[PKMN] Trace of a Dream [1-on-1]

Subject: [PKMN] Trace of a Dream [1-on-1] Thu Dec 25, 2014 11:50 pm

Sheeta blinked open her eyes. Her head pounded as light hit her eyes. She screwed them shut again, trying to block the pain away. It was only a temporary relief.

Opening her eyes again, she swallowed hard. Everything around her looked considerably smaller. Rather, she realized that it felt as if she had shrunk down. Her heart hammered against her rib cage. Glancing around vigorously, she became aware that everything looked like this.

"What happened?" she muttered.

Something wasn't right. What was more, she found herself near the water. She didn't live anywhere near the ocean and yet, here it was.

"Am I dreaming?" she wondered.

Sheeta tried to get to her feet only to stumble and hit the sandy ground again. Her heart leapt into her throat when she looked down. She didn't find hands. She found paws.

"What?" she shouted, looking over her body. She stumbled over to the water, getting a better look of her reflection. What she saw made her heart skip a beat. In place of a human figure was that of a clear Fennekin, "What happened?!"

She sat down, her body feeling awkward as she did so. When she reflected on it, wondered if it had to do with that odd little charm she and her friend had found. It had merely been a joke to wish themselves as Pokémon. Seeing it as a reality? Sheeta was shell shocked.

"What am I supposed to do...?" she asked as if anyone was going to answer her.

----[x]----

The day had been long though, many of them were. Grimsley stretched, glad to be able to relax a little. He wandered a bit if only to stretch his limbs. People he passed recognized him. He offered them a short wave before he got on his way.

Out on the routes, he felt a little more comfortable. It wasn't yet evening but it was getting close. The late afternoon brought out all kinds of Pokémon.

As he wandered down the route, something caught his eye. An odd little Purrloin sat near the side of the dirt path. The thing looked dazed and confused. He frowned at that. Now what was wrong with the little thing.

Grimsley took a few cautious steps forward. He wanted to test the waters with this one. Dark type Pokémon had a disposition about them, after all.

Knelling down, he watched the Purrloin carefully. She didn't scramble away but she did appear cautious. Grimsley hummed briefly at that.

"Now, what's wrong with you little one?" he inquired as if the Purrloin could ask, "Are you hurt anywhere?"

The Purrloin didn't appear injured. Maybe she had gotten in a tussle and just managed to escape a bad fight. That could have easily left her in such a state. It was Grimsley's best guess.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he spoke gently, sparing the Purrloin a smile, "Come on now. I just want to help."

Grimsley offered an outstretched hand. He was a little less cautious with this one now. The most she looked was shaken, not vicious or ready to attack him.

Subject: Re: [PKMN] Trace of a Dream [1-on-1] Fri Dec 26, 2014 1:05 am

Marlon had taken to heading out to sea, Mantine at his side for the day. It was rare when Marlon was not out whiling his time away swimming. Only horrible weather or important business swayed him to do other things. With the sun shining brightly and the water so invitingly blue, of course he was out to enjoy a long swim!

Hours were spent like this until he headed to the beach shore for a quick break. His stomach was growling for a while now and it wouldn’t do him any good to ignore it for much longer. Emerging from the water, the waves lapping at his thighs, Marlon turned to pat Mantine affectionately.

“I’ll be back in a bit, a’ight?” Marlon told him. A chipper cry from the pokémon was enough to tell him that Mantine would wait nearby, enjoying the nice weather in the meantime.

Marlon turned to head out of the water, his hair clinging to his forehead and cheeks, when he caught sight of an odd little pokémon at the water’s edge. It was furry, clearly not a water-type and yet she was peering into the shallows that washed up near her paws with some sort of curiosity.

Slowly, he approached the little thing, unsure of what kind of pokémon she was. The type wasn’t native to Unova that was for sure. Marlon had to make sure not to scare her away, keeping his distance even as he exited the water and than sat down, elbows resting atop his knees. Any sand that clung to him would be ignored for now.

“Hey there, little buddy, are ya lost?” he said finally. Marlon already had the pokémon’s attention, being the only one in the vicinity. In the distance he could hear people but they were far enough away they would not see this orange little furball.

----[x]----

Where had she ended up? That was the question that was most prominent on her mind at first. That had been before she’d tried to stand, only to realize she was still on all fours and everything looked considerably larger than it should have. Blinking down at where her hands should’ve been she was met instead with two small, purple paws.

Shocked, she’d sat back, trying to figure out how she’d ended up here and as a pokémon of all things. Runa found it difficult to gather her thoughts with how loud subtle noises were to her now. Even just the breeze rustling the tall grass around her was so much louder than she was ever used to.

It wasn’t until the crunch of shoes on dirt and gravel sounded did Runa break from her thoughts. Head snapping up she eyed the man that approached her warily, quite sure she knew him from somewhere albeit it not personally. Maybe it was just the way he was dressed, so nicely and obviously having a pretty penny to his name, out in the open like this that made her think that.

Runa’s ear flicked—a strange feeling, to be sure—when he’d crouched down and spoken to her. She was ready to bolt if need be. Though she couldn’t see any poké balls on him that didn’t mean he wasn’t a trainer and might not catch her. All the same her mind was stuck on a little, insignificant detail. ’Little one?’

