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

It's not very good weather outside today. It's a little foggy, it's sticky and humid, and it's hard to breathe. To the Growlithe we all know and love as Peppy, however, the weather is just perfect. It's not raining, it's not snowing, and it's not raining and snowing at the same time, and that's just fine for him. Right now, the pup's outside of his den, though he doesn't seem to be doing anything in particular; he's not lying on his tummy, so he can't be sleeping, but he's also not moving, so he can't be hunting. No, he's sort of sittinf down on the human's path, facing the road, occasionally peering left, then right, then left once more. What in the world is he doing - begging to be caught? With Peppy, you really never can tell.

It might be foggy, but the weather suits a certain Dragonair just fine. It's not unbearably sunny, but neither is it thick, oozing mud. Perfect! Naiad slithers her way through the bushes near the human road. It might not be the safest place for her to travel, but she's harder to see in the fog and the area is easier overall to travel through for the limbless snake-like pokemon than the bushes and shrubs that are farther back off the road. She is nearly silent, only her skin occasionally hissing against a leaf or a rock as she passes. Despite this, the sensitive ears or nose of the Growlithe might be able to pick up the sounds or her rather unusual scent.

No matter how vacantly ignorant or downright stupid Peppy may be, even he can't ignore the overwhelmingly unique - and oddly familiar - smell Naiad is leaving as she slips through the area, and, his thoughts broken briefly, the pup's nose twitches twice as his tail gives an excited wag, but he purposely doesn't turn his head around. Don't tell him, he can place this! Hmm... It's not Aurora... No, it's not that Ninetales... it's not that Vulpix... Uh. Sort of giving up, the pup's tail gives another wag, and he pops up to all four paws, doing a ninety degree turn to face what was once behind him - but will he be able to see Naiad if she's completely hidden inside the bush? <Hello?> ... Well, that solves that.

Naiad's senses are primarily visual and kinesthetic and Peppy was being quiet before his greeting. Thus it is that the Dragonair, whose head was halfway between two bushes, is taken completely by surprise by the sudden bard. She instinctively freezes until she can figure out what caused the sound. Her instinct can't overcome her curiousity, however, and after just a few moments of silence, she asks, <Hello? Is someone there? Who are you? What are you?>

Hmm. Peppy's eyes thoughtfully peer up at his forehead. Now he's not only got a scent to go on, but also a voice! Think. What kind of pokemon says 'Dragonair Drag'? C'mon, Peppy... you can do it... After a few moments of struggling, Peppy's brain finally comes up with the mental image of long, snake-like dragon - that of Naiad. Instantly relaxing, the Growlithe woofs rather cheerfully into the fog, <It's me!> Oh, that helps. <Aren't you that thing that I sometimes see? The long thing that's really smart and teases me abou...> Abruptly, Peppy's tail just droops down to the mud, and he himself sort of motions a little closer to the ground. Suddenly, the pup feels a *lot* more insecure. Is he really in the mood to get teased today? (Apparently, the thought that Naiad now has nothing *to* tease him about doesn't strike the pup...)

Naiad has a much easier time recognizing Peppy's voice than he does hers. She just needed a bit more to go on then one word. <Oh, hi Peppy the Growlithe,> the calls back, then begins to undulate her way towards the direction she thinks his voice came from. <Yes, I'm Naiad,> she continues to speak as she searches. <I'm the one who teases your about Aurora, your mate,> she continues, her voice becoming sly. <And I know that I was right, because I met her the other day, and she said that she is your mate! How about that, huh?>

Peppy's mouth opens after she says 'hi', but he closes it as she begins to speak again. Naiad. Peppy makes sure to *save* that word in his memory bank and never, ever forget it (ask him again in five minutes, snicker as he stumbles and can't remember). As an uncontrollable reflex, the pup leaps up into a fully erect stance when Naiad mentions Aurora, and he automatically opens his mouth to hush the Dragonair's teasing - but then she mentions mates. And then the dragon pokemon mentions that she already knows about him and Aurora. Will she continue to taunt him over it? ... ... And will he still be bothered by it? With a lopsided little half grin, Peppy timidly nods his head very slightly. His tail gives a nervous jerk. <Yeah... I am. Er, she is. I mean, we are.> He nods, and repeats. <We are.>

