, and he woofs a bothered, <Stop yelling!> after Chao's done exploding. It's likely to help out October's own scolding. Shaking his head a little, Peppy's stance seems to fade a little bit - most likely not because he trusts October, but probably because he's been distracted. Peppy has the attention span of an M&M. An orange one, at that. <Know me?> The pup's eyes tread along the mud, over to October's boot, up his leg, stomach, chest, neck, face. <I don't think so.> Sniff, sniff, sniff. <You don't smell familiar, and even though I don't remember who belongs to what scent sometimes, I do remember if I've smelled a scent before.> Whatever that means.

Speaking of scents, there was that one time in Viridian, when Chao smelled something burning, only to discover he had set a few tables alight while trying to get to some strawberry shortcake, which was situated on a high held plate. Since then, it has formerly been known only as The Viridian Incident, and the restaurant nicknamed Area Filthy One. But it means little now, and Chao has since been seen with another strawberry shortcake in Pallet. <No, no, I'm sure I know you.> The Vulpix now insists, as we return to our heroes, standing in the rain in the middle of nowhere. "Chao, what's it saying?" The boy asks, eyeing the Growlithe with interest. <Shush, Trainer Boy." Trainer Boy frowns. <I'm always right, I'll have you know.> The fire type addresses the fire type. <And I'm sure I know you. I remember every creature that touches my hot dogs.> The boy sighs and rolls his eyes. <Hey, I saw that, Trainer Boy! I'll have you know I recall the time you ate my hot dog ala hot dog. A great French cuisine, it was.> The wind howls in responce. <Now, a'what's your name?> The Vulpix tilts his head at the pokemon below. <Ooh, ooh! Don't tell, lemme guess!> And with this burst of enthusiasm, the little beastling begins shooting out a long string of names, none of them really relevant to this story. That is, until he stumbles on the next name. <Aura? No, wait... Auroria? No no! Don't tell me, I know! ...Cecil?>

Peppy has met somebody weirder than him, and it's decisively scary. <Um,> Peppy half-whimpers, his ears droping down to the sides of his head. He seems almost intimidated. <I'm sure you don't know me,> the poor Growlithe woofs defensively, his stance becoming more and more weak as he scoots his paws further and further forward until he's almost in a sitting position. <Because I don't know you, and I don't even know what a hot dog is.> The hot dog doesn't know what a hot dog is. Know thyself is pshaw to Peppy. As Chao continues speaking, Peppy looks more and more perplexed. He's sinking... sinking... and suddenly, '<Auroria>'. Bing! Peppy practically snaps into attention, suddenly a -lot- more interested. <Aurora?> he woofs excitedly, his tail suddenly swaying back and forth rapidly, despite being weighed down with water. <I'm not Aurora, I'm Peppy! Aurora's...> There's a visibly change here as Peppy puffs out his chest a bit, gets this oh-so-proud look in his eyes, and, his voice actually dropping a bit (he's so manly!), he continues. <She's my mate!>

Wailing wind blows rain through the darkness.

October means Kats come out to 'play', save the data! Right away! (Saving)

Somewhere, somehow, a pack of rabid fangirls shudder simultaneously as Peppy's voice drops. A few seconds later, a pack of worried mothers quietly phones the hospital, asking for Doctor Himmelfaber. Phd. Meanwhile, the little Vulpix blinks down at the Growlithe, his failed attempts at guessing his name not intimidating him at all. <Yeah, like, yeah! Aurora. That's it. I knew it all along, you know?> Feeling rather left out, the boy glances sideways, before attempting another sentence. "Excuse me, bu--" <Shush, Trainer Boy.> He fails. <But, wait, let me get this. You're not Aurora.> The bushes rustle in the wind. <You're Peppy.> The rain patters. <You're Aurora's mate.> A distant thunder makes itself known to the world. Silence ensues. That is, someplace else. When Chao's around, silence never gets a strong vote. <Whoa! She didn't say anything about mate when I met her. Whoa! Are you sure you're who you say you are? Whoa! All she did was eat some of my hot dogs. Whoa!> Whoa... <Hot Dog Central, these are news!>

Rabid fangirls? Ignorant to the fact that he seems to have a fan club, Peppy nods enthusiastically in reply to Chao, adding in his own little comment. <Right. She's going to have puppies soon!> He pauses for a moment or two, before adding, <Mine and hers!> Which would explain the whole "she's my mate" thing, yeah. He pauses for a second, twitching once or twice as the rain picks up a tad and raindrops bounce off of his muzzle, splashing into his eyes. <Are hot dogs these long things that taste a tiny little bit like burgers except aren't because they're long soft things, while burgers are two soft things with a hard thing in the middle?> Notice the tail wag, this really interests him. His description is clear, eh? <Because if those are hot dogs, then she gave some to me, but we weren't mates, then. But we are now!> Yes, just bring it up again.

