In and out of luck [Zom: Gertie]

[Seas]

Roxy left the Dragon's Bounty and started to wander. Her pace was casually slow and every few minutes she would pause to stop and look inside a window. She never entered them, but she would linger, as though wistful, before continuing on her way. Nothing about her suggested she was making a large decision, one that could effect the rest of her life, although that was exactly what she was doing.

I can't keep it, she thought, skittering away from a man dressed in bright colours, It's part psychic type. It could show them exactly where I am and besides...it's so...reckless.

She silently sighed as she remembered exactly how reckless the creature was. She had released it on the ferry and before she could even talk to it, it had fluttered itself into the water. She wasn't sure what would've happened if she hadn't dashed over to return it to its pokeball.

After a few moments, she glanced back towards the Dragon's Bounty. It wasn't where she would have preferred getting her pokemon, but the pokemon had seemed clean and healthy, at any rate. Yet, they hadn't had any dark type pokemon and she hadn't been able to look Sid in the eye and sell her Woobat. It felt wrong when she was doing something illegal, not to protect herself but to try to make money. When the people on the street looked slightly more normal and Roxy couldn't hear the crash of the waves, she turned into a small side road. It was empty and muddy. the dirt smeared over stone. Roxy barely looked at it before releasing her Woobat.

It flew into the air, chattering so quickly Roxy couldn't understand it even though she was a pokemorph.

"Come down here," she said, her wings flexing automatically as it only flew higher, "I need to talk with you."

[ooc: Feel free to control the Woobat in your reply, Zom <3]

[ZOM]

The fluffy little bat giggled shrilly as it zipped around above Roxy's head, too high to reach and too quick to jump for. It had no intentions of listening to her, so it seemed; it just wanted to play and be chased.

Meanwhile, Gertie had ducked into the Dragon's Bounty herself. She had come into a fair bit of money after a lucky mining expedition, and a trip to a club in Graucan Port had yielded some interesting inside information about a shop in Marit Bay that would sell Pokemon, if you knew where to look. She hadn't been sure how to feel about that, but she had been willing to at least check it out, and much to her relief the Pokemon had seemed well cared for. There was nothing she was especially interested in, though, so back out she went, her ears drooped a little. "Unlucky!" she said with a sigh, looking down at Bjorn, who was scurrying along at her side. She had already apologized to the poor bear for the way the shopkeeper had looked at him when they had entered; she wouldn't have sold Bjorn for anything in the world, but the unwanted attention had given the Cubchoo a fright.

+You don't need 'em anyway,+ he responded, crossing his arms and sniffing in a way that made the snot dangling from his nose quiver. +You'll find more teammates soon, probably, right? And you won't have to buy 'em, either!+

Gertie smiled, bending over to scoop Bjorn into her arms and scratch him fondly under his chin, then heading down the crowded street with no particular destination in mind. "You are right," she said. "I will save money for a better thing sometime!"

Bjorn was in the process of nodding his approval when Roxy's Woobat zipped out of the alleyway momentarily, then back towards its trainer, then back out again in a flash. It was trying to show off its acrobatic abilities, apparently, with very little regard for Roxy's desire to go unnoticed. The bat had caught Gertie's attention for sure: with big, excited eyes she hurried towards the alley, pausing when Roxy came into view and it was clear the Woobat was owned. She experienced a moment of disappointment, but quickly recovered with a giant grin. "Hello!" she said, taking a step forward and keeping her eyes trained on the Woobat. "Is this your Fleknoil? Is very cute!" The bat seemed to realize it had gotten someone's attention, because its smile widened and it swooped down towards Gertie, pressing its nose against her cheek a few times and leaving faint heart-shaped marks on her skin. Gertie giggled with delight and Bjorn eyed the Woobat warily, trying to look tough and intimidating.

