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.

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

The weather is simply beautiful this afternoon. Sure, a little hot, sure, a little humid, but Peppy's seen worse - at least, that's what he'd be thinking were he awake. Indeed, when other pokemon would be out doing things with their lives, this particular Growlithe instead just lies there sprawled on the path, snoring away and growling content little <Oo, burgers?> and <Look and them all!>s to himself. He's made no real attempt to conceal himself, despite the fact that there are plenty of bushes all around. Maybe he likes to sleep in the sun? ... Or maybe he's just dumb.

Peppy might not be concerned about concealing himself, but not all pokemon are so trusting or naive. Naiad would be one of those, and she cautiously slithers through the bushes as best she can, her long, sinuous body allowing her to crawl under all but the lowest growing of them. The ones that she can't go under she goes around, on the side away from the road when she can, but that's not always possible. Flashes of her bright blue skin can occasionally be seen from the road as she travels.

"Trusting"? "Naive"? Try "stupid"! Stupid is a word that describes Peppy well - but then, so does hungry, as his next few actions suggest. After a rather loud snore, an uncomfortable shift, and a kick of the back paw, Peppy blinks open one eye. This eye focuses upon a rock right in front of him, and the Growlithe gives this rock approximately seven seconds of his time before growling, none too quietly, to himself, <I'm hungry.> So what else is new? His movements clumsy, slow, and extremely awkward, Peppy stumbles up to all four paws, yawning and muttering to himself all the while. Hrm. Maybe he should just go back to sleep - it's a lot easier.

Naiad, who's trying to stay away from the road, doesn't notice the Growlithe until her wing-like ears pick up the sound of his loud snore. She halts, instantly motionless except for her large black eyes, which dart this way and that as she tries to discover the source of the sound. On the alert now, she catches his voice when he mutters to himself, and while she isn't close enough to hear the words, it's enough for her to realize it's not a human. Instantly, she relaxes, then undulates over to a more open area and raises her head off the ground, trying to spot the source of the voice.

Though a Growlithe's sense of smell is very keen, and though Peppy's picking up just the tiniest little hints of the Dragonair's scent, the puppy's mind is so clouded and muddled that he dismisses it as nothing out of the ordinary. Sniff, sniff, and then he's lost interest. With another really loud yawn (this one spanning a good five seconds - nothing compared to what it's like before he goes to sleep, but still a decent yawn), Peppy turns his attention first toward the west - no humans - then to the east - no humans - then toward the road - no humans. "Grrrowlithe!" he barks in an annoyed tone pretty much to himself, disappointed. Finding food on your own is hard; that's why it's a disappointment when humans don't come along.

Naiad catches sight of the puppy, then lowers her head back to the ground and ponders for a moment. The voice sounds somewhat familiar, but she's not sure why. Finally, with a mental shrug, she continues on her journey. However, once she is approximately parallel to Peppy's position, she stops and carefully sticks her head out into the open, a puzzled look on her face. <You better be careful. Humans come this way a lot,> she says in a loud whisper to the Growlithe.

Fwip! Peppy's head jerks towards Naiad instantly, the dog already starting to tense up. His last encounter with a pokemon brought him face to face (quite literally) to a Scarewulf - that's something to be paranoid of! As he notices the Dragonair, however, the puppy exhales a little sigh of relief, his whole body giving a sign of relaxation with the exception of his tail - that begins to wag enthusiastically. Naiad is one pokemon he remembers. Aurora, it took him three encounters to remember. Jameka, something like -four-. Naiad, however, sticks in Peppy's mind. Maybe it's because she's so unlike any pokemon he's ever seen before? Whatever the case, the Growlithe wastes no time in replying to the dragon pokemon, arfing a naive, <That's what I'm looking for. Sometimes humans have food.> Tail wag. <I like food.>

Naiad, being more of a visual creature than a canine, never was able to get a great look at Peppy in the fog. However, she could hear him, and finally it strikes her why that voice is so familiar. <Oh! You're the pokemon whose trainer-er,> she pauses. Though she doesn't really like humans, she doesn't want to bring up a sore subject. She abruptly changes the subject. <Why not just go find food for yourself rather than depending on the fact that a human might come by and might give you some food without trying to capture you?> she asks quickly.