Peppy's further words finally give Naiad enough to find him by. It's a good thing he spoke now, though, otherwise she's be heading in a very wrong direction, almost perpendicular to the puppy's actual location. The words save her, however, and in a few moments, she's close enough to see the vague form of the Growlithe through the mist. <Ah, there you are,> the dragon pokemon says. <Anyway, congratulations! I told you she wouldn't think you were dumb if you asked her to help teach you to hunt! She seemed very nice when I met her, but she said you were hunting, so I went off to look for you. Obviously, I didn't find you though until today,> she babbles happily. <Anyway, so are you happy? Do you like being mates with Aurora? Are you going to have babies? What are baby Growlithes called, anyway? I know some pokemon have special names for their babies, like Psyducks have ducklings. Do Growlithes have something like that?> The Dragonair seems beyond talkative today.

A Retwa flares its wings and protects the database. (Saving)

Everything is pale grey, veiled by mist. It's warm, humid, and still.

Peppy's tail boings into the air when Naiad seems to just sort of emerge from the mist, and the pup himself can't help but jump slightly. He almost immediately calms himself, however - it's just... uh... Nirod? ... What the heck did she call herself? Peppy's eyebrows furrow, and he thoughtfully turns his head to the right and down. He doesn't get much time to try to recall however - the Dragonair launches another one of her rapid-fire questionings, leaving poor Peppy helpless. Thankfully, he can actually answer some of these questions without stammering or blushing. <Yes, I'm really h... uh huh, I really lov... Uh, I think soo - um, pup-> And then, somewhat abruptly, the pup answers Naiad's final question, hopefully stopping her billion-questions-at-once-flurry. Raising his head to the sky, he practically howls the word, <Puppies!> Half a mile away, A Rattata wonders what in the world is going on.

Naiad's black eyes widen a bit at the extremely sudden and loud answer to her last question, but she nods just as if Peppy had spoken in a normal tone of voice. <Puppies. That's an interesting word. Are you going to have puppies? When? What do they look like? What will you feed them? Have you gotten better at hunting? Are you going to have to hunt? Do you have a lot of puppies, or do you just have one or two at a time?> she chatters happily. She may realize by now that Peppy isn't good at handling more than one question at a time, but she just can't seem to help herself. There's so much to learn!

Peppy actually isn't very good at handling one question at a time, either, and he just sort of goes downhill when four hundred questions are launched at him in a ten second time span. Still, the pup gives it a shot - Naiad's bound to learn *something* from his choppy and interrupted replies. <I'm not, Aurora i... I think not to... they look like little Gr... I th - Yes, I - sor - I don't know!!> The straw that broke the Growlithe's back. He seems to explode into annoyance and anger as he admits he isn't sure, but his voice instantly calms back down as he continues. <I think... about three or something. I think I had a sister and me so that was two but I don't think that's the average.>

Naiad might be smart, but that doesn't mean she knows, or rather, follows socially acceptable behaviour, hence all the questions. She does look rather stunned at the annoyed tone of voice the Growlithe gets for a moment, though. Once he brings himself back under control, she curls her long body up and meekly says, <I see,> rather than bombarding him with more questions. <I have a brother, but we weren't born at the same time. He was born a long long time after me,> she adds. With those words, however, she shuts up for the moment. Peppy has managed the impossible!

Peppy visibly braces himself, preparing himself for an onslaught of questions that's undoubtedly going to come. Naiad doesn't quite ask anything, though - she tells the canine about her brother and not being born at the same time. Peppy's 'ready' position falters slightly as he tries to figure out if she actually did ask a question but he missed it. The pup simply nods his head in reply, but doesn't verbally respond. He's not going to let down his guard only to have Naiad ask him a bunch more questions!

