( Text/Action for New Bark Town )

[medicament]

( Text )

[While Luna has seen other people's video messages on the PokéGear, she's not sure if she's ready for her debut, especially without knowing how many people are here exactly.]

Hello, everyone. My name is Luna, and I've just arrived here. You have probably seen many messages like this one, but I have a few questions and I'd greatly appreciate some answers.

1) What is this place? I'm aware that this question isn't too precise, but any information will be of a great help.
2) Is there a doctor here?
3) Is breeding...what I think it is?

Thank you in advance,
Luna

( Action )

[While this town can't be called a big one no matter how you look at it, it's still a bit too much to Luna who after wandering around for an hour or two needs to rest, even if for a while. Thankfully, she notices a bench just after the exhaustion kicks in and sits on it while her Audino takes a seat by her side.]

Do you know what is going on here?

[Clearly, she's addressing her own Pokémon; it just tilts it's head in a response, not sure what Luna may be referring to.]

Oh, that's silly of me...you can't speak human language. I-I'm sorry.

[There's no reason for her to apologize and yet. Looking pensive, Luna lays her eyes on her hands as she takes turns curling them into fists and opening them. Audino seems to be watching over her all this time, but all of a sudden it scoots closer to Luna and presses it's ear against her, just like the Pokémon was performing physical examination.

Which, in fact, Audino does. With that done, it reaches to the backpack Luna has received before and pulls the boxed lunch out. In the meantime, she doesn't move much, wondering what Audino is up to. It becomes clear a little while later, when the Pokémon is holding up a sandwich, trying to feed it's trainer.]

B-But it's not—

[Audino is having none of it and puts the sandwich into her mouth. Moreover, it seems that it won't let her off the hook until she'll eat everything.]

Comments

[dashdash]

Not yet, but that's great! 'Cause I wanted to try something, and it'd be the stupidest way to die if things went wrong! [SO MANY THINGS COULD GO WRONG. She wanted to climb and jump off ledges, grapple with her Pokemon to see for herself how strong they are, try the berries from the trees after being repeatedly told "don't do it, you'll regret it, please value your life" and all sorts of things. But the berries are first and foremost on her mind.] See those trees out there all loaded with fruit? I want to eat one. [There's Pidgeys happily roosting in the tree and pecking at berries; she can't help but suspect people are trying to turn her away from them just to keep the berries to themselves.]

[medicament]

Eat?

[Both Luna and Audino tilt their heads simultaneously, surprised by her words. If they were thinking that Mafuyu had enough, they were wrong, apparently.]

But...?

[She's not even sure how to explain that it's not a good idea because Mafuyu seems so determined.]

Are you sure? Maybe we could find similar fruits somewhere? Maybe someone sells them, even...

[dashdash]

What's wrong with the fruits here?

[Those Pidgeys aren't dropping dead out of the trees, and they turned to a grocer instead, then they have to pay for the fruit. Why pay for something nature's giving to them for free?]

It'll be fine, it's fine, 'cause you're here!

[She heads over to one of the trees, removing her starter's Pokeball from her pocket and throwing it straight at one of the berries hanging from the branches. Like she hoped, the ball tears the berry (only a little squished) off the branch and drops it into her outstretched hands. The Pokeball, on the other hand, doesn't complete its trajectory back to ground, but instead poofs open in the thicket of branches and leaves, where the Snubbull takes one look at her situation and starts wailing unlike a cat stuck in a tree.]

[medicament]

[As much as she'd like to answer Mafuyu, she simply doesn't possess that knowledge. On the other hand, it seems that she wouldn't be able to stop the girl anyway, so...

All she can do is to watch the pokéball fly up after being thrown. Mafuyu's aim is formidable and they both can observe the berry falling from a tree shortly after, but there's something else.]

Oh?!

[The gasp that escapes past Luna's lips can't be helped; the pokéball opened, releasing a pokémon out.]

We need to help it climb down!

[Easier said than done, though.]

[dashdash]

[Mafuyu stares up at the tree. She thinks she can knock her Pokemon down with a swift hard kick to the trunk, but since she's with company and should probably act like a decent human being in front of others, she has to think of another way.]

Burun! [She pats her bent knees as if beckoning a toddler walking for the first time.] Jump! I'll catch ya!

[The Snubbull shakes her head emphatically, not even the bond between trainer and Pokemon strong enough to convince her this is a good idea. It's not as if a fall from that distance will break any bones, but it's high enough to be scary to a small Pokemon.]

