Obvious exits:
North <N> leads to Overgrown Lands - Route 11: Off the Route.

Aurora has connected.

Boreas arrives from Vermilion City: East Entrance.
Boreas has arrived.

Fair weather clouds drift through the blue sky from the west. The wind is gusty. In the forest, fiery red, gold, and orange leaves rustle and blow past you, swirling in the wind. While at the coast, the sea is a warm blue, reflecting the saved warmth from the summer, and the waves are gentle.

Autumn comes. Summer still clings desperately to the sun and the air, and though the weather is still warm and humid, it's far, far more mild than the past few months have seen. The sun is high in the sky over the island, and though the day is coming up to its hottest temperature, the wind makes the atmosphere nothing short of delightful. It's days like this that make hunting easier - it's not too rainy, too snowy, too foggy, too hot, too cold... it's only too perfect, and that's precisely why Peppy the Growlithe, who usually takes way longer than just an hour or two to finish the day's hunting, is already back home at the Assisi Barn. His catch is the usual fare - a cleanly killed Rattata, already haven been torn to pieces by the younger members of the family mere minutes after he put the meal down. Currently, four of those puppies, nearly as large as their parents by now, are off engaging in some strange game with rules that onlookers can't follow, and Peppy has already given up on trying to figure out how it works.

A Katerwaul slinks closer, bright eyes all ablaze, so whisper a prayer and start that save! (Saving!)

The fifth puppy is curled up next to a slightly bigger Growlithe, who's yawning widely as some of the noise from the puppies' game reaches her ears and wakes her from her nap. Since Peppy's back from hunting, the job of watching the pups and making sure they don't get into too much trouble can be shared between both parents, making Aurora's job a lot easier - and allowing her to indulge in the occasional nap, as she's just been doing. What isn't so convenient is the fact that since the puppies are growing up quickly, their stomachs have got bigger as well, and there's barely any meat left on the Rattata.

High overhead, beyond the tops of the trees and the leaves swirled wildly about by the wind, a purple and blue figure almost disappears into the brilliance of the autumn sky. The wind seems to help keep aloft the stocky form despite the surprisingly small wings that are spread wide to catch it. As the Psykitt swoops through the air, he lazily glances down into the clearing around the decaying farmyard. Seeing the brightly colored Growlithe and their movements, his laziness instantly switches to curiousity and turns, angling to descend towards the opening among the trees in wide circles.

(look Boreas)

It's looking to be another ordinary day - which, as far as the perpetually happy and always lazy Peppy is concerned, is a very good thing. What could be more fun than spending a day with a loving family? No pain! No scares! Nothing bad! ... Well, that is, not including the dark flying creature with really big fangs. Maybe it's the sound of air rushing every which way as Boreas glides overhead, or perhaps the tiniest, slightest bit of scent on the wind, or perhaps just a parent's good sense, but whatever the case, as Boreas flies around overhead, Peppy jerks up and out of his lying-there-like-a-throw-rug position. If Aurora happens to notice her mate's sudden unease and inquires about it, she won't be met with any tangible reply, only a slight growl not directed at her. Hmmm. Peppy glances sharp to the right. Nothing. To the left. Nothing. ... Ahead? Nothing. Behind? Nothing. After a moment's pause, Peppy peers at Aurora, and, if she's not snoozing away, frowns slightly.

A Katerwaul slinks closer, bright eyes all ablaze, so whisper a prayer and start that save! (Saving!)

Her post-nap yawns out of the way, Aurora lifts her head from its resting place on her forepaws, and looks around at the puppies. One's sleeping next to her, leaning on her flank, and the other four are scurrying around in some rather complex game that Aurora, like her mate, hasn't managed to find out the rules for yet. And, like her mate, the female Growlithe catches a sudden change in the breeze, and raises her head to sniff at the air, frowning a little. She glances at Peppy, and his almost tangible unease serves to put her on edge as well. Muscles tense, body alert, she looks around from side to side, then glances back over her shoulders, and finally she raises her head to sniff at the air again... and there, somewhere up there near the clouds, might be something. She quietly woofs, <Peppy! What's up there?> and waits for her mate's judgment on the matter.

