Frontier Town The Wanderin' Zera

[Shadow Serenity]

“I’m with Kimiko here,” Archie said, “I think we’ve taken up enough of this Pokemon’s time.”

Kimiko flashed the oshawott - Archie, she'd overheard him say - a quick smile. At least she wasn't the only one feeling like they should get going.

"Mmf. Be careful out there. And if you ever get lost... whatever, show up here. I don't charge for seating. And when the air's too hot, I let folks into the shade anyway."

Despite her disappointment, Kimiko felt a hint of gratitude bubble up inside her. The tyranitar may not have been the wealth of information she'd been hoping for, but he seemed kind enough. She'd come back and throw some money his way to pay for the drinks and the mess they'd made, whenever she found some. She kept silent, but nodded at him in appreciation.

Her attention shifted to the box of forgotten items. The idea of wearing someone else's possibly dirty hand-me-down wasn't a fun one, but it sounded necessary. What were the odds her necklace was good enough? ...Not high enough that she was willing to risk it, apparently.

She waited for the shuppet to pick her stuff and float away (looking somehow even creepier with those mismatched tentacle arms and buttons on her head), then skimmed the contents for herself.

She settled for an old light pink ribbon, tying it into a loose bow around the base of her tail with some difficulty. Using her vines to hold things was simple enough, but the lack of fingers made tying far more complicated than she expeted. She hoped that would suffice for the locals until she had a chance to find something less... dusty.

With that done, Kimiko stepped back to let the others rummage. She turned her attention once again to the doors, hoping maybe to catch sight of someone familiar passing by.

 

[Namohysip]

"...Hm." Mhynt searched through the box next, eventually finding what seemed to be a simple blue cap meant to be worn on the head. It was incredibly tiny, perhaps meant for someone of her size. She placed it atop her snout.

Gerome stared at her.

Mhynt stared back.

Gerome waited for a while longer. When Mhynt didn't budge, he said, "That goes on your head."

"Your tie goes on your chest."

"Hm."

 

[Neirdae]

"I don't think I've seen a blue clown nose before! I like it, you look less serious about everything."

 

[Namohysip]

Mhynt tossed the hat toward the top of Clover's horn. "I'll find something more suitable later," she said, nodding toward Gerome. "Thank you for the offer. Which way is it to the main square?"

"Out the bar, head right and follow the road to larger streets. You'll eventually get there."

 

[UnknownUser55]

When the topic of clothing came along, Eco instinctively reached for her neck with her front nubs, before she made a relieved sigh. "That's good. Not everything has been taken from me." the Grubbin quietly grumbled to herself. She wasn't aware of anyone who might've listened.

"Hopefully I don't have to watch out for anyone stepping on me out there. I'm not in the mood to wear a sign that reads 'DO NOT STEP ON ME'. Again." Eco groused, heading towards the door. This was going to be terrible, wasn't it?

 

[Goat]

'Status thing', Gerome had said. Astrid bit her lip and rummaged through the box looking for something that spoke to her. She might as well be a little picky if nobody was coming for this stuff, right? One glance around at the lack of naked customers was proof enough that it mattered.

"Umm... no, not that--oh!" Stashed under most of the apparel was a yellow flower, folded up wrong and definitely fake. It would do fine. She plucked it out and nestled it between her left ear, where it bothered her only for a moment before she inevitably forgot it was there.

Astrid thanked Gerome, downed her water in one go, and made her way closer to the doors, where the Snivy appeared to be on the lookout. She opted to play sentry as well.

"Ki-mi-ko, was it?" she started, offering an innocent smile. God she hoped that was correct. She was gonna have one helluva time remembering all these names. "I like your bow. Good choice. Um, I wouldn't know, my world doesn't do this clothing thing, but y'know."

 

[Namohysip]

"Gonna walk around looking wild?" Gerome questioned Mhynt. "Doesn't seem like too good an idea. At least have something."

"It isn't as if I'll be shooed away if I speak their language, will it?" Mhynt questioned.

"...Mm. Maybe not."

"Most won't even see yours, the way it's hidden behind you most of the time. You seem to get along fine."

"I'm a known resident around these parts. Folks know this bar. Ain't the same with you."

Mhynt hummed at that, arms crossed.

"It'll also help you not stand out as foreigners," Gerome added. There was... an odd, knowing look in his eyes. "You oughta be careful about that. You don't know if certain people might not take kindly to it."

 

[Weazel]

Well, what do you know, the box of scrap clothing was real after all. Once the Shuppet, Snivy, Treecko, and Vulpix had all taken their turns, Archie stepped up to the box himself. The first thing he found, a dusty old wide brimmed hat, not too dissimilar from his old fedora, though not quite the same shade of brown. He beat it a few times, then gave it a shake, releasing some loosened dust and sand accumulated from however long it’d been sitting in the Tyranitar’s bar, then plopped it on his head. It was maybe a little large for him, but his ears would help hold it up.