The Growlithe cocks his head slightly as Naiad says he's the pokemon whose trainer er. Trainerer? What in the world is that? The puppy opens his mouth to inquire, but, thankfully enough, Naiad is quick enough to change the subject. Peppy's jaws clamp shut as he listens to the Dragonair speaks, and if she is trying to scold or change him, it pretty much flies right over his head. <Sometimes I try to hunt for food myself!> the puppy woofs, his tail's wagging become slightly less powerful. <But lots of times it's hard, and the food doesn't taste as good. They don't have any burger trees around here!> ... Burger... trees? What goes through this dog's mind? Ahh, the brightest Alakazam in the world probably couldn't figure that one out.

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

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.

Naiad has already tried to figure out what these mysterious 'burger trees' are, but to no avail, so she ignores the reference to the mythological tree. <What do you mean, it doesn't taste as good? I should think the satisfaction of knowing that you're managing to survive on your own would be a powerful spice. I know when I was first learning to fish that whenever I caught something, it was exhilerating, to know that I didn't need my parents anymore to survive.>

Peppy just kind of blinks at Naiad, completely and totally -not understanding- what in the world is the Dragonair is talking about. <I don't get it,> the puppy woofs plainly, as though he's too dumb to realize that he's supposed to *hide the fact that he's dumb*. <Sometimes they run or it's hard to find them or it's hard to catch them and then they fight back. But if a human comes along with food-> The tail bursts again once more into enthusiastic wagging, and the pup's entire body just seems a lot more... vibrant. <They don't run and they don't -always- give you food but sometimes they do and it tastes really, really good!> With a nod, Peppy concludes, <If you knew how good a burger was, you would want some, too.>

Naiad just...blinks. Several times. It's quite obvious that she and Peppy, though physically on the same planet, are worlds apart in other ways. <I don't think so. Not if I'd have to get it from a human,> she says. Today she seems to be in a more cheerful mood, so while her words are harsh, her tone is more matter-of-fact than anything else. <And besides, prey getting away sometimes is part of life and hunting. You need to just learn to accept that and get back on your feet and go after something else. You're more likely to starve if you just sit here and expect everything to be handed to you on a silver platter.>

Peppy looks almost thoughtful (ha ha!) for a moment as he glances to Naiad, his eyebrows furrowing as he contemplates what to say next. The truth, most likely - he remembers where a lie brought him with this Dragonair last time. Puffing out his chest a little bit, almost indignantly, the puppy woofs, <I don't -only- try to find humans. Sometimes I hunt! I just don't... like to do it all the time.> In a strange twist of logic, Peppy's logic almost makes sense - why not get food in the easiest way possible, saving the harder 'hunting' tactics as a last resort? ... Ahh, yes, the theory on life of an ex-trained pokemon...

<I should think,> Naiad begins in a kindly tone, one that most often would be used when talking to a young child or someone that is a little slow mentally. <that it would be best to hunt when you can, then, when you have time sit here. When you're already full. That way, if a human doesn't come by in time, you won't be so weak from hunger that you'll be unable to hunt.> Her body moves fluidly in something of a shrug as she speaks, indicating that this is just her opinion and she doesn't know how Peppy will take the suggestion.

Peppy blinks, his entire theory on food (a very, very personal subject for him, of course) shattered in two. He blinks once more, now turning his head lightly to the side as he goes over Naiad's hints, running it over in his mind a few times. Given how slow those gears in his mind work, it takes a few moments. Finally, the puppy glances back up at Naiad, and woofs an uncertain, <... I think you're right.> See how easily Peppy is conquered by a little thing called "reason"? ... Shoot, "common sense"? His ears drooping, his tail falling limp to the ground, Peppy looks very submissive as he woofs an uncertain, <But how do I get better at hunting, then?>

<Practice,> Naiad responds immediately. <You've got to practice. There's no other way. Especially since you look like something that needs to mostly eat meat,> she continues, looking the Growlithe up and down. <I don't really know much about hunting on land, but when I can't get to the water, I just eat berries and stuff. You probably couldn't do that,> she says thoughtfully. <Did you ever think of asking your friend...what was her name? Aurora. Did you ever ask Aurora for some help on learning to hunt better?>

The pup glances at Naiad for a moment, giving a little grin and a tail wag. <Meat is really tasty,> Peppy woofs, giving a little nod as though he's missed the entire point of the conversation. <I think burger is meat. But I'm not sure, maybe it's not, because the two soft things aren't really like meat, so maybe it isn't meat.> Surprisingly enough, the Growlithe does get back into track, instead of trailing off into his own thoughts like the mentioning of burgers do. Maybe it's because he's interested in learning how to be a better hunter? That, or it's because because Naiad mentioned... <Aurora?> Peppy grins uneasily out of the side of his mouth, taking a little step back. <I can't... just... -ask- her to help me hunt, I mean, um...> Okay, -now- Peppy trails off.

