✩✦* Idolize *✦✩

              Zinnia bellows out another laugh-snort as she witnesses Powder – brave, naive Powder – touch her Keystone. She had been trying to seem… intimidating all the while, yet the phanpy had not been deterred. The Lorekeeper decides at this moment, that she likes this phanpy. He has guts – moxie.

              His partner, on the other hand…               She eyes him up and down.

              “Nah, don’t worry your sweet little boy head about your… Powder. He ain’t botherin’ no one. He’s just a curious little baby. But you, on the other hand…”

              Zinnia strokes her chin. Well, he offered. And it would be rude to refuse him, but she doesn’t know what she’d want from him…

              Until a few seconds later.               Her grin alights, and she snaps her fingers.

              “Since you seem to be so-o-o-o-o-o lost and so unknowledgeable about Hoenn… I bet you’re pretty ignorant about this city too! In that case, you’ve got yourself the best tour guide on this side of the region. Yup, they call me Tour Guide Zinnia. Uh-huh. No doubt about that. I’d be happy to show you and your adorable lil’ buddy around!”

              … Hey, maybe she can make a few bucks off of him if she shows him some good hospitality?

Had Curtis not been a polite young man, he might have found her assumption rude; after all, Curtis had been to Hoenn plenty of times, but seeing as how he was not a trainer, nor did he favor himself to be one, oftentimes, he didn’t meet fully-evolved Pokemon that would usually be held by strong trainers.

He was well aware of all of the cities and what they had to offer, but... he could easily see where she could help him out. Despite not being a trainer, Curtis did enjoy catching Pokemon and making friends along the way, and such things were difficult since some of his Pokemon weren’t all that strong. Powder here was a great example of that. He squeezed him in his arms.

“I... I actually know a bit about the cities,” he admitted, laughing nervously, “it’s more along the lines of the wild Pokemon routes that I don’t know a lot about! I haven’t... been to places like Meteor Falls all that much, as much as I’ve heard I should! I-If it’s not too much to ask, maybe you could help me explore around some wild areas with your Salamence!” And as soon as he asked that, he very well regretted it. Curse his kindness; he hardly wanted anything to do with this lady.

music, nonbinary

for: anon

Togepi sniffed the Pokémon in return –  her little paws coming to squish her snout, and she chirped loudly in delight when she was flushed with warmth.  It was almost as good as sleeping in her mommy’s jacket! Her eyes flicker up at her trainer for a moment, and Serena opens her jacket… showing that Togepi had a bow tied around her shell - body, light pink and puffed up behind her head!

          ❛   That’s quite cute.   ❜  Serena replied with a soft smile, digging out a light green PokéPuff and giving it to Togepi to hand to the Pokémon. She does so, while Serena takes the sweetheart. ❛   Oh… Thank you! We both have a bit of a sweet tooth.   ❜  She giggled, snapping the heart into multiple little pieces. She hands a smaller piece to Togepi, and eats one of the bigger parts herself.

      ❛   I’ve never seen this type of Pokémon before… but I can tell it’s a fire - type… Probably for the best, aha…   ❜ A milky finger points at his shorts and thin t-shirt. ❛   You weren’t very prepared, were you?   ❜  Togepi’s little arms pat Serena’s, and Serena feeds her another piece of chocolate.

          ❛   Don’t worry, there’s a store right around the corner, I think. Most boutiques are selling winter clothes and jewelry right now.   ❜

Scarlet chirruped in delight over the small Togepi; her actions were adorable, after all, and to a mother like her, she couldn’t help but move closer to the Pokemon and sniff her more, giving her a protective and loving lick to her forehead. Curtis giggled, not scolding her quite yet as her actions were far too soft and cautionary to distress. And as the Togepi comes closer with the Pokepuff in hand, Scarlet gives a little trill, giving her yet another lick before taking the Pokepuff gratefully. What a darling little child she was!

“Oh, definitely, I have a sweet tooth myself! I can’t tell you how many cavities I had as a kid because I couldn’t give up chocolate. I still can’t.” He laughed, smiling as the little Pokemon got a gift of her own, popping it into her mouth.

“Oh...?” He was a little surprised to hear that the young woman didn’t know what a Flareon was; but then again, even in his own native region of Unova, Eevee was a rare Pokemon, indeed, and even less people knew about its method of evolution. “She’s a Flareon! You evolve her with a Fire Stone on an Eevee. Ehehe... but she’s been a Flareon as long as I can remember. She was my dad’s Pokemon before mine. She’d always keep him warm on boat rides — it can get chilly on the high seas!” 

To her concern, he gives another little giggle. “I definitely wasn’t, no sir! I’m experienced with the kinda cold that comes up in Anville Town, for sure, but I didn’t expect a snowstorm! Gosh... I was so close to my hotel room, too... and I packed winter clothes in my suitcase! I’m so silly for not listening to the weather channel.” He sighed, but he didn’t seem all that upset. After all, he was making a great new acquaintance that only this snowstorm could’ve brought about. “It’s not like I had much to do, anyway, so I don’t really mind waiting it out.” 

Norman hopes that his words are enough to assure the kid. He was worried that he’d work himself up to a frenzy, but with a shuddering exhale, his body relaxes, relief evident on his features. He smiles down at him, before it’s replaced by a momentary look of surprise when Curtis threw his arms around him. Norman automatically returns the hug, tilting his head slightly when he buries his head into his shoulder.

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Curtis nodded as the man spoke, fully in understanding, though, still nervous — and especially so, still watery-eyed and still sniffling. When he was met with the Ambipom, he tried his best to smile for him, though it was difficult to considering his current plight.

