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Re: Other!Goldenrod Metropolitan Area

Ercilla: <Aww, don't stop petting me!>

Dulles: <Ooh, you can pet me!>

Colombia: -with a sudden change of tone, butting against Dulles- <Hey, move over, he can pet me just fine!>

Sanity is precious; use it sparingly.

102

Re: Other!Goldenrod Metropolitan Area

Forest

Jeff:"U-um… ~-to the saplings- C-could you please calm down, little ones?~

Nyaaa

103

Re: Other!Goldenrod Metropolitan Area

Not any far from there Maekrite has taken off the trail when he sensed human presence, and is now walking across some thickets following the voices of the saplings. He pushes past some leaves, squints to see the three of them in company.

Maekrite -narrows eyes when he sees Colombia: <Aaaand again with the friendliness. I should train that off them... but their mother would kill me.> -- sighs.

He wonders for a moment how to get closer. He can't exactly pull the "angry dad" card because it'd be hard to explain to a human (and because he'd probably feel embarrassed). Oh well, he shakes himself, thinking, he does have the stature to play the territory card.

First thing he does is to bump the tree in front of him to let the saplings and the human know there's some sort of company.

Thou hast forgotten the face of thy Lord. Remember, mortal, and fear pet me.

104

Re: Other!Goldenrod Metropolitan Area

-hearing the tree rustle-

Ercilla: -turning her head- <huh?>

Dulles: <Oh! DAD! :D>

Colombia: <Oi! Pets!>

Sanity is precious; use it sparingly.

105

Re: Other!Goldenrod Metropolitan Area

Jeff:"Huh, what's that ru- oh, a Nido! -pets Colombia-"

Nyaaa

106

Re: Other!Goldenrod Metropolitan Area

The Nidorino steps out of the bushes and gives the saplings a halfheartedly stern look, walks in and stares at the human, legs spread out.

Maekrite: <Territory! Mine!> -- he growled, trying to feign that the saplings were not of his concern.

It was a fairly blatant lie (Nidos don't den by the trails) but hopefully it'd have to do.

Thou hast forgotten the face of thy Lord. Remember, mortal, and fear pet me.

107

Re: Other!Goldenrod Metropolitan Area

Jeff:"I'm not here to invade your territory, l'il Nido, just trying to help find these Tropius saplings that wandered from the reserve…"

Nyaaa

108

Re: Other!Goldenrod Metropolitan Area

Maekrite waits for a moment then walks a step closer and sniffs Jeff. Curiosity more or less satisfied he tilts his head cautiously, turns to address the saplings.

Maekrite: <Okay, is this one nice? Do you want to return to the reserve and wait there for your mother? She is still asleep it seems...>

Thou hast forgotten the face of thy Lord. Remember, mortal, and fear pet me.

109

Re: Other!Goldenrod Metropolitan Area

Ercilla: <He pets!>

Dulles: <Can you take us there, Dad? We don't get to see you much. :(>

Columbia: <But they love us here too, and give us attention!>

Sanity is precious; use it sparingly.

110

Re: Other!Goldenrod Metropolitan Area

Jeff:"The reserve called in the police to help search for you, you need to go home before they get more worried…"

Nyaaa

111

Re: Other!Goldenrod Metropolitan Area

Oh so the reserve is looking for the saplings. Great, Maekrite sighs, tries to hide the gesture from the human.

Maekrite: <Fine I'm taking you back. But I don't know if I can do anything more yet, saplings.>

He turns to the human, sizes him up in a friendly manner and then, horn up, gestures for him to turn around and lead the way.

Thou hast forgotten the face of thy Lord. Remember, mortal, and fear pet me.

112

Re: Other!Goldenrod Metropolitan Area

Jeff:~Wants me to lead the way, huh…~ "-turns to the others who are presumably still here- Looks like we need to take them back to the reserve now"

Nyaaa

113

Re: Other!Goldenrod Metropolitan Area

-Dulles, Ercilla, and Columba line up behind Maekrite.-

Sanity is precious; use it sparingly.

114

Re: Other!Goldenrod Metropolitan Area

And the Nidorino lets out a soft growl, basically saying that Jeff is free to walk; as soon as the human would start walking, Maekrite looks back to the saplings and then follows the human.

Thou hast forgotten the face of thy Lord. Remember, mortal, and fear pet me.

115

Re: Other!Goldenrod Metropolitan Area

(Spagged with Tangent. Enjoy~)

Just a couple of days ago, in the Greenfield Preserve

One day that is more or less of particular significance, Maekrite is walking the fence of the preserve where Basket lives, looking for an entrance for today's visit.