Naiad blinks again at the mention of burgers, even more confused than ever at what they are. She knows very well that meat doesn't grow on trees, but Peppy is obviously convinced they do. Finally, she shakes her head a bit, then concentrates on the conversation again. <Why couldn't you ask her to help you learn how to hunt better?> she asks curiously. <She knows you were once an owned pokemon, right?>

Where else would burgers grow? If they grew from the ground, they'd be all dirty - and burgers don't taste dirty, so they must grow from trees. ... Yes, the wacky world of Peppy's mind. <I...> The puppy pauses for a moment here, giving in to a moment of thought. <I think I told her.> Ah, what he'd give for a better memory! <... I must have because I think she told me once that she was owned, so I think I told her.> Lots of uncertain "<I think>"s coming along here, eh? Peppy pauses for a moment longer, before grinning nervously once more back up at the Dragonair. <You, uh, I can't just... -walk- up to her and just, uh, ask her to tell me how to hunt...>

Naiad looks a bit puzzled at Peppy's confusion. <You mean, you don't even know what you've told her and what you haven't?> she says suddenly, the words exploding from her in her astonishment. Before Peppy can possibly answer that question, she sighs, then shakes her head a bit, as if telling herself to drop it. <Anyway, why can't you just go up and ask her to help you learn how to hunt? What's wrong with doing that? Especially if she's been owned before-she's likely to understand how hard the transistion is.>

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

Peppy gives off a tiny, helpless little whimper as Naiad's tone changes to a more surprised one. It doesn't matter if Naiad quickly changed the subject: the pup will still gently woof <I just forgot!>, his entire body pressing away from the Dragonair practically in fear. Hey, it's not his fault that he's dumb. After a moment of wondering if his head's about to get bitten off, he continues, much more quietly, <Because... I can't... just -ask- her... she probably thinks I already know, and I should know, but I don't, and she might think I'm dumb for not knowing or something.> For as much as Peppy likes positive attention, he despises negative attention every bit as much, apparently.

Naiad blinks yet again. Peppy seems good at making her repeat that action often. Her first words had come out harsher than intended, and she wiggles a bit, her skin tone darkening with embarrassment. <Sorry, I didn't mean to shout,> she says softly. <And why can't you just ask her? You're not dumb if you just haven't learned something. I had to be taught how to hunt. So did everyone else. The pokemon that don't learn starve to death. It's no crime not to know.>

It's right about now that Peppy realizes that he's been standing on all four paws for the past while, and it's only just now that the puppy decides that it might be wise to rest. And so, glancing at Naiad the whole time but not saying a word, Peppy plops down on his rump, sitting on his haunches. <But you were taught really long ago,> the Growlithe points out, though that's basically a guess on his part, and possibly an inaccurate guess. <I don't know if I was. But I don't want to just... Maybe... but she...> Number of coherent, understandable sentences: zero. That's Peppy for ya. Though he's not blushing behind his fur (an action like that is saved for other certain scenarios), his eyes are sort of glancing all over the place, as if they can't really lock on the Dragonair. Finally, he does focus on Naiad, and asks a (maybe) simple question. <You don't think she'll think I'm dumb for not knowing?> Hey, this pokemon seems smart - maybe she'll know.

<Nah, I don't think so. Like I said, everyone's gotta learn or they die, and usually they have to learn from someone else. If I hadn't learned from my parents, I would be dead from starving by now,> she says, pulling more of her body out from under the bush and coiling up into a more comfortable position. <In fact,> the Dragonair continues, her eyes twinkling merrily. <she might even be /flattered/ that you'd go to her for the teaching you need. That shows that you have a high opinion of her, and I don't see how that would bother her at all.>

Peppy just blinks at Naiad as he stares at her with jaw agape, tongue at the very tip, breathing softly. What's going through his mind right now? Good things? Bad things? Confused things? <You're... right!> A sudden and very cheerful doggy smile marks the puppy's face, and his tail jumps once more into a flurry of dancing back and forth. <When Aurora said she wanted help with her den, I felt -really- happy that she picked me because that means that she thinks I could make it really good, and maybe if I ask *her* to teach me how to hunt she'll like it to because that means I'm choosing -her- and not someone else and she'll feel good like... like...> Peppy pretty much chokes here, his excited run on (and nonsensical) sentence not giving him enough of a chance to breathe. And so, while he waits for Naiad's reply, he pants for breath, his tongue hanging out of his mouth as though he just sprinted a mile.

