Contents:
Wesley
Obvious exits:
Southwest <SW> leads to Pewter City: Abandoned Warehouse.
West <W> leads to Pewter City: Rolling Stone Burger Club.
East <E> leads to Pewter City: Pokemon Center.
North <N> leads to Pewter City: Onix Square.
South <S> leads to Pewter City: Outskirt Fields.

Everything is grey, veiled by mist. It's chilly and the air feels damp. There is no wind. In the forest, only the nearest tree branches, half-bereft of leaves, show their full color; more distant trees and branches are colorless and indistinct in the pallid grey fog, looking ghostly and not quite real. While at the coast, the sea is sluggish and grey as fog lays on its surface like a thick wet blanket.

Wesley winds his way through the misty city. He walks through Pewter's residential area, peering through the fog to find one house in particular. He's not terribly worried about missing it - after all this time, he's figured out where the Barlette residence is. That doesn't mean, of course, that he's convinced Fistfight of the same thing. <I think we went the wrong way,> the Machop says. "I don't think we did, Fistfight," Wesley replies in his new, deeper voice, with a long-suffering sigh. <No, no, I think we shoulda turned at the house with the big fence.> "Fistfight, do you even remember where that house /was/?" <No she doesn't,> interrupts ThoughtThief, <because she's--> "Turning more senile by the hour. I know. ThoughtThief, the more you talk, the easier you get to ignore." This provokes an ominous grumbling fit from the Drowzee and quite a few snickers from the Machop. Wesley ignores his two companions; he stops in front of a certain house. He gives it a good look-over, and finally nods. This is it. "Be good, guys," he cautions. <As gold,> snaps ThoughtThief in a decidedly not good way. Wesley rolls his eyes as they walk down the driveway. He stops before the door, takes a breath and rings the doorbell. He doesn't exhale immediately, waiting to see who's on the other side before he resumes the respiration cycle....

Rattata snatching things away, save the base without delay! (Saving)

As Wesley is having the opportunity to experience firsthand, it's an awful day. Sunny days the best for outdoor activities, but even rain and snow can make for fun times outdoors. What can one do in the fog, however? Almost nothing. The streets of Pewter are not completely silent - the occasional open window leaks out muffed sounds of music, conversation, and other such daily noises that seem quiet and far away due to the misty weather. The Barlette house, to those outside, is silent; though the front porch light is on, there's no car in the driveway, and it's far too muggy to be able to see very clearly through the window. Wesley, however, still manages to pick the correct house, perhaps through some special mark he specifically remembers on the front lawn (or the large capital letters on the mailbox spelling out the word BARLETTE), and it's only a couple seconds after the doorbell finishes its chime that the sound of feet pounding down the stairs and a girl's call of "I got it, mom!" can be heard from the inside. Two clicks (no doubt unlocking the door) can be heard through the door before it swings open, exposing... Melissa. Now, Melissa doesn't exactly have her normal beauty; her hair is frizzy and unkempt, her face doesn't have its normal light makeup, and she's wearing a rather tight, faded t-shirt and some loose shorts. Perfect indicants that she didn't expect to see anybody besides her family today. She is still wearing those trademark glasses, however, and her eyes are wide behind them. "Um, Wesley!" she announces, opening her mouth and trying to think of something more to say, but no sound comes out.

If Wesley ever had normal beauty, he's not displaying it today. His hair is limp and greasy, though still as pale as ever, he's skinny, scrawny, and lanky. That would be bad enough, but when it rains, it pours; the boy also suffers from acne. The very thought of Melissa gaping at his pimples causes Wesley to blush - and it doesn't help that Melissa is gaping at /something/ different about him. At her reaction, his blush only deepens, causing the specks of red on his face to blend in slightly with his skin. "Hi, Melissa," he murmurs and...my oh my. That voice of his dropped quite a few octaves. "I just...thought I'd come by to see you," he says, in a slightly more normal speaking voice. "If," he shifts his weight, "if you're busy..or something, I could leave." <But we wanna say hi too!> says Fistfight, zipping in front of Wesley and waving cheerfully up at Melissa. ThoughtThief grunts, <I don't,> and continues to hang behind his trainer.