He was about ready to call it good at that, but, his gut told him to go digging again, and, near the very bottom of the box, he grabbed onto and yanked out a long sleeved jacket. Jackpot! Whatever color it had used to be had long since been sun bleached into a faded gray, and when he put it on, the sleeves needed to be rolled up so as to not cover his paws, but, honestly, he was just happy to have something that went along with what he used to wear.

Once he was satisfied, he stepped away from the box, and looked over at the remaining two members of their little group. The Treecko, and Eco. The latter already had some sort of scarf. The former seemed to have a serious stubborn streak.

“Why don’t you take a bandanna?” Archie said to the Treecko, gesturing towards some of the loose pieces of cloth sitting in the box. “You can tie it around your neck, and pull it up over your snout if any dust storms kick up. Or around your arm, if you just want it out of the way.”

Spencer had sworn by his bandanna, even pinned his badge on it. It seemed a perfectly practical option to the Oshawott, at least. But he wasn’t going to stand here in the middle of these two and try and hash it out with them. So instead he turned and tipped his hat to the Tyranitar, “Thanks for these.”

And with that he went to join Kimiko and the Vulpix at the door.

 

[Shadow Serenity]

"Ki-mi-ko, was it?" she started, offering an innocent smile. God she hoped that was correct. She was gonna have one helluva time remembering all these names. "I like your bow. Good choice. Um, I wouldn't know, my world doesn't do this clothing thing, but y'know."

Lots of pokemon going about their business outside, but none that were familiar, or looking lost, or anything else that might indicate that they were newcomers to town. Where could they all have gone...?

Kimiko was brought out of her thoughts when the vulpix spoke. "Oh, thank you," she said with a smile, glancing quickly back at the ribbon on her tail. "Your flower is cute, it suits you." Not that she would know, but it did look cute, tucked behind her ear like that. "Clothing's a common practice where I'm from, but... well, on humans, anyway. Usually the ones who dress up their pokemon are laughed at, and the pokemon themselves don't often care for it, either. Every world's different, I guess."

She paused a moment, then added, "I guess it's relevant that the pokemon in my world-" gods, she'd never get used to saying that "-aren't quite the same as the ones here, either. They have their own colonies or whatever, but they don't usually have buildings or... societies. Not like this. This is very human-like." She looked back into the bar, at all the pokemon seated around sharing drinks.

It occurred to her that she might be preaching to the choir. She turned back to the vulpix. "Might be the same where you're from, 'course. Or maybe all this is normal enough to you. I guess I wouldn't really know, huh?" You're rambling. Chill.

Kimiko finished with a shrug, noting the approaching oshawott. "Anyway, you got the name right. If I recall, I think you mentioned yours was... Astrid?"

 

[UnknownUser55]

With a hefty sigh, Eco slowly crawled her way toward the door where the others appeared to have been gathered. Along the way, she briefly turned to Clover.

"Hey, kid," the Grubbin greeted flatly "Your hat is nice. Be careful to not impale it."

Then she went forward again.

 

[Namohysip]

Mhynt settled for a small red ribbon that she tied into an armband. As she left with the others, Gerome didn't seem to react much to what Kimiko was saying. Perhaps he didn't care, or he didn't hear her.

"Let's find the others. Perhaps they're in town," Mhynt concluded.

 

[UnknownUser55]

"Sure thing." Eco lightly nodded. "And, maybe, while we're at it, we can go find some temporary job or something. Something that won't make us poor. I hope you all don't, either."

A thought crossed then crossed her mind, and Eco grimaced slightly. "How much are paying, again?" she whispered to the group.

 

[Namohysip]

Just then, Gerome made a grunting noise to get their attention.

"Who's payin'?" he reminded.

 

[Shadow Serenity]

"Sure thing." Eco lightly nodded. "And, maybe, while we're at it, we can go find some temporary job or something. Something that won't make us poor. I hope you all don't, either."

Kimiko shot a look at the grubbin. "You don't expect us to be hanging around here that long, do you?" Would they even have time for jobs while they're busy trying to save this world from... whatever it was they had to save it from? Hell, they hadn't even found out what that was yet! Surely they had better things to do with their time here than start a new life for themselves...

A thought crossed then crossed her mind, and Eco grimaced slightly. "How much are paying, again?" she whispered to the group.

Just then, Gerome made a grunting noise to get their attention.

"Who's payin'?" he reminded.

But she cringed as Gerome somehow heard Eco... or maybe he hadn't actually forgotten, although why he then let them all start walk off was a mystery.

