Fizzytopian Park and Gardens

[lilbluecorsola]

Connor, Gaspard, Eleanor, Peeves, Jessica, Sewaddle, Blueberry, Waffle, Gadget:

Jessica was startled out of her trance by a voice calling her name, and she twisted to see a familiar boy holding an Aipom in his arms, as well as his Petilil, who was bowing politely. Despite her preoccupations and qualms, the girl made sure to mind her Ps and Qs, stretching a thin smile.

"Ah... Connor, was it? And Eleanor? Sure, feel free to join us. Have a seat. Who's this little guy?"

She asked as she handed another plate to Aipom after his two comrades. She paused when Connor questioned as to Keith's whereabouts, glancing nervously at Peeves and... Wait, where was Meowth? He had disappeared too without notice – perhaps to go stop her Pokémon from peeking. She shrugged, deciding to leave the bodyguard duty up to him, since she didn't want to accidentally stumble upon the secret meeting and interrupt whatever was going on between Keith and Minerva herself. While she still wasn't sure how to feel about the whole affair, she consented to take Peeves's cue to keep quiet and not fill Connor in on the details. Yet the young man appeared to have an astonishingly apt sixth sense about these things, as he explained the strange dream he just had. Jessica shivered, shifting uncomfortably. For such a beautiful day befitting the park’s grand opening, the surrounding atmosphere had soured so soon. No, that wasn’t right. The sense she was experiencing wasn’t exactly harsh or unpleasant. Bitter, more like. And perhaps, still a little bit sweet.

Peeves could perceive what she was thinking, and was quick to try and reassure her. She softened in understanding, admiring his loyal efforts to defend his trainer. In truth, she personally wasn’t much bothered by the fact he fancied a Banette, who, as Peeves explained to her half-surprise, had once been in a human in life. (Marion had never made mention of that detail to her. But the fact Minerva already acted and could appear as a human, Jessica reasoned, was more than enough evidence to justify the possibility of either of them developing feelings for the other.) Nor did this change her view of Keith as a whole. Rather, she was worried for him. From what she had heard, Minerva abhorred Keith. At least enough so to try and kill him – or so she thought. (She couldn’t have known the attack was meant to fail, that Minerva was simply “teasing”, so to speak.) What possible outcome could he hope for from confessing his love for someone who tried to stab him once with a needle? Jessica held her head, shaking it slowly. She would never understand love.

And she was worried – for both of them – of the ramifications such a successful relationship could have. Even if the two were able to accept and support each other in whatever strange way they could, what would the rest of the world think? Even if they were happy and not hurting anyone… Others would surely want to hurt them. She wasn’t sure she could stand to see people – her friends – persecuted for their decision to pursue their desires (no, maybe it wasn’t a choice), though in effect that meant she was the one being selfish and weak. Did she think she’d be able to help them by denying hope? Or was she only saving herself from despair? She struggled with this internal conflict, hating how she had once again somehow managed to make this all about herself. This was their situation, their sorrow to deal with. Why should she share in it? She wasn’t even closely related to Keith or Minerva, having known the former from only a few battles and merely met the latter due to the extenuating circumstances of her “sister’s” hospitalization. Still, the chill of Miss Coselle’s shake that time in the Cable Club, and her too-wide smile, stitched tight to hide and hold in so much strength and sadness it seemed like she would burst at the seams someday, lingered in Jessica’s memory...

VROOOOOOOM!

Speak of the devil. Abruptly, the Rotom Jess had traded to Miss Coselle came racing up again, zooming in energized circles around the group before finally coming to a stop before his brother. Upon seeing the lawnmower’s return approach, Blueberry had quickly expanded herself to cover the food again, and now glared vigilantly between Gadget and Waffle. Waffle waved his hands nervously as he tried to explain how angry she was about Gadget’s reckless behavior earlier, which nearly ruined her beautiful masterpieces. Besides that, he was doing well. Jessica was going to help him and Blueberry start up a bakery, but they needed to make some more money first. These were their first test samples, which they were considering bringing to the Fizzytopian’s farmers’ market and/or host a small bake sale in order to secure funds. Waffle wanted to invite Gadget to try some, but he needed to apologize before Blueberry would let him…

Meanwhile, Jessica chuckled, glad for the interruption as she put aside her self-contempt for the moment. Though she couldn’t understand the Rotom’s revs and other loud engine noises, she grinned cheerfully at his greeting and looked to Waffle for translation. He quickly spelled out “G A D G E T” in static letters, and she nodded. “Hi there. I hear your name is Gadget now? How’s life with Miss Coselle? I’m sure you must miss not being able to see Marion, but I can assure you she’s a very nice lady. You’ll love traveling with her when she gets better.”

Just then, Sewaddle showed up carrying new clothes for all the arrivals. It was clear her sewing speed and style were steadily improving. To Gaspard, she gave a golden scarf, and Eleanor earned a matching shawl. For Connor, a crown. Finally, she garbed Gadget in a garland similar to Jessica’s, sidling straight up his sides to slip it over his handle without fear of his fangs. Jessica watched nervously, wondering how the Cut Rotom would react to a leafy caterpillar crawling so close to his mouth (which he would probably see as a more tasty course than even the salads laid out), ready to reach out and pluck her away for protection if necessary.

Meowth, Minchi, Kanna, Kief:

“Whoa, hold up, guys! I mean, halt!”

Minchi stretched out her arm to stop Kanna and Kief from moving forward as the bushes before them began to rustle. Kanna panicked and hid behind her, whimpering it must be a hedge monster, while Kief tried to poke his head curiously over Minchi’s paw to see what was happening. They waited with bated breath, as Minchi readied her TAIL to WHIP whatever burst out…

“Wah!”

“Yah!”

WHAP.

Minchi lifted her tail to see Meowth rubbing his bruised forehead. “Aiieee! It’s a cat demon!” she screamed, smacking him again even harder.

"Now wait just a minute!" he exclaimed, but she only continued to slap him silly.

“M-Minchi, I think that’s enough… Look, it’s that Meowth from earlier. Please stop hurting him,” Kanna whispered fretfully, wincing each time Minchi’s tail contacted Meowth’s bones.

“Oh. So it is. Sorry about that.” Minchi ceased her strikes and straightened primly, her saccharine smile not looking very sincere at all.

After many groans and moans, the Meowth managed to wobble to his feet and glowered at the group. "Dat's my trainer's privacy youse is tinkin' of intrudin' on! Now why don't youse..." He shook his head, eyes slowly regaining their gleam. "...Just turn around, go back over to da picnic, and forget ya heard anyting about dis?"

“Hm… How about no?”

“Come on, Minchi, you heard him. It’s not right to intrude on others’ privacy, we should head back…”

Minchi put on her best pouty face with FAKE TEARS, and when she saw that wouldn’t work, was about to switch on the charm when she noticed the cat’s eyes were almost glowing. “Oh no you do~on’t!” she cried as she suddenly swung around and leaped on Kanna’s back. The Furret freaked out, afraid she was being used as a shield. She couldn’t believe her best friend would betray her like this.

“Wah- wah! What are you doing?”

“Relax, just listen to my instructions!” Minchi closed her eyes while leaning down to cover Kanna’s own, which only caused the poor creature more alarm. “Don’t look! He’s trying to use HYPNOSIS! Come on, Kief, get up here too! Hurry! Whatever you do, don’t make eye contact with Meowth!”

Kief was confused, but a piggyback ride sure sounded like fun. He hopped up after Minchi, his weight making Kanna blush and bristle. Minchi giggled. Had her eyes been open, they would have rolled.

“All right, Kanna, we’re getting out of here! Activate your Ability to Run Away!”

“What? No, I can’t do that!”

“You can! Come on, just charge forward! Let’s lose this silly kitty!”