[Seas]

Roxy stared up at the Woobat, considering her options. She could tell it wanted to play, but after seven years being forced to play, Roxy had little patience for games. She wanted to return the pokemon to its ball and simply forget about telling it her plans. She didn't want to have to fly after it, as her wings were still sore and she wasn't sure how agile she would be in the air. Her first target, an island, had been quite large and she thought it luckily she had managed to land there without breaking anything. Her hand brushed the side of the pokeball. Most of all, she didn't want the little creature to attract attention, which seemed to be its exact goal. She thought, I wanted to explain my decision to you...but that doesn't seem to be working and I can't let you do this, I can't go back there.

Before she could return the Woobat it flipped out of her sight, darting into the busy street and then back in again. Roxy's heart started to beat faster in her chest even as she told herself that no one would have noticed that, pokemon were everywhere. And then the Flaffy pokemorph girl walked into the alley. At first, Roxy just blinked. She couldn't think of anything to say except for impolite exclamations of surprise, so she stayed quiet. She studied the other girl carefully, noting the changes she appeared to have. Despite her own pokemorph status, she had seen very few pokemorphs before and certainly none so colourful.

"Yes," she said finally, "That pokemon is mine. But it seems to like you better than me."

Her voice held a hint of friendly teasing and her eyes glimmered with what could have been amusement. She stepped closer to Gertie and smiled at her, a little wider than was normal for her.

"I'm Poppy. Who're you, if you don't mind me asking?"

[ZOM]

"Awww, Gertie cooed, gently shooing the Woobat away from her face so that she could scratch the top of its fuzzy little head. It giggled with delight. "I am sure it does not!" She sounded flattered and pleased by the suggestion anyhow, and the smile on her face remained wide and gleaming. After a moment, the bat fluttered in a few speedy circles around Gertie, and Gertie was all too happy to play along; she spun after it, laughing. Poor Bjorn, who had been frowning and making surly grumbling sounds under his breath, was now whining and wriggling about. His eyes were unfocused and he was clearly getting dizzy, clutched in Gertie's arms as he was while she twirled.

Gertie paused in her playing when "Poppy" spoke, and she looked somewhat sheepish that she had been neglecting the trainer for her Pokemon. "Ah, I am Gertie! It is nice to meet you!" She briefly nuzzled the crown of Bjorn's head in apology, since he seemed rather displeased that he was being ignored in favor of Roxy and the Woobat, and then she reached out with her free hand to offer a polite handshake. "And what is Fleknoil's name?" She flicked her gaze towards the Woobat, who beamed at her.

+I don't have one!+ it chirped, and Gertie looked surprised.

"Is new Pokemon, then?" She returned her full attention to Roxy, eyebrows raised.

[Seas]

Roxy watched the other pokemorp smile and spin around and around to follow the Woobat. Her eyes suddenly sharpened, giving her an air of something not human and dangerous. It only lasted a second and then she was her normal, docile self, her face soft and her body language welcoming. She tried a gentle smile and knew without looking that it had an edge of wistfulness to it. That's acceptable, she decided, She'd expect me to be upset that someone else could connect to my pokemon and I couldn't.

"I'm glad to meet you too," Roxy replied, reaching out to shake the other girl's hand lightly.

She wasn't quite sure how to answer Gertie's question, as 'Woobat' seemed too cold, but as soon as the Woobat answered she knew it wasn't the right thing to say. The pure wrongness of it slide over her surprise as hearing a pokemon speak in front of her for the first time. Roxy knew that she could understand how pokemon spoke as a pokemorph, of course, but somehow that hadn't quite prepared her for hearing clear words come out of a pokemon's mouth. She breathed in deeply but slowly, releasing it in a very soft sigh when Gertie asked if the Woobat was new. she shifted her feet and glanced at the ground before looking back up at Gertie, one hand reaching up to rub under her ear.

"Yes, I just came from the lab," she explained, "But honestly, I've released it before and this is the first time I've heard it speak. I'm not sure we have...the most compatible personalities."

She curled her fingers around her neck, meeting Gertie's eyes and smiling lopsidedly. Her skin wrinkled faintly around her eyes and her wings reshuffled themselves a little.