It's only while Wesley is speaking to her that Melissa realizes how awful she must look. Her cheeks twitch slightly at every thought. She didn't brush her hair. She didn't apply her lipstick. She didn't put on any perfume. And her clothes... she was wearing this shirt five years ago! She's a little too caught up in worrying about her physical appearance to notice any zit problems on her new guest, thankfully enough for him. "Oh, um, um, sure! I just-" An older woman calls from above, her voice charming and sweet. "Who's that at the door, love?" Melissa turns around to the stairs, and yells back, "It's Wesley, mom! Can he stay?" "Of course, as long as you guys stay quiet!" Clarissa, Melissa's mother, has almost a sort of sweet musical tone to it, a tint missing from her daughter's voice when she turns around and mutters, "Like we're... ever loud." She looks up to Wesley, flickers an eyebrow at him (probably at how tall he's gotten... hopefully it's not at the pimples), and grins uneasily. "Um, yes, just, um, come in, sit down, I'll be down in a second, I need to go... er... finish some stuff up." Like put on clothes that don't make her look like trailertrash, perhaps. Should Wesley not require her attention any longer, she'll dash up the stairs, leaving Wesley alone for a couple minutes to collect his thoughts.

Rattata snatching things away, save the base without delay! (Saving)

As is usual with teenagers, both friends are too worried about how they look to notice much about the appearance of the other. At least Melissa's worries can be fixed without too much fuss. Clarissa's voice causes Wesley to straighten up almost unconsciously, throwing back his formerly slouched shoulders (and bringing him up to his full height). Melissa's mutter prompts a quiet "Heh," from the boy. At her invitation the kid gives a curt, nervous little grin and steps into the house, his pokemon following. He closes the door softly behind him, trying to the utmost to obey Mrs. Barlette's words. He'd probably take his time stepping across the floor to avoid any creaky floorboards, too, if it weren't for his pokemon who boldly stride into the human's house and begin looking around. The boy hesitates, getting a feel for the house, before walking into the living room, finding the smallest chair or couch available, and gingerly sitting down on it. His pokemon follow after a few more minutes of looking around the foyer. "Did..I do something wrong?" he asks them, but quietly. "She left really quick." <'Course you didn't do anything wrong!> Fistfight assures him. <She just wanted to give you her full attention and went to do some stuff!> Human beauty must be an easily forgettable concept to an old Machop. <She left because she looked like crap,> notes ThoughtThief. That causes Wesley's gaze to snap to the psychic; his glare is angry, and with those heavy eyebrows, a touch threatening. "Melissa never has and never will look like...what you just said," he hisses, jaw clenched. ThoughtThief grins broadly, glad he still has something to bother his trainer about. <You /would/ think that.> Wesley ignores the implications of this, finishes glaring at ThoughtThief, and turns to look at the stairs, soon becoming a little anxious.

Rattata snatching things away, save the base without delay! (Saving)

Melissa actually doesn't take as long as some girls take getting ready; within five minutes, she's bumping down the stairs, looking considerably more presentable now. Her dirty blonde hair is now somewhat more straight, and there's a light patting of some sort of cloudy mascara on her face that's hardly noticeable unless one looks for it. Her clothes have undergone the most sharp transformation - she's now equipped with a loose t-shirt (this one without rips and tears all over it) and some baggy jeans, and socks. She could definitely still use a little more time, but now she at least looks like Melissa and not the creature from the black lagoon. "S... sorry for taking so long," the girl says to her friend, grinning a little shyly as she descends that final step and lands on level ground. "... Dad's at work, a-and... and Adrienne has been gone for a, um, a couple weeks, and I didn't think we were seeing anybody in this weather..." She pauses for a second, before suddenly snapping to attention, like a scared rat in the forest on a dark night after hearing a twig snap in the gloom. "Not that, um, not that I didn't want to! I'm glad you came!" Melissa apparently also forget to take her usual hour-to-prepare-myself-for-being-social this morning.

Everything is grey, veiled by mist. It's chilly and the air feels damp. There is no wind.