Kanna took a deep breath, and barreled ahead, bumping straight into Meowth and knocking him over due to her blindness. “E-excuse me! I’m sorry!” she squeaked as she rushed by, which she repeated every time she crashed into the roses. Once Minchi was sure Meowth was far behind them, she removed her paws from Kanna’s lids.

“There, that wasn’t so bad was it? I knew you had it in you!”

Kanna sniffled as Minchi and Kief slid off her back. Minchi patted her panting pal, congratulating her earnestly.

“That was seriously so cool! You go, girlfriend! No cat in the world can catch you.”

Kanna smiled weakly, knowing Minchi meant well, and that this had also been an attempt to help bolster her confidence. Kief licked her face in thanks as well, and she flushed deeply.

Just then, the three heard voices – human – coming from nearby.

"It's not illegal. Not for us. See, several months ago, after I got an official government warning for helping aspiring trainers with their registration tests- never knew that wasn't allowed- I kinda got freaked out and started reading up on Fizzytopian law, just to be on the safe side. And the laws against human/Pokémon relationships... They allow for an exception, but under very specific circumstances. The Pokémon involved has to have formerly been an adult human, and must retain their human memories... Obviously, that applies to you. And... And the human involved... At least a portion of their DNA... Must be Pokémon DNA."

The trio froze, falling silent, and tiptoed over to the wall. On Minchi’s motion, Kief parted the vines with his nose, and rather than taking turns they all crowded together to peer through the hole. Even Kanna couldn’t resist her curiosity after hearing all that. Through the opening, they found a young man and woman facing each other. The male had his eyes shut and seemed to be concentrating hard. All of a sudden, smoke began to rise from his limbs. Kanna gasped and clasped her paws over her mouth, while Minchi’s eyes widened with amazement and glee. O. M. G. What a scoop! She hurriedly reached for the camera she had stolen from a sleeping boy’s bag earlier and focused the frame, making sure to get all of the gas within the shot. Click. Ka-ching.

[Missingno. Master]

Meowth, Minchi, Kanna, Kief, Keith, Coselle: Meowth was rather annoyed as his attempts at Hypnosis failed utterly. As they ran him over (with the Furret at least apologizing), Meowth scrambled back to his feet.

"OK, I didn't wanna hafta do dis, but youse leaves me no choice!" Meowth exclaimed as he raised his front right paw, which was enveloped in a glowing orb, preparing to call on the powers of one of his teammates for Assistance. Meowth couldn't help but grin as he recalled that Keith had brought his Qwilfish, which knew an impossibly wide variety of attacks... And then, a blast of Night Shade flew out of his paw, dissipating harmlessly as it made contact with the Normal-type Minccino. It's doubtful she even felt it.

Meowth facepalmed. "He just had to bring da Duskull, didn't he?" he muttered before he started running after them. However, he only caught up to them as they had already reached the clearing where Keith and Coselle were, just as Keith was revealing his most closely guarded secret to her. Meowth's jaw dropped as he realized that his trainer was in fact 1/4th Gastly. He snapped out of it as he heard the camera go off (quietly, thank Arceus; Keith didn't hear it, at any rate) and shot a dirty look at the Minccino. He dropped this look, however, as Keith and Coselle proceeded to talk, and by the time Keith had finished his latest words, Meowth was moved almost to the point of tears. Silently, he excused himself and made his way back to the main area of the park.

Meowth, Peeves: Once Meowth was back, Peeves was the first to notice. He floated over to Meowth and said, "Meowth, where you go? What going on?"

"I don't even know where ta start," Meowth replied, still very much in amazement at what he had overheard. "And dere's one ting you wouldn't believe if I told youse."

"Try me," Peeves stated. Meowth responded by whispering into the Duskull's ear, and his eye went wide once more.

"He part Gastly?!?!" Peeves exclaimed in surprise.

"Ssssshhhhh!" Meowth hissed. "I don't tink he wanted anyone ta know!"

"Oh! Oh, sorry," Peeves whispered apologetically, looking terrified at his mistake. He glanced around, hoping nobody heard him... Yeah right, like he was gonna have that kind of luck, right?

[uhhhhh]

Connor, Gaspard, Eleanor, Peeves, Jessica, Sewaddle, Blueberry, Waffle, Gadget: As Jessica said yes to Connor's request to stay for a while, he promptly thanked her, "Oh, thanks! I probably won't take too long here though, I still have to look for some of my other Pokemon around the park. I let them around to have a little fun themselves you see. And my Aipom? His name's Gaspard. He was with me when I came to Fizzytopia from Sinnoh," he said with a smile. He then sat down along with Gaspard and was handed out paper plates for the three of them. Connor then looked at Jessica and noticed how she seemed to be worried about something and couldn't help but wonder what was bugging the woman, "Um, Not to intrude Jessica, but is something the matter? You seem worried over something..." his train of thought got interrupted as a Mow Rotom had raced up to them, making a very loud noise as he raced around them, cutting whatever grass had remained on their surroundings, "Ooh, you have two Rotoms? Seems like he's a feisty one," the photographer said in amazement. He noticed however as the HeatTom had spelled out the MowTom's name, it being aptly named, "Gadget," and also Jessica mentioning a certain, Coselle and even Marion, "Wait, you mean this Rotom is Marion's? And who's Coselle? Is she taking care of her?" Connor had asked her once more. It was then that Jessica's Sewaddle had given Connor's group some new clothes for them to wear on and Connor couldn't help but smile at how gifted the little bug was in making clothes. It also provided a distraction from the more important stuff, "Wow, is this for me? Thank you so much, um..., hey Jessica what's her name?" he asked as he placed the crown over his orange-and-blue striped beanie, "Well, how do I look?" he grinned.

[Missingno. Master]

Meowth, Peeves, Connor, Gaspard, Eleanor: Meowth and Peeves were very much aware that Connor was still nearby. To their relief, however, neither he nor his Pokemon seemed to have heard Peeves's rather abrupt outburst. Nevertheless, Peeves floated over to the Aipom and the Petilil, keen on sharing the news to them at least. "Alright, you know how I said I had a feeling Keith wasn't 100% human?" Peeves asked them in his native language. "I was right! Meowth just told me what he's seen- my trainer is part Gastly!"

"It's true," Meowth added, in English, though whispering, so Connor wouldn't hear. "He was able to make dat purple smoke just like a Gastly does. Den he held his Pokedex out and pointed it at hisself, and it started goin' on about Gastly!"

"This explains so much," added Peeves. "He's never gotten poisoned, and among his Pokemon are a Weezing, a Vileplume, and a Grimer. He has... I don't even know how many different Poison-types! And Myrtle told me he was astonishingly quick to learn Shuppet language..."

[Marion Ette]

Connor, Gaspard, Eleanor, Peeves, Jessica, Sewaddle, Blueberry, Waffle, Gadget - Waffle expresses Blueberry's anger at what she would term "reckless behavior" on Gadget's part. Though Gadget seems confused, he turns to Blueberry with an earnest expression. I didn't mean to make you mad miss berry-blue-ballooney I'm sorry if I made everything taste like grass though grass is my favorite flavor I eat it all the time cause I'm a lawnmower and that's what I do you see I mow lawns and stuff I think I said it before but it is the truth and the truth bears repeating at least that's what Coselle said once I think maybe I LIKE SWEETS Gadget eyes the treats hungrily before turning back to Waffle, who explains that he and Blueberry would like to start a bakery, but lack the necessary funds to do so. Hopefully, by selling their wares, they would be able to afford such a luxury.

I hope you get a bakery 'cause bakery means sweets I can mow the lawn for you for free I'm good at that you know so I can do that and I can HELP yaaaaaaaaaaaay~ Gadget seems quite set on the fact that he will be helping Waffle with his bakery lawn, and giggles with joy at the thought.