Naiad nods in satisfaction, though a hint of amazement can be seen in her eyes. She somehow got this strange puppy to understand something! She listens carefully to his babbling words, then nods again. <Exactly. It's a sign of respect when you ask someone to help you with something. It's a sign that you know that they're good at something, and you'd like their help. I really don't think she'd have a problem with teaching you. Actually, I'd help you out if I could, but like I mentioned before, I don't really know how to hunt on land. I'm more of a fisher,> she says, grinning and showing off her conical teeth, perfect for catching fish with.

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 is still panting softly even as Naiad finishes her statement, though the little grin stays and his tail still remains wagging. <I never thought of it like that!> the newly enlightened pup woofs softly, as though he's just been convinced to change his religion. <I thought it would make me look dumb, or make her get annoyed, but maybe it won't.> Peppy doesn't need something to make him look dumb, he does that for himself. At the mentioning of fish, Peppy squirms a little, his energetic and cheerfull mood ever so slightly fading. His tongue remains out, but this time it's something a little more disgusted. <I don't like fish,> he woofs. <It's in water and I don't like water.> That much, you can't blame him for, at least. Hey, wait - how does a firebreathing animal have a problem hunting, anyway?

Naiad's body ripples again in her version of a shrug. <To each his own,> she says smoothly. <I love fish. Of course, I was born in the water and spent most of my life there, so naturally I would have an affinity for water food. Just like you have one for land food, and even...human food,> a hint of disgust comes back into her voice at the mention of humans.

Ah, yes - when it comes to food, Peppy seems to be Naiad's antithesis, completely and thoroughly. <Burgers are a human food,> the Growlithe points out plainly, as though this is complete and total proof to show that Naiad is wrong. Didn't he just imply that burgers grow on trees, anyway? <And fish are a water food, and I don't like water. I was born when it was really hot and not really rainy, I think. I don't remember...> Here the pup thoughtfully glances up as his fuzzy forehead, before directing his eyes back to Naiad. <I think someone just told me a long time ago.> ... Well, that was a totally random topic change - but given this pup, this might not even come as a surprise.

Once more, the Dragonair blinks in confusion as the topic randomly changes in such a way that she has no clue what's being talked about, especially not after becoming even more confused over the nature of burgers. <Someone just told you what? That you were in a hot place when you were born? Or that burgers grow on trees?> she asks, her brow wrinkling a bit as she tries to wade through the random comments of the Growlithe.

Peppy peers up at Naiad for a moment, a look on his face so perplexed that it's almost like he himself doesn't remember what he was talking about. "Lithe!" he woofs suddenly, the Growlithe's equivilant of "<Oh!>". <No, I don't think it was a hot place. It was a hot time. Like now, but not as rainy, and even more -hot-.> Maybe the word he's thinking of is... "summer"? It seems as though the word's slipped his mind for now. <I don't think anybody told me burgers grow on trees.> Another topic change? With a little tailwag and a half grin, the puppy woofs, as though he's proud of this, <I figured it out by myself!>

Naiad sighs, not anymore enlightened by these comments than she was by the previous ones. <If burgers are just human food, they must not grow on trees,> she says sensibly. <Otherwise pokemon would eat them, just like we eat fruit and nuts and stuff too. Things that grow on trees aren't just human food, so burgers must not grow on trees,> she finishes, rather proud of her logic of finally figuring out what burgers must /not/ be.

The puppy blinks at Naiad, but shakes his head softly. He believes the Dragonair is some kind of holy Goddess of Wisdom sent down from the skies to help him out, yes, but that doesn't mean she's right about everything. And this is something Peppy simply -can't- admit he's wrong to. <Maybe pokemon -do- eat burgers. Maybe it's a pokemon and human food.> After a moment's hesitation, Peppy looks up at Naiad, his tail continuing to wag enthusiastically. <That means you can have some and you won't think it's human food! Then we'll both tell -everybody- how yummy burgers are, because I really like burgers, and-> And suddenly, for no reason, the Growlithe begins to growl! ... from his tummy. With a curious little blink, Peppy glances down at his stomach, woofing a little, <I'm hungry.> ... And now we're back to where we started.

Naiad shakes her head firmly. <I've been travelling for almost a year and have been around most of the island, I think, and I've never seen or heard anyone else talk about a burger tree. Even if they do grow on trees somewhere, it's obviously not around here, so that makes it impossible for it to be a pokemon food as well as a human food.> She looks surprised at the loudness of the Growlithe's stomach, but politely says nothing about it.

