Contents:
Aurora
Obvious exits:
North <N> leads to Overgrown Lands - Route 11: Off the Route.

Nail arrives from Vermilion City: East Entrance.
Nail has arrived.

Fair weather clouds sail across the blue sky, propelled by light breezes from the west. It's warm in the sun, cool in the shade, and the air is clear and dry. In the forest, the wind rustles the bright green leaves of trees and bushes and carries Oddish pollen, downy seeds, and the fragrance of wildflowers along with it. While at the coast, the ocean is a deep cool blue today, the waves lapping at the coast gently under the pleasant spring sky.

Spring rolls along down its course, and though it hits the occasional bump of rain and mud, it's generally a smooth ride. The weather is simply perfect today. Light breezes keep the air balanced at the perfect warmth; it's not too hot, and it's not too cool. Even the air smells like Spring, both inside and outside of the usually stuffy barn. The door is ajar, as it always is, and winds that can't slip through the cracks and holes in the barn's walls make their way right on in through the entrance. The Growlithe family in the corner isn't entirely complete at this time of the day; Peppy's out hunting this afternoon, taking advantage of the beauty of the day. He's obviously taking his sweet time; he's been gone for some time now, so he's either bringing home something extra special, or fell asleep in the grass outside. Knowing Peppy, the latter is definitely the more likely.

Walking while wounded was no picnic, but considering the area she had left behind, this might not be as bad as she was beginning to suspect it was going to be. The food had run out days ago back home. A small cold spell had killed off what meager mushrooms had grown, edible and deadly alike, and sent what few insects she had previously living off of into hiding, creeping into cracks too deep for her to retrieve them from and leaving her weak and dizzy. The dirt crusted scab along her lower ribs didn't help too much either, torn into her by an irate, defensive and very territorial Goldeen's Horn Attack. It still stung with every move, occasionally cracking to release a faint trickle of viscous substance. The skin was reddened though, and she knew from past wounds gathered as a youngling (more youngling than at the moment =) ) that at least it appeared to be healing. Slowly. A sound a few miles down the lane had sent a chill up her spine, the subtle, thoughtful groan of a Drowzee sounding from the surrounding fields. Although she had thought nothing could speed her steps in her state of pain and tiredness, but she had found her footsteps light and swift as the Shao-lin at the sound and scent of those particular Pokemon. She had first fallen under the sway of humanity due to one of those floppy nosed bastards, and shivered at the migraine that always rose from simply being *around* those two toned bastards. And so she trod down the dust, fighting through Sandshrew potholes, razor grass and nagging, thorny weeds. Where she was going? It was questionable even to her. She felt light, airy a subtle euphoria by one of rapidly failing health, her eyes drifted to the sky as she gently sat down, tail first into the dirt, and simply sat there, not moving.

The Growlithe family inside the barn don't appear to be wasting their time while Peppy's away - at least, most of the puppies are running, jumping and chasing each other as if it were the most important thing in the world. One of them - Dusk, by the size of her - is curled up sound asleep next to her mother, Aurora, who's lying down and keeping an eye on the others while they romp about. Four of them are chasing each other around and through a pile of straw, although it's hard to keep track of who's where.

The sun shines overhead, bracketed by puffy fair weather clouds.

Plop plop plop. Peppy's pace is brisk and energetic as he walks the proud road of victory back to the barn, Rattata in mouth, chest puffed out as far as he can manage while still being able to breathe. Five months a father, and he still gets a thrill out of bringing home the family's dinner. This is a rather healthy Rattata, plump and large-framed, and the only thing keeping Peppy's head from sagging as he trots along is his excitement, which keeps his head up high and his spirits as light as the sunshine-saturated day. He's just coming back from the hunt now, heading along the well-traveled dirt path. Now. Along this route sits a Machop, totally motionless, her head staring at the sky. Peppy, now, has a big ol' Rattata in his mouth, and can't see anything below a couple feet. This probably includes sitting Machops. Needless to say, should Nail not see or hear him coming and proceed to announce her presence or at least get out of the way, the Growlithe may end up bashing right over her and tripping right onto the ground. He's a klutz like that.