Jessica seems happy that Gadget has come to visit, and Gadget notices that Waffle is translating for him. He makes an attempt to speak more slowly, but given his usually fast-paced dialog, the effort does little to help.

Yes, my name is Gadget and I am very happy with Miss Coselle she takes me to the park all the time and lets me mow and play games but I really miss Marion it's weird not being with my trainer but I know I'll meet her soon and go on lots of adventures I can't wait to go on adventures do you go on adventures?

Keith, Coselle - It had not truly occurred to Coselle just how much Keith had already risked on her behalf until he painfully, purely, adamantly reminded her of the fact that just moments before this conversation, he was convinced that she could... and possibly would... kill him. Even that perception, untrue though it was, did not scare Keith away. His very death was not enough to deter him... That information alone made Coselle's protestations look silly and baseless. No matter what she did, no matter how many threats, reasons or excuses she doled out, he would not be the one to back down. Stalwart in his convictions, Coselle could not deny that his love, though dangerous and foolish, came with it an odd sort of strength. He could deflect, defend, endure anything... and she was powerless against it.

"There's... there's no talking you out of this, is there?" More a statement than a question, Coselle meets Keith's gaze, her eyes glittering with dew-like moisture, threatening to tear up. "I told you... you're damn stubborn..."

At that moment, Coselle's X-tranceiver begins ringing loudly. Coselle grimaces, but wordlessly indicates to Keith that he needs to hold on. Holding up the screen in such a way that Keith can easily peer in on the conversation, Coselle answers the phone, the image of a Duskull appearing on the screen.

"Hiiii Coselle! I calling from hospital~" The cheery voice of Liliana bursts forth from the other end.

"You sound chipper, Ana... Good news, I hope?"

"Marion awake, Cosie!! She looking for you. What should I tell her? You want speak to her?"

Coselle pauses for a moment. Though the silence only lasts a moment or two, the deeply pensive expression on her face indicates that within those moments, momentous decisions were being made within her mind.

"Yes. Tell her that I am her sister, who has come to stay after that evil Banette of hers tried to harm her. I'm here to protect her from Minerva."

"But you're-"

"I'M NOT... Minerva." Coselle grits her teeth. "Minerva is in hiding. Tell Marion... Tell Marion that she's in hiding until this whole thing blows over. She will be writing letters, and she loves her very much. But she's dangerous, you understand? I'm not letting that crazy Banette go near her."

Liliana pauses, skull head slightly tilted. "What I say if she ask questions? You know she ask..."

"Coselle Ette. Age 29... just tell her I look young for my age. Unmarried. I've been living in Lavender Town my whole life with my adoptive parents. We're half-sisters, on her mother's side. My profession is writing, and I do not currently own any Pokemon at this time. I attended Celadon University and obtained a degree in English Literature. I can't speak ghost-type languages like she can, so only talk to me in English from now on. Tell her that I'm... eccentric, but that I care for her very much as my only blood relative." Coselle pauses. "If she asks, I recently started dating a trainer I met while running errands in town. We met in the park, in the gardens, and against all reason and intellect, we fell in love. It was... like the movies." Coselle makes a motion with her hands as if sprinkling fairy dust everywhere. "Magic."

"Hehe, Cosie... You always so good at making stuff up."

Coselle smirks. "Heh... You'd think I was, huh?"

Liliana gives Coselle a look for a few seconds, but seems to dismiss Coselle's statement as humor. "Okie, let me get Marion..." The sight of the camera floating down a hallway can be seen, when suddenly a Drifloon phases through a closed door, pantomiming a 'hush' motion with his little yellow hand, softly saying something in Drifloon language. Liliana turns the camera back to her face, which clearly looks less cheerful than before. "She already asleep again..." Liliana's eye turns down with disappointment, as she hangs her skull-shaped head forward. "I sorry."

"I'll catch her when she's awake. Remember what I said. DO NOT TELL ANYONE, especially that miserable Ninetales of hers. The story is-"

"Minerva run away, you come back, protect sister. Got it! Just one question..."

"Yesss?"

"Who is the trainer you 'dating?'" Liliana pantomimes quotation marks as she says this. Coselle can't help but grin a bit.

"Oh, you'd know him, wouldn't you...? Keith. His name is Keith."

"The one you tried to-"

"YES, Liliana. That one."

"Hehe, I knew it." Liliana's eye glows with amusement and glee. The sound of a rather jovial Frillish calling out Liliana's name and laughing can be heard from offscreen. "Oh, gotta go! Bedi made dinner for us 'cause hospital food is gross. Byebye for now... Coselle."

"Later, Ana." Coselle closes the phone, and turns to Keith with a mischievous grin. "Now, the question becomes... When I told Liliana I was dating you, was I telling the truth, or was I lying? This is your first test of many, so don't disappoint me..."

[Missingno. Master]

Keith, Coselle: Keith could not help but grin slightly as Coselle looked at him and voiced her realization that she wasn't gonna be able to talk him out of this. Though it was more of a statement than a question, Keith shook his head nonetheless. As her eyes threatened to fill with tears, she told Keith how stubborn he was, yet again... And then her Xtranceiver rang. Keith couldn't help but recall how often his own Xtranceiver had been the cause of interruptions at the bar, once the PC restrictions had been repealed, and he started getting trade offers left and right... Kept putting off all sorts of conversations he was holding with others. He nodded as Coselle wordlessly indicated that he should hold on. As Coselle answered, she angled the device so as to allow Keith an easy and clear view of the conversation, which turned out to be with Liliana, Marion's Duskull and Peeves's girlfriend. Keith was rather pleasantly surprised to hear that Marion was awake, and then Coselle began to give Liliana information about herself to relay to Marion in the event of her inevitable questions. Keith was rather impressed at how casually Coselle was rattling off this information, but then, he reasoned, much of it may very well have actually been true of Coselle when she was alive... Coselle then mentioned that she had recently started dating a trainer she had met in the park, which grabbed Keith's attention somewhat. Sure enough, once Liliana asked for the trainer's name, Coselle identified Keith as the one she was dating. Liliana giggled and claimed she knew it, the call ending not long afterwards. Before Keith could comment on how glad he was that Marion seemed to be faring better, Coselle opened her mouth first, with a question of her own, accompanied by a mischievous grin; she asked Keith whether she had been telling the truth or lying when she told Liliana that she was dating him. She stated that it was the first of many tests, and told him to not disappoint her. Keith blinked. He wasn't expecting to be tested like this. And if this was going to be a regular thing... it would certainly make the relationship rather interesting. Then again, Keith liked interesting. If he didn't like interesting, he probably wouldn't have fallen for Coselle in the first place. Within seconds, Keith found that an answer of sorts had occurred to him.

"Well, what kind of a man would I be if I made you out to be a liar?" Keith said, with a grin of his own forming on his face. "You told Liliana that we're dating... then we're dating."

[uhhhhh]

Peeves, Meowth, Gaspard, Eleanor, Sewaddle - Peeves had told the duo about his concern about Keith and whether or not he was completely human. Naturally, Gaspard and Eleanor were confused at his statement, unsure of what he was talking about. Before any of them could speak up though, Meowth had come back and had talked privately with Peeves. It was then that Jessica's Sewaddle had given them some clothes she had made herself to Connor and his Pokemon. ~Is this for us Sewaddle? Thank you so much!~ Eleanor exclaimed as she wore the shawl she had been given. ~Wow, you made this yourself? That's awesome!~ Gaspard grinned at her and gave her a thumbs up with his tail. Connor's group were distracted by the Sewaddle's works that all of them did not hear Peeves' loud outburst.

It was then that the two had come back and told Gaspard and Eleanor the latest story about Keith. Both Pokemon were naturally shocked at this. ~What?! He's... part Gastly?!~ Both of them found it hard to believe as they have never heard of someone being part-Pokemon. ~But... how? I don't see any way that someone could turn or be part-Pokemon, and even then... your trainer doesn't even look like one...~ Eleanor had voiced out both their thoughts.