Boreas, up until this point, had merely been lazy and curious. While he's still far away enough that he doesn't quite catch the words of the female canine, the sound of her woof visibly grates on him. His eyes widen, his pupils contracting to tiny black slits in a field of blue, his ears flatten just a tad, and his hackles start to raise. Though he continues to descend, moving even a bit faster than before, he changes his angle yet again so that he'll be landing farther away from the pack of Growlithes than his original plan intended.

Because Peppy's peering at Aurora when she speaks, she'll be able to see the look on his face when she says that. <Huh?> he arfs incredulously, squinting at her a second before hesitantly turning his head to look at whatever Aurora's referring to. Up there? What else flies but a Pidgey or a Spearow... and if it is a Pidgey or a Spearow, why does that seem to bring up alarm in both parents? When Peppy finally spots the flying feline for the first time, his brain registers one fact: that is *not* a Pidgey. From this distance, it looks more like a flying Katerwaul, and that is something to be scared of. Okay. Peppy never was very good at weighing or deciding between options, but now is a time in which he has to do so. One is to recall all the puppies and flee into the barn. Two is to approach the flying being and see what it is and if it's something to be scared of. Three is to ignore it and hope that it goes away. ... Well, number two seems like the most dangerous, but that's also the most brave, and as long as Aurora's here, Peppy has to pretend like he knows what he's doing as best as he can! Picking himself up off the ground, the Growlithe woofs, maybe a little uneasily, <I... uh, I want... uh, I think I should go see what that thing is.> He doesn't tell Aurora to stay or come or what - perhaps he's giving her the option.

Fair weather clouds drift through the blue sky from the west. The wind is gusty.

Unlike Peppy, Aurora doesn't usually worry about what will make her look bravest in the eyes of her mate - with the imminent threat of something scary from the sky, her first thought is to get the pups to safety, and the barn is the safest place she can think of for the moment. Nudging at the sleeping puppy to try to wake her up, Aurora woofs quietly but forcefully to the other pups, and after several complaints that she's ruining their game, she adds, <It's okay, you can play in the barn. Now, hurry up and get in there. Your father and I will be along in a minute.> She returns to nudging the sleeping pup, who drowsily starts to grumble about being woken up, while two of the other pups head reluctantly for the barn, the other two still playing.

A Katerwaul slinks closer, bright eyes all ablaze, so whisper a prayer and start that save! (Saving!)

Boreas heads closer and closer to the ground, only flapping his wings once he's about ten feet above it to help him turn in the air, then plopping down to the ground forefeet first as if landing from a large jump. Once on the ground, he folds his wings and crouches down close to the earth and layer of leaves below him, not taking his eyes off of the approaching Peppy for a second. His lower jaw drops open a bit as he begins to test the air, and as the odor of dog reaches him, he wrinkles his nose and lips in a sign of obvious distaste.

With every step, Peppy's supply of courage drains. He can barely watch where he's going, too afraid to lift his head and make eye contact with the slightly larger pokemon in fear of setting off a fight that doesn't need to occur. Peppy comes to a stop, keeping a good distance away from the Psykitt; close enough to speak comfortably and normally, but enough space that if the strange flying pokemon decides to attack, Peppy will be able to do something... maybe. Peppy takes in a deep breath, checking himself. His legs aren't trembling, his tail is wagging back and forth at a slow, calm pace, and he doesn't feel like choking. So far, so good; if he's looking death in the face, at least he's not going to break down and cry. "Grrrowlithe," he woofs, not exactly cheerfully but at least light-hearted and somewhat friendly. He gives the feline a quick glance to the face before going on to look at the rest of his body, though whether he's sizing the other pokemon up or simply registering what this new pokemon looks like isn't clear.

With a little more, very quiet, encouragement from Aurora, the remaining puppies trot towards the barn, and the only members of the family left are Peppy and Aurora. Peppy's closer to the feline than Aurora is, bravely looking the new pokemon over - Aurora, on the other hand, stays further from the interloper and closer to the barn. It's partly to make sure that the puppies are safe, of course, but part of it is simple cowardice - Aurora's not the bravest of Growlithes in the face of danger.

A Katerwaul slinks closer, bright eyes all ablaze, so whisper a prayer and start that save! (Saving!)