The sky seems so trippy, unnaturally colorful and bright, little flecks of moisture on the grass nearby sparkling like jewels. Eerily pretty, she can't help but think, looking softly to the right, wincing at the rapid stiffening of her abused limbs. Her tail switches slowly in the dust as she sits there, absorbing some sun into her weary muscles and listening to the sublte melody of the winds. She doesn't really hear the pad padding of big Growlithe feet nearby, the sound tugging at her subconscious for a few minutes before her glazed gaze swivells behind her... "Ch MACHOP!" <Shi- Look OUT!> Great spirits, even her voice is faint. Trying to scoot out of the way only bowls her slightly to the left and back, into a ragged pothole, bashing her funnybone good against an embedded rock. In no condition to battle and rather sick and shaken up besides, she just blinks at the Growlithe with a dazed, uncharacteristically almost hopeless gaze in her eyes. "Chh... Mach. Machop?" <Mm' not in your territory... am I?"

Beside Aurora, Dusk snoozes on, her paws twitching as she dreams, and little garbled growls come from her mouth. Briska comes dashing past his mother, his sister Dakota running a few feet behind him and yipping happily as she chases him. Evidently he's the one who's got to be tagged in this game... whatever it is. A little way behind Dakota is Flame, his black fur more ruffled than usual, and for once he's looking rather happy and relaxed. And behind him is Karen, not quite running as fast as the others, and looking like she's about to join Dusk in the land of nod.

Dum dee dum. Everything is so serene, so peaceful. The Growlithe grins as best as he can with the Rattata in his mouth, his tail wagging slightly. Peppy's already plotting out the night. He's gonna come home, have some dinner, play with the kids, tell Aurora how much he lov- "Ch Machop!" Peppy's heart does a couple backflips as with a panicked "Growlithe?!" he drops the purple-furred corpse on the ground. He immediately jumps into a very awkward defensive stance, his body half-crouched, his paws gripping the ground tightly. Peppy looks left, right, up, down, left again, right again, and, finally, at the Machop. Panting for breath, his chest rapidly expanding and contracting, Peppy peers wide-eyed at the fighting type while she speaks. <Territory?> he replies breathlessly, his position relaxing slightly. He looks at Nail for a couple moments longer, before shaking his head slightly. <... No, it's not. Man... you really scared me.> He snorts a soft "Li...", something of a <Heh>. It's not exactly humorous, but it's not totally unfriendly. Stripping eyes off of the Machop, Peppy bends down and snatches the Rattata right back into his mouth as though assuming Nail isn't going to reply.

Ashes, ashes, we all fall down. (Saving... maybe)

Rising with difficulty from her small pit, she runs a hand over her arm somewhat shakily, glancing up to Peppy with a blink and blushes a bit in embarassment. <I didn't mean to scare you.> Looking after the Growlithe, she watches as he begins to move off a bit... before hunger overcomes her pride and she scrambles to keep up. A bit slower them he is, she has to plod swiftly to follow at enough of a pace, her little tail switching now and again as she paced him. <Hey, you know you're way around here, right?> Running a few fingers between her bony crests, she continues with a trilling "Maaach..." <Well... I was thinking- Since Machop and Growlithe eat different things, and I'm not technically trespassing... CanIstayhereforawhile?> Even talking seemed hard and she was rapidly running out of breath. <I'm sorry but I'm lost and I really need to eat something or I'm going to fall over, literally.> She certainly looked pretty bad- scarred up here and there, dirty and dreadfully thin.

Fair weather clouds sail across the blue sky, propelled by light breezes from the west. It's warm in the sun, cool in the shade, and the air is clear and dry.

Woofing quietly, <I'm tired...>, Karen stumbles over to her mother's side, and flops onto the ground, wriggling a little closer to her sleeping sister before dozing off herself. Aurora looks down at the pair of them, smiling, then over at the other three puppies - they seem to have abandoned their game of tag, and are now taking it in turns to jump into the nearest pile of straw and see who can stay hidden for longest. Briska's trying to hide, though his wagging tail is clearly visible above the straw, and Dakota crouches for a few seconds and then pounces on it, the two puppies rolling over and over along the ground. Flame watches, his expression aloof. Satisfied that the children are all behaving themselves, Aurora turns her attention to the door, and awaits Peppy's return, her expression calm. Only the slow wag of her tail betrays any anxiety at how long he's been gone.

