Contents:
Peppy Obvious exits:
North <N> leads to Old Macdonald's Farm.
South <S> leads to Overgrown Lands - Route 11: Off the Route.
West <W> leads to Field and Streams - Route 11: Orchards.
East <E> leads to Footbridge - Route 12: Junction.

Snow flurries drift silently down from the pale grey sky. The air is damp and cold, and there is little wind. In the forest, snowflurries dust the bare branches of the broadleaves and the needles of the conifers. While at the coast, light snowflakes sprinkle the glossy, black, and calm surface of the ocean.

Storm coming from the northeast. Scientists report it. Pokemon feel it. It's not too far off now; those pokemon who haven't already taken shelter are finishing up their preparations for the impending blizzard. Though all can predict when it will start, no creature can tell when it will end. Peppy the Growlithe, however, falls under the more procrastinating catergories - that, or he hasn't been successful enough with hunts over the past few days. He's out on a hunt this evening. Specs of orange and black pop out from a mass of white as he stumbles across the snowy plains, eyes narrowed, pace steady and sort of slow. His head is held high; it's unlikely he's using his sense of smell for now, though the reasons are unclear. One thing is certain in his mind, however. Despite all the preparations they're making for the storm of the century, some small pokemon aren't going to survive long enough to see it come.

A storm is on its way indeed, and headed rapidly in Peppy's direction. Though this particular storm is a bit on the unusual side. Rather than from the northeast, its moving up from the south, from Cinnabar. And it's in the form of a lone teenage girl. Bundled against the cold and snow, gloved hands shoved deep into the pockets of her warm winter jacket, and a full pack riding upon her back, the female Rocket crunches determinedly through the snow. Her head's lowered a little in thought, watching the snowy ground and she tromps along, and she seems to be talking to herself quietly, murmering things under her breath. On her shoulder perches an undersize Pikachu, the little creature's ears pricked and twitching, tuning into nature as they travel along in near silence, their pace quick and dogged.

Snow flurries drift silently down from the pale grey sky. The air is damp and cold, and there is little wind.

Plop, plop, plop. Peppy doesn't merely leave little paw prints in the snow. He leaves deep trenches, dragging lines that stretch as far as the eye can see through the flakes tumbling from the sky. The Growlithe barely bothers to lift his legs up more than a couple inches as he walks, though that's possibly because the snow has packed on so high; he's saving all his energy for pushing through the snow and not wasting time trying to go over it. That, or he's lazy - knowing Peppy, that's more likely than not. Presently, the pup comes to a stop. His eyes shift left, then right, then left again. Crouching low to the ground, Peppy shakes himself dry, sending muddy bits of half-dried snow flying in every given direction in mass clumps. <There,> the canine pokemon mutters to himself, sitting down in the snow and lifting a hindleg to scratch an itch at his side. His vibrant, bright fur stands out in the monochrome snow.

Lee continues to crunch through the snow as she's been doing for quite some time now, each heavy breath trailing as a white puff behind her as she walks. The girl keeps talking quietly, partially to herself and partially to her rodent friend, babbling on and on about one thing or another. Her Pikachu doesn't really seem to mind; the little guy just swivels his long ears and 'kaa's in reply every so often, still keeping an eye on their surroundings. After a few more minutes of this the Rocket's steps slow, then halt altogether. She stops and raises her head, taking a full look around at their current location. And she sighs. "Gettin' later an' I thought..." is commented to the Pikachu, her voice low and slightly irritated. "This rate, we're gonna haveta get Temp out 'ere, so we don't gotta camp. Damn." Shaking her head slowly, the teen lets her gaze wander about the area for a minute or two, taking a short rest before continuing.

His itch relieved and his fur clean, Peppy seems just about ready to take on the hunt once again. He extends his back legs and ascends into the air, moving his front limbs forward a step or two to retain his balance. Though the air is muggy and the wind is faint, the breeze does pick up very slightly as Peppy stands, and flakes of snow swirl around him. Instead of lifting his head to embrace them, the pup closes his eyes and exhales quietly before he continues his walk once again. He drags himself about seven feet before he catches something. The hint of a hushed voice sticking to the damp air, the faint whisp of a scent in this direction or another. Instead of perking up, Peppy's head lowers closer to the ground as he squats, and his green eyes quickly scan the horizon, looking for anything at all not white. Despite being colorblind, Peppy still finds it a lot harder than it sounds.

It's cold, it's snowing and Lee just stopped in the middle of it. But the girl doesn't seem terribly bothered by this fact, not at all. In fact, she almost seems to be enjoying the weather, pausing to close her eyes and let the snowflakes drift about her in the silence. "Snow," the girl whispers after a moment, opening her eyes again. "Ain't got snow on Cinnabar, do they Kwai?" On her shoulder the Pikachu ceases his sniffing at something or other and blinks, looking over at his trainer and cocking his head with an inquiring, "Pi?" He gets a soft laugh, then a shrug which jostles him slightly. "Ne'er mind, c'mon," his trainer replies, shifting her backpack slightly and starting off, dark clothing making her stick out rather well against the snow.

