Pokemon - Friday, January 11, 2002, 7:09 PM -------------------------------------------
Peppy and Jameka start off toward Assisi Farm.
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Pokemon Evolutions
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Commerce Road - Route 7: Gilded Path
Commerce Road's most maintained, and therefore most clean and new looking area along the highway is here, also known as the Gilded Path. Very few pokemon are around here, but the traffic rushes at a blinding speed, moving this way and that between Saffron and Celadon. Once upon a time, it was used to carry gold and precious metals across the borders of the city limits, but now it's used to carry things that are even more valuable. It's a well known fact that most pokemon that are bought and sold must cross this highway at some point in time, making it one of the more carefully watched areas. People on pokemon journeys often follow this path along the route, headed towards one town or the other in search of a good deal on pokemon, or at least poke-paraphernalia.
Obvious exits:
East <E> leads to Commerce Road - Route 7: Cache Creek.
Southwest <SW> leads to Commerce Road - Route 7: Trader Way.
Jameka has connected.
Heavy snow falls, making it hard to walk through the accumulating drifts, and occasionally even hard to see. All the world seems grey and white. The wind blows the snow about from the east, and it swirls around objects and never falls straight down. In the forest, the whirling curtain of snow accumulates in the forks of the trees and piles up in drifts against their trunks. While at the coast, the cold snow pelts the ocean, whipping it into a black frenzy with foam-white accents.
The database resolves itself for the New Year! (Saving)
Snow! Cold, wet, yucky, white, mucky, freezing, chilling, life-draining snow. Not even a fur coat on a fire type can be fully protected from the stuff pouring from the skies, and Peppy is never the exception. <Where is she?!> he growls under his breath. Half of the dog's body is under snow; why he doesn't shake it all off is a mystery. Maybe he just woke up. Whatever the case, it's hard to see very far into the snow, so all he can do it hope. He can sense (with his nose) that the blizzard isn't quite here yet... meaning this isn't the worst of it. Oh, great.
Peppy thinks /he/ has a problem, does he? It's one thing to be a big, powerful, warm-coated fire-type doggie, but poor little Jameka is nearly drowning in the blasted snow. Any Pikachu would have trouble, that much is easy to seem but this particular one is about half the size (and weight) of any normal pokemon of her species. The little electric rodent crawls along on all fours, trying desperately to balance her weight enough to stay on top of the snow... rather than sinking into it. That could be disasterous. "Kapi chuka." She mutters to herself. Yes, it's definately best left untranslated, that.
The Growlithe blinks, as if a sudden revelation has come over him. He feels so... enlightened. He gets an absolutely brilliant idea - stand up. The puppy pushes against the floor, a little snow and ice tumbling off of his fur. Much of it remains stuck, however. His next ingenius plot? To shake himself, and send what's left of the snowstorm's gifts flinging across the area. <That's better!> he barks quite cheerfully... before he realizes that it's snowing so hard that his fur is already quickly collecting the frozen water once again. His face droops. <Darn.>
The whiteness of the whirling snow fades to blanched grey.
Think snowshoe. Think snowshoe. Not that dear little Jameka would have any idea what a snowshoe is of course, but despite this, that's the effect she's going for. Legs, ears and tail sprawled in every which direction, the little mouse-pokemon sloooowly makes her way across the snow. Slowly being the key word here. One little paw lifts, moves forward carefully, then is placed a tiny bit ahead. The snow gives slightly and the Pikachu stops, eyes wide. "Pi..." But then it settles again and shifts no more. She sighs in relief an sets her paw all the way down. Only to have it collapse under her weight. "Pikaaa!" Thump.
Hark! Didst thou hear noise beyond yonder pillar of snow? What 'tis? Peppy doth raise one furry head in the direction of young Jameka. By his troth, he is off! <Hello?> the puppy woofs uncertainly, his green eyes peering into the snow in vain. There's a small pause. <Is somebody there?> It might be Jameka! ... Or it might be a giant Growlithe-eating monster. Which would make barking loudly not a very good idea. Peppy takes a big gulp, and waits for a reply. It's probably a monster. To run or not to run. That is the question.