As Peppy gets even closer, the wrinkles in Boreas' lips turn more into a deliberate drawing back to show off his very long fangs. When the Growlithe stops a more than reasonable distance away, however, the Psykitt unbends just enough to let his lips relax back into a more natural position. He stares unblinkingly at Peppy, tail thumping methodically back and forth against the dirt. His only immediate reaction to the fire pup's bark is to flatten his ears even closer to his skull and to continue to stare, the beat of his tail picking up in pace. When several whole seconds go by without Peppy doing anything else and Aurora staying well in the background, the large feline relaxes quite a bit more. Slowly, deliberately, he pushes his front quarter from the ground until he's sitting tall and stately rather than crouching in front of the canines. Even more slowly and deliberately, he raises one of his large paws to his face and gives it a cursory look and a lick before giving the Growlithes another glance. <What, praytell, are you?> he purrs dangerously.

The sun shines overhead, bracketed by puffy fair weather clouds.

Peppy's head jerks up the moment the Psykitt starts making noise, and he peers wide-eyed (probably fearfully) up at him for a moment or two. <Me?> Peppy woofs uncertainly, mentally bapping himself for asking such a stupid question. He hesitates a moment longer, before plopping right down onto his haunches, also trying to make himself look tall and proud in front of the Psykitt. <I'm a Growlithe!> he barks, energetically enough, tail swishing back and forth as he tells himself to chill out and not get scared, nervous, or intimidated. Keep it cool, keep it comfy. After giving Boreas a moment or two to look him over, presumably so the feline can see for himself the, er, "majesty" that Peppy so perfectly displays, the Growlithe asks right on back, <And what are you?>

A Katerwaul slinks closer, bright eyes all ablaze, so whisper a prayer and start that save! (Saving!)

Well, Peppy seems to be handling this situation very well on his own, or so Aurora persuades herself. From her hesitant glances at the rather imposing flying feline, she'd rather not get any closer to something with paws, and therefore claws, that large. And so Aurora stays where she is, between Peppy and the barn, thus putting both of the parent Growlithes in the way of Boreas if he should try to get to the barn. She sits back on her haunches, silent but wary.

Though Boreas doesn't say anything in reply to Peppy's first question of 'me?', the feline gives the canine a disgusted, 'are you for real' sort of look. When Peppy finally answers the question, the suddenly too enthusiastic nature of the excitable dog causes the winged cat to flick his ears backward in discomfort and contempt. Those emotions stay in the Psykitt's posture only briefly, however, as Peppy's attempts to draw himself up and look bigger and more majestic despite still being a bit smaller than Boreas turns discomfort into smugness in the big cat. <I am me,> the feline replies cooly. Despite his superior tone, he tries to draw himself up even further in an obvious attempt to tower over the canine opposite him. Once his ears are perked up as high as they can go and his neck stretched out uncomfortably far, he adds, a little more helpfully, <A Psykitt.>

A year and a half ago, Peppy would have long since retreated with his tail between his legs; the fact that he's acting calm under pressure is significant, although he's still having a problem with making light of the situation and, instead of working to figure out if this Psykitt is an enemy or not, he is instead focusing his energies on opening himself up and offering friendship, which may prove to be a mistake. Back to the discussion underway. <A Psykitt?> Peppy repeats, his second stupid rhetorical question of the day. <I've... never heard of one of those.> Well, though Boreas is looking kind of scary, Peppy doesn't look like he's about to collapse on the ground and cry. Unfortunately, Peppy really can't find an easy way to ask 'Are you going to eat me?' without making it so embarassingly blunt, and so he remains silent after he speaks, his jaw remaining open as his mind works at trying to find something to say. His eyes widen slightly at a thought, and, keeping as cool as possible, Peppy rears his head around to look back and make sure Aurora's doing all right. Good job, Peppy, leave yourself entirely vulnerable to the enemy.

Okay, so cowardice is one of Aurora's faults - another one is curiosity, something that's got her into trouble before and may not help her very much now. The position Aurora's taken is some distance away from Peppy and Boreas, and is far enough away that what they're saying is almost inaudible. Cowardice and curiosity war in Aurora's brain for a good few seconds, before curiosity wins the battle and prompts the Growlithe to get off her haunches and take a few hesitant steps towards the Psykitt so that she can hear what's being said. Not the most sensible idea, when it might be seen as a threat by the Psykitt - but then being sensible in the face of something new is not what Aurora does best, either.

A Katerwaul slinks closer, bright eyes all ablaze, so whisper a prayer and start that save! (Saving!)