It's hard to see. The terrain has a couple bumps here and there that make it difficult for the crouching pup to see over, and the snow that avoids sticking to the fur on his face ends up getting in his eyes. And so, bobbling his head a bit, blinking to flush out melted snow, tail flickering here and there, Peppy just watches... until he finally catches sight of his prey. <Therrre it is,> he growls to himself quietly, creeping forward one step. Then another step. Then in the middle of his third step he slips on a rock hidden under the snow, and with a bewildered (and loud) "Grrooowli?!" he stumbles, bumbles, tumbles to the ground. The flakes aren't as soft and pillowesque as they might seem. Peppy's furry head swishes right through them, and his cheek smashes right into the ground. His muzzle bumps right over. Then his body goes down. There's a moment of surprised silence, before... "Liiithe!" <Owww!> Ah, behold the mighty hunter.

Calm, peaceful, wonderful silence. It's all good. Until a certain skilled Growlithe manages to wreck the moment, that is. At the very start of the sound Kwai startles, ears pricking up and eyes going wide as he lifts his head. "Kapika?" he squeaks softly, looking around for the source of the noise. His trainer reacts a second later, Lee halting abruptly and narrowing her eyes as she scans the area as well. "What..." the girl mutters to herself, "Was that?" The pokemon and Rocket stay put for a minute or two, trying to locate the noisemaker in this seemingly empty place. Then the human 'hms' to herself. "Sounds like it came from over 'ere, eh?" she asks her companion, glancing at him. The Pikachu nods shortly and she takes his word for it, already beginning to meander off in the general direction to investigate.

By the time Peppy has stretched his front limbs in a half push-up, removing his head from the snow, he's already forgotten entirely about The Dark Thing in the Distance That Might Be a Rattata. He peers down at the snow bewildered, his breathing loud, his eyes wide. The top half of his white has now matched the bottom half. Pure white. <That...> His voice seems shocked. <... That hurt.> Now it's merely a half-whimper to himself. He falls back onto his rump, shoulders relaxed, still looking aimlessly at the large gap in the snow that marks his imprint. He shakes his head fiercely, knocking loose the snow stuck to his fur. The sound of something rather large (to a Growlithe) approaching strikes the Growlithe's ears, which perk up along with his head. All the pain on his face is forgotten; though he watches whatever it is step closer and closer through the snow, he doesn't think to move.

Through the drifting snowflakes, the translucent pale grey of the sky deepens.

With the Growlithe sitting up, and having knocked some of the snow from his fur, Lee doesn't have a terribly hard time locating him as she nears. "Oh," the girl mutters to herself, working out in her head what's likely up ahead. Those colors, this area, it's not difficult to make a fairly intelligent guess on the matter. She picks up her pace just a tad, though her alertness increases as well as she moves closer to where Peppy sits, intent on figuring out what's going on and confident that she can handle whatever sort of situation might arise. Her Pikachu continues to perch on her shoulder, peering at the orange critter ahead as they move towards it.

It's a wonder Peppy doesn't scamper off. His brain is telling him to move, get out of here, go on; the last thing he needs before the biggest blizzard of the century is to risk being stripped away from his family. And yet the Growlithe does not move. He doesn't even show fear. As Lee approaches him, Peppy keeps his head high and his chest out, his eyebrows furrowed (or perhaps squinting from the snow, it's difficult to tell) to the newcomer. She's not quite close enough for him to catch her scent, and her face is halfway hidden by her coat to the little Growlithe. Once she gets within normal squeaking distance, Peppy will finally burst into action. He won't set Lee on fire, nor run screaming into the night, nor dive into the snow and cover his head with his paws. His tone low, the pup woofs all-too-gruffly to the teenager, <There's a storm coming.> Green eyes flicker to the east. <Why are you still out here?>

Wild pokemon are nothing to mess around with, and Lee knows this perfectly well. It's for this reason the teenager doesn't get too close, or move too quickly when approaching this strange Growlithe, instead acting slowly and cautiously, watching him the entire time. She may not be able to prevent herself from being Flamethrowered or whatnot, but at least she'll be able to see it coming, right? That's gotta count for something. when Peppy doesn't move the girl's wariness increases, and she stops a relatively safe few feet away, eyeing the canine curiously. On her shoulder Kwai reacts similarly, though the rodent pokemon just openly gapes rather than looks. Peppy gets no response from the human, who frankly can't understand a word he just said. The Pikachu, however, while not bothering to translate for the girl, does reply. <We're traveling!> squeaks the sparkrat, his ears settling back slightly. <We'll make it!> He seems absolutely sure of this, and punctuates the comment with a short nod.