[Missingno. Master]

Peeves, Meowth, Connor, Gaspard, Eleanor: Meowth nodded as Connor's Pokemon displayed their obvious shock and surprise at the news that Keith was part Gastly. As Eleanor asked how, while noting that Keith didn't even look like a Gastly, Meowth whispered his response.

"Yeah, I know, but see, apparently, when Keith was seven, he drowned at da beach at Cinnabar Island, but just two seconds or so after he died, dis Missingno. ting pushed him back to shore, and someting about how da shock from da impact got his heart goin' again. But see, apparently his soul was all set to turn into a Gastly and had started, but when he came back ta life, da little bit o' transformation his soul underwent never reversed itself. He's still three quarters human, just one quarter Gastly. All he's got ta show fer it, apparently, is an immunity ta poisonin', da power to make dis ghostly smoke, he says he can even use Smog, but it apparently makes him real tired, and he's apparently real good at learnin' Pokemon languages. I heard him speak Shuppet language before, and Myrtle- one o' his Shuppet- she says he learned da whole language in just three hours! I ain't never heard of a human learn a Pokemon language dat quick before!"

Unknown to him, Meowth, in his excitement, had raised his voice back to normal levels, from the whisper he started out with. And as he was speaking English, it was highly likely that others close by had overheard most of what he had said. At the very least, it was extraordinarily likely that Connor heard most of this.

[Marion Ette]

Keith, Coselle - Coselle chuckles darkly at Keith's response, an almost inhumanly wide grin spreading across her face. "What kind of man would you be...? A smart one, probably. I am a liar, and a dirty one at that~" Coselle begins to walk in the direction of the bench, idly admiring the roses around her, a soft hum of a nameless melody drifting her lips... until she suddenly turns around, her eyes burning with a wild, uncontrollable fierceness, as she grabs Keith by the scruff of the neck and lifts him an inch or two off the ground, her head tilted up to maintain eye contact. Despite the viciousness of the action, her smile softens. "Then again... I like to keep people on their toes."

A woman of contradiction: dead and alive, hateful and loving, human and inhuman... When she yanks Keith towards her, the motion is erratic, violent, quick... but he is met on the lips with a soothing tenderness. She vaguely tastes of smokiness, of cigarettes and absinthe, with the slightest tinge of sweetness. Even when she finally lets him go, she doesn't really let him go... Her hand still remains tightly gripped to his collar, eyes focused on him, laughing maniacally. She throws him unceremoniously onto the grass, standing over him with an intense sparkle in her eyes. Never has she looked more beautiful... or more utterly terrifying.

"Thought you would die tonight, hmmmm?" Coselle's laughter echoes through the Rose Garden, eerie and jubilant. "Hahaha... maybe you will..." She pauses for a moment, thinking. "Mmm, but not here... I sense there's more than roses listening in on us. We should go." She yanks Keith back up on his feet, but makes sure to brush some of the grass off of him as she does, remarking with an unsettling nonchalance; "After all... I am the only person who should have the privilege of hearing you scream."

[uhhhhh]

Connor, Jessica, Meowth - Meowth had been so loud in his explanation about Keith being part-Pokemon that he seemed to have forgotten that he was speaking English... and that the likes of Jessica and Connor could understand him. "Meowth, just now... what did you just say...?" he quietly asked the Scratch Cat Pokemon. This alarmed both Gaspard and Eleanor. "Did I hear you right on that one? Keith is part-Pokemon?" Connor had pinched himself on the cheek just to see if he was dreaming and yet the pain was all too real for him. "That's... Wow, where do I even start? Is this true Meowth?" the photographer had to ask him again just to verify what he had just overheard as he found such a statement quite absurd.

[Treepandaone]

Flap. Flap. Flap. The methodical rhythm of Aerodactyl's wings beating in the afternoon sun filled the air as Matthew sat atop his prehistoric pterodactyl, looking down at the beauty of the sea they were flying over. The sun reflected off the great expanse as far as the eye could see, the size of the 'blue planet' vast oceans slipping away from speech; the significant vision of peacefulness helping calm Matthew's beating heart as he prepared. A cold wind blew through the air as Matthew's body-weight changed position subconsciously, the anticipation of his Aerodactyl's movements of such a degree that the young trainer needn't think before doing, the connection so deep that the idea came naturally. Sniffing in a deep breath of fresh salty air Matthew looked out to the boundless sea, pondering on its enigmatic origins and sustainability; its existential riddle far from answered by exponential theories.

Water splashed past either side of the fossil Pokémon, the optimistic opportunist having attempted to catch a fish from the waters below; its claws extended and dragging on the waves. Its unsuccessful attempt brought Matthew back from his daydream, the young trainer looking around once more at the vast abyss surrounding him. The fizzytopian gardens beckoned, the wide open space of the newly refurbished park bringing the opportunity to play with his Pokémon that the bar never could, even offering spots for larger Pokémon. He chuckled to himself as he remembered the looks he got when he brought his Rhyperior into the small space, the two getting into even more trouble when the rock-type scrapped with another of his species, causing the trainer to be red-faced at the damage of a few tables and chairs. The park also provided the opportunity to get some well-needed fresh air, his base in the Glacier Region providing it at the cost of the freezing temperatures, not to mention that it had become synonymous with training. This trip, however, was meant to help Matthew and his Pokémon blow off some steam, spend some quality time together and bond as a unit. He had done so previously with the Pokémon that had came before, his memory allowing him to remember that much but not the details of their release. He tried to stop thinking about it, twisting uncomfortably before facing another section of the sea.

Pushing the thoughts out of his mind Matthew turned to check his rucksack, the ever-useful tool this time helping him carry some essentials to the park; a red and black lumberjack pattern picnic rug furled up in one of the corners, a picnic basket filled to the brim with tasty treats Matthew had cooked, an ice box filled with special drinks each different for the intended Pokémon, fruits and berries gathered from the berry shop and last but not least a couple of bottles of Rosé and a few beers for the trainer. It was, of course, his time to relax too; the park providing the perfect opportunity to unwind. Rooting around at the bottom Matthew picked out a half-drunk bottle of Oasis Summer Fruits, finishing the bottle as he quenched his parched thirst. Finishing with the bottle, Matthew placed it back in his bag before turning to spot land ahead.

“When we get to the park, land on the cliff near the mystic lake” he commanded, waiting for the inevitable ascent.

It came sure enough, Matthew feeling the force as the Aerodactyl rose higher, leaving behind the sea to accommodate for the land's abrupt cliff-range. Within a few minutes, Aerodactyl had made its way to the edge, setting the man down and standing in front of him. Matthew sighed as he put a hand on Aerodactyl's beak, rubbing its rough rock skin before taking a deep gulp.

“You're … you're now the level of the others” he said, his voice breaking slightly as he hesitated with his speech, “you have served me well and I will always love you for that, but … but now it's time to spread your wings.”

A single tear dripped down from Matthew's face as he turned away, hiding his emotional face from his Pokémon.

“The others left to make a family, to enjoy life, I'm sure of it” he recited, “and now it's time for you to do the same. You have always been by my side when I needed you but now I must return the favour, I cannot let you stay with me and suffer, I have to let you free. I can't keep you contained, you're too precious.”

Dropping the silver-lined Pokéball to the floor, Matthew raised a foot before smashing it on the rocks. Bursting the plastic into pieces, Matthew felt the explosion of energy from the Aerodactyl as it was released from his capture, the flying-type having total control over its actions once more.

