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

Towering white clouds drift slowly through the blue sky. It's hazy and hot, and the glare of the sun seems to drain the color from the landscape. Here and there, groups of colorful Butterfree can be seen flying towards the ocean. In the forest, the shade under the deep green leaves of the trees is welcome relief from the hot glare of the sun. While at the coast, the sea sparkles in the brilliant sunlight, the waves rolling merrily against the shore.

The weather is very nice today. The furious storms of the Spring and early Summer have started to die down, and as the sun burns down on the landscape below, Peppy marches along, head turned to the ground, tongue just hanging out of his mouth lifelessly. The dog himself just seems very tired - or perhaps not tired. Maybe he's just... <Hungry!> he barks to himself suddenly, his tail giving a quick flick of life before drooping once again. His nose twitches slightly as he takes in some quick sniffs, trying to catch the scent of anything edible. He hasn't eaten in... what, two hours? Two hours is a long time when you're Peppy.

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

What with such wonderful, non-rainy weather, a certain other Growlithe has taken the opportunity to enjoy the sunshine - Aurora is dozing at the edge of the road, her tail flicking slowly from side to side, and her eyes half-open as she watches the world go by.

Peppy's tummy gives off a very light little growl that just cries '<Feed me already!>'. In reply to his starving stomach, the pup himself growls a gentle, <I'm looking, I'm looking!> With an annoyed little grimace, Peppy glances away from the main road as a little wind blows into his face. It's too hot to find food today, the Growlithe thinks to himself as he walks on, wondering what he's going to do. He really -really- needs to find that burger tree and fast - two hours without food is two hours spent suffering.

Aurora opens one eye a crack more, and sniffs the air lazily - at a familiar scent, her ears prick up, and she woofs a question. <Peppy, is that you?> Slowly, what with the unexpected warmth of the day, she climbs to her feet and shakes herself, stretching after her nap.

Trudge, trudge, trudge. The way Peppy's carrying himself, it looks almost like he's miserable - which would be natural on a rainy day, but not quite when the sun is shining and the sky is sparkling. Aurora starts barking, and Peppy comes to a sudden and complete stop, his right paw remaining suspended in air, his head ascending. One glance and a quick sniff is all Peppy needs to determine just who this other Growlithe lying on the ground in front of him is. <Aurora?> Then, with a little more certaintly, <Hi, Aurora!> Making a conscious note to not look so darn depressed, Peppy trots forward and approaches the female, his tail wagging softly. Suddenly, the weather seems a lot better - if she's hungry, it'll be a *lot* easier to find her food! (Granted, if he can't expect to find his own food, how could he find some for Aurora? Peppy doesn't think about this.)

With her guess confirmed, Aurora looks more alert and eager, her own tail wagging as the other Growlithe approaches her. When he gets close enough, she woofs, <I've got something to give you. It's back in the den, if you want to come and get it. It's something very nice!> she says, a grin on her face. She waits for a few moments, then starts to move towards the den, leaving Peppy to follow along behind if he wants to.

Blink. Peppy cocks his head at Aurora, furrowing his eyebrows and just generally looking very, very perplexed. This is nothing new, of course, but at least now Peppy's confusion is reasonably justified. 'Something to give him'? What could it be? His old pokeball? A pet Katerwaul? A burger? *Two* burgers? The thought of Aurora stumbling upon burgers is enough to pick the pup right up, and with much excitement and curiosity, Peppy pads after Aurora, trying to keep himself from rushing right past her and just sort of diving into the den.

Aurora trots fairly briskly to the den, looking round once or twice to see if Peppy's following her, then leans inside and reemerges tugging a small parcel of leaves. By its bulk, it looks like there's something wrapped in there - a fact that is confirmed when the Growlithe pulls the upper leaves away to reveal four small, and rather pungent, sausages. <Someone gave me them a few days ago, and I thought you'd want to eat some!> she says proudly, and then takes a step back. <They're all yours.>

Though the entire process of Aurora entering the den and Aurora leaving the den probably takes all of a few seconds, the time feels like hours to Peppy. His mind is already thinking up what it could be - *four* burgers? *Five* burgers? ... That's about as high as he can count, but he's still imagining many more. After six or seven centuries, Aurora finally pops out of the den, plops the food on the ground, and tells how she got it. Peppy glances down at the ground and just sort of blinks. That's basically his entire initial reaction - a blink, then another, then another one. Is that a good thing? He then glances up at Aurora, his expression still pretty much unreadable. What's he thinking?

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

To be honest, blinking wasn't quite what Aurora had expected as a reaction, and it shows in her quiet, <Oh.> She scuffs one forepaw on the ground, and asks, <Are they... don't you like them? If you don't want them, I'll try to find something else to eat...> Her tail droops slightly as she looks around at the bushes near the den, and says, <There might be some berries still left on that bush we found.>

Towering white clouds drift slowly through the blue sky. It's hazy and hot, and the glare of the sun seems to drain the color from the landscape. Here and there, groups of colorful Butterfree can be seen flying towards the ocean.

Peppy simply continues looking at Aurora for a few more moments, even as she speaks as though she's positive the pup hates the gift. Almost suddenly, he starts to speak! His true intentions will be revealed! <You... really saved this for me?> he practically whispers, as though he's absolutely and entirely shocked. <For a whole few days? And I wasn't even there, but you thought I'd like them and you didn't just eat them when you got them?> His tail now wagging so powerfully it looks like it's going to fall off, the pup woofs a spirited, <Thank you very, very much!> and, taking a step forward, he'll attempt to give Aurora a big (and slightly sloppy) slurp right on the cheek - though she can easily move aside or step back if she wants to.