She made no attempt to speak, quite sure that what she would say would fall on deaf ears. While people could learn to understand pokémon they were always around, she was a stranger to her and her words—as they were—would be indistinguishable, just a bunch of sounds to this dark-haired man. This didn’t seem to deter him, instead he’d spoken up again, asking more questions. Maybe he hoped that it kept her calm or something.

Once he held out a hand towards her and waited, Runa shifted, pulling a paw back towards her. It would be safer to just run off, to hide in the tall weeds and grass nearby. Still, pokémon she might be now, Runa had no idea what would be waiting for her out there. Lots of pokémon were aggressive to each other; such was the nature of life.

Cautiously, Runa approached, ears pinned back against her head. She wasn’t sure when she did that just that it had happened, of its own accord. Instead of dwelling on that, she halted, still unsure. This could just be a ruse and all. Her tail, a strange appendage as well, thrashed through the air once as she debated with herself.

Subject: Re: [PKMN] Trace of a Dream [1-on-1] Fri Dec 26, 2014 1:55 am

Sheeta sat in a daze, studying her new 'body', for lack of better words. It was too hard to believe that she had been reduced to such a tiny little Pokémon. What was more, she was at a loss as to what to do.

So lost in her own thoughts, trying to pick apart what had happened, she didn't even notice someone plop right down beside her.

Sheeta flinched, startled by the sudden voice of the male. Her ears pinned against her head. She assumed it was out of instinct, so startled as she was.

She shifted from paw to paw, uncertain of what to do. It wasn't as if she could talk to this person. As she was, she couldn't communicate as she normally would. Sheeta was a little distraught knowing that.

'What am I supposed to do?' she wondered. All of this was rather difficult.

In the end of things, while she still felt shifty, she nodded her head a little bit and nothing more. Sheeta wasn't even sure if most Pokémon acted in this manner, especially upon meeting someone so quickly. It was the only way she could really answer however.

She glanced upward, feeling a little awkward about all of this. Even if he didn't know what she was before, she did and that left her feeling strange. Sheeta tried to ignore it even if it was difficult.

----[x]----

Grimsley waited patiently for the Purrloin. It was odd. He normally had such a connection between these kinds of Pokémon. This one was a little strange. She didn't act like the others.

He shook the thought when she moved forward. Her ears were pinned back and her movements were still cautious. At least they were making a little bit of progress.

"That's right," he muttered gently, "We'll get you somewhere safe, hmm?"

When she was close enough, he let his fingertips brush against her fur gently. Only when he was sure she wouldn't bite or scratch his hand, he ran his thumb over the side of her face.

"Well, at least you're not hurt," he pointed out, "Little thing like you could have taken a beating."

Grimsley glanced around. The city wasn't too far now. He could return to the hotel with this little Purrloin. Something told him he should help this one. If anything, he was curious of her.

"Would you like to come with me?" he asked politely, "It's up to you. I wouldn't force you to do anything you didn't want to."

Subject: Re: [PKMN] Trace of a Dream [1-on-1] Fri Dec 26, 2014 5:36 pm

Marlon waited, watching as the little pokémon jumped to her feet and blinked at him with wide eyes. He couldn’t be sure but she looked like a fire-type. ’Why’s she all the way out here then?’ Marlon wondered. Fire-types didn’t typically come out towards beaches like this, much less right up to the water’s edge.

Eventually she sat back and nodded. Marlon cocked his head to one side, studying the pokémon carefully. He didn’t have a pokédex like many new trainers did nowadays. He was a gym leader after all, and that sort of thing didn’t mean much to him. Still, it would have helped identify the type of pokémon she was.

“Well, aren’t you friendly,” he observed with a bright smile.

For all he knew someone might have left this one behind. Abandoned pokémon were still something that happened due to all sorts of things. Marlon hoped it hadn’t been a malicious desire to leave this one behind, or maybe she just got separated from her trainer or breeder.

He held out a hand to her, still damp with seawater. Maybe that would turn her off but then Marlon would do his best to be friendly all the same. “You hungry? Maybe a bite to eat’ll make things better!”

----[x]----

Though this man was speaking quietly, no doubt to make sure she didn’t dart away in alarm, Runa could easily hear every word. At the very least it didn’t sound like he was going to try throwing poké balls at her. She was human, albeit stuck in a pokémon’s body by some joke wish, and she hoped to find some way to fix this mistake.

Her thoughts were put on hold as soon as the man reached out to pet her. Runa jerked in surprise, shaking her head at the strange sensation. It wasn’t quite like someone playing with her hair but it was similar—pleasant, really. All the same, she wasn’t sure how she felt about it in a whole.

This didn’t seem to deter the man; he reached out to rub her cheek with his thumb, an equally pleasing feeling. Despite her wariness Runa’s eyes slid shut in contentment. Her newfound heightened sense of hearing made it easy to tell what he was doing. He didn’t seem to have any kind of ill intent now that she was in his reach at least. He could very well have just snatched her up now and hauled her off anywhere.

Her ear twitched in response to his next words. Would she ever get used to those muscles moving like that? It still felt so weird, unnatural even.

Runa thought about his offer for a long moment, trying to ignore the way he was still petting and scratching her. For a minute or so she was silence, eyeing this man carefully through half-lidded eyes. Finally, she said, ”I suppose.”