“Go... Go now. Enjoy your life like they did. Stop letting me keep you from happiness” Matthew continued, the verse seemingly recited like he had been practicing in the mirror. Matthew felt the power of the Aerodactyl's wings rise, a Tailwind blowing Matthew round to face it once more. The Pokémon stood tall, flapping its wings down to the ground without liftoff, cawwing loudly without moving.

“Y-you want to stay?” he asked, the Aerodactyl nodding in answer.

Placing a hand on the Aerodactyl's beak once more, Matthew smiled as his chest welled up with pride. Swinging his backpack round, Matthew withdrew a Blue Cyberball, its energy humming in his hand as it routinely glowed and pulsed.

“Then you're welcome to stay”, Matthew said, presenting the ball to the Aerodactyl, clicking the middle button as the fossil Pokémon was swallowed by the red light. Holding the ball in one hand Matthew saw it sway a few times before stars flew out of it, the capture being complete once more. Throwing the ball into the air, Matthew saw the Pokémon burst out with renewed energy.

“Hauser. Your new name will be Hauser” Matthew announced, the Aerodactyl flapping its wings once more. “Now come, we've had enough drama. We need to go relax for a bit, what say you?”

Matthew clambered on board the Aerodactyl's back as it released a Flamethrower into the air before using the Tailwind to take off.

“If only someone had taken a picture” the trainer mused.

After a few minutes of flying above the park, Matthew spotted a hubbub of activity below, the Aerodactyl sensing this as it descended. With a variety of trainers already there running around with their Pokémon, Matthew couldn't help but feel late to the party, missing the opening only slightly and yet it appeared so much had happened in the time he wasn't there. Landing in a secluded corner of the park garden so not to disturb any other trainer with the same idea as him Matthew grabbed a few spheres from his Pokébelt, releasing them all up into the air at the same time. Within a few seconds, most of his Pokémon joined him in the park; Togepi in his arms; Shieldon, Anorith, Lileep and Omanyte by his side; his new Porygon floating slightly above his head and his new Zigzagoon already curiously rubbing its nose to the ground, sniffing it for new smells.

Seeing the new Pokémon in the group, Matthew rummaged through his bag once more, pulling out a plastic disc, the white Frisbee a new addition especially for the park. Whistling for his Zigzagoon, the Tiny Raccoon Pokemon's ears immediately pricked up as Matthew threw it, the mischievous Pokémon running in zig-zags before finally catching up to the Frisbee's flight path, jumping and catching it in its mouth.

“You're a natural Crim” Matthew exclaimed, his excitement soon quelled as the raccoon held it in its mouth, “Bring it back now”

Matthew groaned as it did not, continuing its path away from the trainer with the flying disc in its mouth, showing no sign or intention of returning the disc. Hurriedly running up to his Pokémon, Matthew wrestled the toy from Crim's mouth before turning back to the rest of the gang.

“Now you Deckard”, he said, pointing to his new Porygon, carefully throwing the disc with enough power to make it float, but not enough to make it scare the inquisitive Pokémon. As it went in the direction of the polyhedral Pokémon, the Porygon began to show interest, buzzing as it floated beside it. Hoping that the Porygon would catch it, Matthew was let down as it fell to the floor, its flight pattern causing it to jet into the soft ground at an angle. With Porygon floating next to it, hovering just a feet or two off the ground and beeping curiously, Zigzagoon suddenly came and side-swiped it; the excitement of the flying disc being thrown again overtaking the Pokémon, taking out Porygon.

With the Virtual Pokémon on its side, Lileep crawled over, using its appendage to right the pink and blue Pokémon before making it hover again, the Porygon beeping once more without a change in attitude. Matthew raised a brow at his new Pokémon, but shrug it off as new-team jitters. Looking in his bag, Matthew questioned the Zigzagoon's excitement if he were to bring out the other toys all at once, having a tennis ball and a kite stuffed into the nether regions of the rucksack before deciding that the Frisbee would be enough for now.

Continuing the routinely tradition of having to wrestle the disc out of Zigzagoon's mouth before throwing it, Matthew and the gang continued into the middle of the park, before spotting a large tree, one that looked perfect for Aerodactyl. In the distance, Matthew could see a trainer sitting down having a picnic, only noticing it as his friend Jessica as they got closer.

“Hey Jessica. Do you mind if we join you” he asked, waiting for an answer before pulling out his picnic rug and laying it down, his Pokémon helping straighten it out before he flopped on the ground.

Breathing a relaxing sigh, Matthew watched as Aerodactyl flew into the tree, a bunch of Pidgey flying outwards. Looking up, Matthew noticed Aerodactyl's lack of attempt to catch them, glad to see his lesson about not catching 'prey' while in a public space was settling in, instead the fossil helping itself to the fruit the tree bore at the top.

Reaching back into his bag, Matthew pulled out his pic-a-nic basket and set it down on the rug, handing out specific foods to his Pokémon; a freshly baked Bloomer, carrot and celery sticks, Brazil Nuts, and a bag of trail-mix the first to be handed out. With each Pokémon happily scoffing down the selected foods, Matthew finally had a minute to turn and talk to Jessica.

“Wow, I see you've acquired some new Pokémon since we last met” he said, amazing at the new species Jessica had picked up, “Who are these little cuties then?”

[Missingno. Master]

Meowth, Peeves, Connor, Gaspard, Eleanor: As Meowth became aware that what he had been saying had been overheard, he clapped his front paws to his mouth as Peeves gave him a look.

"And you the one who say you no think Keith want others to know yet," he said to Meowth.

"Eh, shut up," Meowth muttered to Peeves before glancing up at Connor. "Yeah, it's true," he added. "He told ya how he almost drowned when he were seven? He always left out a detail when he told dat story- he did drown, but came back ta life when da Pokemon dat saved him bumped inta him ta push him ta shore. 'Cept his soul was startin' ta turn into a Gastly, but when he were revived, it never changed back fer some reason. Long story short, he's one quarter Gastly. Dat's how he was able ta learn Shuppet language so quick. I even seen him make dat purple smoke like a Gastly, but it seems ta tire him out when he does it."

Peeves, meanwhile, fueled by curiosity, used his Foresight attack to glance into the Rose Garden, to see just what Keith and Coselle were getting up to...

Keith, Coselle: Keith hadn't expected Coselle's response to his answer, as she stated that she was a liar, and a dirty one. Unsure what to make of this statement, Keith watched as she walked towards the bench, and then she suddenly turned around, and before Keith could react, actually lifted him off the ground, their eyes maintaining constant contact the entire time. Her soft smile contradicted the vicious action, and though this action had certainly surprised Keith, he could not honestly say he had been scared. After stating that she liked to keep people on their toes... they kissed. She pulled him towards her, the violent, quick motion contrasted by the soothing tenderness as their lips met. Everything Coselle was doing contradicted everything else she did... And Keith was loving it. After a few seconds... or perhaps a few minutes... hard to tell... Coselle let Keith go- except not really. She still had him by the collar of his shirt as she laughed maniacally, and then she let go, throwing him onto the grass. Coselle stood over Keith, and the Poison-type trainer (a phrase which could now be taken in more ways than one, come to think of it) looked up at her- beautiful and terrifying at the same time.

Coselle then laughed, an eerie, jubilant laugh, as she suggested that maybe Keith might die tonight after all. Such a statement should have sent shivers down a sane man's spine, and indeed, it did so with Keith, though he was pretty sure this was for an entirely different reason. As Coselle then insinuated that they were being spied upon, Keith glanced around for a second, and thought he could spot the ear of a Minccino in one of the bushes before he was yanked back to his feet. Coselle made sure to brush some of the grass off of Keith as she said, in a rather nonchalant manner, that she is the only one who should have the privilege of hearing him scream.

"Let's go, then," Keith said to Coselle. He couldn't decide whether he was nervous or excited as to what Coselle had in store for him, so he settled for a somewhat bizarre mixture of both, though leaning just a tad more towards excited. He was starting to gather that with Coselle, it was best to expect the unexpected. Oh, yes, this relationship was sure to be interesting.