As the Pikachu speaks, Peppy's majestic stance falters. He shifts his eyes from the trainer to the Pikachu and back to the trainer, as though he didn't quite expect a reply from Kwai. His reply comes quickly, and it shows. <... Really?> he asks. He lowers his head slightly, and his eyes fall to the ground as he tries to follow himself up. <You really should hurry. There's a really big blizzard coming.> Up, up, up goes Peppy's head, and he makes sure his eyes lock onto the Pikachu before he speaks. <Does she know that?> Now his attention shifts to Lee. A visible chill runs down the Growlithe's spine, and he blinks, leaning forward a little, peering at the Rocket's face the whole while. Like that's not going to unsettle her.

Darkness closes in early as thick grey clouds block the sun. A light snow is falling. There is scant wind.

Snow flurries fall from a darkening grey sky.

Lee takes her gaze from Peppy long enough to give her Pikachu a brief questioning look, before going back to eyeing the Growlithe again. She doesn't seem frightened or terribly worried by him, just watchful. If he's going to attack she intends to know immediately; she's going to fight back if he tries something. From his perch Kwai bounces slightly, nodding to the firedog's words. <'Course she knows!> he pipes, words wobbling as he continues to nod. <That's why we're hurrying, dummy. Before it gets da... r... k.> Here the electric type trails off, looking around and realizing it's rapidly beginning to grow less and less light out. <Uhm.> His trainer, catching this, sighs. "Anythin' I should know? If not, we gotta get goin'..." she murmers to the Pikachu, eyes still locked on Peppy.

Peppy doesn't seem to hear Kwai or Lee, and he doesn't seem to notice how tense (perhaps aware or concerned is a better word) the trainer appears. His eyes have started to scan not only the Rocket's face, but her arms, her chest, her belly, her legs. He shifts attention back to her waist and sniffs. He takes a step forward, and sniffs. He does not look particularly threatening, only extremely curious. He's on to something that neither of the other two know about. Should Lee give him the chance and not burst into a frantic action, he'll take another step forward, and, finally if she allows, one last step - no more. There will still be a little distance between Growlithe and Rocket if he's successful, but maybe he's intruded a little too far into her comfort zone. Should he get this far, he'll sniff, sniff, sniff, twitch, sniff, sniff, twitch, blink open his eyes, slowly drag them up Lee's body and onto her face. <You...> His ears fall to his scalp, and his tail sinks to the ground. <... You're that girl, aren't you?>

If he had moved fast, lunged and snarled or whatever, the poor pup would have found himself faced with one seriously PO'ed Scarewulf. As it is, the Growlithe's movements are slow enough that neither Inuki, nor Lee become too alarmed. The ghost continues to watch from his invisible position, somewhere nearby, and the human merely tenses, still watching the firedog carefully for any sign that he's preparing to attack. Even when all he does is sniff, the girl doesn't relax. But she doesn't react, either. Her Pikachu, bristling slightly at Peppy's approach, just blinks at the fire type's words, eyes widening a bit as he looks over at his trainer. <You... know him?> he questions curiously, tilting his head. "Hm?" <He says he knows you.> This is followed by a rough translation of the Growlithe's words. Lee bites her lip, eyes narrowing just a tad as she stares at the puppy pokemon harder, trying to work this out. There are so many of these mutts in the world, how's she supposed to know if she met this particular one before? She doesn't reply, looking Peppy over in silence as she tries to remember.

If he realizes that Lee doesn't recognize him, Peppy doesn't let on about it. He stays on all four paws, partially huddled into himself, peering up at the girl. The Growlithe doesn't know Inuki is in the area, of course, but the Pikachu's presense is enough to keep his movements slow and controlled. Even Peppy can draw a hint from the moments of silence, and, keeping his submissive, withdrawn position, the Growlithe shifts his eyes down to the ground. <... You don't remember me, do you?> How funny - usually it's the other way around. The fact that he's now looking at the ground might give Lee a hint. Though when they first met it was also snowing pretty heavily, Lee might have caught a glimpse of the scar running along the pup's muzzle; perhaps that'll remind her now as his head is tilted to the snow. But is it enough of a distinguishing mark?

The night is raw. Snow flurries drift down from the overcast sky.

The Pikachu's getting impatient. <So?> he repeats, eyes traveling back and forth between Peppy and his trainer. Lee doesn't take her eyes off the Growlithe, but she does manage a distracted, "So?" Her pokemon sighs. <Do you know him?> There's a pause, and the girl chews on her tongue for a minute or two, then shrugs. "I... dunno," she says finally, still staring at Peppy and wracking her brain. Why does this matter so much, anyway? She really should get going, after all... "Wait." The Rocket blinks suddenly, light hazel eyes narrowing further as something about the pup clicks. What is it exactly? Who knows. When she speaks again she's directly addressing the Growlithe, "I've seen ya before, I think. Once. A... long time ago..." She trails off, trying to fit more together. "Mate... you gotta mate, Growlithe?"