Aurora sounds equally shocked when she finally speaks. <You... don't hate them?> A hint of relief and pleasure comes into her voice as she continues, <I was just worried that you wouldn't want them-> And then Peppy slurps her on the cheek, and Aurora just freezes, surprised and rather shocked, until Peppy moves away. If he moves away.

Peppy gives Aurora the slightest little grin as he looks straight into her eyes. His breathing is just a little more audible, but it doesn't last long - only a few seconds later, Peppy's attention has turned to the hot dogs on the ground. He's split right down the middle - half of him is focused completely and solely on that delicious food that's about to be in his empty tummy, and the other half is dedicated to wondering at himself for his actions. <What are these called?> he asks somewhat quietly, lowering his head to sniff at the sausages but not quite take a bite yet. <I don't think I've seen them before!> They smell... uh, meaty. Burgers = meat. Maybe they're a special kind of burger!

<They're, um... I think they're called 'hot dogs',> Aurora replies, adding hurriedly, <Though they're not made from Growlithes. And they taste really good.> The sausages, having spent two or three days in Aurora's den, are surprisingly not yet going off - the shade of the den appears to keep the heat out quite well, too.

'Hot dog'. That has a sort of ring to it, Peppy thinks - most likely because he's a fire-type canine himself. <They smell...> And then - munch! Peppy takes a rather large bite into the hot dog, taking half of the meat-stick off. The pup's jaws go to work, and only a few moments later, he woofs, <Really good!> Crunch! There goes the other half of the hot dog into the black hole they call Peppy, and the pup growls a content, "Grrrrr!" Looks like he likes 'em!

Aurora watches Peppy devour the sausages, and grins happily (and rather goofily). <They're good, aren't they?> she says, her tail wagging briskly, and then continues, <I had some, too. They're spicy, and meaty, and nice...> Ah, happy memories, it seems.

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

Peppy would most likely reply to Aurora right now, but he's crammed two more of the hot dogs into his mouth. He looks absolutely silly with the food stuffed into his cheeks, and given the intensity of his wagging tail, it's easy to see that he's happy with the taste. <Deesh er nishe,> he woofs with his mouth full, sending tiny little bits of the sausages flying towards the ground. Gross! After a few more moments, the pup swallows the food, glances at the final hot dog, and then peers up at Aurora. <If you want, we can... uh, you can have the last hot dog. Or we can share it, if you're hungry.> She was the one, after all, who got them in the first place.

<I'm not really hungry - you have the last one,> Aurora replies with a smile, though the rumbling gurgle that sounds from her stomach a moment later tends to suggest the opposite. <Like I said, I've had them before, and you should enjoy all of them...> She glances down at the last remaining sausage, longing visible in her eyes for a moment before she looks back up at Peppy and grins. <Go ahead.>

See, this is one of those times when it's just not fair. Peppy glances at the hot dog, then at Aurora. Hot dog. Aurora. Hot dog. Aurora. This is like having to choose between two things which no pup should have to do. He finally makes somewhat hard decision. Lowering his muzzle to the ground, he rolls the sausage across the dirt (yuck!) and puts it right in front of Aurora's paws. <Are you sure?> he asks as he raises his head, glancing right into her eyes as he does. <They taste really good,> he continues, <And if it wasn't for you...> He gets a little quieter here. <I wouldn't have gotten any in the first place.> Wow. Peppy's got a point. ... For once.

Aurora looks at the hot dog, then at Peppy. After a pause, during which the look on her face seems to show she's having a hard time deciding, she suddenly grins. <We can share it. That'd mean we both get some more,> she says decisively, her tail wagging eagerly as she pushes the sausage back until it lays right between the two Growlithes.

Towering white clouds drift slowly through the blue sky. It's hazy and hot, and the glare of the sun seems to drain the color from the landscape. Here and there, groups of colorful Butterfree can be seen flying towards the ocean.

Peppy replies with a rather cheerful, <Sure!> He lowers his head to gobble down his half immediately, but, looking goofy with his jaw slack and his head hovering just a few inches off the ground, he stops and glances up at Aurora. "Lithe," he woofs, something like an "eh", before ascending to upright position. <Maybe you should take the first bite, though.> Knowing Peppy, if he had first bite, he'd crunch the entire thing down on accident!

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

Aurora shakes her head. <No, you have the first bite. After all, they're your sausages now. I had four, and you can have four.> She grins again, and then yawns slightly. <And the sun's quite warm - I think I might go and have a nap. The den should be nice at this time of day.>

Peppy nods slowly to Aurora, and mentally tells himself - don't take off too big of a bite. Take just a little bit. Peppy descends his muzzle to the ground, and bites right into the sausage! ... Sort of. It's barely even a nibble - the puppy's teeth barely touch the hot dog at all. Perhaps he's overdoing this whole "don't take too big of a bite" thing. Hoping that wasn't too big of a bite (heh), Peppy brings himself back up and makes a small gesture to Aurora. <Eat as much as you like!>

The female Growlithe shakes her head. <No, you have the rest. I think I'll go take a nap...> Her stomach rumbles again as she trots back to the den, heading for another mid-afternoon snooze. Seems like Peppy'll have all of the sausage to himself.