And Keith liked interesting.

[Kindrindra]

((And now for a short break from your regularly scheduled FEEEEELS and controversy~))

Kin strode lightly into the park, perplexity momentarily crossing his face as he took in the smooth, manicured grasses.
"I... I thought the pictures looked different?" Glancing around in confusion, he finally shrugged and spaded his hands into his pockets. "Nature- Unpredictable as it is beautiful." Flicking his wrists both loosely and suddenly, four pulses of light burst from his figures, forming into four distinct shapes. The first rains onto his shoulder, the light exploding to reveal a cherry-like creature similar in size to the trainer's head. The second formed a small distance away from the rest of the explosions, quickly forming a small black cat who passively studied the grass between her paws. The third took shape close to it's origin, generating an equine figure much larger than the previous creatures, about equal in height to his trainer, if not a bit taller. The final burst of light materialized extremely close to it's origin, the resultant fan-like creature almost huddling against it's trainer's leg. The four turned expectantly towards their trainer with the exception of the black kitten. Smiling, Kin gestured towards the entirety of the park.

"Okay, guys. I want you all to get to know some other pokemon. I may be your trainer, but that doesn't mean I'm some kind of replacement for social experience. Go out and socialize with others you can actually communicate with, hmm? And, yes, Nihilia, Checkers, that includes you." With the last line, he nodded in turn first to the cat then to the rotor. Nihilia slowly wandered off who-knows-where, whereas Checkers hesitated for a moment before floating off, casting glances back towards her team. The equine nodded their approval before trotting off. The cherry made to jump to the floor, but Kin wordlessly held his hand up to stop them, triggering an odd look from the red pixie. Kin grinned before nodding towards the lake.

"I think I'm going to explore the lake. And I can't very well do that without a partner, now can I? So, Sundance, what say we rustle up some treasures?" Sundance replied with what could only really be described as a chirp, gripping onto Kin's arm so as not to take a tumble when his trainer inexplicably and inexorably skipped his way down to the lake and the group relaxing in it's shallows.

"Hellooo~! What's everyone gathered around here for?"
"I... I think he's trying to socialize. Maybe? Can't really tell with that attempt."


Checkers:
Checkers glanced around the clearing, carefully searching for a way out of this crazy plan. But... she had promised her trainer she would try, and so- Suddenly, a familiar pulse crossed her consciousness, knocking her immobile for a brief moment. "B... Brothers...?" Struck by this almost lightning-like aura, she quietly made her way to the picnic casting delectable smells in every direction.


Nihilia
Nihilia quietly contemplated the loud sounds of mixed excitement of various varieties emanating from the group centered around the Meowth. It seemed a good idea to simply observe at this point- if she was in any way causing an inconvenience, she knew she would be informed in due time.


Caliel (aka the Equine)
Caliel carefully came to a stop by the group primarily composed of steels, carefully slowing as to not trample any of the somewhat-smaller species underfoot. "Hello," he gracefully began "My name is Caliel. If it would not trouble you, I would be most pleased to make your acquaintance."

[Missingno. Master]

Hermione, Caliel, Rawk, Max, Himiko, Kilo, Totsuka, Arondight: As Hermione awaited an answer to her question from the Shadow Zangoose, a Girafarig made its way over to the group and introduced himself as Caliel. "It's very nice to meet you, Caliel," Hermione said. "You're a Girafarig, aren't you? Excuse me, but I've sometimes found myself wondering about the second head on a Girafarig's tail... is there a brain? Can it think, and if so, does it think what you think, or does it think independently? Please excuse me if I'm asking too many questions, but there's just so much for me to learn!"

Peeves, Meowth, Connor, Gaspard, Eleanor: Peeves stopped his Foresight, having observed Keith and Coselle's... ahem... interactions with each other, up until the point where she had stated that they should take their... activities elsewhere. "Wow," he muttered. "I never think to expect that."

"What? What's goin' on, Peeves?" Meowth asked.

"It happening between them," Peeves stated. "They in love. I see them kiss. She a little rough with him, but it unmistakably love."

"Wow," Meowth murmured. "Dat's so beautiful... He's part Gastly, she's a Banette. Seems fittin', don't it?"

"It kinda do, yeah," Peeves nodded.

[Kindrindra]

Hermione, Caliel, Rawk, Max, Himiko, Kilo, Totsuka, Arondight:
Caliel appreciatively nodded as the Weedle's questions multiplied, a smile noticeably marking his face before he replied.
"Ah, so many questions! You remind me a bit of my trainer in that." His smile vanished for a moment as his expression turned pensive, and his colours seemed almost to visibly darken.
"My trainer tells me that my tail does indeed have a 'brain'... But I can tell you from personal experience that it most certainly can think. A bit too much, at times. Whether it thinks the same things as me... is a bit complicated. As much as I would like to say that it does not, it... must be said that, to a certain degree, we are the same being. Yet..." Caliel trails off, seemingly becoming enrapt in his own thoughts for a few moments before regaining control of his senses, blinking once before grinning back at his inquisitor.
"Sorry about that. I had a little... Ah, never you mind. It's nothing. Was there anything else you wished to know?"

[lilbluecorsola]

Connor, Gaspard, Eleanor, Peeves, Jessica, Sewaddle, Blueberry, Waffle, Gadget, Matthew, Crim, Deckard, Septu, Eir, Sól, Pontos, Enyo, Ares:

Blueberry mulled over Gadget's garbled apology and offer to mow their bakery's lawn for a moment, then nodded in approval and proffered a plate full of flower-shaped cookies. She shared a look with Waffle as they watched Gadget devour the sweets. They both beamed and shrugged, deciding not to tell the little lawnmower that Jessica's Base was on the beach, where there was no grass to grow or graze.

Jessica grinned as Gadget answered her question, and though he appeared to be making an effort to speak slowly, Waffle still found it hard to keep up with his fast-paced brother. The girl got the gist of most of it though.

"Glad to hear miss Coselle is taking good care of you. Yes, I do go on Adventures. Not as many these days though. I recently came back from a trip to Cascadia with my Snorunt though, where I met and stayed with miss Stacey. Have you heard of her? She was actually a student under Marion's mentorsip at one point. Now she's a major member of the Fizzytopian government."

At that point, Meowth came back, seeming stunned. His expression was pale (despite his already white coat), as if he had just seen a ghost. He took a moment to confer privately with Peeves, who exclaimed something in astonishment. Jessica cocked an eyebrow, but considered it prudent not to pry given what they had already revealed. Heck, she wasn't sure she could take any more surprises today.

Meanwhile, Connor was addressing her, and she alerted in haste, finding it more difficult to focus on carrying a human conversation when she was so used to sequestering herself with creatures. He seemed to sense her distress, and asked whether anything was wrong.

"Ah, no... It's nothing. Don't worry about it." Jessica bit her lip, hoping she hadn't tipped him off to the situation. Luckily, he was soon distracted by Gadget and Sewaddle. Jessica laughed lightly as Connor watched the Rotom’s energized antics in amazement, happy to have so many lively Pokémon on her side - even if one of them wasn't really hers.

"Coselle is Marion's older sister," she corrected hastily, thankful for the opportunity to set the matter “straight” and steer him away from the truth. “She’s looking after Marion’s affairs while she’s in the hospital.”

Connor nodded, then graciously accepted Sewaddle’s crown, balancing it on his already oversized beanie. As he asked the others how he looked, Jessica giggled and said it suited him. Connor was about to thank the bug, but faltered and glanced to Jess to fill in the blank. She blushed in embarrassment once again.

“I, uh… Actually haven’t found a name for her yet. We’re waiting for the perfect one. …Got any suggestions?” She whispered.