<That is because Psykitts are special, not...lowly and common,> Boreas sneers at Peppy's hesitant reply. Strangely, the cat fails to mention that he obviously has no idea how common Growlithe are or not, since he had to ask what they were. The feline's superior attitude immediately vanishes, however, as Aurora advances upon him and Peppy. Immediately, his eyes narrow and jerk over to watch her, he goes back into a defensive crouch, his ears flatten back against his head, and his fur bristles, making him look larger even as he makes a smaller target of himself with his crouch. <Stay back,> he hisses angrily, more than likely loud enough for Aurora to hear him.

A normal, intelligent pokemon would probably interpret Boreas's comment as a fit of condescending, egotistical banter. Neither 'normal' nor 'intelligent' are good words to describe Peppy, however, and he's about to comment with interest and note how interesting it is that he's talking to a strange rare pokemon. As Peppy looks back at the feline to speak, the cat rasps out his speedy warning as he assumes a more threatening pose. Now, while Peppy does realize that the Psykitt is acting in his best interest, the Growlithe also does realize that the cat's best interest may clash very greatly with Peppy's best interest if things get out of hand, and if that's the case, then Peppy's going to have to do something about it. Leaping up from off his butt, taking a step or two back, Peppy jerks his head quickly to make a note of Aurora's position behind him before turning back to the feline. His stance definitely isn't a very good defensive pose; though he crouches slightly, he's certainly not a loaded spring. <Don't talk to her like that,> he speaks, sounding only offended and maybe annoyed, not threatening or angry. <She's my mate.> Peppy obviously thinks that's the end-all comment that will shrink Boreas into docile calmness, as he doesn't say anything after that.

The Psykitt's tone of voice makes Aurora freeze between one step and the next, and once the initial rush of fear has passed, she hurriedly takes several steps back, putting her only a short distance closer than she was to start with. It's not the best of positions if she wants to clearly hear what's being said in conversation between the other two pokemon, but it's probably far safer for her. Even when Peppy tries to defend her, she doesn't move forward at all, or even make a comment in reply, but sinks back onto her haunches and stares at the ground, trying to look as inoffensive and unlikely to attack as possible.

Despite the relatively benign, unthreatening reactions of the Growlithes to Boreas' hissed warning, the winged feline doesn't relax immediately. His eyes dart back and forth between the two fire dogs, his wings half-spreading in a movement that is unclear about whether he's trying to look bigger, preparing to flee, or both. Finally, his wide-eyed gaze settles on Peppy again and the 'Kitt growls, <I don't care if she's the Alpha of all the world. I'm not having two of you Growlithe things close to me. I'm not stupid.> With his last sentence, a hint of his superiority and general indifference to everyone else's opinion creeps back into his voice.

A Katerwaul slinks closer, bright eyes all ablaze, so whisper a prayer and start that save! (Saving!)

Fair weather clouds drift through the blue sky from the west. The wind is gusty.

Peppy blinks two or three times at the Psykitt, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at him. Who's the one in trouble here? Boreas might eat Peppy's pups, not vice versa! Seeing it from the other point of view is not exactly one of Peppy's strengths; all Peppy himself perceives Boreas as is a strange feline who could very well cause trouble, and is implying that he doesn't want Aurora, whom Peppy knows all too well as the nicest, smartest pokemon in the entire world, near him! <There's no need to speak to her like that,> Peppy woofs, his tone still more annoyed than offending. <She's not going to hurt you anymore than I am.> And who says Peppy isn't going to hurt him? Peppy really needs to think this thing out more. Turning his head sharply to the side, he peers back at his mate, who looks so innocent and unthreatening, and can't help but smile a little. <Are you all right?> he asks her, just in case.

Aurora smiles a little as Peppy defends her to Boreas, but doesn't offer any comments or advice of her own. Experience has taught her that often it's safer just to sit down and shut up, and right now she's sitting down and shutting up to the best of her ability. When Peppy turns to ask how she is, she smiles again to try to reassure him, but doesn't reply. Instead, she casts a worried glance back at the barn, then looks up at Boreas, then quickly averts her gaze and focuses studiously on the ground several feet in front of her paws.