Whether or not this man understood her words, she couldn’t say just yet.

Subject: Re: [PKMN] Trace of a Dream [1-on-1] Fri Dec 26, 2014 7:08 pm

Sheeta tried to relax a little. That was difficult to do all things consider. Something of a joke had changed so much. What was more, she had no idea where Runa was or if she was stuck in the same situation. That worried Sheeta quite a bit.

When he spoke up again, it was a passing comment. Of course it was a bit of a one sided conversation. She wished she could speak back.

'Too bad my people skills aren't going to apply here,' she considered.

Sheeta at least tried to spare something of a smile. She wasn't quite sure how this looked on her odd little muzzle. Everything just felt odd to her right now. This would certainly take some time to get used to.

The offer was a little out of the blue. All things considered, she understand why he did it. Most had a softer spot for pokémon, especially those that looked so pathetic. Something told her she looked very much the same.

She shuffled closer toward him, if only aware that she needed the help. She couldn't deny being a little hungry as well.

'What's the harm,' she decided, 'I'd rather take my chances with him than anyone else. Especially the other wild pokémon.'

----[x]----

Like before, she appeared cautious. This didn't surprise Grimsley too much. Whatever had her so out of her wits, he could only assume. Perhaps he could get to the bottom of the mystery after they were in a quieter place.

She looked a little more content with the attention. Grimsley was glad. As long as she relaxed a bit, that would be for the best. He didn't want her getting too fussy or stressed.

Her ear twitched, at least showing that she was listening to him. That made things easier on his end. He spared her a smile, waiting patiently.

Finally, something of a decision came. Her words were far easier to understand than most he had come across in his time. Grimsley hummed briefly at that curiosity but pushed it aside for now.

"Good," he finally replied, "We'll get you accommodated and perhaps you can explain things a little better, hmm?"

It was a mere suggestion. Whatever she had worried over, he couldn't say. Until they were in a safer area, he would wait to ask questions. All of this was rather odd, especially so with her words being so clear.

With that, he got up and waited for her to follow. Grimsley raised a brow as she tried to walk herself. She was rather dopey on her own feet. He hummed briefly, wondering what that was about.

"Perhaps you would like me to carry you?" he suggested.

Subject: Re: [PKMN] Trace of a Dream [1-on-1] Fri Dec 26, 2014 8:32 pm

Marlon waited until the little pokémon responded in some way. She had yet to pipe up, to give him an idea of what she might be. Most pokémon were called after what noises they made, after all. At least, that’s how it often worked.

Eventually she smiled, looking happier than she had been a moment ago. Marlon’s own smile brightened a bit at that. At least she would not be hostile towards him.

He stood when she eventually answered his next question. Some food would do him some good after all, he could only imagine that it would for her too. He couldn’t be sure how long the little pokémon had gone without eating after all. Marlon gestured for her to follow him though he’d keep an eye out on her, just in case.

“Well, I know a little place we can stop at then!” he pointed out as he gestured for her to follow him.

The pokémon, her bushy ears and tail swaying with her movements and the gentle breeze that blew by, picked herself up to follow him. Her movements seemed clumsy to him though he couldn’t be sure if that was normal or not. Marlon had heard about a dizzy type of pokémon in another region that was quite clumsy after all.

----[x]----

Runa hadn’t expected much in the way of this man understanding her. She blinked, head cocked to one side as he withdrew his hand and spoke again. It seemed that he’d understood her fairly well if not perfectly. Experimentally, she twitched her tail in response to that though.

She blinked again at the mention of explaining. What did she have to do that for? It wasn’t like she did anything troublesome. ”Explain? Explain what?”

There wasn’t an answer given to that. Perhaps he hadn’t heard or understood her that time. Whatever it was, Runa didn’t dwell on it. Instead she worried about following after him. He looked pretty lanky as it was and probably had the height to match that; due to this his strides would be long and it wasn’t like Runa was familiar or comfortable with this body. Though she’d seen Purrloin on two legs she wasn’t sure how well one balanced like that with a tail to boot.

Despite her concerns, Runa picked after him carefully, still wary about what he might be up to. Her paws were so dainty compared to the rest of her body, the tail that swayed behind her a strange thing to equate to balance and yet there it was. Runa wasn’t sure what her expression looked like but she was quite frustrated, picking her steps carefully.

Her head snapped up and she blinked at this man when he spoke again. It must have been obvious she was having trouble if he’d ask something like that.

There was a moment or two that passed in deliberation. ”Perhaps,” she answered finally. It almost sounded like a purr to her own ears, she wondered what it must have sounded like to this man.

Subject: Re: [PKMN] Trace of a Dream [1-on-1] Sat Dec 27, 2014 1:37 am

Sheeta was partly glad to be heading somewhere else. Every little sound seemed multiplied. Despite not showing it, the sounds did hurt a little. Even the waves washing against the shore bothered her.

As he rose to his feet, Sheeta peered up at him. She got a brief chance to witness just how small she really was. The change in height made her a little dizzy.

'Well this kind of sucks,' she thought.

She shoved it aside as she walked forward or at least, attempted to. Trying to get a feel for these new limbs was problematic. She prayed with time it would become easier.

