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

Jameka arrives from Commerce Road - Route 7: Trader Way.
Jameka has arrived.

The weather is absolutely perfect. Yesterday was completely miserable - rain dripped from the sky like a faucet turned full blast. It's nice to get a day that isn't quite so awful. Though the den Peppy helped Aurora make can squeeze two Growlithes in there by now, Peppy himself isn't there - he's out taking a walk, enjoying the weather, and most of all looking for food. <Somebody really needs,> he woofs to himself, nose low to the ground, sniffing this way and that, tail wagging. <To plant a burger tree around here somewhere!> Burger... tree?

<Mmm... that smells good... no... people... food...> says a large, exceptionally full shrub. Or rather, the creature inside the bushy plant says this. Despite the fact that it's nearing late afternoon, Jameka the runty Pikachu is sound asleep, dreaming of... what else? Food. Ah, the life of a wild pokemon. Apparently her dreams are pretty realistic, too, because every so often the electric type moves about in one way or another. And every time she does this, the bush she's hiding in shakes. A shaking, talking bush. Yes, definately a strange sight to passersby.

Peppy's never been a very aware person. The bush could be screaming, and Peppy wouldn't notice. The bush could be wiggling and dancing, and Peppy wouldn't notice. The bush could leap up and attack him, pinning him to the ground, and Peppy wouldn't notice. But the moment the bush mutters the Pikachu word for 'food' - the puppy perks right up. "Growlithe?" he asks himself, his paw stopping in midair, his head raising, his tail stiffening. He glances left, right, then finally at the bush in which Jameka slumbers. <Did somebody just say food?> he asks rhetorically, taking a few steps towards the speaking plant.

The bush wiggles a bit more and Jameka's murmerings quiet down for a long minute or two. And then, quite suddenly, the entire shrub shudders and shudders as though the creature sleeping inside decided to randomly hop up and down. <Ooo!> comes a very loud, very high, very excited squeal. <French fries!>

French fries? Rings a bell. Peppy's never actually had a french fry before, but it sounds like it might just possibly be good. After a few moments of thinking about it, Peppy blinks, realizing that - bushes aren't supposed to talk! They're also not supposed to sound like Pikachus! <This is weird,> the pup mumbles rather pointedly, taking a few steps closer and jamming his muzzle and face into the bush, tail-a-wagging, trying to see just what's in there. Let's hope Jameka really is asleep - otherwise she might have quite a fright!

Kamex has connected.

Jameka is definitely asleep. No doubt about it. Sure, she's an amazingly restless sleeper, but she's asleep. Of course, she's also a very light sleeper due to being a wild pokemon all her life, so the moment Peppy sticks his head into the shrub she... well, wakes up. With a start. <Aaaaaagh!> the Pikachu shrieks, terrified. Unfortunately for anything standing nearby, this shriek is accompanied with a rather hap-hazard Thundershock.

A pack of Growlithe puppies play Tug-of-War with the database. Better save! (Saving)

The sky is clear brilliant blue and there's a light breeze from the west. It's hot. Butterfree fly through the heated air, headed for the ocean.

This is not good. "Gro-o-owlithe!" howls the pup as the Pikachu screams - and then he howls once more once he gets a huge zap right in the kisser. Augh! That was -not- something the poor pup expected. <Ow!> he yelps as he stumbles a few steps back, the fur on his face now starting to stand on end from the sudden static. <That hurt!> declares the Growlithe angrily, throwing in a piteously little whimper and a small growl.

"Pidge...? Pidgeotto?!" <Huh...? What's goin' on?!> The Pidgeotto squawks, jolting awake in a nearby tree. Puffing out his feathers, the bird looks around warily. <Hmm, better go check it out.> Kamex says and takes off of the branch, skimming the ground and searching for the whoever had caused the noise.

Following up her panic attack, the runty Pikachu bursts from the bushes, landing on all fours. Her black-tipped ears and jagged tail are held stiff, her short yellow fur is on and and electricty crackles threateningly at her red cheeks. <Who's there?!> she orders, still not quite awake. <Who's there and whadda ya want? And watch out! I can do that again if you try something!> There she stands, bristling, brown eyes darting back and forth nervously.