He is noticed by a couple of people walking around.

Little Girl: Mommy! Mommy! I never saw that kind of Pokémon here before!

Mother: Ah, that's a Nidorino. A bit far from their usual place. They live in the [desert].

Maekrite listens to the attention he gets and he trots away to an open entrance. Meanwhile, a zoo guard comes talk to the lady.

Zoo Guide: Um, ma'am, you are sounding like my grandmother in [Fallarbor]… and actually Nido… - talks more, not that it is too important.

Mother -blushes: Oh, sorry, don't know what got a hold on me~ -- to the daughter -- Come dear, let's go see the Stantler!

The conversation grows fainter as the Nidorino moves away...

Not far from there, a Tropius [sapling] is hiding in between some bushes near the gate, trying to avoid the crowd's attention. The Nidorino sniffs his way around until he notices her particular scent. Ercilla catches a familiar scent as well.

Ercilla the Tropius♀: <Daddy! :D>


Maekrite -raises an ear: <Look who's here!> -- and goes nuzzle. --  <What are you doing here alone?>

Ercilla: <The people are noisy...>

Maekrite nods, he understands the feeling and enjoys being hidden as well.

Not far from there, but in the more visible parts of the exhibit, other two saplings are fighting to catch berries being tossed in by the onlookers - most likely against zoo regulations. But who can blame them? Tropius are cute, even more if they have a hint of Nidoran thrown in.

Maekrite listens with a certain degree of concern as he hears a thud and a groan that can be identified as Columbia being tackled by Dulles.

Columbia the Tropius♀ -does a sort-of growl: <...Hey! That kid tossed it for me and you know it!>

Dulles the Tropius♂: <Nuh-uh, he threw it between us!>

Columbia, a bit irked, casts a Growth not minding herself of the onlookers. Maekrite meanwhile peeks just enough out of the bushes to notice what is going on.

Maekrite -to Ercilla: <…How long have they been fighting?>

Ercilla: <Oh... they do that a lot.>

Maekrite is worried about the zoo guards but says nothing. Meanwhile, Columbia tries to lure an onlooker to throw a berry at her.

Columbia: <This one is all mine~> -- teases Dulles by swinging her wing leaves.

Dulles: <grrr...> -- he flaps up into the air to try and get the crowd's attention --  <I'm gonna do a loop-de-loop, so there!>

And that is when a certain motherly Tropius watching over her kids from her corner of the exhibit feels her heart skip a beat.

Basket: <DULLES!>

The young Tropius flies up a bit, tries to invert– then he stalls out and begins to fall!

Maekrite: <…[!]>

Columbia: <That's silly! Moooom!>

Maekrite pokes Ercilla.

Maekrite: <Quick, try and get below your brother!>

Meanwhile, out of the stress, Columbia lashes a Gust towards Dulles, not stopping much to think about whether a strong gust of wind is a good idea.

Ercilla: <Ah!>

The Tropius flies out under Dulles, breaking his fall a little, before both of them get tossed aside by a gust onto the ground.

Dulles: @_@ <Hi ercilla~>

Ercilla -smirks: @_@ <Dads here~>

Columbia - is about to berate the pair when she listens: <Dad? He came visit? :3>

They then notice some of the zoo guards have realized what was going on, and have come around with a net for Dulles as well as some medicines.

Basket: <!> -- turns to the saplings -- <Calm down kids, you know how the net gets tangled when you make them use it...>

Ercilla: @_@ <yeah dads by the gate>

Maekrite dislikes the idea that his saplings will be trapped in a net, so he does what he usually does in visits that go like this one: he climbs to a nearby bench and scares some random Pidgeys around there to call the attention of the park personnel.

Maekrite: <Rawr!> -- spreads some Poison Stings around.

Imported Silly Pidgeys: <Eeeep! >.< > -- go flying around, chirping.

Net!Zookeeper: Wah! A wild mon got in? -- turns to the others -- I gotta handle this disturbance, see if the saplings will take their medicine calmly before I get back?

Columbia shudders as she listens to that, and springs away.

Columbia: <…Medicine! :⌇> -- goes hide behind her mother. -- <Besides I did nothing wrong! It was [Dulles] who was doing that trick!> -- :p


Ercilla: <ick... I'm just gonna eat this and go back to daddy~>

Dulles -cranes his neck: <Columbia made me do it... ow...>

Basket: <dad..?> -- blinks -- <Maekrite? Are you here?>

Just a moment after Maekrite peeks out from behind some bushes and goes greet his mate.