Check that, mate! Ayeaye, cap'n! Ship to starboard! Bawk! Chao straightens slightly at Peppy's description of food, finding it to be a rather crude attempt at trying to describe the heavenly things that are hot dogs. Thus, the whole 'Mate' thing goes into one red ear, and comes right out of the other as the fire type shudders at Peppy's butchering of the nutrient resource. The boy just blinks, holding the umbrella rather stupidly. <Oh oh, no no no. You've got it all wrong. Hot dogs aren't long, soft things.> "Yes they are." Chao huffs. <Aaw, be quiet, mein human.> Yes, oh fraulein. Chao twitches. <Hot dogs are like the joy of a hot summer day. Hot dogs are like the pride in a battle well fought. Even better hot dogs are like a battle well won! Hot dogs, why, they're like midnight, a humid spring day, as the moon shines down on you and the crickets sing of your brave deeds! Hot dogs, they're like that little extra spice that makes existence extra nice! Or even, that huge extra spice. Hot dogs are like... like...> And at that ponderous moment of glory, Chao the Great zones out, eyes sparkling, tails wagging... mouth drooling. Chao the Brain has left Chao the Building. His trainer, however, is not impressed, and after looking around quite aimlessly, he finds himself staring at the Growlithe. "Um... hello."

Peppy has met his evil twin. A fire-type who is extra hyper and raves about hot dogs. Somewhere in the back of his heart, Peppy suddenly feels an empty spot. It's sort of like looking into a mirror and seeing the person looking back at you isn't quite who you expected. Actually, it's not very much like that at all. <They weren't bad,> Peppy woofs softly, giving Chao the slightest of grins and a very slight tail-wag. And the truth is that they weren't - but Chao's talking about them like they were *burgers* or something, and hot dogs aren't anywhere near Burger Level, some unattainable height where absolutely nothing edible is near. <Um,> Peppy looks up at October, looking all cute (if not completely soaking wet), and gives him a little smile, wider than the one he gave Chao. "Growlithe!" he greets.

Icy rain pours from grey-black clouds driven by a howling northeast wind.

'Let he who hunts burgers beware, for when you gaze into the abyss, it also gazes into you'. It would seems as if the Abyss has finally found dear ol' Peppy, here, in the rain. It would also seem that the Abyss is currently in a world of its own, dreaming about the nectar of the gods, the chariots of fire and of undeniable pleasures of the flesh. <Ooh, hot dogs...> Sorta. October continues to stare at the Growlithe, perhaps waiting for Chao to continue babbling, but when a voice speaks again, it's the trainer's. "You're a fire type." He comments, only realizing how silly that must have sounded a second later. "Oh, I mean. That is. What I meant." Again, a second later he realizes how silly it must be, stuttering like that before a pokemon. So instead, he remains silent and takes a step forward while slightly altering the position of the umbrella. If Peppy would remain still, he would suddenly find a large umbrella above him, protecting him from the rain. Undoubtedly, the rain must also be a fangirl of Peppy, clinging to him like water does to wet fur... but it is common knowledge water and fire don't mix.

Eh, no biggie. Peppy's almost always out in the rain for this reason or that - as much as he hates it, he's practically resistant to the weather now. Peppy steals a glance back at the Vulpix (eh, Abyss), still mumbling about the food that's not-really-as-good-as-burgers-but-I-guess-isn't-really-bad. The pup just sort of grins. <Sometimes when I think about burgers I get like that. One time I did it to Aurora-> Right here, October puts the umbrella over his head. So now Peppy's just really really wet, not really really wet and getting wetter. Whoo hoo. He gives October a little grin, though he doesn't verbally express his gratitude. <... And even though she didn't say it, I think she was getting annoyed because she was trying to sleep but I wanted to talk about burgers.> What a wonderful relationship the two have! <It's late,> Peppy notes, entirely off-topic and completely spontaneously. Okay.