Peppy is busy glancing at his tummy, but the exact moment - we're talking the split milisecond - that Naiad mentions any doubt of the fabled burger tree existing, his head whiplashes up, his eyes suddenly wide with fear, his entire body tensing. <Never... seen one?> The puppy trembles right now. That's exactly what he does - he shakes softly, peering up at Naiad, whimpering a little, <That's not true, right? There might be burger trees, and there might be one really close to here, but you just don't know, right?> Could this be the end of Peppy's lifelong goal (well, one of the three): to find the mythical burger tree?

Naiad finds herself becoming more and more logical every time she meets up with this strange little Growlithe. This moment is no exception, and having no clue about Peppy's goals and dreams, she calmly does her best to shatter them. <Nope. I've been hanging around in this area lately, and while I obviously haven't seen every bit of land, no one else has talked about a burger tree. Same with the rest of the island. Not even my friends from the Safari Zone, or the Slowpoke who taught me so much about the outside world knew or said anything about burger trees. I don't think they exist,> she says quickly.

Dun dun. <You're wrong,> the pup woofs as calmly as he can, turning his head both down and to the side as though he's absolutely, 100% positive he's correct. <You have to be wrong!> And now his head turns back up to Naiad, but his eyes are more pleading this time, as though he's *got* to prove Naiad wrong if it's the last thing he does. His voice crescendos, starting out somewhat quiet before getting louder and louder. <I know I've had burgers before, and burgers can't just come from nowhere! They have to come from trees because there's no other...> And then he just stops, realizing that he's practically howling right now. Back down to a much quieter voice. <... place they could have come from.> Pant, pant. Peppy's teeth clench shut as he pants, and it's a wonder he barely avoided biting his tongue.

Naiad's brow scrunches up even more. <What do you mean, there's no other place burgers could come from. Honestly, do you really think trees are the only things that produce food?> With this, she's beginning to sound rather exasperated. <Look, I've talked with other pokemon who used to be owned by humans. Humans have other ways of getting food than hunting or picking fruit or berries. They make their own food. Burgers might exist, but they're probably something that humans make.>

Any anger Peppy had just sort of disappears into the air, leaving instead a look of extreme puzzlement obvious on his face. <They make their own food?> the puppy woofs, as though this isn't something he had anticipated. And then realizes just how true that might be - those weird things that talk about pokemon, those ball things that suck you up, not to mention the very clothes that humans wear - those aren't found anywhere in the wild! Score one for the Dragonair. Naiad: 65. Peppy: 0. Instead of conceding the point to Naiad, or offering a new argument, Peppy simply woofs, quietly and awed, <How do you know so much?>

As Peppy ceases to argue the point for a moment, Naiad's exasperation eases and her face settles into a contented look. <Oh, like I said, I've been travelling around, observing humans for almost a year. Plus, for quite some time before that, I studied with a Slowpoke who'd once been an owned pokemon, learning as much as I could. And really, I have a lot more life experience than you, even though I'm still considered young for my species.> She states this matter-of-factly, with only the faintest hint of arrogance coloring her voice as she mentions her age.

Peppy just woofs a little "Gr-lithe" of appreciation, his tail giving another wag. <You're really smart,> the Growlithe barks softly, as though he can't draw any distinctions between 'experiened' and 'smart'. <You know a lot and think about things. You're really smart.> He cocks his head here, his face scrunching up into a slightly more perplexed one. <Sort of like Aurora, except she, uh, purdaks things instead.> The word Peppy's searching for is 'predicts', but even translated it sounds garbled and incorrect. <But you know more.> The canine gives a satisfied little nod, as though what he's saying is the greatest compliment ever and Naiad should blush and smile and thank him or something. What an optimistic pup. Optimistic or naive. Or perhaps just stupid.

Naiad does smile. <Thanks,> she says simply, then once again, her look becomes puzzled as she tries to figure out what on earth the Growlithe is talking about. <What do you mean, she purdaks things?> she asks, clearly confused. With a soft sigh under her breath, she rearranges herself a bit more, her tail becoming clear as she coils more of her body to lay her head on top of.

Purple, gold, and vermillion clouds grace the western sky as the sun descends toward the west.