Wesley looks quite relieved when Melissa comes down the stairs. He's not struck dazed and dumb by her renewed beauty, though - he's considering the idea that she might not have been quite as put together earlier as she is now. Because she does look...different, now. "Not that long," Wesley replies to her first comment. Once she finishes descending the boy glances at his seat and stands up from it; not for any particular reason other than it seems polite, though it does give him an air of being uncomfortable in this situation. Melissa's blundering through social niceties doesn't appear to affect the boy much - maybe he prepared himself for something like this. "I'm glad I came too," the kid replies, friendly, though he's still talking softly. "I'm sorry I didn't come more over the summer, but in Pewter I wasn't finding as many trainers around as I thought I would, so I...well, traveled and stuff. Found a few people willing to battle me, but..." he shrugs a bit. "Not as much as I'd hoped. Guess I should've gone to Saffron or..or Celadon. One of the big ones." He makes a little gesture with his hand, indicating that, yes, those places are big. The kid clears his throat. "So. That was my summer." He clears his throat again, glancing at a couch with interest. "...And I'm sorry I missed your birthday," he adds in a sudden rush. Pause. "'Least I think I did." That part is little more than a mumble, though, and harder to understand even than the rest of Wesley's words. <Her birthday?> Fistfight asks, frowning as she tries to work her memory. She, at least, is listening to the conversation; ThoughtThief looks as bored as ever.

Rattata snatching things away, save the base without delay! (Saving)

Melissa nods her head and smiles slightly at Wesley's first comment. It doesn't sink in for another couple moments that just standing there listening to him is awkward and that they should both take a seat, but Melissa politely waits until Wesley is finished speaking before suggesting it. "Sit down," she half-demands, half-requests as she plops down onto the couch, making sure to give Wesley all the room he needs on his side. "It's all right... um, about summer and all. I spent some time training and catching pokemon myself... I guess so maybe one day I can give you a real challenge." She giggles slightly here, and while it's a nervous and anxious giggle, Wesley might not be able to pick it up, for she quickly covers it. "... And hey, Adrienne forgot all about my birthday, too. Sh... she spent the entire, um, the entire day out training... gosh, my dad got so mad when she got back." Melissa leans back onto the couch now, stretching her hands above her head before placing them behind her neck, reclining back into the couch and glancing up at the ceiling. No doubt trying to create the illusion of being relaxed.

Wesley is as submissive as ever, and stiffly sits down on the couch once again. He nods and gives a few "Mmmhmm"s and "Yeah"s when they feel appropriate to Melissa's tales about her summer - though the news that she could give him a real challenge someday prompts a surprised look. "I.." he speaks during her little giggle, and the kid is soon caught up in the next subject. Wesley is unwilling to think of Melissa's family as less than perfect, so he's silent for a few moments as his friend reveals that her very sister forgot her birthday. (And he's also a bit distracted by how smooth and sleek Melissa's arms look as she stretches, but he quickly forces his mind back to the Adrienne thing.) "Oh," he manages eventually, still trying to digest the idea. <A human after my own heart,> ThoughtThief says, losing his nonchalance for an annoying smirk, exposing his previous boredom as merely an act. <Wasn't very nice,> remarks Fistfight with a disapproving frown. "Er." The lanky kid clears his throat, deciding to ignore the idea he can't understand and go to one he can deal with easily. "I caught a new pokemon too. What pokemon did you catch? And it's not..like you're not a challenge to me now, as a trainer. Quickstrike keeps talking a lot about the fight with Nick. It was really good for her."

Rattata snatching things away, save the base without delay! (Saving)

"Yeah?" Melissa replies, keeping those smooth and sleek arms right where they are, giving Wesley a glance before turning back to the apparently-very-interesting ceiling. "I guess... Nick did okay, though I think he's still... a little upset," she tells him, shrugging nonchalantly. "I've been... ah, um, training him a little more, so..." She's silent for a couple moments, before continuing onto Wesley's next question. "A couple... I got an Electabuzz who seems very... uh, well, he likes to protect me... from, er, other people." A shady glance to the side and a slight grin follow. "And... um, I got a Jigglypuff, and a Doduo... but still no Gloom. Or at least an Oddish." She sighs a little here, reclining further into her hands, and asks, "... What pokemon did you catch?" She seems more talkative than normal; perhaps her struggles to make herself into a less shy person are actually working? That, or she's just glad to see her friend again.