"Chakapi..." Again, best left untranslated. Poor Jameka. To just about anybody else, the snow would be annoying, trivial, a minor inconvenience. To her, it's bad news. Very bad news. The undersized Pikachu falls through the snow, ending up in a nice little drift over her head. Which she can't get out of. Muttering to herself, the little rodent gathers herself, tenses and springs. Up and down. Landing in the exact spot she started. Right. She's just about to try again, this time leaping /forward/, when she hears, with her usefully sharp ears, an unceartain woof. Her ears prick and she pauses. <Yeah somebody's here!> She calls back, sitting back on her haunches. <Wanna gimme a hand?>
Ha! Hands? Who needs hands when you have paws? Or, in Peppy's case, teeth. <It's her,> the pup growls quietly, taking a quick hop forward into the snow. No evil Growlithe-devouring monsters around here, nope! Unfortunately, Peppy is not exactly the most useful Pokemon when it comes to rescues, and, after only a moment or two of searching, the pup woofs uncertainly, <Er, where are you? Hello?> Our hero.
Wow. Can we just say 'familiar' here? Despite her rather pathetic situation, Jameka rolls her eyes. Yeah, she knows that voice. Yeah, she remembers that question. Yeah, she's getting a feeling of deja vu. <Oh no.> The little Pikachu mumbles, shaking her head sadly. Yeah, she's gonna freeze this time. <Uh, I'm over /here/! See the hole? Hear my voice?> And, though it's left unsaid, she might as well have added 'Hurry up?' since it's said loud and clear by her tone of voice.
Timmy would have drowned in the well by now. "Gr-rowl!" the puppy woofs, a grin shining suddenly on his face as he scampers over to the hole, Jameka's annoyed voice leading the way. Aren't dogs supposed to have a very acute sense of smell? Peppy can detect a blizzard days away, but he can't smell a Pikachu a few yards away. Maybe he has a cold or something. Anyway, it's not too long after Jameka's wailing that Peppy finds the Pikachu. He does what any Growlithe would have done to another - he descends his head to grab at the scruff at Jameka's neck, supposing she'll even let him. If she does let him, he should lift the Pikachu out of the snow hole with his teeth... but he won't quite put her down yet. Uh, hm.
The database resolves itself for the New Year! (Saving)
Blinding snow spills from the sky as the twilight deepens.
Jameka really isn't in any situation /not/ to let herself get picked up by the insanely slow Peppy. Well, okay, maybe he could be a little slower (like, say, taking ten seconds to lift his head?) but still! She likes things to happen fast! And this isn't fast. Far from it. But hey, better than nothing. Sorta. The Pikachu lets herself be grabbed and lifted up, it's not like it's anything unusual for her, young as she is. <Sure took ya long enough.> She mutters under her breath. This little comment more than likely wouldn't be heard by the Growlithe, seeing as she's in that little curled position for being carried, and it was said very quietly, but still. The fact that she's not immediately being put down also doesn't seem to bother her too much. She just hangs there, kinda waiting. Any day now.
Snow falls heavily in the deepening twilight, making it hard to walk through the accumulating drifts, and hard to see. The wind blows the snow about from the east, and it swirls around objects and never falls straight down.
Peppy rolls his eyes in an overexaggerated manner, though chances are the Pikachu won't be able to see it from her position. <At least I came,> growls the puppy out of the side of his mouth. He doesn't set the Pikachu down quite yet... because he's come across a problem. "Grrrrr..." he mumbles, glancing next, and right. Finally, he pops a question. Because the entire question can't be made out of growls alone, the pup attempts to speak out of the side of his mouth. Not all of the words will come out right. <Where shood I but you downe?> asks the dog, looking quite silly with a Pikachu hanging from his mouth. <There's znow everywhere.> He doesn't to at least put the electric type on his back, or at least set her back down in the hole to give her more comfort.