Peppy doesn't say anything. He doesn't ask any questions in return, he doesn't answer any of her previous ones, but neither does he yell at her. The sudden silence between the two pokemon unnerves Naiad and she pulls her coils together more tightly. <Are you...mad at me?> she asks in a very quiet voice after a few more moments of silence that seem longer than they really are. Strangely enough, the opinion of this strange fuzzy thing who dreams of burger trees means quite a bit to her.

Ah ha! Peppy's reply probably comes before Naiad's mouth is finished closing. <No!> Apparently, he's intent on answering the questions as fast as he can, so that one answer can be out before the next question is asked. A second later, exactly -what- he replied to sinks in, and after it appears that Naiad's not starting up a quick succession of question, he cocks his head slightly, peering at her through the mist. <Of course I'm not,> the pup woofs, generally confused. What in the world did he do to make her think he's mad at her? <You're my friend, and friends don't get mad at friends. Unless they do something really wrong, but you didn't do anything wrong.> ... Touching.

Naiad's head seems to begin sinking into her coils for just a moment as she asks her question, then Peppy's word sinks in. Looking rather hopeful, she begins to put her head in a more comfortable position, pillowed on her coils rather than constricted by them. She looks more and more cheerful as Peppy talks of friendship until she's looking as happy as she was when she first met up with the fire dog. <Oh, good! I was afraid maybe I'd made you mad at me. My parents were always telling me to stop putting my tail in my mouth so much. I haven't actually done that since I was little, but it's just a saying, so I was afraid I had done it again and made you. I think you're my friend too and I wouldn't want you mad at me,> she exclaims in a sudden rush.

There's probably a question somewhere in that little story (hey, it's harder than it looks to separate questions from statements when you're as dumb as Peppy is!), but the Growlithe only sort of nods dumbly in reply, though he does add, <I'm glad you think I'm your friend, too.> There's a light little pause. Peppy turns his head to the side, stretching his neck back to apparently... glance at his rump. Confused, he directs his attention back to the Dragonair, and meekly asks, <How can you put your tail in your mouth? I don't think my head goes back that far.> ... Brother.

Wow. Someone is asking Naiad a question. That usually doesn't happen, if only because she's asking her own so fast that no one can get a word in edgewise. Naiad blinks at the question, looking first at the Growlithe, then down at her coiled body. The answer seems pretty obvious to her, but she answers anyway. She uncoils so as to show how long her body is and says, <See, my body is a lot longer and flexible than yours.> As she speaks, she brings her jeweled tail up near her face. <See, because I'm longer and more flexible, I can reach about any point on my body with my mouth, except my head of course. So I could put my tail in my mouth,> she explains, though she doesn't demonstrate. That tail has been dragging through the ground, it's dirty! <But it's just a saying anyhow. No one but a little baby puts their tail in their mouth,> she finishes, then begins to coil back up again into a more comfortable position.

Peppy sort of blinks at Naiad for a second, as if he's really trying his very hardest to understand. Why would anybody want to put his or her tail in his or her mouth in the first place? "It's just a saying" seems to have no effect on Peppy. Slightly curious, the pup's head slowly turns towards the den. Sure, he can't see it through the fog, but he knows it's there. <So...> His voice sounds much more perplexed now. <So when Aurora has the puppies, they can put their tails in their mouths, but I can't?> A pause. <Is that okay or should I tell them to stop?> Again, Peppy doesn't realize that Naiad might be referring only to Dratinis when she mentions "little babies".

Once Peppy begins to speak, Naiad becomes nearly as confused and lost as he is already. <Uh...I really don't know. I don't know anything about Growlithe bab-er, puppies,> she says honestly. <But...but if they do put their tails in their mouth, yeah, you should tell them to stop. It's a bad habit to have. Plus you don't know where their tails have been. Your mouth is for food, not for other things,> she says in a voice that likely resembles the way her mother told her the same thing. Judging by the easy way she rattles the phrase off, she was told it many times.