Though Peppy doesn't necessarily pick up on the fact that Boreas has no way of knowing whether or not the canine intends on hurting him, the 'Kitt does. He narrows his eyes at the closer Growlithe. <And how do I know that you're not going to hurt me, Growlithe?> he snarls, still in his defensive position, still obviously suspicious of the fire dogs. Once he finishes speaking, his eyes dart back and forth between the two Growlithes again. Back and forth and back and forth-then, his eyes suddenly catch a glimpse of a scrap of purple and red behind both of the pups. His eyes focus on the bit of carcass left behind by the puppies for just a moment, then he casually sits up again. <Of course, you haven't done anything to hurt me so far,> he says smoothly, all hint of threat gone from his voice as quickly as it had come.

A Katerwaul slinks closer, bright eyes all ablaze, so whisper a prayer and start that save! (Saving!)

Well, that's a question Peppy hasn't ever fathomed. Peppy? Hurt something that doesn't squeak, chirp, or sizzle when you place it on a barbecue grill? It's enough to make Peppy strip his eyes off of poor Aurora and turn back to Boreas, giving the cat a scrunch-face look of total confusion. <Me?> If we had a nickle for every stupid rhetorical question... <I... wouldn't, I mean, you came near us, not us near you...> Like that's some kind an excuse. Even Peppy realizes how flimsy it is, and, in the first real definite example of submission, he takes a step back, plops down on his rump, and peers shyly to the side, blushing behind his fur. His ears press tightly against his scalp, and he frowns. He hadn't considered it from that angle, and it seems to have humbled him. The next, more friendly comment Boreas makes causes the Growlithe to peer up from his humiliated stance inquisitively, and he cants his head slightly at the comment. What happened to the battle of wits?

By this time, Aurora's recovered from her shock, and looks up at Boreas as he talks to Peppy. Because of this, she notices him glancing behind her, though it doesn't dawn on her that he's looking at the Rattata carcass left behind by the pups - it could equally be that he's looking at the barn and trying to figure out how to get past the two Growlithes. Whatever he's planning, Aurora stands her ground, neither moving forward to threaten the Psykitt nor moving backwards in fear. She just sits there on her hindquarters, looking calm, composed and a little sleepy. Though it's not the time for a nap, of course. As fond of sleep as Aurora is, there are some times when it shouldn't be indulged in.

<Yes, yes, I'm sure you wouldn't,> Boreas says placatingly to Peppy, even as he draws himself up tall to try to look past both Growlithes a bit better. His nose twitches, his tail switches back and forth, and his eyes narrow a bit as he continues to peer at whatever it is he's looking at. Finally, he turns his attention back to Peppy and Aurora, flicking his whiskers at them in a friendly manner. <I'm sure you wouldn't do anything to hurt me,> he repeats. <Such nice, friendly fellows you are. Nice meeting you, gotta be going now,> he continues in a rush. Almost before the last syllable is out, he slips back into a crouch, then springs high into the air, wings beating furiously to catch at it even as his mind strains to lift his weight. Once he's about twenty feet in the air, however, rather than continuing upward, he suddenly tips forward in a dive, aiming beyond both Growlithes. He's not heading for the barn and their precious puppies, though; rather, he's aiming for the last remnants of the Rattata left forgotten behind them. If he possibly can, he'll snatch the carcass in his front claws and swoop back into the air without landing.

Boreas's sudden change in attitude should strike Peppy as odd; as a matter of fact, chances are, in Peppy's eyes, if Aurora was up there in the action, she'd realize that something suspicious is going on. As such, Peppy, with his decimal-point-level IQ, can only reason that Boreas has decided to respect him and his mate, and is treating them with friendship and kindness. Peppy flinches slightly once Boreas takes to the sky, and he watches him all the while as he hovers into the air, his green eyes clicking up... up... up... and then Boreas does something totally unexpected. He... heads... straight for the barn! "Lithe!!" Peppy woofs suddenly, his panic meter exploding to the very top, bursting into a sprint that, sadly, can't compare to the speed of the Psykitt's gentle slide. The poor father's mind is a swarm of frantic broken fragments: Oh-no-he's-going-to-hurt-the-puppies-oh-no-oh-no-can't-let-him-oh-no. Boreas should snatch up the carcass just fine and be right back into the sky by the time Peppy rushes up to the place where the dead Rattata was. Peppy pants heavily, struggling to keep his head high just long enough to be reasonably sure that the feline isn't going to swoop low again, before muttering a curse under his breath and making his way back into the barn to make sure all the pups made it in all right.