Peppy cocks his head gently at Naiad, as though he can't figure out what she can't understand. <She purdaks things. Don't you know what purdaks means?> He won't even give Naiad a chance to reply. Jumping on the chance to actually show he *knows* something that this ultra intelligent life form doesn't, Peppy speaks in a slightly condescending matter. <Purdaks... It's like when you sort of... guess at the future, and, uh, sort of... Um, okay, when Aurora made her den, it was so she could protect herself from the rain.> And then, his voice dropping slightly, he woofs, <And then we had lots and lots of rain, but she had a den! So she was really smart and knew we would have rain so she put up a den to protect herself from it.> He repeats himself two or three times, but all the while his tail is wagging and he's grinning softly. Is he grinning at Aurora's intelligence - or maybe only because he thinks his example is oh-so-perfect?

<When you guess at the future? Oh, you mean predicts,> Naiad says, quickly figuring out what the puppy is talking about. <Yes, that's a good thing. Why haven't you made a den, anyway? It seems like it's been raining a lot lately, and if you don't like water, it seems like that would be a good thing to do. Plus, you could ask Aurora to help you with that, too, and you'd get to spend more time with her.> As she speaks, Naiad's eyes sparkle with mischief again. Despite what Peppy has said, she has her suspicions about the relationship between the two Growlithes.

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

The sun sets, the western clouds turning purple, red, and gold. It's hazy and warm. A single Butterfree, her colors not unlike the sunset's, wings silently towards the coast.

Peppy would probably droop and feel all disappointed about *not* knowing something Naiad doesn't know (hey, 'purdaks' isn't *that* off, is it?) had the Dragonair not just mentioned Aurora. Knowing where this is going, Peppy makes a little peep before quickly ascending to all four paws and rotating his body 90 degrees to the right before plopping back down. He tries to do this as casually as possible, as though Naiad might not notice if he does it discreetly enough. Dumb pup. <Ah... Build a den? No, I wouldn't want to, uh, steal the idea from Aurora. It was hers, I mean, and besides...> Okay, here it comes. Peppy turns his head to the side, so as to hide his blush from Naiad. This is probably the reason he got up and moved in the first place. <We made her den bigger, so if it gets really rainy, I can fit in there too...> Peppy swallows loudly, before wondering if there's anything to change the topic too. <Weather looks really nice tonight! Really nice sunset.>

The look on Naiad's face instantly transforms from a pleasant smile to a wicked, knowing grin. She might be a lot older than Peppy, but that doesn't mean she's mature. Taking fiendish delight in teasing Peppy, she says, <Oh, so you're sharing a den. You're just not mates. Uh huh.> That said, she gives the Growlithe some relief. <Yeah, I guess so. I wish it would rain again, though. My skin feels really dry.>

Half of Peppy's brain makes him want to turn to the Dragonair and just start barking rapidly at her, while the other half wants him to keep his head to the other side so she doesn't see his blush. The more timid side proves victorious in the end, and, facing a tree about thirty feet away, woofs very quickly, <We're not sharing a den!> Then, much more slowly, <She'll just... er...> His eyes roll up to the sky for a moment, though Naiad shouldn't see it. <You know, let me stay there if I want. When it's rainy or something. Like really quickly. It's not my den, it's hers.> And Peppy just sort of blinks at what Naiad says next. Naiad talked about the weather. That suggests she wanted a topic change. But then Peppy talked about Aurora. Meaning... he just blew his chance out of this. He cringes, and tries again. <I hope it doesn't rain,> woofs the pup, trying to be as natural as possible. He fails miserably at it. <I don't like getting wet.>

The orange-red sun sinks below the western horizon, leaving a darkening tapestry of purple and red-gold clouds behind it.

Naiad grins more. She tried to take pity on the Growlithe, but he didn't drop the subject, so she's not about to either. <Let's see. She'll let you stay. In her den. Sounds like she's sharing her den with you to me,> she says with a knowledgable smirk that only a teenager could produce. <Whose den it is isn't in contention-it's whether or not it's being shared. And you just said it is! So you're sharing a den!>

Okay, so the entire topic on weather has been dropped, leaving Peppy to defend himself helplessly. This is not an easy task when you can't even look at the pokemon you're defending yourself from. <So, uh, so -what- if we're sharing a den?> barks the pup nervously, glancing down at the ground. <She's only doing it because it's a nice thing to do and because we're friends.> Something tells him the Dragonair is going to walk away the victor of this 'quarrel' - she is (in Peppy's mind... well, and in reality, too) many times smarter than he is.

<So what?> Naiad replies with another grin. <It doesn't matter, except for the fact that you just /denied/ the fact that you were sharing a den. Even though you flat out said that you weren't sharing a den. So which is it? Are you sharing or aren't you?> she says with another smirk, confident in her ability to win this too. After all, Peppy made her job pretty easy when he contradicted himself.