Peppy continues his watch on the white layers, now and then lifting up one of his front paws, swiping off the top bit of the snow in front of him, nervously passing the time under Lee's gaze. Finally, she speaks. Peppy's paw remains suspended in the air as the Rocket talks, but it's not until she mentions the word 'mate' that the Growlithe reacts. He starts up, his tail bursting into the air and wagging fiercely, sending collected snow flying. <Right!> the fire-type exclaims with a loud bark, his eyes bright, his cheerful demeanor a contrast to his sullen, disappointed stance from mere moments before. <Aurora. She and I have five puppies now!> His voice is almost boastful, and judging by the proud look on his face, he expects she'll gush over him and congratulate him and all that. Perhaps he doesn't remember too much of their previous conversation.

Ah, the trouble with not knowing Growlithe-speak. Lee remains utterly clueless as to Peppy's response to her question, just staring blankly at the pup as he replies. She waits. Still no enlightenment from above. The female Rocket sighs, rolls her eyes and gives the Pikachu on her shoulder a nudge. "'Ello? What'd he say?" she mutters at the rodent, tone mildly annoyed. Kwai startles as he's prodded, letting out a surprised "ka!" and scrabbling around on his perch, crossing over Lee's backpack and coming to sit on her other shoulder. Then, sulkily, he translates. His trainer nods, then goes back to ignoring him again, looking to Peppy. "Puppies... yeah. Think I do rem'ber ya mentionin' that, or somethin'." She smiles faintly, the memories of her last conversation with this pokemon starting to coming back. "Sound's like yer makin' out alright..."

Peppy's cheerful attitude does not waver; his eyes are bright and he's smiling deeply, obviously interested in the conversation. Can you blame him? <They're growing really quickly. ... They should, since they eat so much.> Peppy blinks now, and there's a glimpse of discontent in him, most likely because he's pointing out that puppies mean less food for him. The lapse is quick, however, and the Growlithe sinks back into his dumb grin, still looking up at the Rocket. <How are you doing?> What he -means- is "<Have you found a mate yet?>", but hopefully neither Lee nor Kwai should pick that up. <... Are things better for you? Last time we met...> Tail stops. Chest drops. The pup's eyes shift to the side, down to the ground, and he rotates his head. It's only now that he rests on his haunches, ignoring the cold on his rump as he sits. <... I could tell you were having a bad day.>

Again the Pikachu doesn't translate, too busy gawking at his trainer and the Growlithe. This doesn't please Lee; she's trying to have a conversation and he isn't helping. She needs someone who will translate quickly, entirely and not interfere. "I'll letcha out later," the girl tells Kwai, her tone leaving no room for argument as she pulls his pokeball from her jacket pocket and recalls the electric rodent. He doesn't get a chance to protest, vanishing a moment later. The teen doesn't have to wait for he new translator to arrive as he appears instantly, taking a hint. Hopefully Inuki's sudden appearance at Lee's side won't startle Peppy too terribly much... even with the fact that the 'Wulf's ears are flattened against his head and he's staring coldly at the Growlithe as he efficiantly translates the pup's words. Meanwhile, Lee's smile fades into a more fixed one, going devoid of any real emotion. "Better?" she repeats slowly, shrugging a bit. "Nuthin's changed. Mebbe got worse... dunno. That wasn't really a bad day, though." The girl grins lopsidedly, remembering their previous conversation better. Apparently, it amuses her now. Though it's not a very cheerful amusement, at all.

The Scarewulf's sudden manifestation sets Peppy on edge, though the Growlithe doesn't show surprise. He does, however, display worry and perhaps fear at the look on the ghost's face. Drawing on his inner strength, he forces himself to sit up straight and act strong, despite the girl's sudden stone-cold attitude and the chilling glare of the Scarewulf. <Nothing's changed?> he repeats for her, almost in disbelief. The wind picks up slightly; though it is a still night, the rare gust does make its way across the land. Peppy's fur sways as the wind from the east dashes by, but despite his desire to huddle into himself for warmth, the Growlithe keeps his head up high and his attention locked on Inuki. Glancing at the ghost will certainly make him falter. <... Nothing at all?> A hesitation. His tail wags against the pressure of the breeze, which has already started to fade. The hint of a smile perks at the corners of his mouth. <... Well, are you having a bad day now?>

The sky is grey-black, without moon or stars. The air is cold and wet, and there is little wind. Snow flurries fall. It is easier to feel the flakes landing than it is to see them, in the darkness.