At that moment, Meowth’s voice began to mechanically mount to its normal volume, his natural drawl drawing attention to himself.

“Yeah, I know, but see, apparently, when Keith was seven, he drowned at da beach at Cinnabar Island, but just two seconds or so after he died, dis Missingno. ting pushed him back to shore, and someting about how da shock from da impact got his heart goin' again. But see, apparently his soul was all set to turn into a Gastly and had started, but when he came back ta life, da little bit o' transformation his soul underwent never reversed itself. He's still three quarters human, just one quarter Gastly.”

At this point, everyone – even the humans – had stopped what they were doing and were now gaping at him. Well, excepting Sewaddle and Gadget, who seemed more preoccupied with sewing and sweets respectively. Meowth continued to blab on without even realizing his mistake. Finally, Connor spoke up to express his skepticism, and Meowth clapped his hands over his mouth as Peeves facepalmed.

Jessica, however, merely thought “Oh.” and turned away from the conversation, no longer interested in hearing beyond. To be honest, nothing they could say anymore would shock her. It certainly didn’t change her view of Keith any, though she had always thought there was something absurd abnormal about him. His so-called “secret” seemed almost silly to her. She sipped her drink quietly, deciding to let Keith and Miner- miss Coselle handle their own happiness, however they chose to. It wasn’t any of her business.

At that moment, Jessica heard a familiar voice call to her, and she looked up to see her old friend Matthew standing nearby. They shared a salutation, and she immediately granted his request to join her with his own blanket and pic-a-nic basket, relieved to have some company she already somewhat comfortable with to help take her mind off matters.

After he was settled, he looked to Jess and her new Pokémon, eager to catch up and make acquaintances. She nodded and pointed to each recent recruit in turn.

“This is Waffle and Blueberry,” she stated, referring to Rotom-H and Drifloon. Waffle wrote “H I” in the air, and Blueberry bowed before beckoning to her bread basket. “She says you can take some to supplement your meal if you want. We brought way too much.”

Sewaddle then sidled up with another couple sets of clothes: a trenchcoat for Deckard, little gloves for each of Lileep’s, Omanyte's, and Anorith's appendages, hats for Shieldon and Togepi, a sweater and boots similar to Kief’s for Crim, and another crown for Matthew himself. She even provided a pair of wing-warmers for when Aerodactyl came down, which she coated in special water-proof silk.

“And this here is Sewaddle. Still searching for a good nickname for her we can agree on. …Don’t suppose you have any suggestions?” she asked again, a hint of desperation in her voice. "By the way, it looks like you've got a bunch of new friends yourself. What are their names?"

Meowth, Minchi, Kanna, Kief, Keith, Coselle:

Meowth finally managed to catch up to the group, but they in fact hardly noticed, too engrossed by what was going on beyond the wall. Wondering what the fuss was about, he joined them at the peephole, and gasped at what he saw. When he heard the shutter click next to him, he swerved around and glared at Minchi, raising a paw to swipe the camera from her. She maintained the machine at arm’s length away from him, and as soon as he got close enough to try and make a grab, she tossed it over his shoulder for Kief to catch. Meowth spun around in anger and confusion, and Kief swiftly pitched to Kanna, who flailed and fumbled but somehow managed to hold onto the delicate instrument by its strap before it struck the ground. When Meowth rushed at her, she panicked and passed again to Minchi, and so the game of keepy-uppy/cat-in-the-middle continued for a while, much to Meowth’s growing frustration.

They all paused, however, when they heard the man’s voice rise, shouting with strength, even going so far to swear. Kanna’s precious ears turned pink at such foul language, but Minchi delighted as she ran back to peer through the hole. The man was proudly professing his love, the woman would have none of it. This went back and forth for a while, the cackling, the crying, the convincing, the call, and then… The kiss. Minchi quickly raised the camera, paw poised over the clicker…

A moment passed. She didn’t press. Instead, she lowered the device slowly and sighed. Meowth had already long since slipped away, and so only Kanna and Kief stared at her strangely.

“It’s, well, you know. No one would believe that a person who looked like a human in the picture was a Pokémon anyway,” she mumbled. “Besides, one is enough.” Though from her tone the others could tell she wasn’t really planning on doing anything with it. Plus, no one bothered to point out the fact that the photo could prove at least one of the participants was part-Pokémon.

“Anyway,” she piped up, “I’m hungry. Let’s head back.”

Kanna nodded, but hesitated. She glanced back at the clearing, where the woman was cleaning grass off the man’s body after throwing him down upon conclusion of the kiss. Kanna wasn’t sure what to make of most of what either of them had said and done – but one thing was for sure – that man had tremendous courage to confess his feelings in such a pure, heartfelt manner. If she could work up that kind of confidence…

Minchi sensed her friend’s hesitation, and smirked, smacking the Furret’s spine hard to practically push her into the puzzled Zigzagoon. Kanna squealed in protest, but Minchi merely winked, mouthing “Good luck,” followed by “I’ll go on ahead. See you guys back there,” in a whisper. She then scampered off out of sight, but stopped around the corner to spy on the scene and lend support if necessary.

Kanna shuffled shyly in muteness for a minute, digging her paws in the dirt as Kief waited patiently for her to speak. She thought long and hard, choosing her phrases carefully. Eventually she opened her mouth, still stumbling over the words. In fact her stutter was even worse than usual.

“U-um, Kief… S-say, we’ve b-been together f-for a long time now, haven’t we? I-I was w-wondering if you would…”

From behind the bush, Minchi stretched out her paw in a thumbs-up. Kanna smiled and straightened, emboldening beautifully.

“What I mean to say is, I wanted to ask if you would be willing to… Go on a… Er… Sometime... With me…” She trailed off again, faltering as she poked her paws together, and Minchi bit her fur, crossing her fingers and toes as far as she could, begging her friend to please persist…

Kanna closed her eyes and bowed her head, saying the following in one breath. “Kiefwouldyoupleasegooutwith-”

Before she could finish, a whistle blew through the air. It wasn’t loud, in fact it was coming from far-off in the distance, so neither “human” could have heard it (if they were even still there). But the three creatures’ sensitive ears all picked up on it. Kief especially. He perked up his nose and sniffed in the direction of the sound’s source, and barked loudly, completely forgetting he was supposed to be silent. He began bounding immediately back towards the park, barely brushing past Minchi as she promptly pressed up against the flowers to avoid being seen, her camouflage actually seeming to work – or else he simply didn’t notice her in his excitement. Kanna was left gazing sadly after his footprints on the fresh-trimmed path. Minchi slipped out and approached her friend, patting the poor Furret’s back to soothe.

“Boys, huh?” she sighed sarcastically. Kanna shook her head, her face simultaneously softening and strengthening. Kief’s carefree nature was what made her fall for him after all. The girls exchanged expressions, and burst into mirth. Linking paws, Kanna leaned on Minchi’s shoulder as the latter led her brokenhearted best friend back to the picnic for some brownie-binging (if there were any left, that is).

OoC – It’s 4AM and this feels like a good stopping point so I’ll just post this now. ^^; There were some other things I wanted to include from the most recent posts but I’ll incorporate those next time. *watch me always be behind* Once Thanksgiving break is over I definitely think I'll be dropping out. It's been fun but RF is definitely not for me. =x

[OkikuMew]

Hermione, Caliel, Rawk, Max, Himiko, Kilo, Totsuka, Arondight:
As the group awaited for the probably feast, a Girafarig named Caliel came to introduce herself. Hermione, curious, quickly asked her a bunch of questions which the equine answered politely. As she asked if she had any more interrogations, Himiko slipped a few question marks of her own, feeling a supernatural connection with her.