As Nail speaks, Peppy gets ready to walk the whole sixty yards back to the barn. The Rattata hangs loosely from his mouth, a trickle of blood slowly weaving through the rodent's fur and condensing into a drop on the Rattata's chin. He takes about one step before the female pokemon asks him if he knows his way around. He remains locked in this position, one front paw inches ahead of the other, almost motionless as the Machop finishes talking. He stays silent and still for a few moments, before breathing out of his nose in something of a slight sigh. Instead of putting down the Rattata and verbally reply, the Growlithe makes a fierce gesture in the direction of the Assisi Farm, the corpse in his mouth bobbling and bouncing as he does. Almost no matter what Nail's reply is, Peppy will continue the stepping motion he's been holding for a good minute now. No longer will the Growlithe have a happy bounce in his step or a proud look in his eyes. Usually he's so happy to be helpful. Wonder what's on his mind.

Stopping upon seeing the odd half stepped motion he seems to be holding, Nail only tilts her head, confused and slightly worried at the loss of the happy bouncy demeanor he had previously. Had she done something wrong? Looking towards where he had gestured to, she nods softly, turning to walk away... Her tail switches once, just once as she turns back, voice questioning and laced faintly with sadness. <Is- is there something wrong Mister Growlithe sir?> A leaf drifts by and she catches it, shredding it absently in her hands and studying him in thoughtful confusion.

Aurora frowns a little as she looks over at the entrance, and then her eyes widen with joy and relief. There's Peppy, looking very much alive and not eaten by Katerwauls or attacked by his lunch, and there is the aforementioned lunch... Grinning broadly, Aurora glances at the sleeping puppies, then over at the three in the straw, and climbs to her feet, heading over to the door. She peers out of the barn, the wind blowing at her fur, and smiles as she sees Peppy - then her face falls as she notices his less-than-happy expression. The Machop, sitting there quietly, doesn't catch her attention yet.

Peppy's ears prick up as Nail speaks to him, and he stops in midstep. He sighs as he opens his mouth to let the Rattata fall to the ground, stirring up a cloud of dust. This sigh, however, is not quite so disappointed or annoyed. He turns his head back to the Machop and smiles a tired smile, his tail swish-swishing against the breeze. <Sorry...> His right front paw sidesteps, his left paw following after, moving into a more comfortable position to peer back at the fighting type. <I'm sorry, I just...> He turns his head to the side to avoid Nail's eyes, locking them on a bush or a tree or something that isn't her. <This Rattata isn't just for me, it's for my mate and my puppies, and I just, um, you know, wanted to play with them today. Not...> He shakes his head, blushing underneath his fur, perhaps realizing his stubborn selfishness. Peppy's a pretty well-meaning guy, prone to guilt at a moment's notice. He turns his back back to the barn. <C'mon. I'll introduce you to Au...> He pauses for a second, leans his head forward and squints. <Aurora!> His face breaks into a smile, though Nail won't see it because he's turned away. She will see his rapidly wagging tail, however. He trots forward two steps, freezes in place, spins around, grabs the Rattata, and turns back to Aurora, all the while carrying a sense of enthusiasm about him.

She pauses a moment, nodding softly to his words and glances slightly up the way towards the other Growlithe that had just appeared. Nodding softly, she merely smiles, glancing towards the wood she had assumed he had journeyed from. <Oh, no worry, I can find food on my own.> Making as if to move towards the trees, it would be at this point that she pauses, glancing back at the two of them. Her question is hesitent, voice worried. <There's not... any of those trunk nosed yellow and brown types around here, are they?> Having blood running out of one's ears isn't the most reassuring feeling in the world, and one she didn't wish to repeat any time in her life, if possible. She didn't want to interrupt the two of them and their family at all- it wasn't fair for them to have to cater to her beaten up butt for any length of time. ...But the place around here wasn't that bad... for above ground. ...mommy. But remembrances of old times do nothing to help her, she knows, and she just sighs, accepting it all mutely and surveys the plantlife of the small wood. Maybe they had some sort of fruit? The berries had made her throw up and left her mouth tasting chalky for the rest of the day. Definitely no berries.