Inuki stays put, standing by his trainer's side and impassively watching Peppy, doing his job of translating quickly and efficiantly. His presence may well be imposing, but he shows no interest in doing anything other than what he's already doing, and most certainly not in attacking or anything of the sort. Lee continues to grin at the Growlithe, shifting her stance slightly so that she's leaning more on her left side than her right, hands still shoved in the pockets of her thick coat. Her expression's slightly off; while it's broad and uses almost every feature to express it, it somehow misses her eyes and is for that reason hollow, empty. "Nah," the girl replies casually to Peppy's questions, the answer going for both. "Ya don't wanna see me on a bad day, mutt. Trus' me on that 'un." She pauses, tilting her head a bit. "'Ell, I don't wanna see me on a bad day..."

Despite his nervous stance, despite having to focus all of his attention on keeping his eyes locked to -Lee- and not drifting down to Inuki, Peppy still smiles a little more widely when Lee speaks, and his nose gives a snort of mild amusement. Hey, he got the half joke. <I understand.> Wag wag, smile smile, a nod or two here. His eyes drop down to the girl's chest. Blinking out the falling snow, Peppy swallows audibly before glancing back up at the Rocket's face. His smile remains, but now it's more nervous, as though he's hesitant to speak. But hey, as long as he's ignoring a ghost and sitting tall against a mean Rocket, he might as well build up the courage to ask, right? <... But you don't look like you're having a very good day.> Supposing Lee doesn't take offense and kill him off right there, the Growlithe will continue. <... You have a lot more good days than bad days when you have a mate! Or do you already have one?> There's an automatic, almost shallow grin on his face after he finishes speaking, though it might not last.

Lee's grin fades at the reply she gets, becoming almost a patient smile, like the one a kindgergarten teacher might give a student who decides they know how to read, simply because they've heard the book so many times and has it memorized. She laughs softly, looking off into the darkness that now surrounds them. "No..." the girl replies, shaking her head. "No, I don't think you do..." And likely, he doesn't at all. But she doesn't expand on it; her attention turns to his next comment. While she doesn't go ballistic, or glare, or curse, or even look the slightest bit angry, the Rocket does tense up slightly and look back to the Growlithe, faintly annoyed. "Don't get inta that again," she says, voice low and almost toneless. "Ain't got a mate yet. Ain't..." her voice gets colder, "ain't ever gonna."

Peppy doesn't expect much of a reply from the teenage girl; at worst he expects a sullen nod, at best a grin and maybe even a pat on the head. What he gets doesn't make him cringe in horror or send him running off into the darkening night. But there's something even Peppy can pick up. And maybe it's her tenseness, or maybe it's his experience, or maybe his canine nature just allows him to read emotions better than Lee might expect. Every bit of logic says Peppy should stop. Had the pup any reason whatsoever, he would change the subject, perhaps even leave. But something compels him to keep on going. Is he worried? Is his newfound testosterone-induced "bravery" clouding his judgement? Or is he simply being dumb? Whatever the case, Peppy gets up to all four paws - slowly, though not because he's concerned over Inuki. He's forgotten Inuki. Though he does not walk towards the girl, he does keep his eyes on her. His ears are up, but his tail is low. <Why not?> Concerned. If he can get that far, he'll follow up with a slightly more cheerful, <Shouldn't you try it? I'm sure there's got to be somewhere out there for you.> Should Lee interrupt him, no matter whether with a whisper or a yell, he'll hush up almost immediately.

Inuki translates quickly, the strong connection with his trainer making the task a simple one. But the Rocket doesn't respond in any way whatsoever, for several long minutes. She stares at Peppy through the darkness, not moving a muscle, not speaking, not showing any indication of having heard him at all. Then, finally, she shakes her head. "Why not...?" the girl repeats, a bitter laugh escaping. "'Cuz I can't. That's why. I jus' can't... I'm gonna be on my own forever, till the day I die. That's the way it's gotta be, an' I ain't gonna try changin' it." Lee shakes her head again, smiling slightly. "Somethin' I learned the hard way..."

Peppy's initial response is no response at all. It's silence. He remains almost entirely motionless except for his chest, which comes out, in, out, in. His breathing is controlled. Presently, on one of the exhales, the expression on the pup's face falls into a frown, and his head dips slightly. He now has to strain to look up at Lee. <You don't even know what it's like,> he woofs at last. This is a first - Peppy preaching to somebody -he- finds ignorant. His eyes are a little watery now, though that could simply be because of the snow falling in his face as he peers up. <... 'I just can't' just means you're the only one who won't let yourself.> As he speaks, he takes one step forward, ignoring Inuki. If the ghost doesn't react (and he will have to react loudly and spontaneously - Peppy has pretty much forgotten about the Scarewulf's existence), the Growlithe will attempt to take another step. This should bring him within touching range if he were to lean forward, but how far he actually gets depends on Lee's guardian.