The Growlithe's ear flinches at the bossy Pikachu's little demands, though he can't help but find a sense of familiarity in the cries. Why does it feel like he's met this Pikachu before? ... And why is the yellow mouse's scent familiar, too? <No!> cries the pup, cowering back a step or two, frantically glancing back and forth. <Don't do that! It really hurts.> Pause. <A lot.> The puppy's twitching ear is forced down and his tail drops in a somewhat submissive pose. Those Thundershocks hurt even more when you're not expecting them.

The Pikachu's scrawny figure relaxes slightly when she spots Peppy reacting to her threat in a decidedly non-threatening way. Oh good, there won't be a fight after all! <Okay, okay. I won't,> she half grins at the fire type, ears flopping back casually. <Just don't make any sudden--> The Pikachu is abruptly cut off by the sudden appearance of yet another pokemon. <Aaaagh!> she shrieks again, whirling around to face this new potential threat. And again, a rather uncontrolled Thundershock shoots out in all directions. Uhm... oops.

And then it smashes into Peppy like a train without breaks. <Jameka?> he woofs cautiously, taking a small step forward. <Is that you?> This is absolutely amazing to the pup - he hasn't seen the Pikachu in days! Months! Years! Centuries! ... Well... Months! Peppy begins to approach the rodent - but pauses immediately as she strikes up one of her Thundershocks again. "Grrr-liiiithe!" yelps the pup, frantically diving for cover behind... nothing. He simply dives to the side, places his paws over his eyes, and hopes he doesn't get shocked. He probably will. "Pidgeotto!" Kamex screeches as he's struck by the frantically-launched Thundershock. The Pidgeotto squawks again flapping his wings in order to regain balance, but he still slips off the branch, crashing onto the shrubbery below. <Ow...>

And here we go again... <Who're you?!> Jameka growls at the Pidgeotto, once again putting on her nifty bristly show. What electricity is left over from her previous (unintentional, mind) attacks crackles at her cheeks once more as she glares at the bird type. The fact that she probably hit or nearly hit Peppy in the process of warding off this strange, might-be attacker doesn't seem to cross her mind. Nice little critter, ain't she?

Bzzap. <Ow. Ow ow ow ow ow.> The puppy twitches very involuntarily from the attacks, his fur sticking out even further. He's starting to look more like a big ball of fuzz than a Growlithe. <Will you stop that?> barks the Growlithe, shakily getting up to all four paws. <It's me! Peppy! Don't you remember me?> Given that it's taken Peppy this long to realize that Jameka is Jameka, it's quite possible she doesn't!

<I-I'm Kamex, formerly known as Skylark...> The Pidgeotto squawks out shakily as he rights himself. <Please don't hurt me.> Kamex says, shuddering slightly and raising his wing as if to shield himself from further attacks.

Jameka eyes the flying type, dark brown eyes narrowed. <Uh huuuh...> she mutters, twitching one black-tipped ear distastefully. <Don't make any sudden moves, buster,> the Pikachu warns the other pokemon, slowly starting to relax. <And don't go sneakin' up on people! It's a good way to get hurt!> With that she turns back to Peppy, although she still watches the evolved pokemon from the corner of her eye. The Growlithe, on the other hand, gets a sheepish grin. <Oh... sorry 'bout that. I didn't--> and then his last sentence clicks. <Hey! It's you!> she squeals suddenly, eyes widening in recognition. <How've ya been? Whatcha doin' 'round here? What've you been up to lately?> The Growlithe is promptly pelted with questions.

The static-challenged puppy just sort of watches as Jameka undergoes this transformation from she-devil to mafia leader to perky inquirer. <Um, yep!> woofs the puppy to Jameka, not sure which question to reply to first. <I've be... I'm here becau... Well, uh, just recently... Um, wait. What was the first question?> Is the dumb pup actually trying to answer all three questions at once? It looks like it. Maybe Jameka should try again, one question at a time - Peppy's brain is as slow as his metabolism is fast.

Kamex nods, gulping a bit at the Pikachu's quick personality change before flapping up to perch on the branch once again. Here, he watches quietly as the two exchange questions and answers.