A Retwa flares its wings and protects the database. (Saving)

Suddenly, Naiad is speaking in Peppy terms! <You're right!> the pup woofs with a satisfactory little nod. That's logic he can get. Mouths are for food, not for tails. Feeling a little proud of himself for understanding such a complex theory, the canine wags his tail appreciatively, though it does slow down slightly when he adds, <Although somethings they're for carrying things, too. But you don't carry your tail!> Granted, he's talking to a limbless pokemon who doesn't have a large mouth, so the observation might seem a little strange.

<No, you don't carry your tail,> Naiad agrees. <And yeah, I guess sometimes you could carry things in your mouth...,> she trails off, then looks hard at the Growlithe. <Well, it looks like that's the only way you could carry anything. With some things, I can wrap the end of my tail around it and drag whatever it is to wherever I'm going. Not that I do that very much, but I could if I had to,> she concludes.

Peppy peers at Naiad's body for a moment, and for pretty much the first time, he realizes just how lucky he is to have limbs, fur, and a big mouth - even if it is at the sacrifice of a shred of intelligence. <I'd rather carry it in my mouth,> the pup woofs somewhat frankly, taking another glance at his tail. The thought of him using it to bring berries back to the den perks up the sides of the canine's mouth slightly. <But...> Peppy turns back to Naiad, giving the other pokemon's tail a second glance. <But your tail is really useful. All mine does is go back and forth when I'm feeling happy.>

Naiad, having never had limbs, doesn't feel the lack of them. Even if she did, she'd probably prefer to have the logic necessary to decide that there is no such thing as a burger tree. <Most of the time I don't do a whole lot with it. It helps me balance and stuff, but not much more,> Naiad admits, glancing at her tail for a moment, then clacking the jewels on it together. <It's good that yours does something, though. I'll remember that,> she continues. A strange look passes across her face as a question passes through her mind, but she struggles to not answer it. Peppy might not have been mad at her in the first place, but she's trying to avoid that now at all costs.

Peppy sort of blinks at Naiad for a moment, glancing once again at his tail. It wags cheerfully in reply. "Grrrrowl..." the pup emits softly, the translated word best described as an '<Ohh...>'. <I know!> His head whiplashes back to Naiad, his tail as furious as ever. <I know! I know! My tail is here because then you know when I'm happy! So if you say something that I really like or do something or feed me something that I think is really tasty, you'll know if I'm happy because you can look at my tail, and then you'll want to do that more because it mak..e...s> Mouthed are the words "<me happy>", but Peppy doesn't have enough air stored in his lungs to make it the full sentence. Inhaling and exhaling rapidly, the pup's tail isn't quite wagging so fast now. Is it possible that Peppy's deduction is correct? ... Nah.

Naiad blinks as Peppy suddenly starts cascading forth with ideas. And then, as the words begin to sink in, she blinks several more time. <Uh, Peppy,> she offers hesitantly. <Uh, don't all Growlithes have tails? I saw that Aurora had one. Not like that other thing that had a lot, but she did have one. And, well, didn't you have a tail before you met me?> she asks logically, speaking a bit slower than she usually does when she's bursting with questions.

Peppy is still sort of panting for breath, but he's starting to get passionate. He figured something out! Something really smart! All by himself! <No, it applies for all Growlithes! Aurora,> Peppy woofs, his tail starting to wag a little harder even at the thought, <Aurora too. If I give her berries and her tail wags, I know that she really likes the berries so I'll want to get her more! Right? Right?> It really is a worthless little conclusion Peppy's drawn here, but he's still so proud of it; the light in his eyes (supposing Naiad can see it through the fog, which she may not) is simply undeniable.

Comprehension dawns on Naiad of what the Growlithe is trying to say. <Oh, you mean you as in a general statement, not me specifically?> she asks, trying to clarify. <If so, sure. Maybe that's why Growlithes have tails. I really don't know. I don't know all that much about Growlithes except they don't like water and they have puppies and mates and stuff like that. The stuff you've told me,> she admits.

Everything is pale grey, veiled by mist. It's warm, humid, and still.