[ZOM]

+Got that right!+ eagerly agreed the Woobat, nodding at its trainer and giggling. +She's a total stick in the mud! Boring boring boring!+ It resumed its flitting and twirling, dancing around Roxy's head, then Gertie's. It seemed to like that Gertie's big, fluffy mane provided more diameter to orbit.

Though Gertie could read humor in Roxy's face, there was something nervous and shy about the girl, and Gertie suspected that it might have something to do with the unruly Woobat. The Flaaffy morph smiled sincerely, although her eyebrows were furrowed a little. She felt bad for this girl and wanted to help if she could. After a moment, she put Bjorn down on the ground, then snatched the Woobat out of the air, gently holding it under its wings; it went limp briefly with surprise. "You must be kind to friends," she scolded, although her tone was soft. "Can't learn trainer if not giving her a chance!" Bjorn crossed his arms and frowned up at the bat, nodding in agreement.

Though the bat was a bit confused by the girl's syntax, it still frowned and shrunk into itself guiltily. +But... but...+ It was now thinking critically about its actions, but it still felt a certain disconnect with its trainer. She had been keeping the Woobat stored in its Pokeball most of the time, and whenever it was sent out she tried to discourage it from stretching its wings and playing around. She was lame! If the trainer wasn't going to give the Woobat a chance, it wasn't willing to be the first one to take the high road. +N-no!+ it squeaked weakly. Its body quivered in what must have been the Woobat equivalent of shaking its head in protest.

Gertie frowned, discouraged. She looked back at Roxy. "I am sorry... I did try."

[Seas]

Roxy knew she should feel sadness at how the Woobat didn't seem to like her, but all she could feel was fear. She was used to people not liking her; she was used to people not even knowing her. She was a shadow of another girl, almost like a pokemon herself. However, the idea that she wouldn't be able to get a pokemon to like her worried her. She needed a pokemon if she was going to survive on her own. It wasn't something optional. I did keep its wings clipped, she thought ruefully, staring at the pokemon peering through Gertie's neck ruff, I couldn't accept that either. It's why I left, even though...if it had given me a chance to explain...

She rolled her shoulders, sending the thoughts scattering away. She wouldn't get lost in dreams while reality was in front of her, if only because she'd felt the unpleasant consequences too many times to count. Roxy's smile back at Gertie was a little less bright, but still fell firmly in the realm of 'friendly'. She watched, leaning forward a little as Gertie simply caught the Woobat in her hands and scolded it. Her hands clutched as each other as she waited for the Woobat's reply. She wasn't sure what she would do if it said yes. She breathed out a soft sigh when it said no and shook her head at Gertie a little herself.

"It isn't your fault," she said quietly, looking at the ground, "Sometimes people just don't fit very well together."

After a heartbeat, she glanced up, her eyes falling on the Woobat.

"I don't...want to be rude and please say no if you don't want to, but I've, I've heard of pokemon trades. I do need a pokemon, I'm afraid, or I would just give the Woobat to you because it likes you so much, but if you...maybe have a pokemon that you would give to me, then we could trade?" she asked, her words surprisingly clear for all the hesitance in her voice. She only met Gertie's eyes once or twice, most of her attention seemingly on the Woobat.

[ZOM]

Gertie still looked disappointed by her foiled efforts, but she brightened up with surprise and interest at Roxy's hesitant proposal. A trade? A trade! What an interesting idea! Gertie wasn't used to even having enough Pokemon to think about trading; she had grown up with only her Shroomish, Gabi, and she would never have thought for a second about giving him away to anyone, no matter what she might have received in return. Bjorn looked scandalized by the idea of a trade, and he looked up at Gertie with wide eyes and a huge drip of snot hanging from his nose, wobbling as he trembled. She noticed after a moment, and she felt stricken by the thought that he could believe for a second she would trade him to someone else.