Ready? Okay, good. Here comes yet another personality change! With a flick of one ear the Pikachu shrugs off the questions and instead grins at Peppy, entire body finally relaxing. <Great seeing you again,> she says casually, tilting her head a little. Oh yeah. Cool and calm, that's Jameka. <Haven't changed much, have you?>

Peppy woofs a soft "Grrrowlithe" in reply, not completely sure what to say. <Well, I...> Grrrr! A loud growling noise comes - not from his mouth, not from a horrible Katerwaul behind him - but from his stomach. The Growlithe glances down at his tummy, grins a little uneasily, and barks a quiet, <I'm sort of hungry now, though.> As if he wasn't always? Noticing that the little Pikachu is finally ready to not deep-fry whosoever doth oppose her, Peppy brings his hind paws up a few feet and sits back on his haunches, his rump smashing into the ground.

A pack of Growlithe puppies play Tug-of-War with the database. Better save! (Saving)

Kamex has disconnected.

Jameka half giggles, half smirks. <Nope, you really /haven't/ changed at all,> she comments, padding over to the Growlithe. One ears flicks up, to listen for anything unsual while the other drops, laying across her back. <How'd you make it through all the cold stuff, anyway? Didn't think you would be able to.> Wow, think she could be a bit blunter? <But anyway,> the Pikachu circles back around the fire type, takes a little jump and tries to climb up Peppy's back and sit on his head. <you're still around! I'm glad.>

Peppy just kind of blinks and peers softly as Jameka bounds around the pup, finally popping up onto his head. <I remember that!> woofs the Growlithe, his tail wagging. <You used to get up on my head all the time!> Isn't he smart? His memory really is something! <Well, the cold stuff... it, uh, wasn't that bad, really. Now we just need to worry about the rain.> With that, Peppy glances up at the sky very instinctively, looking for any sign of a cloud. Of course, in the process, poor Jameka might just fall off. ... Oops.

Jameka peers between the bits of mane-fur she parted on Peppy's head and looks down at the Growlithe, grinning. <I'm glad you remember me, too! I bet...> the Pikachu trails off to grab ahold of the fur all around her, managing by luck and exceptional climbing skills, to stay aboard. But she's not exactly happy about dangling off the head of a Growlithe. <Hey! Watch it!> she yelps, tugging and clutching Peppy's "hair" a bit more than might be needed just to stay on. <Look down! Look! Down!>

"Growl!" the puppy woofs at the Pikachu's fur-tug, shaking his head a little automatically. <That stings!> growls at the puppy, although he does oblige to the Pikachu's command. He looks down - way too far down. Jameka might, again, fall off. <What?> asks the puppy, a slight bit of annoyance in his voice. <I don't see anything. Did somebody drop a burger and I can't see it?>

<No no no!> Jameka squeaks, getting jiggled horribly as her perch decides to shake his head. <Stop! I can't hold on!> And then he does stop. Only to look /way/ down. "Kapiiiiii!" Thud. The Pikachu's grip is lost completely and she lands, quite audibly, on the ground in front of Peppy. <Ouch.>

Peppy blinks, runs that through his head, then glances down at the Pikachu. <Oh.> A light pause. The puppy blushes lightly behind his fur. <You just wanted to stay on my head.> Amazing deductions that come a moment too late. <Um. Sorry about that.> If Peppy's paws could lift that high, he would probably be rubbing the back of his neck by now. A little breeze rushes through the area, perking up a bit of Peppy's fur and making it seem even more disarrayed - it still hasn't recovered from all the electricity. <How have you been?> asks the puppy cheerfully, as though nothing just happened.

The sky is clear brilliant blue and there's a light breeze from the west. It's hot. Butterfree fly through the heated air, headed for the ocean.

The little ball of yellow fur, also known as Jameka, shudders slightly but doesn't move. <Okay. That didn't feel good,> she concludes finally, voice muffled as she doesn't bother lifting her head. After a good long minute the Pikachu begins to wiggle about in ernest, trying to untangle extra long ears, legs and tail from each other and stand up. This task takes another good long minute, all of which is filled with muted "pika pi's" and exasperated "chuu's!" But it's finally accomplished and Jameka, shaking herself carefully, looks up at Peppy grumpily. <Would you /please/ not do that again? I've been fine, up until five minutes ago!> she replies, nose wrinkling at the fire type.