Peppy's tail wags even further now, and he shifts over slightly, his head yet again straying towards the den. He still can't see it through the mist, however. <Well,> the pup woofs softly, still not looking at Naiad. <You can ask me questions if you want to know more about me or about Growlithes or about mates, but don't ask me about puppies yet because I really don't know that much except that they're really small.> What a great father Peppy's going to be! The pup's voice takes on a worried tone as he peers back at Naiad, adding, <Oh, but, uh, don't ask questions too fast or I might not be able to answer them all.>

<Oh! Okay! Thanks!> Naiad perks up a lot at the prospect of being given permission to ask as many questions as she'd like, even if it turns out that she's going to have to ask them slowly. <Okay,> she repeats, thinking for a moment. <Oh! I remember one time you said that you don't like fish because they're in water, but why don't you like water? You might have answered that before, but if you did, I don't remember the reason,> she gasps, not from speaking quickly, but rather from the effort of keeping the questions coming as slow as possible.

Peppy just sort of twitches. Maybe it's been countless weeks of nonstop rain, maybe it's been living with a hydrophobic mate, maybe it's just because fire types are just naturally supposed to hate water, but whatever the case, Peppy's furiously wagging tail just stops and drops. <Water,> the pup woofs with considerable disgust, shaking his head quickly and powerfully as if he was shaking water free from his fur. <I don't know. I guess I kind of sort of like a little bit, and I used to like it when it rained because that meant I could go see Aurora...> Yeah, and his tail starts wagging, even though his face doesn't really change expressions. <But I just don't like it, because it's... cold and wet and just really yucky.> How descriptive.

Naiad blinks, seemingly unable to respond to that declaration. She obviously disagrees, but it is wet, and it often is cold, and she can't deny someone not liking it for the very reasons she often does. <Oh,> she says finally, then thinks for a moment before blinking in surprise once more. <You know...this asking questions slowly thing is hard. Now I can't think of any!> she says in astonishment.

A Retwa flares its wings and protects the database. (Saving)

Peppy sort of blinks at Naiad, cocking his head slightly as if he just doesn't get it (though for Peppy this is, of course, no new thing). <Maybe...> He pauses for a moment, and ventures upon a suggestion that is all too Peppy. <Maybe you should ask questions really fast, like you usually do, but only ask one or two questions and stop after that.> That is either the stupidest suggestion of all time or sheer brilliance. You never really can tell with Peppy.

The misty light dims slightly.

Naiad blinks right back at Peppy. She can't quite figure out what's wrong with his suggestion, she just knows it's wrong somehow and wouldn't work. <Oh well. It's not that big of a deal,> she says finally. <I can learn more about Growlithes later, right? It's not like I have to ask all my questions about them right now, do I?> The statement is a question, though she doesn't look like she's worried that today is going to be the cutoff for questions.

Wow. Peppy making semi-intelligent suggestions, Naiad refusing to ask questions. This is like some kind of freaky parallel universe or something. Still, the pup gives Naiad an overenthusiastic nod, not verbally replying but still acknowledging her questions. After a moment or two of hesitation, the canine ventures upon a seemingly completely random topic change. <Miriand?> he asks, looking directly at Naiad. So much for his memory span. <How come I've only seen one of you and it's always you and not another one?> ... Good luck figuring that one out. The pup woofs this with a straight face and curiosity shining in his eyes, so it's obviously not some kind of joke.

<Miriand?> Naiad asks in confusion. <What's a Miriand?> This must be some strange alternate universe. Isn't it Peppy who's usually confused by what Naiad says? The second statement is easier for her to answer there. <There's not many of my kind around anymore. The humans caught and killed too many of them a long time ago, and now there are just a few hiding in the Safari Zone. They think they're the only ones left, but I'm trying to see if I can find any others. But they're all Dratini, because they haven't evolved like me,> she finishes, sounding a bit proud of her accomplishment.

Peppy sort of peers at Naiad like she's the crazy one. <You. You're Mariod, right?> asks Peppy, as though he thinks the Dragonair is crazy for not knowing her own name. Shrugging it off with his head, the pup listens to the short story, his ears pressing down against his fuzzy head as it nears its end. <B... but...> And then the pup practically jumps into a more alert position, though his eyes remain worried and his ears remain pressed. <But if there aren't any more of you, then...> Peppy pauses for a moment. Naiad's smart - maybe... <There's a way to make pokemon without having babies?> ... Uh... huh.