And as Peppy's apparent mood changes from low to high, Aurora visibly cheers up as well. <Welcome back, Peppy!> she woofs, and adds, <That's a very big Rattata you managed to get. How did the hunt go? Did it try to run away, or did it try to fight? And...> Mindful of how previous hunts have gone, she peers over towards him, looking his face and forelegs over for sign of injury. Satisfied after a minute or so that he hasn't damaged himself, Aurora leans back, grinning. <It's good to have you back. Dusk and Karen are asleep, and Briska, Karen and Flame are playing...> Her voice tails off as she catches sight of Nail, and then she adresses the Machop, her voice bright and her tail wagging (though probably not visible to the fighting-type.) <Hello! Are you looking for shelter in the barn? There's lots of space now, and there's a man who comes around with food a few times a day. It's a good place to stay!>

As it always does, Aurora's cheerful voice as she welcomes him back and asks Peppy questions makes the hours spent hunting all worth it. He is (not intentionally) ignoring Nail, no doubt caught up in his excitement over being home. He waits until Aurora starts looking him over to make sure he's not hurt to set the meal down in front of her. <The hunt went fine,> he assures her with a nod, before she speaks again. <Flame's playing? Really?> he asks, though doesn't wait for an answer. He now steps past his mate to sneak a peak into the barn as she calls out to the Machop. He grins softly at the five puppies, but doesn't speak to disturb them from their slumber or from their play. As he spins back around to step back out into the sunshine, he notices the difference in the warmth of the sunlight and the cool breeze. Maybe he'll offer to bring the pups outside later. <There might be some left over,> he offers with a bark, a little surprised that she didn't follow him the whole way back.

Bright colors, sweetness, and light! Candylion-springtimes! (We're saved!)

Nail has disconnected.

<Yes, he's playing... well, he was for a bit,> Aurora replies to Peppy. <He's just watching Briska and Dakota now, but he looked like he was behaving himself.> As Nail gives her apologies and heads back into the forest, Aurora smiles and calls, <Take care!>, and then bends down to pick up the Rattata before heading back into the barn. She makes a comment to Peppy as she walks, sounding rather happy about something, though what she's saying is incomprehensible with the Rattata in her jaws.

Fair weather clouds sail across the blue sky, propelled by light breezes from the west. It's warm in the sun, cool in the shade, and the air is clear and dry.

Peppy just kind of watches while Aurora takes the Rattata into her mouth, the thought to offer his help not coming to his thick mind. <He was?> He takes one glance back at where the Machop disappeared into the wild, before strolling his way into the barn after Aurora. <I'm glad to hear. He's probably just being good because he wants to go hunting so bad.> Peppy's been the victim of pleading from the black-furred pup for some weeks now; he's got the point. Careful to not wake the sleeping girls, Peppy lowers his voice a notch and creeps towards the playing pups. <Hey, guys!> he greets them cheerfully, glad to see them after a day of hunting. Dakota is the first one to react; she whirls around, peers up at dad, and smiles from ear to ear, bounding up to him. Briska follows his sister's example soon after, and Peppy makes sure to touch noses with both of them at least twice. Even Flame looks up with a flicker of interest, though he makes sure to quickly hide it with apathy. He settles his head back down onto his paws, pretending to ignore his father.

Aurora deposits the Rattata a few feet away from the sleeping puppies, then looks over at Flame, and then at Peppy. <I'm not so sure about that,> she replies to Peppy's comment about Flame's demand for hunting. <I think Flame's getting on better with his brothers and sisters, aren't you, Flame?> Her last few words are ignored by Flame, who continues to studiously examine the opposite wall, now pretending to ignore his mother as well. With a little grin, Aurora nods in Flame's direction, and then steps back quickly as she notices that the space in front of her has filled up with puppies, eager to devour the Rattata.

Bright colors, sweetness, and light! Candylion-springtimes! (We're saved!)

Of course, dinner is more interesting than daddy. Peppy isn't surprised when the pups that are awake rush right on over to eat to their heart's content, leaving dad in the dust. Peppy follows after the smaller Growlithes at a much slower pace. He takes a place next to his mate without looking at her, instead shaking his head at their sheer -passion- as they eat the Rattata. <I'm going to start having to bring home two Rattatas,> Peppy woofs, partially amused, partially... well, worried. He turns his head to face Aurora, regarding her with a soft, perhaps knowing smile. <They're growing too big too fast. I still remember when they were so small I had to watch my step to make sure I didn't accidentally step on one of them.> Knowing Peppy, he probably -has- accidentally stomped on a tail or two, and this may account for the light redness underneath his fur as he turns his head back to the pups.