The Growlithe woofs another soft little sorry, glancing to the side nervously. <Are you okay, though? You don't look like you're in that much pain.> Given that the puppy was just zapped so hard every fiber in his body felt it, he doesn't think Jameka has any clue about what pain is. <And where have you been sleeping? Yesterday was really, *really* wet - did you find any shelter?> The puppy speaks in a very, very lightly condescending voice - almost as if he did. But how? The trees around here are not too good at protection from the rain...

Jameka sniffs, sitting carefully back on her haunches and twitching an oversized ear. <I told you,> she says, <I've been fine. /That/ wasn't exactly the most fun experience I've had, but I'm fine!> The Pikachu's tone is, if possible, both exasperated and bored all at the same time. <As for yesterday... that wasn't so bad. This bush,> she waves a tiny paw at the bush behind her, <is nice and thick. I stayed pretty dry. Besides, where I grew up we were wet a lot. It's not that bad. You dry.> This little speech is rattled off with the air of someone repeating a speech their parents gave them. Wonder where she heard all /that/ before? <What about you?> Ah ha. And we get to the interesting questions. The suddenly prissy little Pikachu cocks her head curiously, peering at Peppy as she waits for a reply.

The Growlithe glances at the bush, a look of disbelief in his face. <That's impossible,> the puppy woofs to Jameka, shaking his head. <How...> And then he realizes that Jameka is a third his size and could squeeze into the bush very easily. With a little confused woof and a sudden topic-drop that will probably confuse Jameka, Peppy goes on to answer the Pikachu's next question. <I, found a place to stay.> He pauses after the I. <A little den.> His tail wags softly, and a small canine grin manifests onto his fast. <Actually, kind of a big den now. It's not far from here.>

A pack of Growlithe puppies play Tug-of-War with the database. Better save! (Saving)

Jameka's attention is caught. <Oooh, a den?> she questions, brown eyes round. <Realy? Did you make it yourself? I didn't think you would be able...> the little Pikachu cuts off her own sentence with a giggle. <Nevermind. Uh... could you show me your den?> Peppy gets a winning smile from the electric type, her eyes big and pleading, ears droopy, overall cute.

"Growl," the puppy woofs, shaking his head softly. It's something of an <Oh.> <No, it's not my den,> the Growlithe explains softly, adding on, <And I didn't make it myself.> The puppy pauses for a moment, a little hesitant about revealing just whose den it is... But he realize that Jameka's probably too young to inquire too much about the owner anyway. <It's Aurora's. She's a Growlithe, and...> The puppy blinks, turning his head to the side. Wait, was Aurora at... Assasi? Or... The dog appears confused - and he's so distracted he doesn't remember to show Jameka the den.

<You didn't make it yourself?> The Pikachu manages to stifle giggles, although just barely. She ducks her head to cover the sniggers, ears twitching in time to her hardly covered laughter. <Oh. Well. Uhm,> she clears her thoat, looking up again. <Aurora? Never heard of her. What is she?> Jameka tilts her head again, questioningly.

Peppy just cocks his head to the side, his tail giving a little wag of confusion. <No, I didn't,> the puppy repeats, not quite sure why the Pikachu is finding that so gosh darned funny. He's also starting to blush slightly. <Why are you laughing?> With another little reddening, Peppy growls his reply to Jameka through clenched teeth. <She's a Growlithe, like me.> His face does soften a bit, and he tacks on, <But she's really smart.> Compared to Peppy, anybody is.

Jameka giggles a little more, scrawny body hunching. <I... I'm not laughing!> she manages out, between snickers. The electric rodent's ears flatten and she tries again to be serious. <Ahem! I mean... uh. A Growlithe, like you?> This seems to clear the Pikachu's mind, and she frowns slightly, pondering this. <Are you gonna be mates?> she asks after a minute. Hey, it's logical! Peppy's the brawn... sorta, and Aurora's the brains! And the brawn. And... oh, forget it.