"Oh, liebe," she cooed, releasing the Woobat (who zipped away eagerly, disliking its temporary restraint) and stooping down to pet Bjorn's head. The bear was tearing up and sniffling. "No no no! I would not ever trade you, liebling. Ever!" She wrapped the Cubchoo up into a hug, scooping him into her arms and returning to a standing position, apparently not caring about the chilled snot that was being rubbed all over her shirt. The Woobat was flitting around in the air, unable to hold still, but it still looked a bit disappointed; it seemed to think it was being rejected.

After consoling Bjorn for a moment, though, Gertie looked thoughtful, then excited. "Ah, but! I do have a friend I did not get very close to! She is interesting, ja? You might like! She is Kabuto, and her name is Gunda!" Gertie carefully cradled Bjorn in the crook of her right arm, using her left hand to fidget with the bracelet she wore on her right wrist. It had looked at first like the orbs on her bracelet were just Pokeball-colored charms, but she popped one off the band and held it carefully, smiling. "This one! Does this sound like fair trade?"

[Seas]

Roxy smiled a bit more when she saw Gertie's face brighten. Her hands swung slightly, back and forth and she stepped forward. Inside her head whispered a quiet litany of This could work. She let it show on her face, in the tilt of her smile and the opening of her hands. They spread away from her body and then fell back when Gertie turned to her pokemon.

She looked away politely as the trainer scooped up the little white pokemon, her eyes fixed on a patch of perfectly plain stone wall. It was a grungy grey and she pushed aside the urge to find cleaning supplies and scrub it. That was not her job. Her eyes caught for a moment on the Woobat flying around the alley and she felt a pang in her chest. Instead of pushing that away, she examined it carefully, separating it into her desire to fly free and her want for her pokemon to like her. Neither of them were something she needed, so she pretended it didn't exist as she turned back to Gertie.

Her eyebrows lifted and her mouth opened a little as she listened to the other girl. When she was finished speaking, Roxy's hand curled towards her and then she pulled it back with a flush.

"It does," she said, bringing out the Woobat's pokeball, "This is its pokeball."

She took the pokeball Gertie offered her gently and slowly with her other hand and then put the empty Woobat's pokeball into the other pokemorph's hand in place of what she had taken. For a moment, her eyes fell to the gleaming red and white ball in her hands and she cradled it carefully.

"Thank you so much," she said, smiling weakly as she looked up, "Do you think...well, maybe I should meet Gunda for the first time...somewhere else? A pokemon cafe, or by the water?"

She looked around the alleyway with an expression not so much of disgust but of shame, as though it was somehow her fault that the alley was not a clean, well-lit place. Her eyes fell back on Gertie and she ducked her head. Her cheeks were still pink. Her smile, wider than it had been since Gertie met her, was clear.

[ZOM]

[img src="http://www.serebii.net/xy/pokemon/140.png" style="max-width:100%;"] [img src="http://www.serebii.net/pokedex-xy/icon/140.png" style="max-width:100%;"]
[font color="EDC836"]EDC836[/font]

[b]NAME:[/b] Gunda
[b]SPECIES:[/b] Kabuto
[b]GENDER:[/b] Female
[b]ABILITY:[/b] Swift Swim
[b]LEVEL:[/b] 10
[b]FRIENDSHIP:[/b] 3
[b]MOVES:[/b] Scratch, Harden, Absorb
[b]NATURE:[/b] Gunda just loves swimming and will take any opportunity to hop into water, even if it's muddy or ice-cold. She is bold and athletic and adores showing off her swimming speed in addition to her battling capability. She isn't the sharpest tool in the shed and is rather the definition of a "dumb jock," though at times she does prove exceptionally observant, and while she may be lacking general knowledge she is quick to pick up instruction.
[b]MET:[/b] Revived from fossil @ lvl 10; received in trade with Gertie @ lvl 10

Gertie grinned wide in response to Roxy's own tiny smile, feeling as though she had done a very good thing, and admittedly quite delighted by the new addition to her team. The Woobat squeaked happily and zipped down to plant more snuffly kisses on Gertie's face, which made the Pokemorph laugh as she nudged it away gently. She wanted to be polite and finish up this conversation with "Poppy" before getting to know the little critter! Bjorn seemed a bit smug at the sight of Gertie shrugging the bat off.