Peppy made Naiad's job easy by -being born dumb-. Now. <Well,> woofs the pup softly, realizing that he doesn't know what to think. He's *not* sharing a den with her... but then, he *is* sharing a den with her, and the pup's mind is such a clouded confusion that he gives a little whimper. He doesn't think to ask why the Dragonair is so curious - he's too busy concentrating on the question for now. <Well... it's kind of both,> the puppy woofs softly, his blush staring to fade (but of course, Naiad won't see this). <She shares her den, but I only go inside when I have to, and I don't do it all the time, so I'm only sometimes visiting, not -always sharing-.> ... Peppy himself isn't even sure if that made sense.

Naiad grins more, her teeth gleaming in the last of the light. <Ah, so now you admit that you are indeed sharing a den with her, if only sometimes?> she says, jumping on that piece of evidence. <So I'm right. You are sharing a den. You even admited it,> she smirks a bit.

Plop! Peppy just kind of plops down to the floor, his tummy smashing into the ground, his left cheek crushing the grass underneath. Lying sprawled out on the floor like that doesn't seem to faze him at all, as he proceeds to woof, <Not... all the time, but sometimes we're sharing a den, but that doesn't mean we're mates! It just means that Aurora's nice enough to let me inside when it's raining, that's all.> As he speaks, Peppy brings up his right paw to sort of cover his face shyly. Yes, victory is in the hands of the Dragonair, without a doubt.

Victory would be in the hands of the Dragonair-if she had any. As it is, she's a limbless creature, and so could only curl around victory, or something of that sort. <Of course you're not mates!> she says, mock surprise in her tone. <I even said that myself. Of course...you do seem to be denying it rather...strongly. Perhaps you aren't mates with her, but you want to be?> the Dragonair says with another grin, cocking her head at the Growlithe trying to sink into the earth.

Brindled clouds conceal a few patches of starlit sky.

Peppy blushes fiercer than ever, but he makes a mistake - he forgets the entire reason he turned his head away in the first place. With a sudden jolt rupturing through his body, the pup jumps up to all four paws, and turns his somewhat fearful eyes to Naiad. <Want to be?> he woofs much too quickly his gaze bit by bit declining down to te ground. <No, I mean... Why... I, uh... No, she's just... too...> And, suddenly, he whiplashes his head up and her and growls none-too-nicely, <Why are you asking me, anyway? You don't even know her!> ... Then, much more quietly, much more softly, <... Do you?>

Naiad's grin fades a bit as Peppy gets, not just flustered, but upset. <No, I don't know her. But you're really fun to tease. Plus, don't a lot of pokemon pair off as mates? I know Dratinis do. There's nothing to be ashamed of if you want to be mates with her,> she says, trying to be reassuring. <It's the natural thing to do, after all.>

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

Bah. Peppy is actually starting to get sick of the Dragonair being so... so... ... -right-. "Gro-owlithe." The puppy mutters an affirmative reluctantly, adding, <Growlithes do mate.> So what's his big excuse out of this one? <But...> Peppy's been blushing now, but he doesn't even care at this point. <It doesn't matter what I think,> he woofs softly, giving a very uneasy grin and a weak tail wag. <Because she matters, too. A lot depends on what she thinks of me, too!> A blink. A pause. <Not that I'm suggesting anything!> he adds quickly.

Naiad nods. <I see. So that's why you were afraid to ask her to help teach you to hunt,> she says, drawing on part of the earlier conversation. <It's because you want to look good for her so she'll /want/ to be your mate, right?> she asks, putting everything together in her mind. Who knows whether she's actually right, but regardless, she'll probably be sure that she is anyway. <But just think,> she adds quickly. <If she teaches you to hunt, that'll give you plenty of time to spend together and give her a chance to get to know you better and like you!>

Peppy slowly goes back down to the ground, resting his right (so he is glancing at Naiad) cheek upon his paws, his tail giving a couple quick wags. <But she's a lot smarter,> he woofs after a few moments, not glancing at Naiad while he speaks. He's instead glancing at a rock - the same rock he woke up staring at. His voice is also fairly quieter. <And I've seen her when she was making her den, and she doesn't eat as much or sleep... Well, she does sleep a lot...> He pauses for a moment, then glances at Naiad, as if this is very important information. <I think she likes to sleep more than I do.>

<Well, then, it sounds like you have something in common, if you both like to sleep,> Naiad says encouragingly. <So you have at least one thing in common that you can talk ao-er, well, you can do together. And it's okay if she doesn't eat as much. A lot of times males are bigger than females, so they have to eat more.> The Dragonair obviously feels bad about making Peppy upset, so she's doing her best to console him about things.