Argh! This is what he was afraid of! <No,> Peppy mumbles under his breath, shifting uncomfortably and blushing a tad. <No, we're not going to be mates. I mean, I don't think. I mean, probably not... No, defin... bah!> The Growlithe just lets off a little "Grr!" of frustration and his tail falls limp. In an attempt to change the topic, Peppy asks, <Why do you ask, anyway?> ... It's about then that he realizes that that's not changing the topic much at all.

The adorable little ball of yellow fur blinks at Peppy's obvious nervousness. <What... what's wrong?> she asks innocently, brown eyes big. <Why aren'tcha gonna be...> Topic change. <Why do I ask?> Another round of cute, innocent blinking. Then Jameka grins, nods and begins, <Well, my mom told me that when two pokemon meet and like each other they sometimes fall in love and become mates. So when you said that you liked this... Awooaah, or whatever, I thought maybe you were in love with her and were her mate.> Oh. Very nice speech. Poor, poor Peppy...

Peppy reddens even further, though now he's turning his head to the side to try and avoid letting Jameka see it. <Yes, that is how pokemon become mates,> Peppy woofs, recalling his own parents telling him the exact same thing. <But only if they love each other. Not like each other! And even then, they won't always.> That's a coverup in case he ever mentions that he loved Patch in front of Jameka... Go Peppy, thinking ahead! <So, um, she's just a friend. That's all. Not a mate.> And, a lot quieter, <I don't even think she likes me anyway.>

Jameka stares blankly at Peppy for a bit. <Oh.> Another long, staring pause. <So you don't love Awooaah?> The Pikachu gets up from her sitting position and crawls towards Peppy on all fours. Her ears prick up and her tail goes straight out to balance, as she sits up again right under the Growlithe's nose and peers up at him, cocking her head. <Are you suuuure? If she loved you could you be mates? Or don't you love her? Or...> the little electric type stops and shakes her head, ears flapping. Oh great, she went and confused herself!

A pack of Growlithe puppies play Tug-of-War with the database. Better save! (Saving)

The sky is clear brilliant blue and there's a light breeze from the west. It's hot. Butterfree fly through the heated air, headed for the ocean.

Peppy and questions don't mix. Peppy and nervousness don't mix. And apparently, Peppy and mating don't mix. Combine all three and you've got one very insecure Growlithe. <I! don't... know?> The puppy's tone changes three times in three words. <That's a big if. You can't be mates if only one pokemon loves.> A pause. <I... think.> Another hesitation. Peppy's too naive about this whole thing. <You ask too many questions! Come on, I'll show you the den.> Making a gesture to the west, Peppy begins trotting towards the den - though judging by the way he's swaying back and forth, he must have his eyes closed or something.

Jameka stares at the older, wiser (*snicker*) and far more experienced (Ha!) Growlithe, awed. <Ooh. Okay!> she seems to accept the reply as fact. Okay so the bit about her asking too many questions /is/ fact. Still. <Uhm.> The Pikachu stays put, peering after Peppy as he starts off toward his (shared/borrowed/whatever) den. Then she seems to belatedly realize she's supposed to follow. <Oh! Hey, wait up!> she calls, springing into action and bounding after the Growlithe.

The den is not far away at all - maybe a minute's walk? Supposing he isn't interrogated, he'll not say a word - just stumble left and right like he's not really looking where he's going. What a klutz! As they approach the den, Peppy comes to a stop, gestures to it, and growls in a low voice, <Let's not be too loud. I think Aurora's inside, and I don't want to wake her up if she's sleeping. That would be mean.> It's happened often enough to Peppy for the poor pup to know, after all. Given their position and the darkness (and especially given the Pikachu's height), Jameka probably won't be able to see the den very well.

The Pikachu doesn't say a word to Peppy the entire trip to the den, too busy bouncing along beside the Growlithe to miss more chatter time. Of course, this feat isn't all that impressive, seeing as she's only shut up for a minute or so. But still. She's a kid. As the Growlithe halts, so does Jameka, coming to a skidding stop next to him and pricking up her ears to catch his words. "Pika chaaa," she agrees quietly, nodding and staying shut up for a bit longer. Then, without waiting for Peppy, she creeps carefully forward to get a closer look at this den.