Looking over at her mate, Aurora stares at his muzzle for a few moments, and then grins. <Could you carry two Rattatas at once? I know I wouldn't be able to hold both at once... you'd probably have to drag them back by their tails, or something.> Her grin changes, remaining a smile, but becoming more serious in nature. <Well, they are growing up fast,> she replies to Peppy. <We'll have to take them out one at a time to learn to hunt, soon. In a while, they'll be big enough to take out young Rattatas, though maybe not older ones...> With a wry smile, she concludes, <It's just strange, to see them growing up so fast. Before you know it, they'll be out in the big world, and some of them will have trainers, and some may have mates...>

When Aurora stares at Peppy's muzzle, the male Growlithe, noticing her silent gaze, also peers down at his nose, as though he's not quite sure what he's doing. His eyes flicker back and forth between Aurora and his own muzzle, until she finally speaks. He grins toothily from ear to ear. <They look bigger than Rattatas now,> he comments, lifting up his muzzle at Briska, who is poking around the Rattata to find the best spot to take a bite. At her next comment, he nods slowly, in the process slowly turning his gaze to the ground. <Out in the big world... I wonder what they'll become. How they'll do, you know, out in the... wild...> Peppy furrows his eyebrows quizzically for a moment, before turning his head enough to peer out the door. <... Remember the idea to move away?> he woofs, almost suddenly, his voice a few notches higher now. He turns his head back to Aurora, his face a mixture of confusion and curiosity (as it so often is). <To a den?>

Aurora nods her head in agreement. <Yes, I remember. Do you think it's the right time to start to look for places to dig a den? It may be too soon... perhaps if we wait until the weather's a little better, and the ground's a bit harder.> She frowns a little, then nods to herself. <But we could start to look for good places while we're out hunting. How does that sound?> A pause, and then, <We, er, are going to look for somewhere around here... right?>

Aurora is, as Peppy's known since he first met her, the one who uses her head, and that's precisely why he nods his head in response. He doesn't quite understand why soft ground wouldn't be better for digging into (he really doesn't think sometimes), but he wholeheartedly trusts Aurora and so doesn't ask. <Okay!> he replies enthusiastically, his mind already racing to think of good spots. <I can try to find a really nice one, with flowers and berries and lots of grass, right there where there are lots and lots of Rattatas around!> Swish, swish, swish goes his tail. <Do we... uh... should we keep it a...> He thinks about what he's saying, and, sneaking a quick glance at the little Growlithes, leans forward and whispers, making sure the puppies don't hear. <... Keep it a secret from the puppies? Or tell them once we're sure where we're going?>

Peppy's question makes Aurora blink several times - she hadn't quite considered when or what to tell the pups, and she sounds a little unsure when she replies, <Don't tell them yet.> Her voice gets a little more confident, however, as she continues to speak, still in a hushed tone. <Take them out hunting, and have a look to see where you can find the best places to hunt. And have a look around before you search for prey, to see if any places might be quiet. As to when we'll tell them... perhaps we should. Tell them that we can't stay here all the time, I mean, and that we're going to find somewhere that they can help to build, that can really be like their own home.> She stops, a little out of breath from all the talking, and grins. <What do you think?>

Peppy shakes his head in response to Aurora, looking a little sorry for himself. <I don't know what they'll think,> he admits quietly. <I wonder if they're grown attached to the barn. But they like the outdoors enough... and after all... it's for the best, isn't it?> Peppy's grin matches his mate's, and with a small nod, he runs his gaze over their puppies. The sleeping ones have just now started to wake, and the other Growlithes, having consumed as much as their growing bodies can take, start to stumble over to where Dusk and Karen were sleeping, taking their warm spots for a nap. <And that's what it always should be at the end of the day. Whatever's best for them.> With that, Peppy pushes off the ground, giving Aurora one last grin before heading over to the Rattata to help his daughters pick out the very best parts of the Rattata.