As if this blasted snow weren't enough trouble already, it just has to be all over the place, doesn't it? <Uh... where...> For once in her life (twice, perhaps?) the Pikachu is speechless. <Darn.> Yes, this is a problem. Where to be set down, where to be set down, where to be set down. Bummer. And so Jameka just hangs there, looking quite silly hanging from a Growlithe's mouth. But then she gets... an idea! <Hold on. I think I've thought of something.> Will she say what she thought of? Not yet.
Finally, perhaps Peppy may not be to blame for his stupidity. He can, however, be blamed for not setting the Pikachu down. Instead, he glances down at the yellow (in his eyes, light grey) mouse, dangling helplessly from his mouth, and growls (and thus, it's perfectly audible), <What's that?> The puppy is clueless as to what the Pikachu may suggest... but then again, Peppy being clueless is absolutely nothing new.
It's cold. And hanging in a crunched-up little ball isn't that much fun. Jammie wants down. Now. <I'll get on your back!> She squeaks, annoyed. <You're way bigger than me anyway! You can stay above the snow, can't you?> The Pikachu would, at this point, turn to look at her carrier, but she's kinda unable to do that at the moment. <Besides... I'm thinking we should get out of here. This isn't a good place to be, I'm thinking.> Okay, so maybe she isn't as good at predicting the weather as Peppy. But she's a pokemon just the same and her instinct is telling her. So nyah.
Peppy may not be an electric pokemon, but that doesn't stop a little light bulb from appearing over his head. <That's a good idea,> the pup comments. He doesn't do the smart thing (that would be, setting the Pikachu on the ground and lying down for Jameka to climb onto him). He does the uncomfortable thing. He turns his head as far as it'll go, and sort of nudges Jameka onto his (snow covered and freezing) back. There's a chance that the Pikachu may fall off. A rather high chance, actually. <I think you're right,> growls the fuzzier one. He sounds like he has more to say, but maybe that's best saved for when Jameka's actually on his back.
Ew. More snow. Blech. Jameka is turned and nudged onto the Growlithe's back. And right into even more snow. Lucky for her, she's good at climbing and staying balanced (sorta) and so she actually does stay perched on Peppy's back. Barely. <Ugh, don't you ever clean up here?> She mutters, sweeping away at the snow with her tail and knocking as much off as possible, giving herself a place to sit, at least. The little 'Chu leans forward to grab ahold of the fluffy puppy's fluff better and stay seated. <So? What are we waiting for?>
The dog blinks, rotating his head to look at Jameka as best he can. He barely catches a little of her out of the corner of his eyes. <Clean... up...> Guess the term "clean" is just a little too advanced for this dumb dog. Fortunately, the topic quickly changes, and his face perks right up. <Oh... Yesterday, I saw a Claferry. Named, um, Pang. She told me about a Busted named Mujstee.> ... What in the world is he barking about? Peppy's tail wags back and forth softly, smashing into falling snowflakes, and he asks, <Have you heard of it?>
Jameka blinks. It's her turn to be stupid. <A... Claferry named Pang? A Busted named Mujstee? I... uh...> The little Pikachu looks completely, totally and hopelessly confused. She blinks once more before her big brown eyes remain wide. <No idea.> She says finally, shaking her head and sending her overly long ears flopping and sending snow flying like from a fan.
The database resolves itself for the New Year! (Saving)
Well, at least she didn't insult him. <She said,> the dog whimpers quietly, as if he's afraid to say it in fear that he may be incorrect. <That the Busted might be able to help her.> There's a brief pause here. Peppy whimpers once more, though this one is partially growled, <Do you think... Mujstee could help us, too?> There's another awkward little pause, and the next four (if you translate 'em) words seem to carry a coldness as chilling as the air around the furry couple. <... We can't stay here.> Even as Peppy speaks, he has to shake his head to dislodge some snow from his eyes.
The Pikachu sighs, shaking her head again and sending her ears flying. Her tail is pulled in next to her body and she shivers, eyeing the snow around them. It's a lot. And more is on the way. <Yeah.> She says finally, slowly. <Can't stay here. Dunno why... we just can't. Well,> Jameka leans forward, to scramble cautiously onto Peppy's head and peer down over his tufty white fur to his eyes. <Think you can find us this 'Busted' or 'Mujstee'?> One ear sticks out straight and the other raises slightly, making her look funny and inquisitive. Yeah. She's cute. But also perfectly serious.