Jameka proceeds forward, but Peppy stays back a bit - if only so as to yawn and smack his chops together softly. He's starting to get a little sleepy here - and he's so preoccupied with yawning that he doesn't supervise Jameka at all. Instead, he gets a glance around the area, his colorblindness helping in this respect. It really is a lovely little area, he thinks to himself, his tail giving a little wag. Could use some more food, but hey, whacha gonna do.

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

He doesn't supervise Jameka. Bad idea. The little Pikachu goes creeping right into the den, ears twitching and nose wiggling. Then, once she's taken a good few steps or so, she halts, sits back on her haunches and calls out in a loud whisper, <Hellooo? Anybody hooome in here?> Hadn't Peppy said there was another Growlithe around here? He had! Now all she had to do was find it...

Yawn, yawn, y... blink. Peer. <Jameka?> Peppy growls softly, glancing about. Where did sh... And then his eyes go over the den. And widen. "Growl!" <Ack!> Peppy charges forward as quietly as possible (no easy task, believe you me!), coming to a quick halt in front of Jameka. Panting softly, he growls a quick, <Quiet!> followed by an immediate, <Don't be mean. Aurora's really tired from all the work we've been doing on the den, and it's not right to wake her up!> Peppy - Defender of Sleep! Dun dun dun duuun!

<But... I wasn't... bein'...> Jameka protests, blinking up at the Growlithe that so suddenly appeared in front of her. In the process she manages to let her voice go from a loud whisper to a normal speaking voice. Loud. Especially in a quiet den. <I just wanted to /see/ her!> the Pikachu sniffs, looking surprisingly upset. Sure, maybe Peppy /hadn't/ been yelling at her. But she obviously doesn't know that.

With a little growl, Peppy grab the scruff of Jameka's neck, and, working quickly to avoid the Pikachu protesting too loudly, marches off a few feet away from the den. Plopping the Pikachu on the ground, Peppy growls, <You can see her another day! Not right now! How would you like if I woke yo...> Then the Growlithe blinks. Oh, wait - he *did* just wake Jameka up. The dog woofs another little apology, before shaking his head.

Being grabbed by the scruff of the neck invokes one action, especially in younger Pikachu. Thus, the moment Peppy gets her by the scruff of the neck, Jameka promptly curls into a ball for carrying and shuts up. Shuts up, that is, until she's on the ground again. Then she's up in a flash, perched on her hind legs and glaring sadly up at the Growlithe, ears flat against her head. <I just wanted to /see/ her! I wasn't gonna wake her up! Really!> she complains, looking close to tears. The fact that Peppy /had/ originally woken her up and was, once again, apologizing for it goes completely ignored. <I... I...> Jameka sniffs a little, then gives up on whatever she was going to say. Instead she whirls about with amazing speed and dashes off toward the nearest bush.

A pack of Growlithe puppies play Tug-of-War with the database. Better save! (Saving)

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

Peppy reacts surprisingly quickly for his usually slow self, <Wait! Stop, don't go!> Oh gosh, he hopes to himself, not again. <Look, um, can't we...> What was that word Patch used once... <C... Cumprumiz? Comprumiz?> Compromise is the word he wants, but again, even his translation mangles it. That's difficult to do when your entire vocabulary consists of "Growl" and "Lithe". <Um... Like, um... uh... Just come over here!> The last part is not angry, but it's rather loud - Peppy instantly peeps and puts his muzzle to the ground, covering it with his paw.

Jameka dashes into the nearest bush. The next moment there comes a sniffling. And the next a quiet sobbing. And the next... man, who knew bushes could cry that loud? At Peppy's call (almost louder than the crying!) the wails pause briefly, interrupted only by a quick, <Go away!> before they resume once more. Full force.

Peppy glances left, glances right, and sighs softly. He needs a way to shut her up. <Look, Jameka, I... I...> How can he say it? <I have an idea! Just come here!> Peppy? With an idea? That either means he's serious... or it's just another one of his strange logical holes. A moment after his howl, Peppy will ask in a somewhat quieter voice (perhaps not being heard?), <Please?> He feels really sorry for his Growlithe friend right now. That having been said, she can and has slept through everything.