Sheeta huffed, stubbornly trying to continue forward. At one point, she nearly tripped all together. She figured the soft sand was at least a cushion. A short sigh left her.

'Of all things to actually come true it had to be this,' she thought, 'I guess I shouldn't complain. This was what we wanted...'

----[x]----

Grimsley waved the question off. He couldn't figure it out with this Purrloin. She was so strange, easily conveying her thoughts. Normally it took time to understand each pokémon he worked with despite having a deeper connection with dark types.

"Why you're so out of sorts," he answered simply.

He stuffed his hands into his pockets, watching the Purrloin carefully. If she wanted to continue walking, he'd have to take things slowly. She nearly tripped over her own paws several times over.

Grimsley paused again when she nearly tripped over herself. His eyebrow raised a little, wondering if she'd take up the offer. The answer was almost that of a purr. That was the most relaxed he'd heard her so far.

He took a step forward before he leaned down again. Scooping the Purrloin into his arms, he was up and off again. This would be far easier for the both of them.

"You're quite the clumsy sort," he pointed out, "You can't even manage on your own feet."

Grimsley hated to think what might happen if she had run into another wild pokémon. She wouldn't have been able to handle anything on her own, he was sure.

"It shouldn't be too long now. Thankfully you weren't far from the city," he explained, "We'll get things sorted. Perhaps something to eat would do you good?"

Subject: Re: [PKMN] Trace of a Dream [1-on-1] Sun Dec 28, 2014 12:35 am

Marlon walked slowly, keeping an eye on the strange pokémon. She still had yet to really speak up, to give him a clue as to what she was. Maybe he’d make a few calls and find out, if no one came to claim her. For now it would be best to keep her content and to try to make sure she wasn’t hurt or abandoned altogether.

From the corner of his eye he easily caught the way the pokémon tripped and stumbled. Many times she fell right into the sand, looking more and more agitated each time. Despite the predicament Marlon had to fight to keep a grin from spreading over his lips. The only time he’d seen a pokémon this out of sorts was when they were confused in battle.

It was only when they neared the edge of the beach, approaching concrete rather than soft sand, did Marlon speak up again. “Hey, no need to be lookin’ so sour! If you need some help just ask, huh?”

No sooner had he spoken up did Marlon stop, reaching down to scoop her up easily into his arm. She weighed barely anything compare to the pokémon he frequently fought with in his gym battles, because of this he was easily able to carry her with only an arm. At the very least the sun had dried him off and if she was a fire-type as he assumed she would not need to worry much about it.

Glancing down at her, it was easy to see she wasn’t too happy about just being picked up like this. Marlon chuckled apologetically. At least this way she wouldn’t get hurt or have anyone trip over her on the way to get something to eat.

----[x]----

Runa had sat back and waited, peering up at this man to see if he’d make due on his offer or not. If she didn’t have to walk in this new body of hers the better—at least for now, she’d practice later. Prying eyes watching her blunder about left her feeling flustered as it was.

He easily picked her up, cradling her in a way that seemed quite careful and yet experienced to Runa. Perhaps he was a trainer, used to dealing with pokémon her current size. The feeling that she should know him from somewhere was one that she couldn’t shake, yet she had no answers for.

There wasn’t a lull this time around before he’d spoken, drawing her attention up to his face. Runa blinked at him for a moment before scoffing. Her tail twitched once afterwards. Nonetheless, she chose not to reply just yet. There was still much that Runa had to grow used to in this small body of hers, so unfamiliar as it was.

Closer to him now, Runa could easily pick up on the cologne this man wore. The breeze had blown away, leaving her unable to pick it up minutes ago. What might ordinarily have been a subtle scent, one she might not have even fully noticed, was now several times stronger. Runa thanked her lucky stars that this man had some show of restraint when it came to applying it. Any stronger to her nose and it might have caused a headache.

On top of that there were all sorts of sounds. Wiled pokémon calls reached her from far away, noises that this man didn’t seem to hear or notice. More than once in a very short span of time Runa found her ears swiveling this way and that and her attention darting to specific areas in regards to sudden noises.

Eventually this man chose to speak again, noting that it would not be long now. Runa hoped that was the case; the sooner she knew where she was the sooner she could try to find out where Sheeta was and how she was faring.

”Perhaps I wouldn't say 'no' to a bite to eat," she agreed after a moment of thought.

Subject: Re: [PKMN] Trace of a Dream [1-on-1] Sun Dec 28, 2014 5:06 pm

Sheeta stumbled again before stopping briefly all together. If she could figure out where to place her feet, things would be fine. The tail unbalanced her a little bit too. The whole concept was irritating.

She blinked up at him when he spoke. A goofy looking grin had overtaken his face. Part of her wondered if that was to her expense. Before she had a chance to really pout, he'd knelt down and scooped her into his arms.

If she had been human, she knew her face would have been red. It was one thing for someone she knew. It was another for a stranger. She tried not to let it bother her despite the discomfort.

"Ask?" she echoed the words.

Sheeta wasn't even sure he'd understand her. Some trainers were more in tune with their pokémon but she could only assume with this one.

"I do...maybe a little," she admitted, "Maybe a lot."