So Kimiko turned back to the tyranitar to face the music. "I don't suppose you'll let us off with an IOU, would you?" she asked, deadpan. "You already know we don't have any money... or were you serious about having us cook?"

 

[Namohysip]

"Hmm." Gerome eyed them all, but then shook his head. "...Most of you can go, sure. But how about you stay?" Gerome asked, looking at Kimiko. "Help clean up the bar and I'll call it even. Maybe we can chit-chat in the meantime."

 

[Weazel]

So the Vulpix was Astrid. That just left the Shuppet and the Treecko he hadn’t yet caught the names of. They’d all gathered by the door – the Treecko had even kind of taken his advice about the armband, hooray for small victories – when the Tyranitar called out to them again. Of course, things could never be that easy. He wanted just Kimiko to stick around and clean up as 'payment,' but the idea of leaving one of their number behind didn’t sit well with the Oshawott.

“I’ll stick around too,” he offered, glancing from the Snivy to Gerome. “If we work together we’ll get it done in half the time, and I never got a water anyway.”

 

[Shadow Serenity]

"Hmm." Gerome eyed them all, but then shook his head. "...Most of you can go, sure. But how about you stay?" Gerome asked, looking at Kimiko. "Help clean up the bar and I'll call it even. Maybe we can chit-chat in the meantime."

Kimiko bit back a frown, although she couldn't stop her grin from faltering entirely. Why was she being singled out? She hadn't even made the mess! What more could he want to 'chit-chat' about, anyway? If their interactions so far were any indication, Gerome didn't strike her as any more a fan of small talk as she was.

Still, it was an easy enough task, and she would feel guilty for just walking out, even if she did intend to return later with payment. She glanced at the rest of her little squad, nodding as if to say "I'll handle it", and started walking back towards the counter.

"Sounds fair. It's a deal," she said, standing up a chair that had been knocked over, and eyeing the broken glass Eco had knocked over upon her arrival. "You got a broom or dustpan I can scoop that up with, by chance?"

“I’ll stick around too,” he offered, glancing from the Snivy to Gerome. “If we work together we’ll get it done in half the time, and I never got a water anyway.”

A small part of her just wanted to tell Archie to go with the others and get searching for everyone else, but the larger part of her was grateful not to have to be left alone in this unfamiliar setting. Not that she'd known any of her squad-mates for long either, but the shared experience of being dumped unceremoniously into the predicament together was more than enough to count as camaraderie for the moment.

Besides, Archie (and likely Astrid, too) probably needed the water more than she had anyway, being a water-type (and ice-type, respectively) in this heat.

Her inner thoughts debating with each other had caused her to hesitate, resulting in her simply staring at Archie for a moment. Eventually, she whispered, "thank you," with a grin.

 

[Namohysip]

Mhynt nodded. "Take care, then," she said, heading outside with the others. The heat pelted on her semigrass scales, but she endured and checked her shadow. After getting a good angle, she walked where Gerome had instructed and leaned against the wall of the structure, silent and out of sight. If she had to, she could skitter away in silence to not be spotted... but she decided to be cautious. Gerome's singling out of Kimiko pinged something odd, but everyone staying back would have been suspicious.

"Right. I'll get the cleaning supplies," Gerome said. "Get that sleeper to hobble out while I do," he added, gesturing to the Granbull.

 

[Shadow Serenity]

"Right. I'll get the cleaning supplies," Gerome said. "Get that sleeper to hobble out while I do," he added, gesturing to the Granbull.

Kimiko turned to see what Gerome had been referencing and groaned internally at the sight. She hadn't woken him earlier, but she'd been rather cautious, too.

She climbed up the table he slept on, using her vines to pull herself up. What was the best way to go about this?

There was some half-finished drink beside her; whatever the granbull had devoured before passing out, most likely. She could dump that on him if need be, but that would only cause another mess she'd have to clean up.

Instead, she settled for poking and shaking his shoulder repeatedly with a vine, standing as far away on the opposite edge of the table as she could. Whether or not she was out of arms reach, she wasn't sure, but she could make a leap away if necessary. "Hey, 'scuse me, mister. Owner suggests it's time for you to go home. Wouldn't you be more comfortable in your own bed?"

 

[Namohysip]

"Mrggghhuh?" Granbull sneezed and blinked himself awake, staring at Kimiko. "...Kids ain't supposed to be in here..."

And back to sleep he went.

Gerome returned with the supplies and thumped his tail on the ground. A single stone shot from the ground and smacked the underside of the table enough for Granbull to jostle awake.

"Fell asleep, bud."

Granbull murmured something as he wobbled up, dropping a few coins on the table before lumbering out. Gerome sighed, shaking his head.

"At least we'll be clear for dinnertime. Then it's a real mess."