Interestingly enough, the Scarewulf does react to Peppy's approach, his ears going completely flat against his head and his posture shifting forward slightly, aggressively. But he doesn't get the chance to do more this, as his trainer pulls a hand from her pocket and waves him down again, with one slight motion. "No," the girl says to him, shaking her head. "No, let 'im go." Her attention moves to the Growlithe, eyes narrowing to slits though she continues to smile emotionlessly. "Ya seem ta know me awful well, don'tcha mutt?" she comments dryly. "Seem ta think ya know what I've seen, an' what I haven't. It ain't a matter of what I want no more, things'll happen or the won't." The teen sighs, staring at the canine steadily. "Yer a pokemon, an' you've got more control over yer life an' me."

Peppy finally does flinch. His eyes immediately snap back to the girl's waist before he blinks them shut. His teeth clench. It's the word 'mutt' that makes him act like this. He recognizes that she doesn't mean it as a compliment. This is it. She's going to launch into a flurry of insults. He was a fool to step close to her! And so he remains tense all as the Rocket speaks, partially expecting to get whapped on the side of his head for his ignorance. And yet, he doesn't. He finally, however, relaxes when Lee sparks up her last statement. The Growlithe's eyes blink open, and he inhales sharply, almost as if this comes as a shock to him. And he's silent. For moments. Even his breathing is inaudible. It comes spontaneously: a soft <No> compliments a headshake. Down Peppy's gaze goes to the ground. <... No... No. No, being attacked by Katerwauls, that was because I'm a pokemon. Being brought by that... that big thing to that place, that was because I'm a pokemon.> He's fairly louder now - not at the level of howling, but possibly getting there. <Being released by Patch, that was because I'm a pokemon.> Bit by bit, he's bringing his head up the girl. <... But Aurora... but my mate...> An audible gulp. <... That wasn't because I'm a pokemon. That's because I'm -me-.> By now his eyes have come up to Lee's face, and he watches to see her expression.

The Growlithe pup need not wait long for a response, it comes almost instantly. Lee watches his for a moment or two, hearing out the translation-- then laughs. It's not a hollow laugh, like before. It's a perfectly real one, not even tinged with cruel humor. Just a regular old laugh. "Funny," the girl chuckles, dropping into a crouch and letting her elbows rest on her knees. She's now eye-to-eye with Peppy, right at his level. For a minute she doesn't say anything, taking a moment to shrug off her heavy backpack and let it drop to the snowy ground; it's reinforced, so hopefully shouldn't get too wet. Not that it really seems to matter, at the moment. Once her pack's off the Rocket continues, leaning forward casually and watching the firedog. "You think yer the only one who's had bad things happen, hm? It ain't 'cuz yer a pokemon, or a person. It's how it happens. 'Least you gotcherself a mate -- which you yerself wanted an' got to have."

The sky is grey-black, without moon or stars. The air is cold and wet, and there is little wind. Snow flurries fall. It is easier to feel the flakes landing than it is to see them, in the darkness.

Laughter is not exactly the reply little Peppy expects from pouring his heart out and coming upon a realization that's actually reasonably intelligent, given Peppy. Still, instead of being hurt or angered, Peppy simply appears confused, even as she crouches down. Is this where he gets slapped on the side of the head? Apparently not - Lee does lean forward, which causes the Growlithe to nervously rock back on his hind legs a bit, but otherwise she doesn't seem to be threatening. <I... um,> the pup stumbles, trying to pick something out of the chaos in his head and failing. <But... but I didn't really want one until I met her!> His voice is far less controlled now. It's almost pleading, as though the fire-type can't think of anything else. He's frowning, his green eyes wide and sad, his orange fur collecting flakes as the night rolls on. <... You can't say you don't want one unless you know what it's like to have one.> His statement would perhaps have more force if it didn't come out as a whimper. Despite his preparations, the Growlithe is intimidated - not to the point where he's a sobbing mass of nothingness, but her laugh and her crouching has definitely struck him a blow, and it shows.

"You're contridictin' yerself," Lee replies simply. "Or least ain't comin' 'cross logical. I don't want a mate, yer right... all I can see is it'd be bad. Wouldn't work, not fer me." The girl's gaze leaves the Growlithe in front of her for a moment, light eyes scanning the darkness as best she can before returning to the canine once more. She continues, "An' I won't know what it's like till I've got one, like ya said... only I ain't plannin' on gettin' one. So." With a slight grin the teenage Rocket shrugs, shaking her head slightly and sighing. "Damn, dunno if that made any sense a'tall. Yer confusin' me, I think."

Peppy has that affect on people, luring them into his own confused sense of the world. The Growlithe's expression hardly changes as Lee speaks; he simply remains in a half-perplexed, half-disappointed state, simply watching the girl as she speaks. And when she's done, he tries to reply. He really does - his mouth open, and he inhales... but no sound comes out. His jaw snaps shut, and, almost panicked, the Growlithe turns his attention to the ground, perhaps because he's going to cry, or perhaps because he's embarrassed, or maybe just submitting to Lee's obvious higher intelligence. He makes no more noises yet - no sobs, or whimpers, or growls. And he only speaks after a few moments of silence, and even then his voice is quiet, low-pitched, cracked. <... So when you're sad, or scared, or angry, or don't know what to do or how to do something... what do you do?> Even as he speaks, his eyes still locked to the ground, Peppy thinks he already knows the answer.