Naiad peers back at the Growlithe. <I don't know who Mariod is, but I'm not she. I'm Naiad. The Dragonair. Remember?> she prompts the memoryless pup. Then, however, the rest of his question sinks in. She sighs and stares off into the fog for a moment or two before answering. <And there are...enough Dratini so we might not die out. Especially if I can find anymore of them. I've seen one or two humans with them, so there's got to be more of them out there. As for me, personally? I've never seen another Dragonair and I really don't have any hopes that I will find one.>

Twilight deepens the grey of the fog.

Naiad, Mariod, what's the big difference? Both sound kind of sort of similar if you use your imagination. Still, Peppy tries once again to drill 'Naiad' into his head - probably to no more avail than before. Bit by bit, the pup's mood deepens and becomes more depressed as Naiad talks about never seeing another Dragonair again. That's like saying he'll never seen another burger again or something. By the time Peppy gets around to speaking, his voice has mostly squeaked down to sympathetic and caring whimpers. <I'm really sorry to hear that,> the pup woofs, and it sounds like he's not just saying that to make the Dragonair feel better. <I used to feel like that but I don't anymore, but if there aren't any more of you at -all- then you'll never get to be mates, and that'll be really sad. If you were, um, if you were a different pokemon where there's not just one of you and I found one that was a boy, I'd let you meet him.> ... Well, the thought is there.

Naiad seems a bit sad, but more resigned than anything. After all, she's still quite young for her species, so the fact that she'll never be able to raise children of her own or have someone to share things with like Peppy probably hasn't truly hit her yet, and probably won't until long after Peppy, Aurora, and their puppies are long since turned to dust. <It's alright, don't worry about it,> she tries to reassure her friend (even if he couldn't remember her name if his life depended on it). <That's really nice of you to say that, though. And who knows, maybe someday another Dratini will evolve. It just doesn't happen very often, especially not in the colony I came from. But we live a long time, so there's plenty of time for someone else to,> she says, doing her best to sound cheery and positive.

Peppy manages a small little smile, but it still isn't a very enthusiastic one. <How long is a long time?> he asks softly, his tail giving a curious little wag. <Is it like one... um, one of those things, from when it turns from really hot to not really as hot, or from that to snowy, or from that to rainy?> The word he's looking for is, of course, a 'season', but his description of one is so downright poor that Naiad might not be able to pick it up. <Because that's not a very long time, and if you only live for that long, I don't think another Dirtandee will evolve.> Nobody knows where he's coming up with these crazy as heck conclusions, but it shows in his face and his tone that he's really trying to put his heart out into helping Naiad.

A Retwa flares its wings and protects the database. (Saving)

Naiad considers this question for longer than a moment or two before answering. Peppy wasn't the first of her 'lower' friends to ask such a question, and as she grew older and understood death better, it only became harder for her to answer. Finally, she answers with a question of her own. <How long do Growlithes generally live for?> she asks quietly.

Everything is grey, veiled by darkening twilit mist. It's still, warm, and the air feels damp.

Peppy sort of looks at Naiad for a moment, as if he's not sure of how to answer. <Um... A long time,> the puppy nods, his tail giving a little wag. <Probably the same 'long time' as you.> After a pause, he glances back at the den, adding with another tail wag, <Aurora said that she was... um... six summers old. And I don't think Aurora's very old, even if she is older than me. But we're not really young! If we were young we could only be friends and not be mates, so we can't live that long or six summers would only be a really -young- age.> Whoa. Logic. <So... um... maybe four hundred summers?> ... Never mind.

Fog and darkness shroud the world.

Naiad blinks. <Huh. That surprises me. I would have guessed you didn't live anywhere near that long,> she says finally. She has to think for another few moments, all the examples and such that she had come up with no longer relevent with the pup's astonishing (and incorrect) declaration. <Well, then, we only live a few times as long as you do, I think. Longer than you, but I'm not exactly sure how much longer. It's been a really long time since anyone in the colony has died of old age because it takes us so long. And I'll probably live longer since I evolved. So I've got plenty of time to wait,> she says finally.