Peppy tries once more to look at Jameka, though he gets no further than before. His voice, however, is cheerful and happy, suggesting that he has a doggie grin on his face. <I don't know,> he admits with a fair bit of force. <But we can ask pokemon... and we can try. We can't stay here,> he repeats... and, without thinking, he takes a few steps to rotate his body. He glances to the west. Patch can wait, he tells himself with a little nod. <She can,> he woofs aloud, nodding slowly. That must be weird from Jameka's point of view.
<Then let's get going! The longer we stay here, the worse, I think.> Jameka squeaks, pointing ahead vigorously. Before losing her balance and falling off Peppy's head and onto his back. <Ow.> But her ears are sharp and she still manages to catch his last comment, despite her little clumsy moment. <Uh... who can? Huh?>
The Growlithe growls a very sharp and quick, <Nobody!> It's soon followed by a much more calm and controlled, <Nobody.> Jameka now on the pup's back (no wonder he couldn't see that must of her; he probably only got a glimpse of her tail), he directs his attention to the east. There's a moment hesitation, and Peppy doesn't start moving quite yet. Scared? Uncertain? Why's he waiting?
Jameka startles slightly at the sudden and sharp reply. Who'd have guessed at that sort of response from this Growlithe? <I... uh... okay.> She shrugs a little, righting herself and again hanging on for dear life. Her gaze moves in the direction the pup is looking, but she doesn't see a thing and shrugs again. <Uh... we gonna get going?>
Night has come, and heavy snow falls. It's difficult to walk through the accumulating drifts, and difficult to see. It's hard to keep a sense of direction in the darkness and the blinding, swirling snow.
The pup takes in a deep breath, nods slowly, and begins to march forward. His bare paws push through the surface of the layer of snow on the floor, and as they move forward, they kick snow out of the way with ease. Peppy has taken only three or four steps forward before he comes across a little question in his head. <Er... Jameka?> Even as he woofs, however, he continues moving forward through the snow with considerable ease.
And off they go. Caught a little off-guard, the Pikachu's eyes widen and she yelps, grabbing at Peppy's fur to stay on the moving Growlithe. "Kapi!" Yes, once more best left untranslated. But once she gets intot he rhythem of things, she manages to hang on better. When they stop, again throwing her off and sending her sliding forward. Jameka is about to voice this annoyance, but before she can the puppy speaks. <What?> Comes her rather snappish reply, one long ear twitching to knock the snow off of it.
Poor little Pikachu. The Growlithe starts up again, moving forward through the snow with almost mechanical movements. The air is crisp, the snow is beautiful, and the path ahead of the duo is long. There is only one thing on Peppy's mind, however. Is it about the road linger on into the distance? ... Eh, no. Is it about the new companion Peppy has found so soon after his life changed? ... Um, nuh uh. Well, is it about the oncoming blizzard, sure to prove as a major hardship for the wandering pokemon? ... Nope. What is it? It's pretty darn obvious in the question Peppy asks Jameka. <... I'm hungry. Do you think we'll be able to find food soon?> And there's our Peppy.
Jameka is tossed backwards, and only her quick-as-lightning grabbing of Peppy's fur keeps her on. Of course, this may or may not result in a slight amount of pain for the puppy, but at the moment she doesn't really care. The comment about food does get her attention, though. <Oh, uh, food?> She pauses, resettling herself and thinking. The Pikachu sniffs the air, ears twitching. <I... I think we'd better keep going. We'll get something later, I don't think we should stop right now.> She replies uncertainly, looking a little worried.
Peppy has been through so much cold that he's probably too numb to feel the Pikachu pulling on his fur. If he does feel pain, he doesn't show it. <We should,> the puppy woofs gently, still making his way across the grass. The human's path is only about ten yards away, but the dog doesn't seem to realize it. This time he's not to be blamed, however, as it's under the snow... and either way, it wouldn't be any easier to cut through that blasted stuff on the ground. <I slept all day,> the Growlithe announces, as if Jameka should jump up and clap her hands in admiration for the fuzzy one. <I'm not really tired.> And again, the Growlithe switches topics like a pro. <Have you ever, um, been out this far?> 'Been out this far'? Been this far from Celadon? Saffron? What's he refering to?