Peppy's considerably small for his age, though Naiad would probably have no way of knowing this. He weighs a good six pounds less than the average - even though could eat enough to fill a pregnant Tauros. As a result, Naiad seems to confuse him a bit, and he woofs, <But I'm only a little bigger than she is.> He's silent for a few moments, before growling a very quiet, <But I don't want her to -know- anything, because maybe she'll get mad or not feel the same or something.> All the while, Peppy's just sort of staring at that rock, as though it's some sort of bizarre alien life form of like it's going to attack him if he doesn't glare at it long enough.

Peppy's done it again. He's managed to confuse Naiad. She blinks yet again. <What do you mean, you don't want her to know anything? If you're friends, she won't get mad at you. In fact, if you're friends, you should want her to know things about you, because that's part of friendship. Knowing things about each other. So even if you don't become mates, it would be good for her to at least know things about you,> she says, striving to be as logical as possible once again.

Peppy opens his mouth... but closes it. Opens it! ... Closes it. Open! Close. Open... And then he sighs gently, and decides to say something other than what he was considering. <I guess...> The pup's actions themselves might end up confusing Naiad as the puppy starts to curl up a little, almost as if he was trying to sleep when it was cold outside. <But I'm still really scared of everything.> What's he referring to - his fear of virtually every pokemon that doesn't have a high pitched voice (and even then...), or his fear of something about Aurora? Yet another mystery.

<You're scared of everything? What do you mean by everything?> Naiad asks, still puzzled by the Growlithe's behaviour. Of course, it's easy for her to give out relationship advice. She's never had anything more than friendship or family relations with pokemon of her own kind, and in the back of her head, she's most likely acknowledged the fact that the possibility of her ever finding a mate, now that she's evolved, is slim to none.

Peppy just gives off this tiny, tiny little sigh, before giving a little distempered growl and a muttered, <Nothing... Never mind.> Rather quickly afterwards, the pup woofs, <It's sort of getting late.> Is he actually predicting the Dragonair to inquire about his '<Nothing>' and '<Never mind>', and changing the subject to avoid that appropriately? Maybe Peppy's getting smarter! <Hey...> woofs Peppy, suddenly glancing up at the Dragonair, his tail giving a quick twitch. <What's your name, anyway?>

The night is warm and sultry, and dark clouds hide the stars in patches. Elsewhere they shine brightly. Dew forms on the ground.

This sufficiently distracts the Dragonair from her relationship questions and advice. <Oh, didn't I ever introduce myself?> she asks, aghast at her negligence. <My name is Naiad. Naiad the Dragonair,> she says, giving the Growlithe a polite nod as she does so. <Did you ever tell me your name? I can't remember, if you did,> she admits, her skin tone darkening as she blushes.

Though the pup stays lying down, his left paw gives a quick jerk as he barks, <My name's Peppy! I g... g...> Unfortunately, whatever he was going to say is stopped by a loud and long yawn, one that spans the time of about seven seconds. It hasn't been -that- long since he's woken up... has it? <Sorry about that,> woofs the puppy softly, smacking his chops together softly. <I'm getting a little... t... t...> And yet another yawn. Boy - sleepiness hits hard and hits fast for this pup.

Naiad begins to nod, only to be interrupted by a yawn of her own, spawned by the long yawn of the Growlithe. <Understandable,> she manages to say once her jaws shut again, seemingly of their own volition. <It is getting rather late. I probably ought to go find somewhere safe to sleep for the night. It was nice talking to you again, Peppy. Hope you and Aurora work things out.> As she speaks, she begins to uncoil her long body.

The puppy gives Naiad a small nod, a movement that looks decisively odd in his position. <You're really smart,> the dog woofs softly, stifling a yawn. <Oh, and, um, if you do see Aurora-> Another yawn. Peppy's eyes rather involuntarily begin to squeeze shut. <Don't... tell... an...> But he can't finish his sentence - he simply conks out, and hardly three seconds later, begins snoring. Sure, it's a very quiet snore, and it sounds more cute than annoying, but it's a snore nonetheless.

Naiad grins again, then yawns, her pink tongue curling as her jaws part in the gesture. Nearly silently, she finishes uncoiling herself, then carefully slithers off into the darkness, leaving almost no sign of her presence except for a faint marking near the path where she undulated away.