Peppy's eyes widen at Naiad, his tail suddenly popping into a completely erect position as he runs this through his mind. Dragonairs live longer than Growlithes! As an off-note, Peppy woofs a still-somewhat-bewildered, <I... I don't know for sure though, so I might be off by a few years.> Only 380 years. You were close, Pep! His true intention is to actually get Naiad herself to admit that she might not know for sure, which would make him feel better about not living very long in comparison. <Four hundred years is a long time.> And, as a somewhat surprising off-note, <... And if we have one litter every year, that's a lot of puppies, too.> It is sometimes amazing to see how this Growlithe's mind works - if at all.

Naiad nods, considering that. <That is indeed a lot of puppies,> she says, though she looks at Peppy long and hard. Yeah, she's definitely starting to not believe him. Otherwise, with the average of three puppies per litter he claimed earlier, the world would be overrun with Growlithes, and she's only ever met him and Aurora. <We don't give birth very often. My parents had me and my brother, and most of the colony tried to have at least two children. A few of them even managed to have three,> she says casually.

You can't blame Peppy for not knowing his times tables, that's just not fair to expect. You can eyeroll at him for believing in burger trees, you can snicker at his stupidity at thinking Growlithes live four hundred years, but c'mon. At least he realized that that was 'a lot'. <Two children sounds like a lot,> Peppy nods slowly, the gears in the back of his mind shifting. He plops down on his haunches, finally giving his poor limbs a rest for a little while, as he barks, <Because if two... uh, if you two of you guys make two babies, then you get...> He pauses here for a moment to add it up. <One... three... four, even though you started out with only two!> It's time for another Peppy twist of logic. <If you make babies like that, then you must not live for more than four hundred years, because otherwise I'd have seen one other than you because every two... uh, every two of you makes two or even three more!>

Naiad listens to Peppy. She really does. And she really does try to figure out his absolutely bizarre logic. It doesn't work though. She peers through the darkness at him. <Um...but if two Dratini only have two babies throughout their entire lives, that's not very many. Once the first two that had the babies die, then there's only two of them again. Population doesn't increase that way,> she says finally, not sure who is making sense anymore.

Peppy's dreams of actually being smarter than somebody for once in his life are shattered when Naiad speaks, leaving the pup behind in the dust. <But...> he woofs very, very softly, his tail drooping more and more, his head declining to the ground. He peers at the mud for a few moments, motionless except for his rising and falling chest, before, with a slightly angry but mostly disappointed growl, he emits, <I don't get it.> Give him credit for getting this far, at least.

Naiad tries to be patient with the very confused puppy, though she's still rather confused herself. <Think about it,> she suggests. <Think of how many puppies you'll have if you have three of them every summer for...a lot of summers,> she says, skipping over the exact years. <That's a lot of puppies, right? So there are quite a few Growlithes around, right?>

Peppy pauses for a moment, peering at the ground more, trying to sort all this out in his mind. <Well... no,> he woofs softly, moving a paw forward to nudge a little rock in front of him as though it's something interesting. <Besides my old pack, I've only seen a few other Growlithes in my life. And some were trained.> There's a little pause. Peppy nudges the rock forward with his muzzle, as though he's actually trying to keep himself distracted. <I think Aurora's the only Growlithe I've seen in a long time, which is why I'm really glad she likes me.> Aww.

<Yes, but you've seen them around, which is more than you can say for things like me. And that's with each Growlithe mated pair making three puppies a year. There's only a few dozen Dratini left that I know of. They make two babies, total. That's why you never see any-we're really, really rare,> the Dragonair explains, obviously hoping against hope that Peppy will understand at least a little bit this time.