"You are a Psychic Pokémon, like me, right?" She elegantly wagged her forked tail. "I became one only recently; before my evolution, I didn't have all those powers, and I'm still not used to them either," she blushed. "It's the first time I meet another of my new type, so... do you have any pointers for one just starting to use telekinesis, mind-reading and whatnot?"

[Missingno. Master]

Hermione, Caliel, Rawk, Max, Himiko, Kilo, Totsuka, Arondight: Hermione listened with interest as the Girafarig explained that the second head had a mind of its own, and seemed to struggle to find the words to describe whether it thought the same things that the main head did. After seeming to have to think about something for a moment, Caliel asked whether Hermione had any more questions. The Weedle wasn't sure where to begin- she probably had a billion questions for the Girafarig, but she eventually settled on one. "So, something I was wondering... Do you- I mean, you and your second head, do- can the two of you converse with each other? My trainer has a Weezing, and their two heads can think independently, but they seem to have telepathic capabilities- most Weezing, apparently, only use their telepathy to allow their two heads to synchronize their thoughts and speak to each other, but his Weezing can telepathically communicate with others. Anyway, I was wondering how similar of a case yours was to theirs, I suppose."

Hebenon, Meowth, Peeves, Connor, Gaspard, Eleanor: The commotion on shore did not escape the notice of the Qwilfish (it easily escaped the notice of Pisces, as the Blue-Striped Basculin continued to munch on the Bouffalant carcass), who excused himself from the present company, took a look to make sure that Pisces would be adequately occupied by her meal for the time being, and Teleported over to where Meowth and Peeves were.

"OK, what's going on?" Hebenon asked his teammates.

"Man, youse wouldn't believe us if we told ya," Meowth said, shaking his head.

"Try me," Hebenon replied. "You'd be surprised how much I can believe."

*FIVE MINUTES LATER*

"I don't believe it," Hebenon stated.

"Didn't I tell ya youse wouldn't?" Meowth snapped. "It's true, da whole ting."

"You expect me to believe that not only is our trainer part Gastly, but that he is in love with a Banette that tried to kill him?" demanded Hebenon.

"I told ya, she didn't try ta kill him," Meowth replied. "Dat's just da conclusion everyone done jumped to."

"I see them kiss," Peeves added. "I see it myself."

Hebenon was silent for a second as he allowed these facts to sink in. It was a lot to take in. It didn't have any kind of negative impact on what he thought of his trainer, of course... Keith had taken the Qwilfish in when nobody else was gonna. More than that, he stuck with the Qwilfish in spite of all manner of pressure from other trainers, even going so far as to somehow working out a method of holding him in his arms. Part Gastly or not, in love with a psychotic Banette or not, Hebenon still knew that Keith was the best trainer a Qwilfish could want. But still, this was a lot to take in all at once! At last, he spoke up.

"I think we should just be glad Keith didn't bring Sirius here," Hebenon said. "That Mightyena doesn't trust Minerva one bit. One whiff of her and he'd have been off, and would not stop growling at her- and that's a best-case scenario."

"Her real name Coselle," Peeves said. "That name she have when she alive, back when she human. That name Keith call her now. I think that what we all should call her now."

"Very well," Hebenon said. Then the brief silence was broken by the Qwilfish's stomach growling. "Sorry," Hebenon added. "Hopefully next time Keith packs a picnic lunch, he waits until after returning Pisces to her Poke Ball. You two weren't here when Goyle evolved into Victreebel, were you? That was a nightmare, and it's like that all over again. Good thing Basculin are a little smaller and more manageable than Victreebel... So, any good food around here?"

"Why you no say so?" Peeves said. "Follow me."

Peeves, Meowth, Hebenon, Jessica, Sewaddle, Blueberry, Waffle, Gadget: Peeves and Meowth made their way back over to where Jessica and her Pokemon (plus Gadget) were, and Hebenon Teleported there immediately.

"Are you sure about this?" asked the Qwilfish. "It'll be all right if we take some of their food?"

"Dey had no problem with us takin' some," Meowth replied. "Heck, dat Drifloon practically forced me ta eat da desserts. I ain't complainin', though, dat was some good stuff.

"Oh, yes, this Hebenon, he our trainer's Qwilfish," Peeves said to Jessica, introducing Hebenon to her. "It OK if he have some food too? No worry, he no eat as much as me... Though if you think I bad, be glad my trainer no bring his Gulpin, his Victreebel, or his Vileplume. Compared to them, I light eater."

[uhhhhh]

Meowth, Peeves, Connor, Gaspard, Eleanor, Jessica, Sewaddle: After Meowth had explained to him one more time about Keith's situation, Connor just sat back down from his position, unsure of what to say as he tried to take in what he had just said. "I... see," was all he could say at this point. It was clear that the photographer had been surprised at all this as he placed his hand on his head, trying to make sense of it all. When that didn't work, he tried to find something, anything, to distract him, he shook his head and turned back to Jessica who had explained to him about Coselle and Marion. "Oh, I see. She's still not feeling well huh? I feel bad for not even finding the time to pay her a visit recently, even though I know they wouldn't let visitors in... I know I've been busy trying to make money to set up my own photo studio, but still..." he frowned as he patted Gaspard on the head, doing so made him feel comforted a bit and smile. Jessica had then asked Connor for any suggestions for her Sewaddle's name. "A name? Hmm, let's see..." When it came to names, it usually takes Connor a while to think of one and when he does, it was usually out of the ordinary. "How about... Elza? Rhonda? Karen? Orelia? Isadora? ...no good?" he said to her.

[Missingno. Master]

Keith, Connor, Meowth: A fair amount of time had passed since Keith and Coselle had left the Rose Garden... now, Keith returned to the main area of the park, by himself. His clothes looked a little more wrinkled and disheveled than usual, a couple of mild bruises were visible on his arms, and he was sore nearly all over, but damned if he wasn't in the best mood of his life! There was a smile on his face and a spring in his step as he re-entered the park, and looked around. He then saw Connor and walked over. "Hey, Connor!" Keith said. "Didn't see you here before! Good to see you. Ohhhh, it is a beautiful day!" he exclaimed, unable to stop grinning. Of course, it should be obvious that it's not the weather that's gotten Keith in such a good mood. Indeed, his... *ahem* activities with Coselle were still fresh in his mind. "See the Rotom over there, the Mow Rotom?" Keith asked, pointing at Gadget. "Well, I had seen him when I first got here, and when he zoomed off like that, I wanted to see who his trainer was. So I followed him... turns out he's Marion's, but he's being looked after by her sister while she's in the hospital... Marion's condition is improving, by the way, I heard," Keith added. "You ever met her sister? Coselle? So anyway, she and I got to talking..." he gave a modest chuckle before continuing. "Well, I'm not gonna say it was love at first sight, or at least not for her, not exactly... well, hard to tell with her, she's interesting like that... But I'm just gonna say that... heh... she and I..." Keith winked, and said no more on this. "Wish she would've returned to the park with me, only she wanted to go and visit Marion in the hospital. I would've come with her, only apparently they're only allowing family members to visit at the moment."

"Hey! Keith!" Meowth exclaimed as he ran over to greet his trainer. "Hey, so... How'd tings go wit Coselle?"

Keith merely grinned and winked. Meowth got the idea and nodded knowingly. Keith then turned back to Connor. "So, Connor, I see you got Gaspard and Eleanor with you. What other Pokemon did you bring? I'd be careful about letting any of your Water-types into that lake," he added, glancing at Pisces, and resolving to not ask where she got the Bouffalant carcass. "My Blue-Striped Basculin's in there, and, well... she enjoys to hunt. She's a predator through and through, and not a very picky one, either. Hebenon can usually keep her in line, so there's no real cause for concern," he assured him. "Aside from Meowth, Hebenon, and Pisces- that's the Basculin- I also brought Peeves, Hermione,- my Weedle- and Pomona."