Sheeta wasn't sure how to explain the situation though. She had made a joke of a wish and was actually human? That would no doubt be something strange. It worried her how she'd take it. For the moment, she was quiet on the subject entirely.

----[x]----

Grimsley wandered down the path carefully. He didn't want to move too fast in case it startled the Purrloin. She was a little more relaxed now. Normally some Purrloin were foul tempered. At least this one was a little less unpredictable.

The walk back wouldn't be so long. The Purrloin seemed content being carried. As long as she wasn't reaching out to bite or scratch, things would be fine.

Notably, she didn't answer his question. Grimsley pushed it aside for the time being. Whatever did happen, he would just have to wait and find out. The Purrloin was uninjured, just stressed. He wanted to know what caused that.

He was glad to hear that she would at least accept food. This Purrloin was rather trusting. He didn't try to question it however.

"I'm certainly glad to hear it," he answered, "That will make you feel better, I'm sure."

The walk was a short one. Finding the building he was residing in for the time begin, he started in. Those within the building greeted him. He spared a nod before he headed off to his room. Sliding the key card to his door, he pushed it open.

"There we are. I hope this isn't too odd for you," he stated, letting her down to explore, "I'll get you something to eat now."

Subject: Re: [PKMN] Trace of a Dream [1-on-1] Mon Dec 29, 2014 7:37 pm

She finally had spoken up, though it was only partial sounds. Marlon cocked his head to one side as he glanced down at her. Her words were a little murky to him but then fire-type pokémon weren’t his specialty either. Water-type pokémon had always drawn his attention and he’d always had an easier time befriending and understanding them than others.

Marlon shook his head. “Well, Fennie, let’s get you that food, eh?”

If she’d minded the nickname she didn’t do much about it, at least not in a way that Marlon could pick up on or understand. As such he made his way to the little stand that served quick meals and treats to beachgoers on the other side of the beach, taking his time. He made sure to keep Fennie cradled close to his side, careful not to let her get jarred by passersby that might bump his arm by accident.

It wasn’t long before they’d arrived to his chosen destination. Marlon made sure to place Fennie up on the counter, taking up a stool for himself. He’d been here plenty of times and so long as pokémon didn’t misbehave or try to get down past the counter where the server was they’d be fine.

Resting his arms on the countertop, Marlon observed Fennie for a moment. She seemed to be peering at him, perhaps waiting or just studying him. Marlon really couldn’t be sure.

“Can’t say I know what kinda food you like,” he admitted after a moment, grinning sheepishly. He rubbed the back of his neck to boot. Nearby he could catch the server, a pretty girl several years younger than him, glance their way, before finishing up taking another customer’s order.

----[x]----

Silence had spread after a while, this man heading steadily closer to the city. Runa was glad that it wasn’t closer to evening; the sun still high in the sky before they’d even hit the city limits and began to see all sorts of other people and pokémon milling about. Some stopped and waved or called out excitedly to the man and he’d spare them a courteous nod or greeting in return. It was only through this that Runa learned his name: Grimsley.

Runa had peered up at him at that time, understanding dawning on her. ’No wonder he looks so familiar…’ A handful of times she’d caught him on television, one of the famed Elite Four of Unova. Perhaps it was because of his preferred type of pokémon that he could so easily understand her as a Purrloin.

It wasn’t until they’d reached a room he had at a hotel did he speak to her again, setting her on the floor gently. Runa didn’t dart away just yet, peering around from this low perspective, tail twitching experimentally again. She still wasn’t sure how she was supposed to walk around on all fours with a tail. The extra appendage set her balance off as it was, so unused to it.

A cooing noise escaped her in place of what otherwise would have been a hum. Already Grimsley was heading to do just as he said, to get some food for her to eat. Runa twitched her tail again, shaking herself afterwards as if to rid herself of the strange sensation of having those new muscles to move.

”Yes, well… suppose I’ll investigate then,” she finally said. By then Grimsley was already busy, perhaps unable to hear her clearly.

Carefully, Runa started picking her steps and sniffing the air and the rug experimentally. She sneezed quickly after.

Subject: Re: [PKMN] Trace of a Dream [1-on-1] Wed Dec 31, 2014 4:13 pm

If he could understand her or not, she couldn't tell. The man simply spoke of trying to find a place to eat. Lack of communication was going to be a problem, she was aware.

When he found a place, he sat her down on the counter. Sheeta shuffled her weight, glancing around the place. The air was strong with the scent of many different foods. It was a little overwhelming if she was honest.

She waited patiently, wondering what really to do. Sheeta couldn't exactly order for herself. She blinked at the man as if asking what she should do.

Carefully, Sheeta got up to paw at a menu. She didn't know of many pokémon who could read. No doubt this would bring up odd questions. Sheeta managed to open the menu and scan through it. When she found something she liked, she simply placed her paw on it.

She spared a quick smile, settling down again. Sheeta knew that the man was a little surprised. He wiped it away rather quickly, replacing that expression with a smile. He seemed rather laid back. Sheeta was a little glad about that. There was no point in making a scene over an odd situation.

----[x]----

Grimsley started to tend to something for the Purrloin to eat. He didn't quite know what she might like just yet. If she planned on sticking around, perhaps he would learn a little more about her.

He blinked, glancing over his shoulder as she sneezed. Like before, she seemed to have trouble getting a handle on her own limbs. The Purrloin glanced around, only shaking herself once as if to steady herself.