Maekrite: <I'm here Basket. Lost them already.> -- smirks. -- <What was all that? Why are the saplings fighting outside?>

Basket: <Sigh... you know how competitive Dulles and Columbia can be...>

Dulles, having taken his medicine, now looks mareepish and crawls a short distance to his parents.

Dulles: <um... hi dad...>

Maekrite greets his sapling with a soft growl then goes nuzzle Basket.

Maekrite -to Basket: <So, I take it from this flying lessons are not going as well as they could?>

Basket: <Well, I'm not really covering loop-de-loops >_> >

Columbia -listens: <Mom, I want to learn that trick :3> -- sits proudly.

Maekrite -in a somewhat bashful tone: <Kids, that is [dangerous].>

At that, though, the saplings turn on him.

Dulles: <Aawwww? But don't you do dangerous things in the Owsla?>

Maekrite -flattens ears: <No. Absolutely no. ¬¬ >

He then blushes a bit because just a couple of nights ago he was boasting to Basket about a skirmish with some Linoone near the creeks by the city. The saplings then put their little-sappling pleading faces on.

Thou hast forgotten the face of thy Lord. Remember, mortal, and fear pet me.

116

Re: Other!Goldenrod Metropolitan Area

The Preserve, some time ago in-universe

The silly Pidgeys are hopping around eating small Burmy that have not taken the care to borrow full cloaks.

Rumble, rumble…

The grass just outside the preserve shakes and a well-tidied Nidorino appears carrying a Swift Wing in his muzzle. Maekrite sniffs around and growls, causing the Pidgeys to flee. He then shakes himself, rubs his muzzle against one of the walls of the preserve and very proudly walks towards an opening to get inside for a visit.

Thou hast forgotten the face of thy Lord. Remember, mortal, and fear pet me.

117

Re: Other!Goldenrod Metropolitan Area

The Zoo, on a certain recent date

-Maekrite is being watched-

???: The Nidorino!

!!!: Yup. Launching webcam.

???: I'll go set up...

Tropius Exhibit

Basket: <Now Dulles, you don't have to be scared of the zookeepers...>

Dulles: <But what if they give me shots!?>

Basket: <You're growing up to be a fine strong boy, you can handle it!>

Colombia: <I can take a shot! Remember when I yelled at the zookeepers and they threw like 15 jillion needles at me? And it didn't hurt a bit!>

Dulles: <And then you fell asleep all of a sudden!>

Colombia: -turns her head in contempt- <Coincidence.>

Sanity is precious; use it sparingly.

118

Re: Other!Goldenrod Metropolitan Area

Near the Tropius Exhibit

Maekrite walks around keeping himself close to the walls and the cages. He does not like the idea of the humans following around since that time they managed to catch him on a visit. But since they don't bother him, he doesn't mind much.

When he turns around a corner he finds a Minccino who is drinking from a water hose and then turns to him with interest.

Zoo!Minccino: <...Oooh a wing! Can I have it?>

Maekrite: <No.> -- snorts -- <It's a gift.>

Maekrite walks away, but even after about three or exhibits can still hear the Minccino following.

Maekrite -turns around: <…Yes?>

Zoo!Minccino: <Oh, hello... I see you carry a Wing... could I have it?> :3

Maekrite -frowns: <No.> -- and follows his path.

The Minccino still follows happily. A moment later, Maekrite reaches the entrance of the Tropis exhibit. He looks around for a moment, trying to ignore the Minccino who waves at him and points to the Wing; then he enters carefully. and notices Basket and the three saplings there.

Maekrite -smiles: <…Darlings~>

And of course the Minccino follows inside.

Thou hast forgotten the face of thy Lord. Remember, mortal, and fear pet me.

119

Re: Other!Goldenrod Metropolitan Area

Tropius Exhibit

Basket: <Um... who's the fluffball?> ^_^;

Zookeeper ???: -enters- Hey! That Minccino doesn't belong here! -pursues-

Zookeeper !!!: Ah, our Nidorino friend. How glad to see you come... after all, this is a special day to us humans...

-he pulls a sheet off a nearby table, revealing it to be set with two candles, a portion of berries, and a serving of Kentuque Fried Torchic-

Basket: <...oh. That's NOT a lawnmower.>

Zookeeper !!!: Enjoy your Valentine's Night.