Remember how there was this big brouhaha about birthdays last year? But this year the two of them are such good friends that this once volatile subject can be passed over with no fuss, nay, nor even muss. And now they're talking about pokemon, and there can be no bad here. Wesley makes a little impressed noise at the news of the Electabuzz. Fistfight gives a soft <Oooo,> blinks and then asks, <er, they're those big electric things, right?> "Right," Wesley confirms after a light pause. <Don't think I've ever seen one 'cept in yer pokedex,> Fistfight adds, just to let Wesley know that she isn't losing her memory right in front of his eyes. The boy sends her a glance and she gives him a reassuring smile. The other pokemon don't appear to interest the kid as much. "The pokemon I caught?" Wesley repeats, as if surprised that she'd continue on a subject that he himself brought up. "Oh, it's...er, say, you know what? I met a guy with a Gloom - well, not met, I knew him before he had a Gloom. His name is Dalton. I...forget his last name. But he's an older teen, tall, thin, with brown hair and brown eyes, and he's usually out with a Charmander. Or a Scyther. You should meet him, ask him about his Gloom." Wesley is about as subtle with the misdirection as a Flamethrower from a Charizard.

Rattata snatching things away, save the base without delay! (Saving)

Sure enough, Melissa doesn't even seem remotely miffed that her friend forget her birthday, the day she turns 18 and the day she becomes an adult (and still doesn't have a job - what a bum!). It's already been erased from her memory, perhaps because she herself doesn't consider it a big deal. "What did she say?" Melissa asks, turning to glance first at Fistfight, then at Wesley, her face inquisitive and curious. She'll let Wesley translate if he wishes, more likely than not smiling at the result, before replying about Dalton. Instead of the bright-faced excitement Wesley may expect from Melissa, the girl instead seems a little cross at the idea, and remains silent for a few moments before speaking. "Oh... er, maybe I should, if he's in a tournament or something. Dalton's... not exactly a, erm, a popular name." And apparently enough about that. "So what was that... pokemon you got?" Looks like she didn't get the hint the first time through.

"She asked if an Electabuzz was one of those big electric things and I said yes," Wesley replies truthfully. "She said she must've heard about it from my pokedex." Well, that was easy enough. <The things she doesn't know could fill this block,> snarks ThoughtThief. <I'm happy enough not knowing half of the nasty things you do,> replies Fistfight. "Guys, if you're going to argue, you should go to another room because I want to talk with Melissa." ThoughtThief glares while Fistfight smirks victoriously; they both stay put. His friend's lack of reaction does cause Wesley to stare at her oddly for a moment. And for a moment after that, even after she's asked him her question. That great big pause (it seemed much bigger than it actually was) threw the kid for a loop. He ponders just ignoring it and getting on with showing her his new pokemon, but he decides that he'd rather show her his newest teammate without some weirdness hanging over his head. "Did I say something wrong? I just..want you to see a Gloom," he mumbles, glancing at his feet for a second before looking back up at her, puzzled and unsure.

Sure enough, Melissa does smile at Wesley's translation, even chuckles slightly. What he says to his pokemon makes her smile even wider, and she drops her hands down onto her lap, before raising her right one to her lip to help supress her giggles. She, at least, seems to be having fun out of this whole spectacle. After the light humor has stopped, Melissa adjusts her glasses, scratches her chin, and settles back down, no longer stretching her body. "What? About... oh, no, you didn't say anything wrong," she assures him, shaking her head slowly, then a little faster before she looks down at her lap. "I'd... I guess maybe I'd just feel weird walking around, trying to... find some kid who could be... like, could be anywhere, just so I could see his Gloom... you know?" Her infamous blush rises up into her cheeks, and she grins a little uneasily, suddenly feeling very small and very meek.