"My, are you quite alright?" he asked in a joking manner.

The little thing was curious of the room. She picked her way about it carefully, still occasionally stumbling as she did so. He turned back to the food, listening as she wandered the room.

"I hope this place is accommodating enough," he spoke up, "I'm on the move quite a bit. I'm afraid I'm not often home."

Being in the Elite Four as he was, he often traveled. His real home was more or less taken care of but he didn't see it often. Hotels had become the norm for him.

"If you decide to stick around, you'll see much of Unova and sometimes other regions too," he explained, "That's your decision, of course."

Subject: Re: [PKMN] Trace of a Dream [1-on-1] Sun Jan 18, 2015 12:02 am

Fennie wasn’t too talkative though maybe that was just her nature. Marlon would take care not to step on her paws, so to speak, and push her into anything she didn’t want. If nothing else he was trying to be helpful to the poor pokémon. Whether or not she was lost, abandoned or wild he still couldn’t say though she was very friendly if she was wild, all things considered.

He tilted his head, watching as she moved to view the menu placed nearest to them. Curious, Marlon didn’t say anything and merely watched. For some time this went on before Fennie finally placed a paw over something or other. Marlon had to sit up straighter to see it and he cocked his head to one side before grinning at Fennie.

“Well, I think we can do that!” Marlon exclaimed. With that he reached out to scratch behind her ear affectionately, reaching out with the other hand to take up the menu for himself.

Marlon spared only a quick look over the menu before he decided on a burger for himself. He was starving and the ones here were well done and thick. At least then he’d easily be able to make it back out far enough to find Mantine when he was done here.

Waving the server over, Marlon announced his and Fennie’s order, already reaching into the sealed pack he kept with him on days like this. Too long he’d gone out swimming only to need something and not have his wallet. A sealed up pack at his side that prevented water from seeping through, his items further protected by zipblock baggies to be sure, negated that problem. Due to this foresight Marlon was easily able to pay without a fuss.

While they waited for their meal now he turned back to Fennie, watching her carefully again. “Still not much for chatterin’, I see,” he pointed out.

----[x]----

After she sneezed Runa blinked around, a little startled at the force of the sneeze. Even more than that she grew irritated that the smells now seemed stuck in her nose, the feeling of having to sneeze again washing over her. All the same it did not come, at least not yet. Her ear flicked in response to Grimsley’s amused question.

Runa moved about carefully, trying both to get used to the new balance of this little body and of inspecting the room and trying to ignore the powerful smells. There was so much mingling into one that Runa couldn’t have begun to discern what they were supposed to be much less want to hazard guesses.

Curiously, she placed her paws on the bed, attempting to peer up over it. She was still too short to do so though Runa wasn’t confident enough to try leaping yet. Instead she admitted defeat and moved away from it, careful not to trip over her own paws again. About that time Grimsley was speaking again, mentioning his busy schedule and the travel he took part in. This was enough to catch Runa’s full attention, halting in her steps as she peered over at Grimsley.

Pokémon trainers received quite a bit of opportunity and freedoms in life, one of which included travel. All the same Runa had been held back by a clingy parent until late in her teenage years and had seen little of the world because of it, much less all of Unova. Her tail twitched, briefly wondering how her cute little Poochyena, Stunky and Scrafty were doing. Hopefully they were being taken care of…

For a long time Runa didn’t say anything though she could hear Grimsley moving about in the small kitchenette this hotel room had. Runa liked to think he was waiting for her to say something though she wasn’t sure what to say. On the one hand her brother had to be worried for her, if he’d realized she was gone by now without a word to him or anyone else. Was he taking care of her pokémon for her? Was he out looking for her? These thoughts and more clouded her decision and she eventually shook her head slowly, eyes closed.

”Well… perhaps we’ll see,” she finally said, if a little evasively

Subject: Re: [PKMN] Trace of a Dream [1-on-1] Sun Jan 18, 2015 9:47 pm

If he found the fact that she could read strange, he didn't say anything about it. He seemed rather laid back if she had anything to really say about it. That wasn't as if that was a bad thing. Honestly, the less questions she had to answer, the better.

Sheeta wasn't sure how she felt about his reaching out, scratching behind her ear. It was a strange sensation though not unwanted. Being what she was now as going to take time in getting used to.

She settled down, laying on her stomach as he ordered their meal. Sheeta tipped her head a little, observing the jimmy rigged wallet locked in a zip bag. He rather seemed fond of the water if that was what he was resorting to.

He eventually asked if she was in the mood for talking. Honestly, she wondered how much he could understand of her words. The aspect just seemed odd to her.

'I'm not sure how much you'll really understand,' she pointed out after a moments thought.

It wouldn't take too long for their food to arrive. In the mean time, she studied the area. Everything looked so much bigger now that she was small. She caught a few girls ogling Sheeta too. She tried not to scrunch her noise, well aware that she must have looked cute to them.

'You like to swim?' she finally asked instead.

That was obvious. Regardless she tried to wrack her mind as to why he seemed to familiar. Sheeta couldn't put her finger, or rather paw, on any obvious answers no matter how hard she tried.