-to the saplings- Err, if you wouldn't mind, we'll be taking you to the Children's Zoo for tonight.

-to Colombia- PLEASE don't make me use the tranq darts again...

Sanity is precious; use it sparingly.

120

Re: Other!Goldenrod Metropolitan Area

Tropius Exhibit

Maekrite: <...I don't know, now that you mention it.>

-to Basket, looking pompous-

Zoo!Minccino: <Oh he has a Wing that I wa-eeeeeh~> -- and sees one of the zookeepers trying to fetch him, starts running around.

Ercilla -ruffles leafwings: <B-b-but Dad just came by! Why do we have to leave?>

She cranes her neck and quickly runs to hide behind Basket.

Maekrite: <Ercilla, Colombia, behave...> -- and notices the zookeepers revealing the table -- <...What is all this? My favourite food?> -- sniffs with a bit of concern.

The Minccino meanwhile is being chased, attempts to slide under the nearest sapling to put distance between himself and the pursuing zookeeper.

Thou hast forgotten the face of thy Lord. Remember, mortal, and fear pet me.

121

Re: Other!Goldenrod Metropolitan Area

Tropius Exhibit

Colombia: <Huh?! Hey!> -she sits down on the Minccino-

<Let that be a lesson to you! Hmph!>

Zookeeper ???: Are you the trashcan raider?!

Basket: <Aw, it's OK, Ercilla... Me and Daddy just have a date tonight, it appears...>

<You like the Fennekin in the Children's Zoo, right?>

Sanity is precious; use it sparingly.

122

Re: Other!Goldenrod Metropolitan Area

Tropius Exhibit

The Minccino is sat upon and loses his breath, struggles to get free though that doesn't get him anywhere.

Maekrite: <Ooooh well done, sapling~> -- chuckles.

Zoo!Minccino: <Oh noes! It's a trap!> -- claws the ground -- <I need to get out and get. that. WING!>

Ercilla rears her head, seemingly not understanding much, and looks a bit embarrassed that she has her interest piqued.

Ercilla: <The Fennekin? …Ye-yeah. But... awww> -- stomps on the ground -- <Fine. You win this time~>

She gives a half-hearted mocking gesture, nuzzles Basket and Maekrite before walking off to the edge of the exhibit.

Zoo!Minccino: <I'm no raider, I'm a [Treasure Hunter], let that be known to you!> -- struggles more.

Thou hast forgotten the face of thy Lord. Remember, mortal, and fear pet me.

123

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Tropius Exhibit

Colombia: <I'm awesome!>

-she gets up once the zookeeper arrives with a net, then flies to the gate to show off-

Dulles: <See you later, Dad.> :)

Basket: -wanders to the table- <Ooh, these berries are frozen. I like them that way.>

Zookeeper !!!: Ah! Pardon me!

-he pulls out a lighter and ignites the candles, before heading back to the office-

Chattr
??? wrote:

Tonight, #gldrod #zoo #webcam is ready for #valentines. Basket's saplings' father has visited!

Sanity is precious; use it sparingly.

124

Re: Other!Goldenrod Metropolitan Area

Tropius Exhibit

Maekrite waves a g'bye to the saplings who are to be taken away for a walk by one of the caretakers. Meanwhile the Minccino is caught in the net brought by the other one, a bit too pained from having a Tropius sit on him to put up much resistance.

Zoo!Minccino -eyes Maekrite: <Darn. I was this close. And I would have gotten away if it wasn't for those meddling kids.> >_>

Maekrite meanwhile approaches his mate and dutifully rubs his head against hers; he's still holding the Swift Wing and with it his question of how has Basket been doing comes off a bit muffled.

Meanwhile Ercilla buffs as she watches Colombia showing off.

Ercilla: <Can we keep calmed down? If I'm going to miss Dad then I at least want to get to see the Fennekin...> -- paws the ground.

Thou hast forgotten the face of thy Lord. Remember, mortal, and fear pet me.

125

Re: Other!Goldenrod Metropolitan Area

Tropius Exhibit

Basket: -takes the wing from Maekrite- <Awww, I like it~>

-she tucks it into her foliage, then feeds Maekrite a piece of Torchic-

<So how's my Owsla warrior been?>

Children's Zoo

-most kids are inside for homework or bedtime at this point, so things are fairly quiet for the Pokémon-

Fennekin: <Oh!> -sniffs-

<Hi! Hey everyone, the trees are back!> :D

Sanity is precious; use it sparingly.