It's late. But seeing as how this so called Late is a relative matter, it'll be handled at a later date. Of course, the entire speech made by Peppy is lost on October, for never in his life has he heard a Growlithe for more than thirty minutes, ando only the last few words are heard by Chao, who has by now snapped out of his hot dog induced trance. <What? Talk about burgers? Why? I mean, sure, considering the thing's a cousin of hot dogs, it's inevitable for the little buggers to get some spotlight. But still!> As the rain continues to beat down, now stronger, colder, and less visible thanks to the darkened sky, Trainer Boy himself makes a mental note about the late hour. <Shush, Trainer Boy.> October blinks and glares at his pokemon. "What? I didn't say anything." <Oh...> The Vulpix ponders that for about a fifth of a second before regrouping with his mind. <But you were about to! I just know it!> Sensing that a rebuttal would be wasted here, the boy simply remains silent, and the fire type looks at the Growlithe, waiting.

October means Kats come out to 'play', save the data! Right away! (Saving)

He's not going to reply. He's not going to reply. Nope, no reply out of this - <Burgers are better than hot dogs!> ... Dangit, he replied. Peppy is almost seeming to take the slightest bit of offense here as he rocks forward into a very, very, very slightly more offensive stance, looking at Chao as if to say, 'C'mon, you know I'm right. Challenge me, I know burgers are better.' Boy, testosterone can do *really* weird things sometimes. Peppy shoots October a very quick glance, not a threatening or intimidating one, just a glance to see how he's going to react. Peppy is 100% positive he's right here, because to him, nothing tastes better than burgers. Nothing. Ever. No, really.

Do. A dear. A burger meal. Re. A really tastey treat. Mi, the meat is on the go. Fa. Down Peppy's famous intes-tiiine. October, not understanding the Growlithe language, merely returns a thoughtful look to Peppy's glance. However, it is not too hard to guess what has just been said from Chao's responce. First, the beastling blinks at the Growlithe's reply, almost as if saying 'Excuse me?'. <Excuse me?> Nevermind. Then, he gasps and gasps some more. <Gasp!> The rain patters in unison with his cry. <Burgers are better than... Whoa, there, Pepe, you got it all wrong again.> Another distant thunder is heard, and Trainer Boy checks his watch. <Burgers simply can't rival the sheer brilliance behind the hot dog model. The simple mind boggling feel of the meat on your tongue. The incomprehensible, truth bending taste of the juicy product. What's more, hot dogs most often move in packs. Have you ever seen burgers move in packs? I haven't!> And thus the defence rests its case, while October becomes somewhat giddy, considering the time. "Chao--" <Shut up, Trainer Boy. Dignity is on the line, here!>

Peppy's gone from almost taking offense to actually taking serious offense. Peppy's fuzzy face scrunches up as he gives Chao the most threatening glare he's ever gave off. He looks seriously angry, as is evident from his growling, his erect tail, his eyes. <Hot dogs are not better,> he barks, his voice low and threatening. <Burgers are a lot bigger. And... and...> Dangit. Sometimes it really stinks being a Growlithe of few words. Peppy glares once more - but this time it's not at the Vulpix. No, this time it's south - past a tree, over a bush, in the general direction of the barn. Look back at Chao. <I should go now.> Maybe he fortells himself losing this argument. Sometimes it stinks to be dumb, and he knows it. His eyes change from angry to simply upset, humiliated, pretty much submissive. Aww - poor Peppy.

Oh, so the Growlithe knows it's bad to be dumb? Well, the first step in fixing a problem is admitting a problem exist. Now if Peppy would just follow 99 more steps, he'll find the path for Intergalactic Success! ...With burgers! October, somewhat alarmed by the Growlithe's sudden change of mood, tries once again to initiate contact with his Vulpix. "Ch--" <Oh, forget it! This Peppy here will never get it right.> But then, ignoring the sudden cold wind that has picked up, the fire type gets that freamy look in his eyes again. <But if you were to, say... merge them... mix them... with lots of hot dogs..... together..... rrruff...> Commence drooling operation, dampness inevitable. Once again, it is lala-land for Chao, but October is still present in this dimension, and Peppy's second change of mood is evident enough for him. Feeling sorry for the pokemon, the boy feels around the pockets of his coat. "Hi again. Um, me and Chao must get going now and..." A worried look is given to the Vulpix, as if he is expected to interrupt, but he doesn't. "So, like... here." The boy grins as he finds what he had been looking for. A white napkin, the four corners tied together, holding something spicey and tube-like inside. Hot dogs! "I mean, if you're hungry." The boy offers the little bundle to the Growlithe, hoping Chao won't decide to suddenly confiscate the hot dogs in the name of Sir Chao the First.