Jameka sobs, chokes and does that little sniffling thing that happens when you've been crying too hard. <W-what?> she chokes out between sniffs, sounding like she may just burst into tears again. But she doesn't. Instead the bush rustles a bit, and a moment later a long-eared head pokes its way out of the shrubbery. <W-why... why should I... c-come out.> Hiccup, sniff. Aww, poor Jammie!

Peppy takes a few steps towards Jameka, frowning softly. His voice is a lot more soft this time, as he wants to make sure he doesn't scare Jameka again. She is getting quieter, after all. <Look, Jameka... How about, um, if we both sleep out here tonight? I won't go into the den. Then you can see Aurora tomorrow or sometime soon.> Peppy tenses very slightly - not from the mentioning of Aurora, just in hope that the Pikachu will accept this proposal. It's the smartest one he's ever made!

The sun sets and the evening stars begin to appear in a blue and cloudless sky. There's a cool breeze from the west. A single Butterfree flies towards the coast and the love surely waiting for her there.

The bushes rustle again and the little yellow Pikachu head disappears within the foliage once more. A few more sniffles, another hiccup or two. Then, without warning, a small yellow blur erupts from the bushes. Surprisingly enough, though, Jameka remains perfectly quiet and instead stares up a Peppy, glaring at him. <Fine,> she mutters sulkily, ears flicking. <But I get to see her tomorrow!>

The Growlithe nods slowly. <As long as she's not busy with the den, now,> Peppy adds, taking a glance towards the den. <She's... a pretty tough worker. Might not want to be bothered if she's in the middle of digging. For now...> With a little yawn, Peppy descends to the ground, lying on his tummy. <Can't you just imagine what she looks like? Like me, but... um, a girl. And a little different.> Descriptive!

Sighing, Jameka reluctantly pads over to Peppy, head down and tail limp. <Yeah, yeah,> she mumbles, acting like a spoiled brat. <Everybody thinks I'm annoying. I wish... I wish...> the Pikachu trails off, flopping down on the grass a little ways from Peppy with an muffled <unf!>. The Growlithe gets an eyeroll for his impressive description of Aurora and Jammie sighs again, eyes drifting shut.

The Growlithe gives off a gigantic yawn - ten seconds long and surprisingly loud. He's a pro when it comes to yawns, after all - it's one of the few things he's good as. <Annoying?> he repeats softly, eyes starting to blur up softly as he glances at the Pikachu. <Not... really,> he yawns softly, adding a little, <I think nobody's really perfect. I-> Yaawn. <I... I'm... not... th...> And in record time, Peppy has already fallen fast asleep. Only moments later, he starts snoring gently. It's not an annoying snore (might even be comforting), but it's a snore nonetheless.

Yawning is like a cold. One person has it and before ya know it, everybody has it. Thus, when Peppy yawns, Jameka yawns too shortly after. And curls up in a nice cute ball. Her breathing evens out, scrawny chest rising and falling. Yup, she's asleep. Or... is she? Peppy drops off to sleep mid-sentence and nothing moves. But then he begins to snore. Nothing happens for a moment, but then... the little yellow ball uncurls itself, giggles mischieviously, and with a quiet "Kaaa!" lets loose a nice, static-y, little-more-than-stings Thundershock. In Peppy's general direction.

Fzzt. Peppy stays fast asleep, but yipes a tiny little "Lithe..." of a protest as the Thundershock connects with his fur. Fwoomph! Assume fluffball mode once again! With a little yawn in his sleep, Peppy kicks up a leg and rolls over onto his back - and this time, he isn't snoring, probably much to Jameka's relief. It's impossible for Peppy to stay asleep for an hour without muttering the dreams to himself - but for now, everything's peaceful and everything's calm.

A pack of Growlithe puppies play Tug-of-War with the database. Better save! (Saving)

Jameka giggles some more at the ball of poof that now rests in the spot where a semi-poofy Growlithe once was. Smirking to herself, she uncurls completely and pads silently over to the fluff, climbing onto Peppy's stomach and curling up into a tight yellow ball. <And don't wake me up again!> she mumbles sleepily, her voice muffled and a goofy grin still pasted on her face. The little Pikachu tucks tail a bit closer and drifts off to sleep -- for real this time.