I guess I can climb up... [She turns to Luna.] Or do you see a better way?

[medicament]

[Neither Luna nor Audino can blame Snubbull for not wanting to jump, even though Mafuyu seems to be sure that she's going to catch the pokémon. There's no way they could leave poor Burun like this, though.]

Maybe...maybe you could stand on my shoulders? Will you be able to reach her?

[Audino jumps up a little, tugging at Luna's sleeve; she's offering her help too. Luna, however, forgets about one important thing: she's not as strong as she used to be, but carrying Mafuyu and Audino shouldn't pose too much of a problem.]

[dashdash]

NO WAY!!

[Mafuyu shoots down the idea immediately, shocked at the mere suggestion. Piled one on top of each other, they'd be able to reach the Pokemon easily, but to have a girl stand on her shoulders is unthinkable! How could she do that to a girl, make her bear the weight? No way, no way, it should be the other way around.]

I'll do it! I'm strong, so--

[She crouches down at the base of the tree right below the branch Burun is clinging onto for dear life. While her skeleton isn't anything like a metal framework of a GAULEM, she trusts a lot in her own strength.]

[medicament]

I-It's fine, I'm strong too! And I don't mind at all!

[Well, that may not necessarily be true given the fact that her body has became more fleshy than metallic upon her arrival, but it doesn't seem right to ask Mafuyu to carry her, so...

Are they going to continue this conversation like this while distressed Burun is stuck on a tree? Yep.

Okay, maybe not, because Audino takes matter in her own hands (?) and tugs Luna, pointing up at the Snubbull with her other hand.]

O-Oh...

[dashdash]

[Mafuyu looks over at Audino, then up at her Snubbull. The branch will be able to hold the weight of the Pokemon for the time being, but not she keeps shifting around in fear and agitation, especially as they take the time to stack themselves up in a rescue pyramid.] OKAY!! [Time for a decision!] Let's do this, doc! [And by decision, she means she refuses to be carried by another girl, so it's down to her original plan with a workaround for jumping. Mafuyu pulls her leg back, and with a running start, swings her leg out to collide with the base of the tree, knocking Snubbull's grip loose so Luna can catch the Pokemon. ...along with a rainfall of Pineco and Ledyba that also happen to sleeping in the tree.]

[medicament]

Ah, but—

[Mafuyu catches Luna completely off guard, but she realizes what she's supposed to in an instant and steps forward with her arms raised up to catch the other girl's pokémon. Of course, there's no way she would predict that more creatures are going to fall off the tree.

Despite the more or less literal rain of pokémon, the story ends well for Snubbull who ends up being held in Luna's arms. That's not the only pokémon she has rescued; the same goes for a sleeping Pineco that hasn't even woken up yet and is still resting, tangled in her hair.]

H-Here...!

[She turns to Mafuyu, smiling softly and not really paying attention to the creature on top of her head.]

[dashdash]

[Snubbull's appreciative that someone's there to catch her, even if it's not her aforementioned trainer, who's too busy fighting off a shower of twigs and Pidgey feathers to save any fallen Pokemon.] Thanks. I- wah. [She stops short of reaching out to reclaim her Snubbull, her gaze drifting to the Pokemon in Luna's hair. Should she... catch it? It's the perfect opportunity to catch it off guard, but can Snubbull get a good bite on it without ripping half of Luna's scalp off in the process? Maybe she shouldn't risk it.] You have a... [Mafuyu points to the top of her own head, mirroring where the Pineco lay on Luna's] Something. Right there.

[medicament]

Hm?

[Even after tilting her head, the Pineco is still here; she lifts her hand up to touch whatever got stuck on top of her head and gasps quietly.]

Oh...

[It's not like she's scared, even...just feeling a bit confused and uncomfortable. It stings a bit, after all.]

What should I do? I-It's one of these creatures, right?

[dashdash]

First, uh. Take it off your head. It looks heavy and spiky. [What is that liquid? Sap, or... is it just drooling? Mafuyu reaches over to help while the Pokemon's still asleep. Her Snubbull can fall out of a tree and Mafuyu would manage to make up with her Pokemon somehow, but a wild Pokemon falling off someone's head onto the cold, hard ground as the rudest wake-up call is just asking for a battle. Which Mafuyu is okay with and would gladly do, but is it okay to straight out ask, "Hey, something's on your head. Want me to kill it?"]