----[x]----

Grimsley glance down at her, studying the way she moved about. She acted as if this was the first time on her own feet. The way she moved was so slow and cautious. That alone left Grimsley curious.

He left her be instead preparing her something to eat. It was simple though would do her some good. She didn't exactly looked started but something in her stomach would be nice.

She was quiet after he spoke about traveling. Maybe she was considering the offer. The way she blinked up at him, a little curiosity on her face, showed him that much. He spared her a small smile in return.

"Are you certain you're alright?" he asked a moment after, "You seem as if you're struggling to stay up."

As he said this, he sat down a bowl of food for her. That would suffice for a time. Grimsley wasn't sure she even had a large appetite. He had plenty of time to learn, especially so if she stuck around.

"No one out there hurt you, correct?" he prodded a little more.

He knelt down, scratching behind her ear carefully. Unless she said anything specific, he couldn't quite tell if she was really hurt. There might not have been any injury outside but a strained muscle or something more internal could cause her problems down the road.

Subject: Re: [PKMN] Trace of a Dream [1-on-1] Mon Jan 26, 2015 12:31 am

Marlon tucked away his wallet after the waitress started on getting’ their order. It was a simple thing but it would still take some time. For the moment Marlon would ignore his growling stomach to instead keep Fennie some company during the wait. She at least seemed comfortable on the counter.

When he prodded her to say something, just curious of if he could understand her better or not, she eventually spoke up. Marlon cocked his head to one side, trying to work out what had been said. She definitely wasn’t a water-type pokémon that was for sure. His assumption that she might be a fire-type was steadily growing truer.

While he was still trying to figure out what she’d said exactly she’d said something more, glancing at the pack at his hips. Marlon glanced down at it briefly as well, realizing quicker what she might be asking. Marlon grinned broadly.

“If you’re askin’ what I think you are, I spend a lotta time swimmin’,” he answered.

He thought about it, wondering what kinda things Fennie liked doing. He still had no idea what region she was from originally much less who to ask about it. No one seemed to be out callin’ for her anyways, this left Marlon wondering more and more if she was truly abandoned or just wild. If it was the latter than she was certainly a friendly one.

“Can’t say I’d see you doin’ any of that though,” Marlon pointed out.

----[x]----

Runa hadn’t inspected much before Grimsley was once again asking if she was really okay. This time she barely spared him a glance, tail swaying experimentally again. The new muscles were still so strange to her, not quite sure how she was figuring out how to move them as she was. Did this body have instincts to it that were surfacing? Runa shook the thought away for the time being.

”Quite,” she answered finally. ”Just a bit… bewildered.”

That was the best way to explain it, she felt. How else could she go about trying to explain this mess? Wishes didn’t just come true, they weren’t supposed to. So why had this one? Her tail twitched at the thought. If this had happened to Sheeta too then maybe she still had the charm that they’d found and made the wish on. If they had that maybe Runa could get more answers, and possibly a way to fix this.

Her thoughts were broken as Grimsley sat a dish down before her, drawing her attention to it. The food looked okay. She couldn’t be sure of what it was but she knew it wasn’t any kind of pokémon food she knew about. That assuaged some of the worry on her shoulders. Runa had no desire to find out what pokémon food tasted like after all.

A surprised sound escaped Runa as Grimsley scratched behind her ear. Briefly her head twitched to one side at the odd sensation. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t anything that Runa had expected. If she had to compare it to something she would say it was almost like someone playing with her hair. Almost.

”Other than being a little—“ she paused to think of the proper word. ”—klutzy, I’m fine.”

Subject: Re: [PKMN] Trace of a Dream [1-on-1] Sun Feb 01, 2015 11:20 pm

Sheeta shifted a little, laying on her stomach. She'd rather not move around too much. Unstable on her paws as she was, she was half afraid that she might fall off the counter. She'd rather save herself the embarrassment.

The man glanced back at her, as if trying to figure out what she had said. She was right in some sense. He must not understand just what she was saying completely. If that was the case, communication would be difficult.

A questioning look had crossed his face after she asked her question. He seemed to guess what she'd asked rather than anything else. At least she'd gotten an answer out of it.

She nodded in response. There wasn't a whole lot to say to that statement, especially so knowing that he could hardly understand her at all. That made things difficult in and of itself.

His suggestion, or more over, warning was a brief one. Sheeta shook her head a little before she said, 'I don't think it'd be wise.'

Small as she was, she doubted she could take on such currents in the first place. She'd be swept away before she could really get a handle on swimming with four legs.

----[x]----

She seemed to be taking him in once again. Grimsley didn't mind it. She was still trying to figure things out. He'd allow her that time. Patience was the key here. If she felt she trusted him enough, she might tell him what had happened.

What she said had left him curious. It was almost as if she had merely appeared like this one day. Grimsley shook his head. The most he could figure was that she might have hit her head, had a lose of memory or something of the like.

"You may become more comfortable over a bit of time," he informed, "No need to rush."

She could take all the time she needed. Grimsley wasn't they type to push his pokémon. Of course, she wasn't his just yet. That was her decision in the end. Grimsley would simply give her the time to make that decision.

Grimsley sat down in a chair as he watched her. She took the time to look over the food as if to test it. He didn't pay too much mind to it. Maybe she was deciding if it was safe or not.