The girl lapses into silence even as Peppy does, rocking back slightly on her heels as she tries to work through her own, now cluttered, thoughts. Lee surprises even herself at how calm she is, how amazingly non-offended or angered. She just crouches there, in the dark and cold, face to face with a Growlithe. What an odd situation. The pup's words come, then the translation a short time later, and still the Rocket doesn't reply. She continues to think another handful of minutes, her eyes locked on Peppy even as his eyes remain locked on the ground. Finally she does speak, her voice low and quiet, faintly cold. "I deal," she says, the answer not really an answer at all. "Nuthin' more I can do..."

The ground must have something very interesting that nobody else can see, because Peppy doesn't pick up after Lee's stone answer. His paws grip the mostly dead grass under the thickening layer of white as he stares at him, perhaps using it to release his frustration or anger or sadness, or maybe all three. His reply comes faster this time, but it's still quiet, deep, and not the strongest of questions. He does, however, lift his head as he speaks, meeting her eyes near the end of the semi-rhetorical question. <... But don't you have... the desire to be with your pack? To know there's somebody who really does like you, and tiny little ones who depend on you to survive?> And now that his eyes are with Lee, Peppy does something unusual. His tail stiffens, his body tenses, and he narrows his eyes. Inuki might not catch threatening vibes, but the living dog is definitely, ah, passionate. <How can you tell me you don't -care- about somebody?>

Lee had been quiet, thoughtful, collected. Up until now. One of Peppy's words hits a chord, and the Rocket's eyes narrow suddenly, sharply. There's a new tenseness to her, across her shoulders, in her arms still propped on her legs, in the set of her jaw. She's suddenly got an edge to her, a hint of something more, deeper. "Pack..." the teen whispers hoarsely, voice nearly dropping to a growl as she stares fixedly at the Growlithe, meeting his gaze evenly. "I'm with a pack, alright..." Again the girl laughs, this time coldly and unpleasantly, before changing the subject. "Little ones, eh? I gotta 'nuff trouble takin' care'ah myself. Don't need no lil' parasites hangin' all over me." Lee snorts decidedly, then catches the last question and again her mood seems to change. She goes back to being collected again, sighing as she does so. "Carin'? 'Course I care," a gloved thumb is jabbed in Inuki's direction, were the 'Wulf is baring one canine at Peppy in warning, but doing no more, "I care 'bout 'im."

All as Lee speaks, Peppy remains peering at her, ignoring the parasite comment. The only time he's not looking eye to eye is when she gestures to her pokemon. The Growlithe follows the trail in the direction the Rocket points out for him... and sets his eyes upon Inuki. A chill ruptures up the pup's spine, and he simply gawks for half a minute, jaw slack, looking like something inside of him is being torn apart. When he finally builds up the courage to glance back at Lee, he's not just sad; he's in anguish. His jaw is still partially open. The Growlithe takes one step back. Then another. And then the words come pouring out like water, barked out far too loudly. They hang in the sticky damp air. <You... I... why are you doing this? I was being -serious-! I wanted to know why you don't really care, I was being serious! Why did you point at him? Why are you teasing me? Why are you lying to me, saying you care for that... that... thing just because you know I don't like him? Why a... a...> And whether it's becomes he runs out of breath or because a sob has welled up in his throat is uncertain, but Peppy stops in the middle of a word. He peers at Lee for a second or two, before throwing his head to the side and crying, pretty much freely. He's not sobbing as loud as he was while yelling at Lee, but it's definitely audible. He's quite obviously hurt, and apparently believes Lee did it deliberately.

While she's a Rocket, the bad guy or something like that, and frankly doesn't care who or what she hurts, Lee honestly hadn't expected such a response. She hadn't intended anything to be taken that way at all, in fact. The girl raises an eyebrow when Peppy begins crying, and as he continues it's joined by the second. By the time the Growlithe is finished, both of the girl's eyebrows are lifted, high. She doesn't so much as flinch at the firedog's sobs, however. "I'm bein' dead serious," the teen says after awhile, waiting for Peppy to settle some before speaking. "An' I ain't lyin'. Inuki 'ere's the only one I've got, mutt... the only one I can count on." Even as she says this, her eyes leave the pup and shift to her companion, the barest hint of a smile forming. "Nobody else cares."