Rattata snatching things away, save the base without delay! (Saving)

Wesley neither ThoughtThief nor his trainer comprehend why their squabbling is so funny - Fistfight gives the girl a wink, though. As the question is answered, comprehension dawns quite quickly on Wesley's face. "Ohhh," he mutters, giving a few nods. "Well, I, er, guess I don't want you to head out tomorrow just to look for somebody who could be anywhere, as you said." He smiles sheepishly at the idea, now aware of how completely stupid he must've sounded, while Melissa here was able to calmly destroy his childish logic. He looks at his hands for a second before continuing; looking away from Melissa seems to give him some strength in this instance. "But if you're ever away from Pewter, traveling, looking for, uh, pokemon, or going to another town for a tournament or something...maybe you could keep my description in mind. He's the one guy I know for /sure/ has a Gloom. And you don't even have to ask to see his Gloom because...he's Dalton. He's a good guy. You could just chat with him. Or maybe ask for a battle. It's what I usually do. But..you don't need to do what I'd usually...do, of course," he murmurs, looking now at his knees, his slouch becoming even more pronounced.

Melissa doesn't catch the wink, unfortunately; she's too busy looking at poor Wesley, who seems an awful lot more shy and scared now. Part of a feeling inside of her wants to just aww softly, nudge a little closer to her friend, and give him a little hug and tell him that it was a good idea. Unfortunately, she doesn't exactly have the guts for so brave an action, and instead she just watches him, frowning slightly. Melissa has to think of something - fast! - before Wesley starts to hate her guts! "Well," she says at last, turning slightly on the couch to face him. "Perhaps... well, perhaps, if you like, we can go somewhere in a little while... to another city. Then we can train together, and, um, and look for Dalton! I haven't... I, um, I haven't been out of Pewter all summer. It was too hot, but now it's... really nice! I mean, not right *now*, but recently... um." By now, her entire face is boiling red, and she's even sweating slightly, humiliated by her inability to speak without stumbling and her constant stupid statements.

Wesley doesn't see the reason for the humiliation because, "...That's a nice idea," he says slowly. He rolls it over in his mind a few more times, and can see no flaw in it. "That's a really nice idea." He looks at Melissa now, coming slightly out of his slouch, though his shoulders are still a bit hunched over, as is usual with tall people who want to hide their height. Her blush causes the smallest of eyebrow quirks before he rushes on, so she doesn't hate his guts for being unsympathetic while she's feeling poorly! "No, it's okay, Melissa, I really like it. We could talk lots, and you..your Hitmonlee and my Hitmonchan could train together - you do still have your Hitmonlee, right? And if your family miss you, we don't have to be gone too long, and we could come back in time for Christmas, definitely. Or earlier, or earlier," he adds quickly. "And maybe it'd give you an idea for the book you're writing! And, and I could tell you about books /I've/ been reading, and we could go to /libraries together/!" My, the kid is getting a bit worked up about this, judging by his shining eyes and uplifted features.

Rattata snatching things away, save the base without delay! (Saving)

Everything is grey, veiled by mist. It's chilly and the air feels damp. There is no wind.

No matter how many times Wesley has jumped right on her ideas and always been so polite and so sweet, Melissa still suspects every single time that the boy is going to roll her eyes and say "Boy, you're an idiot!" at any given opportunity. As such, when Wesley says that Melissa's idea is a nice one, she exhales a soft sigh of relief. Crisis averted. "It'll be... like when we used to go around to different cities and stuff!" she adds, nodding her head enthusiastically. "I still have Kickback... I haven't really, um, used him that much, so I'll bet he'd appreciate getting out of the pokeball, and... and... and I know!" Looks like Melissa's pretty excited, too. "And after we're done, I'll bet our pokemon will be a lot stronger... maybe... you could..." She almost hesitates to say it; a fire swoops into her eyes, and a devious grin forms on her face. "... You could challenge Brock for that badge." Oo! To think that she helped Wesley train and win a badge - that's an exciting idea!