Jameka seems to be thinking along similar lines. <Uh, out this far? Far from what?> She asks, her puzzlement overruling anything she was about to say in reply to his other comments. Too many topics, too slow on the uptake and too little of a brain. Not a good combo when dealing with someone as talented at switching subjects as Peppy. Poor Jammie. She's lost.
'Talented' and 'Peppy' really don't belong in the same sentence. <This far... from Celadon.> The dog's voice is uncertain as he speaks, as if he's not too sure why Jameka is puzzled. To him, Celadon is simply the absolute center of the universe; all radiates out from Celadon. It sounds silly... but not to Peppy. <I think that this place... er...> He pauses for a moment in his speech, though he continues walking into the night. <There's a city... er, ahead. A human place. Between here and Celadon.> Again, Peppy figures that Jameka knows the name of 'Celadon City'. <Have you... been this far between them?> That makes no sense. And anyway, why doesn't he say whether he's been out this far, eh? Weird pup. Wait! Stop! Too much! Brain overload, shutting down... Jameka blinks, trying to figure this all out. Uh... Sell... a... don? Si... ty? What tha? <Uh... are you okay?> She asks finally, real concern in her voice. Of course, she can't possibly be the confused one! Nah, no way! It's Peppy of course. Not her.
The database resolves itself for the New Year! (Saving)
The puppy blinks at the question, coming to a halt. His intentions aren't to punish Jameka for suggesting that he's unstable in the mind. <I'm... fine...> The Growlithe whimpers softly, before trudging on (again, probably disturbing Jameka). <So you've never been... here? Around here?> That's a more well-phrased question, sure, but it's still pretty vague.
Night has come, and heavy snow falls. It's difficult to walk through the accumulating drifts, and difficult to see. It's hard to keep a sense of direction in the darkness and the blinding, swirling snow.
She's ready this time! Jameka manages /not/ to go flopping backwards when Peppy starts up again, suddenly. Yee-haw, cowgirl! She clings to the puppy's fur so tightly that it had darn well better be numbed from the cold, because it would sure as heck hurt otherwise. As for the question, she remains confused. Badly. <Around... around here before?> The Pikachu blinks, ears twitching and knocking snow off. <I've been around a lot of places before.> She says finally, as if that will answer everything. Who knows? Maybe it will.
This is what it's like when 'confusing' meets 'dumb'. <Me too,> is Peppy's reply, and an affirmative little nod accentuates his little woof well. The Growlithe doesn't follow his little bark with any extra wording. Perhaps he's trying to keep his energy for the road. Perhaps he's trying to keep his focus on his destination. Perhaps he just doesn't want to talk, whether about this or just simply doesn't feel like speaking. The dog marches on into the snow, his paws still kicking aside snow with relative ease. Why the canine doesn't simply use a Flamethrower to melt all the snow ahead is unclear... maybe he'd rather trudge through snowy ground than wet mud.
Jameka doesn't speak again. There's really nothing more to say. The little Pikachu scoots up a little, shaking off the snow that managed to collect on her ears, head, tail and back. She then climbs up onto Peppy's head, brushing away the snow there as carefully as possible, to keep as much away from the Growlithe's eyes as she can, before crawling up and sitting there. The undersized Pikachu then sits, still hanging on tightly, set for the long haul.
Peppy's face squirms a little as Jameka crawls up onto his head, but fortunately, the pup has a broad grin on his face as she does so. He opens his jaw to tell Jameka that she can sleep if she likes, before he realizes that talking is a little difficult when you have a Pikachu on your head, and it would break the kind of perfect silence the two are sharing now. Closing his mouth with a barely audible sigh, Peppy marches onward. Maybe he's almost there, he tells himself. Maybe he'll be there by tomorrow morning. He can only hope.