But Peppy doesn't buy it. He continues whimpering away to himself, mentally cursing himself for being so weak (as he always does) but still just sobbing away anyway. <You do not!> he barks loudly, angrily, gritting his teeth at the hot tears roll down his cheeks. <You're just trying... trying to spite me because you know I don't like him! You can't... You would not love... a ghost over a mate!> Though his face stays wet, even as the snowflakes find homes in the salty little pools dribbling down from his eyes, Peppy doesn't even seem to realize he's crying now. He's not all blustering anyway. He's furious. His teeth have clenched together, and he bares them, growing loudly, as if daring Lee to come near him again. In the back of his mind, the Growlithe realizes he's lost virtually all control of himself and is swaying to every emotion that comes, but he simply doesn't care. Whatever the case is, Lee's got a crying POed canine on her hands. Lovely.

The sky is grey-black, without moon or stars. The air is cold and wet, and there is little wind. Snow flurries fall. It is easier to feel the flakes landing than it is to see them, in the darkness.

Inuki's translating is methodic; he does so without interfering, without taking sides, without changing so much as a word. Emotionless and efficiant as ever, the 'Wulf does his job as he's supposed to. Up until now. His ears are already laid back as far as they can go, his dark eyes cold and fixed on Peppy, his teeth bared slightly in warning. At the pup's words however, the ones he's supposed to be relaying to his trainer, the ghost pauses, narrowing his eyes in the first real emotion he's shown all evening: anger. But he translates, just the same. His trainer's response is not much differen't than his though, Lee's eyes narrowing as well as she just -stares- at the Growlithe. "Oh?" the girl replies tonelessly, hesitating only for a moment. Then she pushes off her knees and straightens up stiffly, before the pup turns angry. And everything happens at once. Peppy growls and immediately Inuki reacts, lunging forward with an equally furious snarl, his jaws snapping. The girl, now on her feet, takes a step or two back, not frightened but placing herself out of the way.

It doesn't really matter whether Peppy expected Inuki to take action or not; the moment the ghost rushes forward, the pup's growling drops in tone, until he's merely standing there, teeth clenched, glaring at the ghost and his trainer. He must have some control over himself now; everything is telling him to pounce, to attack, to do *something* to this girl who lead him along and then revealed it was a joke all along. It's not certain what makes Peppy drop the act - maybe it's because he's not used to being angry, or maybe because Scarewulves worry him that much, or maybe it's something dramatic and romantic, like remembering that there's a blizzard coming and he's *got* to stay alive, for his family. Whatever the case is, the Growlithe does lapse into silence that only lasts a couple moments. He's no longer crying, but the sting of the water on his face can still be felt. His pink tongue emerges, slurps around his jaws, and returns to the mouth. <I... ... I think... that one day, you'll... know what I'm talking about.> And with that, he turns around cautiously, though does not start moving just yet.

The Scarewulf continues to snarl angrilly, teeth bared to the fullest until he's quite certain that Peppy won't get the chance to do any harm. And even then the ghost keeps his teeth bared, glaring right back at the Growlithe with cold blue eyes. He does manage to translate for his trainer, though it's done grudgingly by now, far slower than he had been and not nearly so clearly. But Lee gets the idea, well enough. The girl's eyes widen for a moment, then narrow again and she takes another step back, gloved hand clenching into a fist by her side. "No," she growls lowly, almost identical to her 'Wulf partner. "You watch yerself, mutt. If I ever know whatcher talkin' 'bout it'll be a bad, bad day... I hope it never comes." As Peppy makes move to go, the Rocket slips her non-clenched hand into her pocket, fishing about for something. Her eyes remain locked on the shadowy figure that's the Growlithe, however.

Peppy had started marching before Lee began to grouch at him, but he comes to a stop when she gives away her warning. He turns his head to the side, eyes directed to the ground for a minute, before rotating further. And Peppy looks at Lee. Though it may be difficult to see in the darkness, his green eyes are wide and watery, and his mouth is set not into a true frown, but a merely cross look. And he continues watching her for about five seconds, not saying a word, before he readjusts himself and marches off into the snow. And tonight he's going to beat himself up, tonight he's going to think about what he did wrong and how weak and stupid he is and how a big strong male of the family is not supposed to cry, but for now, his thoughts are on the girl. He knows he's right. Peppy has come to learn through his four years of life than he's not always right. In fact, he's usually not. But this much, he knows in his heart and in his mind.

Lee just watches Peppy go, saying no more and making no move. She does absolutely nothing until the Growlithe is gone, dissappeared into the darknesss. Then she makes a sharp gesture to Inuki, who's still standing careful guard, and the 'Wulf vanishes from sight with a quiet growl. "Never," the girl whispers to herself, the lone word final, the end. And with that she pulls the object she had been searching for from her pocket: a minimized pokeball. Her pack is swung back onto her shoulders and the pokeball is enlarged. With a careless toss the girl releases her Winneedee into the night, calming the equine quickly and explaining a few things, before mounting up and settling herself onto the creature's back. There's a whirl of wings, snow flies in all directions, and the ice horse takes to the air. Her trainer doesn't look back.