Wesley continues to grin and more energized than his pokemon have seen in a long time. That might account for why they're both staring at him, Fistfightly with a mother's delight, ThoughtThief with surprise and annoyance. He listens to Melissa eagerly - the news that Melissa's help could be instrumental in helping him challenge Brock makes him grin. ..It's a nervous grin, because the thought of challenging Brock makes a giant emptiness open up in his stomach, but it's still a grin because it's with /Melissa!/ "That'd, that'd be great." Wesley inhales deeply, imagining all the fun they could have, and books they could read! Together! And he could show off his...what he came to show off today. "Hey, would you like to see the new pokemon I got?" Wesley asks suddenly, carrying his excitement to this change of topic. He barely even waits for Melissa to answer before he stands up and takes a few paces back from the couch. "You'll probably be seeing a lot of him, but I, I want you to see him now." There's just a touch of shyness entering into his voice. Now he waits for her to answer as he reaches down and plucks a pokeball from his belt - looking so very hopeful. It would be more effective were he still in his little kid stage of development, of course, but there's something to his wide-eyed innocence that harkens back to his old self.

Melissa suddenly gets rather excited - but, unfortunately, it's not a happy kind of excited. "Wesley?" she whispers loudly, as though all of a sudden somebody is eavesdropping. "Wh... I mean, is it small? He, is he small?" She looks around the living room fearfully, at all of the fragile items (and, given that her mom is such a nice decorator, there are a lot of them), and swallows. "He... won't, um, break anything, will he?" She does, admittedly, feel a little guilty insinuating that Wesley doesn't know what he's doing, but the fear of watching her mother's horror after Wesley's rabid, wild pokemon breaks everything in the room outweighs that guilt. Then, meekly, "If... he might, then, um, maybe we should go outside." Her face twists into a strange look, her cheeks puffed, her eyes squinting behind her glasses, her mouth tuckered into a frightened frown.

Rattata snatching things away, save the base without delay! (Saving)

Wesley takes a few more steps back from the couch - undoubtably adding to the impression that what is coming out of this pokeball is going to by a giant Onix. "Hmm? Small? Not really; but he's not big, either." Wesley's a bit too excited to make the words sound all that comforting...but he soon realizes that Melissa isn't taking this the way he wants her to. He gives her a reassuring smile, the kind that Fistfight gives to him when he feels nervous or worried. <He won't break anything!> seconds Fistfight, mimicking her trainer's smile, moving a little closer to Wesley. "He's extremely well-behaved, Melissa," Wesley adds, though he does chew the inside of his lip after he speaks. Melissa's emotions do tend to affect the boy...But Wesley still releases the pokemon. The flare of red grows, becoming long, tall - ohmygod, it's a giant, look at how huge its strangely round body is! The red light fades into well-groomed cream white fur; as it does so, it becomes obvious that most of the pokemon's height comes from the nine tales splayed out proudly behind it. As Wesley said, the pokemon is neither big nor small. It stand three feet and seven inches with a crest of fur on its head that adds an inch or two more to its height. Both crest and tails are tipped with light orange, a muted version of a sun at sunset. Despite the tails, it is surprisingly light of weight. "Niiine," the pokemon murmurs, looking around with fire-coloured eyes. Every movement, from the way he sniffs the air to the way he tilts his ears as he regards the human house, is filled with elegance and a supreme grace. His eyes settle on Melissa - on her face, to be percise. His gaze in inscrutable. "His name is Helios," Wesley murmurs reverently.

Rattata snatching things away, save the base without delay! (Saving)

The funniest part of this entire predicament is that Melissa's pokemon often run wild throughout the house - shoot, Melissa's told Wesley that Lamia is always out of her pokeball helping her mom with this or that - and hardly break a single thing, yet somehow because the pokemon is foreign it's automatically bad. She gives Wesley a small frown but backs down quickly enough, plopping back down onto the couch to watch whatever pokemon he sends out. ... It forms from the flash of light, morphing into something which Melissa has never seen before. "... Wow," she whispers softly, her eyes widening behind her glasses. She slowly, creakily gets up to both legs, all anxiety about releasing a pokemon into the living room dissipating as she sets her sights on the fuzzy, majestic, beautiful creature before her. She blinks once, twice, slowly turns her head to Wesley, blinks again, and asks, "... What is it?"