"Well that's certainly good to know," he said, "I feared you might have been harmed in ways that would take time to fix."

That was a relief in and of itself. He didn't want to see any pokémon hurt, especially one so small.

Subject: Re: [PKMN] Trace of a Dream [1-on-1] Sun Feb 01, 2015 11:53 pm

The look on Fennie’s face alone was enough for Marlon to gather she did not want to go try and take a lap or two in the ocean. He chuckled, waving his hand as if to dismiss the offer entirely. Marlon wasn’t about to just go tossing her in the water if she didn’t want to venture in, after all.

“Ah, don’t look so sour, Fennie! I was just curious, is all,” he admitted.

Whatever he might have said next was interrupted. The waitress had come up with two plates in her hands. She was quick to place them before him and Fennie with a friendly smile.

”Here you are, Marlon. And be sure to take care of this little cutie, all right?” she chimed in, smiling brightly towards Fennie. It seemed like Fennie might be a popular little thing, at least from the waitress’s reaction to her.

Marlon offered a chuckle, reaching to slide his plate closer to him. “You got it, Sierra! Wouldn’t want ya hittin’ me if I didn’t!”

Sierra shook her head and rolled her eyes at that though the smile hadn’t left her face as she wandered off to tend to the newest customer at the food stand. With that Marlon had turned back to Fennie, reaching out to nudge her own plate closer to her. Why she looked shocked was beyond Marlon though.

“What? Sometin’ wrong?” he wondered.

----[x]----

If her studying him bothered Grimsley he did not act upon it or say anything about it. This relieved her a little. She did not know how Grimsley was first hand, only through rumors she’d heard. The Elite Four didn’t often visit in places Runa could easily reach without her overly clingy mother interfering. As such she’d never really seen any of them out in public.

Despite all of that she turned to the food before her as her stomach growled loudly. The food smelled all right though she didn’t take a bite right away. Grimsley moved, distracting her momentarily and Runa’s head snapped up to watch as he moved to a nearby seat. Her tail twitched at that again. The motion was becoming more natural the more she did it, if she thought about it.

”I’m tougher than I appear,” Runa argued haughtily.

With that said, she took an experimental bite of the food placed before her. Chewing briefly Runa couldn’t decide what she thought of the taste. It had it’s own distinct flavor, much like fried green tomatoes had theirs. Whatever she thought of the taste itself her stomach quickly quieted as soon as it was there. With that relief settling over her Runa quickly took to eating the rest, if only to not waste it.

Several minutes must have passed in silence while she ate. Runa had to admit it was a little awkward to sit there like that and eat in this feline body but she said nothing about it. Things were already strange enough as it was. Soon enough she was finished anyways, sitting back and licking her lips, or what amounted to them.

”What now?"

Subject: Re: [PKMN] Trace of a Dream [1-on-1] Tue Feb 03, 2015 12:06 am

She wasn't sure if she had looked sour or not. One thing was for sure, she didn't feel too great. Despite being found by someone potentially kind, her stomach still twisted in knots over all of this. Just how did this wish she had made as a joke actually work in the end?

She didn't get to put too much thought into it. Their food arrived. A young woman placed what Sheeta had 'ordered' in some sense of the word, in front of her. The woman then made a little conversation.

At best, Sheeta felt awkward about all of this. She was human, not a pokémon. Neither of them knew that however. So in some regard, it felt like a very strange, one sided conversation. What was more, any person fawning over her as cute left her feeling weird as well.

When the woman left, it seemed like he noticed right away. He asked what might have been wrong. For a moment, Sheeta was caught off guard. She shook her head quickly, trying to leave it at that. There was no point in trying to explain all of this. It was unbelievable.

Sheeta stared at the meal, a little unsure if she should attempt to eat or not. Her stomach was still in nervous knots. Eventually she forced herself to eat. There was no point in wasting it and he did pay for it. She would have felt bad if she didn't try.

----[x]----

Grimsley watched her look this way and that at the food. She hadn't exactly eaten yet. If she wasn't hungry, perhaps she would touch it a little later. For all he knew, she was just being overly cautious. The two of them were still very much strangers.

Grimsley chuckled a little. The little pokémon seemed spirited. There was nothing wrong with that. In fact, a little determination went a long way. He was a little glad to find a bit of spitfire in her.

"I'll keep that in mind," he replied lightly, "Wouldn't want to step on any wrong toes, after all."

Eventually she started to eat, a little hesitantly at first. She seemed to test the taste before she decided she liked it. He was silent as she ate, simply studying her for a brief moment. There was little tell with her. By all means, she looked like a normal pokémon.

His thoughts were broken when she asked what happened next. Grimsley didn't have many plans. He shook his head then in response before saying, "I didn't have any other plans. I was merely taking a walk when I found you. Ordinarily I'm a bit of a busy body. A break here and there is rare but appreciated."

Grimsley was always out and about. That's what came with being a member of the Elite Four. It never bothered him. He very much liked his job and his travels.

» |PKMN| ❝We should be legendary❞ [1-on-1]
» [AC] Just a Dream [Reserved]
» {|PKMN|} Stand Up {|1-on-1 rp|}
» {PKMN} Here's to Us {Reserved}
» [PKMN Rp] Gone, Gone, Gone [Reserved]