A Retwa flares its wings and protects the database. (Saving)

Peppy looks up, and he peers at Naiad. He simply stares at her, a vacant look in his green eyes suggesting he is out there on planet X, spacing out somewhere. Just when it looks like he's hopeless, just when it looks like he's fast asleep with his eyes open, a tiny little smile forms at the edge of his mouth. <I understand,> he woofs quietly. Then it turns into a full fledged bark. <I understand! If you only have a -few- Durninnies, even if they make babies, they only make two babies, meaning that there still aren't very many new babies, because whenever the babies get old enough to make new babies, the parents aren't alive anymore! I understand! I understand!> Judging by the intensity of his tail, the bursting excitement in his eyes, and the wide doggy grin on his face, it's easy to see that this really does mean a lot to the pup.

Naiad looks rather surprised that she managed to get her point across, but she nods eagerly. <That's exactly it. You do understand! Great job, Peppy,> she says, grinning at the eager fire pup. Somehow, the teenaged Dragonair with an attitude has become, not just a teacher, but a moderately successful one. Who knows, maybe she'll even manage to teach Peppy her name someday!

Eh. Teach Peppy Naiad's name? Let's keep our goals reasonable, now. His face still alight with joy, the pup nods to the Dragonair proudly, once again establishing in my mind that Naiad is the smartest creature alive. Aurora's got -everybody- beat in the ability to think ahead and predict things, of course, but Naiad's just -smart-. <I'm sorry that you can only make two babies,> Peppy woofs softly, trying to keep his excitement under control. <But maybe you'll be the first to have three! Or maybe even four!> Squinting his eyes, Peppy tries to imagine a baby Naiad, and, if anything, it makes him even more giddy. Hey, it's a funny thought.

Naiad blinks at Peppy. From the look that crosses her face for a moment, it's evident that she's completely astonished that she managed to teach the dog something, and yet somehow managed to drive stuff out of his head at the same time. Rather than going back to the whole 'there might not be any male Dragonairs around' thing, though, she just nods. <Uh, right. Maybe I will be.> And maybe Growlithes will learn to fly!

Peppy continues barking, as though he's not quite sure of her uncertainty towards him. <If there are only two dozen-> Peppy has no idea what a 'two dozen' is, but it can't be very much... <Dhatenis, then you should find a mate really quickly. I like having a mate, because she's really smart and nice, and I'm never ever lonely anymore, even when it rains, a...n...> In the back of Peppy's mind, a rusty gear shifts, and his excitement quickly crumbles into shame and embarrassment. Directing his attention to the floor again, he murmurs a barely audible, <I'm sorry, I forgot.> Oh, that's something new.

Naiad nods. <I see,> she says softly. <That's alrighhh-,> she breaks off, yawning widely. <Oh my, it's gotten late. I need to get back to the stream I've been staying in. It was nice to see you again, though, Peppy. I've been hanging out in this area lately, so I think, I hope I'll see you again soon. And Aurora. Alright?> she asks, as if confirming that this is indeed where he's staying.

Peppy actually expected something along the lines of getting whapped upside the head and torn apart accordingly, but hey, the Dragonair wanting to leave isn't quite as bad. Quite against his will, the Growlithe stretches open his jaw, his own desire to yawn kindled by Naiad's own, and lets out a low-pitched five second long yawn that would be enough to make Choji sleepy. <The den's over there,> Peppy woofs softly, making a vague gesture in the general direction of the den, even though it's difficult to see through the fog. <And I want to show you how good I've gotten at hunting!> Well, hey, tearing berry branches off of bushes is a step up from what he used to do, yes. With much effort (and another yawn), Peppy makes his way back up to all four paws, giving Naiad a tiny little nod. <Hope you have a nice sleep!>

Everything is half-hidden, nothing clearly seen in the dark fog. It's warm and still.

Naiad nods. <You too! I'll make sure to stop by here again sometime soon. I do want to see how good you are at hunting!> she exclaims. She doesn't seem to be holding any hard feelings against the really dumb Growlithe. From the almost continual yawns she's fighting off now, it's obvious that she truly is tired. <Goodnight, Peppy. I hope you have nice dreams,> the dragon pokemon says with another yawn before uncoiling herself and turning to undulate off into the bushes in the direction of 'her' stream.