"A Ninetales," Wesley responds quietly, not missing a beat. "Evolved form of a Vulpix. They need a Fire Stone to evolve." He can't stop a proud smile from lighting up his face as he rattles off these facts. "I didn't evolve him, but he agreed to travel with me." Despite the fiery nature of his species, Helios appears to be a rather calm pokemon, though Melissa might be a bit unnerved as his gaze is a bit...intense. <A girl,> he remarks softly. <I remember...> The two words comes out with a sigh; the pokemon then lowers his eyes from Melissa and looks to his trainer. <Who is this, Wesley?> Wesley knows enough to hear the question in Helios' voice, but still waits until Fistfight gives him an exact translation. "This is my friend Melissa," the youngster says, as if talking to a fellow human. "We're in her house. She's my best friend, in fact. And she's very nice, and kind, and good. And she likes to read." Helios looks slightly puzzled, but even when he tilts his head his puzzlement doesn't seem comic or even that cute. <Reading's a human thing,> Fistfight says, waving as the canine looks her way again. His muzzle ripples into a smile. <Hello, Fistfight. And,> there's a pause and a distinctly lukewarm tone, <hello, ThoughtThief.> <The kid's gonna get so used to you he'll stop gawking someday, you know,> the Drowzee sneers. Helios smiles. <I look forward to it,> he replies simply, giving Wesley a smile as the boy looks at them curiously. The translation causes him to grin in embarrassment. Helios then looks to Melissa, giving her a light nod. <Hello, Melissa. It is nice to meet a human who gets such praise.> There looks to be a twinkle in his eyes as he says this.

Melissa blushes when the Ninetales addresses her, fiddling with her fingers as she stands, grinning a tad uneasily. "H... hi," she mumbles, grinning a little uneasily. She knows only the slightest flicker of Ninetales, a little side effect of owning a couple Vulpix. "You... seem very well-behaved," she compliments, switching her gaze back and forth between Wesley and Helios, apparently not sure of how she should react. "Very, um, polite and kind, really." She doesn't make any moves forward to pat the Ninetales; she doesn't seem very inclined to approach the Ninetales at all. Melissa is like a little girl faced with a beautiful looking but potentially dangerous animal - unable to get closer, unwilling to back away. "I... um, is he... new? Do you understand what he's saying?" Apparently, the fact that Fistfight translates what the Ninetales says is lost on Melissa.

Rattata snatching things away, save the base without delay! (Saving)

Helios smiles as he sits down, nodding his thanks at the girl's compliments. <Thank you. I was...> A ghost of something passes over his face and suddenly he's intense again, straining to remember, his ears beginning to flatten against his skull. Melissa might interpret it as aggression, but Wesley apparently doesn't - he looks a bit worried for his new pokemon. Helios finally gives up. <I..> he shakes his head once, as if to clear it, <I know something of humans and their homes.> The pokemon gives a little sigh before lying down on the ground, stretching out like a beautiful rug...with teeth and claws and the ability to shoot flames. After Wesley receives a translation, he gives the exact words to Melissa, shooting a concerned glance or two at Helios. "He doesn't remember much about his past," he adds in a low voice, though the Ninetales can hear him quite easily. "And, no, I don't understand what he's saying." Another thought occurs to him: one so new that he hasn't had time to adjust to it properly yet. "Oh. Did I tell you that Spike evolved?" He says that far too casually.

"... Oh," Melissa mumbles, not sure of how to reply to the Ninetales's sudden change in attitude. He slips down into the ground, leaving poor Melissa to wonder if she was just threatened or what. "... He's very beautiful," she comments again, watching his form on the ground, crossing her hands over her chest. She still seems at a loss of words, and is therefore grateful when Wesley changes the conversation to something Melissa knows a bit more about. "Spike? Y... you, um, he's your Nidoran, right? So now that makes him a, um, a Nidorino?" Wow. While Melissa has always perceived Wesley as strong, the fact that he now has two pokemon of a higher evolutionary level seems to make him only better in her eyes. Her face breaks into a smile - a genuine sign of happiness, unlike the nervous attitude she put on for the Ninetales. "That's wonderful! Wesley, you've... really been... training hard, haven't you? I mean, like, even more than... usual, er." She's just a plethora of social blunders today, folks!