Peppy's looking upset. Really. Upset. This is what he's wanted! Somebody else who eats burgers! Somebody else who has actually taken a burger, stuffed it into their mouth, and chewed! And here he is, unable to defend their dignity! It's so sad. <Aurora's probably waiting...> Peppy whimpers under his breath, his attention straying in the general direction of the barn. Maybe he's just looking for an excuse to get away? <I sh-> And then he blinks. His green eyes focus upon the napkin. His head cocks very, very slightly. He peers at them for a couple moments, before glancing up at October. <For me?> he asks, as though he's not quite sure what the boy is doing with them. Even if October replies, he won't take them right away - he'll just sort of stare at them, as if he's surprised beyond belief. This is like food from nowhere. That rocks.

Actually, October doesn't reply, seeing as how he does not understand Peppy talk, but he does bring the napkin a little closer to the pokemon's face, as if to pass a point. Chao, being Chao, is in a momentary heaven of his own, dreaming about hot dogs, burgers, and-- <Oo, yes, a little to the left... ooooh...> ...Moving on! The rain continues to patter on the already muddy earth, the dark clouds hiding the stars and moon from view. Peppy had better take the hot dogs soon, because October is going to need a free hand to grab a flashlight. <Heehee, no, come on, that tickle-- OOH!> ...Concluding Chao's experiences in the dream world, and moving on...

Peppy sort of winces a little, though whether it's because of the rain or if it's because Chao is having a very, uh, dreamy dream is uncertain. Whatever the case, Peppy remains peering at the hot dog for just a moment longer, before snatching up the napkin in his mouth, being extra careful not to bite October's hand. If there's one thing he learned from his days as a trained pokemon, it's that humans really don't like it when you bite their hands. <Thangs!> Peppy woofs with his mouth full of napkin-goodness. He's not quite eating the hot dogs just yet; perhaps he's saving all of the sausages for his mate? Awww, how sweet. <I really awtuh go now, beguz Aurowa mide get wurried.> Still, Peppy doesn't start marching back to home. Maybe he's waiting for October's consent.

An English-Growlithe Dictionary might come in handy at the moment. But since no dictionary is available, and since October's hand is seemingly intact, no real consent is given. Just a blank stare that last a few long seconds. Then, "Me and Chao should really go now. It's too dark and stormy..." A flashlight is produced from another coat pocket with the intact hand and clicked on. Bright! <Ooh, yes, now to the right... woo, I knew it! The hot dog van went right!> And with that Chao returns to the real world. <Hm? Wha? Hey! What's he doing with that napkin in his mou--> "Shut up, Chao." Revenge time. <Pardo--> "Vulpix, keep quiet. We're leaving." The Vulpix blinks incredulously. <Bu--> "Shush!" With a wave of the flashlight towards Peppy, the boy turns around and goes back the same way he had come, a small fire type yipping by his ear. <You gave him my hot dogs. You... you... traitor!>

October means Kats come out to 'play', save the data! Right away! (Saving)

Icy rain pours from grey-black clouds driven by a howling northeast wind.

Peppy can't help but snort very slightly as October and his Vulpix walk off, the edges of the Growlithe's mouth perking up in amusement. Shaking his head very slightly, Peppy's tail begins to wag as he whirls around and starts to plod his way through mud, through rain, over bushes, around trees, and so forth. Hey - he went out hunting for Rattatas today, and came out with hot dogs. Aurora said she loves hot dogs! And so, feeling very cheerful (even if he did lose The Burger Conversation), Peppy heads on back home. Let's just hope he can make it; Peppy got lost in Patch's -house- all the time, it'll probably be harder to find the barn in nighttime rain. ... Huh, boy...