"You are welcome," Gertie said, her tone warm and her eyes gleaming. She seemed a bit perplexed by Roxy's next question, though. She tilted her head, scratching at her twitching ears. "Somewhere else? No, no, it is okay! Gunda will be liking you anywhere!" The Flaaffy girl took a quick glance around and noted that perhaps the setting was a little shady, but she doubted very much that Gunda would care. "But," she continued after a beat, "she is liking very much to swim. Water is good?"

Bjorn nodded in agreement, chiming up in a hesitant little voice. +She would like the docks here. But it'll be hard to get her attention if she's swimming...+

"Oh, this is true." Gertie shrugged and glanced up at the hovering Woobat, who took that as its cue to settle down atop her shoulder. "Anyways, do not worry! Do what you feel best, as trainer!" Gertie's grin was back as she returned her full attention to Roxy. She really wanted to see the girl succeed and be happy with her new Pokemon, but she couldn't be the one to determine how things would play out.

[Seas]

Roxy kept smiling, directing her gaze between Gertie and the pokeball. She tilted her head to one side to listen, her eyes as blue and as soft as the winter sky. She didn't step forward again, but her other foot moved up to rest beside her first one.

"Oh, well, I just don't want to...I want to do the best I can," Roxy said, shrugging her shoulder lightly, "If she likes water and swimming, I'd like to take her to the beach."

One of her hands lightly brushed back against her wing and then went back to cradling the pokeball. Her gaze fell to Bjorn as he spoke and she nodded gently, her face thoughtful. She turned to Gertie and swallowed, once, but stared her in the eyes.

"I think I'll go to the docks before releasing Gunda," she said, her voice quavering just a little, "You can come with me, if you want to?"

Deep inside, the last thing Roxy wanted was for Gertie to come with her. She had no desire to keep pretending, but if that was required she would do it. Her fingers twitched against the pokeball. Her mouth curved warmly and so did the creases around her eyes, but something in how she shifted her weight onto one leg made her look a little unapproachable.

[ZOM]

It was clear that this decision meant a lot to Roxy, and she was thinking long and hard about it. Gertie watched and nodded as the girl pondered her way through the choice before deciding the docks were the right way to go. The Flaaffy morph smiled her approval; she was glad that Roxy was being so considerate of what Gunda would like! That only reassured Gertie that this nice bird girl would be a good match for the Kabuto. "Okay! Docks, then," she said with another nod, apparently finding no quarrel with this.

Her expression lit up like the sun when "Poppy" suggested that Gertie could come along. This was surely not the reaction that Roxy was hoping for, but Gertie was ecstatic at the opportunity to see her old Kabuto make friends with her new trainer. "Yes!" she chirped, leaning forward a little and squeezing Bjorn in her arms with excitement. The bear squeaked quietly in protest. "I would love to be coming with you! Let's go, let's go!" She seemed completely unaware of Roxy's discomfort, and the girl's standoffish posture simply didn't register. Any and all signs of not wanting Gertie there were interpreted instead as nervousness about the inevitable meeting with Gunda.

Glancing around quickly to remind herself of their location, Gertie then clutched Bjorn to her chest with one arm and reached out with the other, intending to grab Roxy's wrist so that she could drag the girl along towards the docks. The Woobat was clearly far more aware of Roxy's discomfort than Gertie was, as it was snickering atop Gertie's shoulder.

[Seas]

Roxy was too well-trained to let a hint of disappointment show on her face at Gertie's decision. However, even the best training couldn't stop her from stiffening as Gertie reached for her. Her face went blank, a mask only, but her eyes burned with fire. Then she breathed out and offered her wrist to Gertie. She smiled a little, ducking her head like she was embarrassed by her reaction. Her other hand she still held Gunda's pokeball in and while she glanced at the pocket of her shoulder bag, she made no move to put the pokeball inside it. She did not look at the Woobat that had once been hers; it was understandable. Yet, something about it felt almost pointed.