“Oh… hello there, mister…! My name’s Curtis…!” He greeted with a still-shaky voice, taking one of the Ambipom’s two tails and shaking it up and down. “Y-You see, I lost my Phanpy in the forest, so I was hoping you’d be able to help me…! He… He smells like me, y’know? Maybe that might… help…”

Harley expertly picks up a gyoza, dipping it in the soy sauce before eating it in a single bite. He still periodically send glances at Curtis, but so long as the kid was eating something, he’s not going to push the offer anymore. He’s not bad company for a stranger he invited on a whim, though he does evoke intrigue that might seem out of place. He’s easily a decade older than him, so he tries not to come off as too– intimidating. Or creepy. Hopefully he didn’t give off that air.

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Curtis listened along very respectfully, nodding as Harley spoke, and as he did, it sort of answered Curtis’s question that he had to begin with. So the man was able to pick out Powder’s coloration because he’s an expert on Pokemon care; it wouldn’t be too far of a stretch to assume the man would know about different Pokemon variations as well, such as coloring.

Curtis looked to his soup, which was now gone faster than he was full, but he immediately decided mentally that he wouldn’t ask for more. After all, he must have been bothering the man enough just by being there.

Still, as Harley spoke, Curtis’s mind continued to gravitate towards his initial observation of Powder, and that coloring. With a bite of his lip, and against his better judgment, he decided to ask about it anyway. “So… you knew Powder was shiny because of your specialty, right? In your teaching. And you’d know all about… um… the other stuff involving what happens with… shinies… cuz of that too?” He didn’t mean for it to come across like he was asking; frankly, he didn’t want to be proven wrong. He just wanted to nicely assume the man was nothing more than a plain schoolteacher. Nothing more.

Nothing more.

          Zinnia fixes the phanpy with a quiet stare as he approaches her party. The whismur tucked by her side also says nothing, but the salamance – without warning, Gemino rears his large head forward. 

          He opens his mighty jaws, briefly displaying his large set of polished whites. A low noise rumbles from deep with the dragon’s throat, a mix between a hum and a purr.

          A few more passerby stop to stare.           Zinnia grins at ALL of them.

                     ❝  Aww – lookit. Gemino’s smiling… he thinks you’re the bee’s knees, little pachyderm! Hey, relax guy! Gemino wouldn’t hurt a fly. He’s a gentle giant. He may look scary, but I promise he isn’t gonna disembowel you and your precious little phanpy. ❞

          Gemino lowers his head so that his eyes may meet Powder’s. A pause, and then his coarse tongue snakes out of his maw, drenching the phanpy in a well-intended lick of greeting.

                     ❝ See… he’s just sayin’ hi! But are you serious, you’ve never ever ever seen a Salamance before? C’mo-o-o-o-n… you’re in the Hoenn region. Get with the program. They’re probably one of the STRONGEST Pokemon out here in this great — ❞ 

                     And she spreads her arms wide, ❝  — great region of ours! You better get used to seeing ‘em, I’m telling you! ❞

Curtis was, for lack of a better word, horrified that the Salamence and Powder were acting so jovial towards one-another. Powder seemed to only enjoy the other Pokemon’s company, his ears fluttering upon being licked, taking the large dragon’s growling and purrs as signs of happiness as well. He moved to kiss the Salamence on the cheek, tooting at him.

However, the lick the Salamence gave, the purrs and growls, the gnash of its teeth only sent shivers up Curtis’s spine. Normally, he would encourage such behaviors of his Phanpy, further reinforcing the little guy to get along with others, and teach him politeness and good manners; but there was something about this woman that kept him on-edge. 

Cold weather doesn’t agree well with Serena. Her joints ache as if she’s older than her time, and sweaters were more often than not itchy against her delicate skin. Even within the Pokémon Center, Serena kept her long jacket on, and within it, Togepi nestles against her dress. While she waits, she takes a seat close to a fire-type Pokémon she had never seen before.

Serena slides her bag off of her shoulders and sets it down next to her, while Togepi’s face appears between the buttons – seemingly feeling the warmth emanating from the strange Pokémon. Smiling, Serena unbuttons her jacket, then pulls a wicker basket lined with a pink floral cloth from her bag. Togepi chirrups as Serena opens it to reveal multiple homemade PokéPuffs. She lets the little one pick out her favorite, always one of the bright pink pastries. While Togepi nibbles, Serena turns to the other trainer nearby.

              ❛   Would your Pokémon like one as well? What kind of taste do they have?   ❜

He hadn’t exactly expected a snowstorm this side of Kalos. His performance was in a few days, certainly, and with it... an outdoor stage. He was starting to dread the idea of it. But it was a matter for later. For Christoph; for right now, he was free to be his dinky little self, boater jacket and all.

...It was a rather... inappropriate set of attire, not doing much to protect his arms besides his thin long shirt, and cargo shorts... were a bad idea. But it was half-as-more bearable with his Flareon beside him, the darling Scarlet, fluffy and warm, her yellow mane and yellow tail emitting a comfortable heat that Curtis could brush his hand against and feel the warmth flush through his arm down to his core. It made his toes twiddle.  

Scarlet was the first to notice the company setting beside them, especially interested in the Togepi in the young woman’s jacket. She loved babies. In a way, the Togepi’s small size and cute, curious face reminded her of her own son — and yes, he was hers, even if he was a Phanpy. She went to sniff the little baby Pokemon, curious if they were curious back at her. She wanted them to be. She wanted to get the chance to lick them and coddle them, if only for a while.