Wesley straightens up, throwing his shoulders back. Spike is one evolved pokemon he can take a great deal of pride in, even though he can't stop looking a bit embarrassed about it since it's /just/ a Nidoran and Melissa already /has/ a pokemon who evolved. But, still, he and Spike worked for an evolution, and that counts for something. At her smile, the boy rocks back and forth on his heels for a few seconds, glancing at his feet - but when he raises his head again, he's grinning. Social blunders? Wesley couldn't notice if he tried, because he's talking to his best friend and he has evolved pokemon and Melissa is smiling at him and she looks very very nice when she smiles....Er. Right. He has to tell her the story! "Spike told me about it. I can understand him even if he's a Nidorino now; I think it's because I owned him before. He met up with a poor family of Nidoran - he was off in Viridian Forest with Buttercup my young Pikachu. I wasn't..er, around." Ahem. Let's gloss over the part where he let his pokemon explore the Forest without bothering to go with them. "And a mean Ninetales..not to say all Ninetales' are mean, of course, Helios--" not that the firefox appears to have cared one way or the other, "--and Spike fought the Ninetales off and saved Buttercup's life. She's.." he frowns, "still a bit beat up, but she's healing at the Pokecenter. Anyway, I left some food out for the Nidoran family, though I don't know if they got it. And now I've got an evolved pokemon. He's..big. And heavy. And stuff!" He takes a deep breath, which he's barely done since he began the story. His face is alight and he looks like he could tell it again in a heartbeat.

Rattata snatching things away, save the base without delay! (Saving)

Wesley has Melissa under his control the moment he mentions Buttercup. Baby pokemon have a kind of rapturing power about them that drags Melissa under their trance, and from that word on Melissa is entirely engrossed in Wesley's brave story about Spike saving Buttercup and the family from definite harm. The part about Buttercup being injured draws a heartfelt "Awww..." out of the girl, and her entire body droops in sadness, a frown speckling her face. But now the Pikachu is healing, and that inspires a huge, warm smile on her visage. "Poor thing," Melissa says after the story is finished, "But I'm glad Spike was... was there to save her, to help her out and all. He must be very, ah, very brave. ... Was he hurt by the mean Ninetales?" She looks down at Helios, studies his form for a moment, and pictures placing a Nidoran - say, Puff - against something like that. She frowns deeply at the thought.

Everything is grey, veiled by mist. It's chilly and the air feels damp. There is no wind.

Wesley thinks back for a few seconds at Melissa's question. "Yeah, he was, but he's out of the PokeCenter now. He got a lot tougher when he evolved, as I'm sure Lamia did when she evolved." Naturally, there's a proud smile at this. Helios doesn't appear to be the murderous type - then again, how else would a carnivorous pokemon survive in the wild, if not by eating others? "How's Lamia doing, anyway?" Wesley looks over at his position and walks back to the couch, giving Helios a respectful berth. The boy sits down, not as stiffly as before. <Yeah! Lamia! Hope she's doin' as great as I am!> Fistfight enthuses. <What, hope she's ready to croak if a stiff breeze comes by?> grumps ThoughtThief. Wesley gives his mean pokemon a glance, but it's a superior, even slightly amused one. "I think..." he gives a slight smirk, "that I hear a broken record." ThoughtThief peers up at his trainer with narrowed eyes; he hears the insult even if he doesn't understand it. Fistfight chuckles and pumps her arm in the air at her trainer's victory, and Helios gives the smallest of smiles. Heh. ...Wonder what book Wesley stole that one from? The boy is soon back to listening to Melissa's response, and will eagerly ask about her other pokemon, how she's been training them, where she wants to go when they travel together, and the many other subjects available to a kid who's catching up and planning new things with a person he cares about.