She offered no resistance as the other girl pulled her through the streets. Occasionally she stumbled, her exhaustion and fear getting the better of her, but she always fell back into step with Gertie quickly. In fact, while she kept her eyes fixed on the ground, after a time of them ducking around surprised people, she started to giggle. It was soft and hard to hear over the sounds of their footsteps. By the time they were on the docks, her smile had stretched so wide she was nearly grinning. Her feathers were a little ruffled from the run and as soon as Gertie let go of her hand she would reach out to smooth them down again.

Then she gracefully extend the hand holding Gunda's pokeball and open it. The little Kabuto would appear in a flash of red light on the edge of the docks. She blinked up at Roxy for a second and then seemed to register the water behind her. She turned for it, but Roxy reached down and gently placed her hands against the Kabuto's side. Gunda paused, something in her mind suggesting that she would be lifted off the ground or returned to a pokeball if she moved.

"Gunda?" Roxy asked, smiling, "Hi, I'm Poppy. I'm your new trainer, okay?"

The Kabuto propped herself up on her claws and asked what she considered the most important question.

"Can I still go swimming?"

[ZOM]

Gertie loved to run, and she grinned as she dragged Roxy along behind her, laughing aloud when the bird morph began to giggle quietly. Bjorn, still clutched tightly in one of Gertie's arms, squealed and dug his claws into his trainer's skin, eyes watering and nose running. The Woobat seemed to be having a much better time; it cackled with delight as it zipped along at the pace of its new trainer.

When they arrived at the docks, Gertie released Roxy and spun around to smile wide at her, pleased to see that there was a rare, big smile on the other girl's face as well. "It is time to meet her," said Gertie, gently hugging a sniffling Bjorn to her chest; the Flaaffy girl was wide-eyed with anticipation. Naturally, when Gunda was let free she immediately turned her gaze to the water, but she seemed to behave herself when she realized "Poppy" wanted her attention for the moment. That was a good sign. Roxy would need to be capable of keeping Gunda under control.

Gunda's very first question made Gertie burst out laughing. She didn't want to answer, since Roxy was the Kabuto's trainer now, but Gertie could still be charmed by Gunda's one-track mind. The Woobat, ever helpful, screeched, +Nope! Never again! She won't let you have fun; it's true!+ That tugged the smile right off Gertie's face, replacing it with a stern frown.

"Be nice," she scolded, and the bat flinched back a little, quieting down.

[Seas]

Gunda looked up to the Woobat and her old trainer. It could have been simply surprise at the new face, but Roxy felt her heart flip-flop. She tightened her hands around the Kabuto and lifted the pokemon into her arms. Her wings spread out slightly for balance, staging a silent battle with the winds threading through the bay.

"You need to listen to me first," she said, speaking softly but with a hint of diamond sparkling through, "If you are quiet and listen to what I say, you can swim as much as you like."

She stopped speaking for a second, one finger rubbing against Gunda's shell.

"Before you go swimming, I need you to ask me. It might not always be the best place or time, but I will promise you this: I will do my best to stay near the water for you. Okay?"

As all the best lies were, Roxy's words contained elements of truth. She had always planned to stay near the water since it provided quick transport to anywhere in the region. It makes Gunda happy too, she thought, That benefit makes up for always having sand in my feathers.

"Okay," the Kabuto agreed, "Can I go swimming now?"

Roxy smiled, and in one movement her wings pulled back. It sent her rocking towards the edge of the dock, where she opened her arms and let Gunda fall a foot into the water. An instant later, her hands hit the wood to prevent her from falling in after her new pokemon. She got to her feet, tucking her hair behind her ears. She glanced at Gertie, but mostly her gaze stayed on the shadow in the water that was Gunda.