Week 1: Arrival of the (not quite) starving artist

[Bifuriousa]

After hours of struggling with instructions and trying to untangle his tangela from different pegs and poles and ropes, a tent is now standing in the park. It's a nice tent, if a little lopsided, quite roomy for one person and made from quality material. He's picked a nice spot, near the entrance of the small area designated the campsite, so he can watch people come and go for his portrait sketch practice. It's close to the small shower block, but not TOO close, and some pretty trees are within his view. Tangy is already showing his appreciation of that, having run off to go and climb them. "Stay in my field of view okay? Call me if you get trapped on anything!"
Griffin turned his attention to his new base of operations, and took out a luxury ball from his bag. "Here we are Duchess, our new home for a while" he said as he released a large torkoal to inspect her lodgings. She looked around and chuffed gently at him. "I know, it isn't quite as luxurious as you've got used to, but you've travelled before right? I'm sure we'll all adjust. Lots of.. Fresh air?"
He sighed, and put on a big breezy sunhat. "Anyway, I thought we'd take a walk around the place. We're going to stay a while, use the town as a...a save point.. and journey around the region. It's convenient yeah?" Tangy ran back up to him, full of new leaves. "Great new accessories! We're heading to the lab I guess, since we are Journey Beginners, but how about the market first?"
Tangy waved about more than normal and set off towards the park entrance. Duchess nodded her approval, and the three set out resolutely.

[A Weedle]

Once the tent was unattended, a small figure crawled over to the entrance of the tent. There was a great deal of fiddling with the door, some tiny shuffling noises, the noise of synthetic fibers rubbing against chitin, a thwap that made the whole structure shake... And then the telltale clickity clack of a zipper unevenly being pushed upward in fits and starts.

After about two minutes, there was a quiet sound of munching.

[Admin]

Ms Mime the Mr Mime was not having a very productive day. The park where most of the trainers spent the night was usually a good spot for a bit of street theatre, but today everyone seemed to be passing her by. She had pulled out her favourite tricks, the ones that always cheered up Piero; the invisible rope climb, the telekinetic plates spinning, the "I am a normal human doing normal things", but the fishing cap in front of her still stood mostly empty over than a few pokedollars thrown in by someone she saw around a lot.

She wondered if she should move; the fancy hotel rarely got her results, but when she did it was a big payday. Or perhaps she should go and show off at the lab; it was a long walk but the Professor was usually good for something.

She picked up her plates and began to set them up once again, operating almost on autopilot, before she noticed a trainer coming up the road towards her with a Tangela and a Torkoal in tow. Right then. She'll give this one more shot, at least.

She slapped her cheeks, and jumped out in front of the trainer. Showtime.

[Bifuriousa]

Griffin started and tripped a little at the sudden appearance of the Mr. Mime. Regaining his balance against his tangela, he quickly lost a couple of bracelets in the vines. This happened a lot, so he knew it would be easier to just retrieve them later with the rest of the day's small lost items. He returned his attention to the new pokemon in front of him. "Is.. is this a show? OH! Theatre! How novel! I would love to watch, do you mind if I sketch?" He began rummaging through pockets and his bag for a pencil and his book, nodding eagerly at the Mr. Mime.

[whod99]

After nodding goodbye to Bree, K and their pokemon ambled down the road leading out of the park. It was a beautiful day (K hoped that it would still be beautiful once they were halfway up the mountain), and they were taking in the park scenery.

As they rounded a bend, they saw a Mr. Mime confronting a trainer of some sort. Well, K assumed he was a trainer; he had a tangela and a torkoal standing ready. Maybe this was a pokemon battle? Once they got closer, they saw the hat sitting by the Mr. Mime and realized that she was busking. Really, though, K figured that was about the same thing--the pokemon uses their skills, and if they're impressive enough they get some money.

K knew they were in a hurry, but decided it couldn't hurt to watch for a bit. If the Mr Mime was here often, she probably had all sorts of useful contacts and juicy gossip! Besides, it was never a good idea to snub a Fairy.

K wheeled up near the other trainer and sat down beside the road.

[Bifuriousa]

At the arrival of a new person, Griffin looked up briefly, flashed a quick smile across his face and nodded politely before returning his attention to the performance and the sketches he was producing of it. He was fully focused on her. He occasionally gave a brief snort of laughter at her funnier tricks.
While he was too absorbed in his art while he finished sketching, he tried not to seem unwelcoming of company. He was on a pokemon journey after all, and didn't want to seem rude when he didn't know anyone here yet.

Tangela had enjoyed the show for a moment, but was more restless in the new environment, and began to wander towards the cart and its owner.

[Admin]

Ms. Mime was having a problem. She wasn't adverse to having sketches of her made, but it wasn't exactly putting cash in the hat. She dropped down from where she was hanging in midair, climbing up an invisible rope, and eyed the Tangela walking over to the newcomer. The travelling cart looked like a good target, and there was an obvious way she could merge the acts together.

She put out her palms in the most classic Mr Mime manner possible, and focused on the ground in front of the tangela. The barrier was projected out under Tangela's small red feet, diagonally upwards like a ramp, and suddenly the Tangela found himself running in midair.

[Bifuriousa]

Tangy had always suspected he was extremely special, and this was finally confirmation. Power! Flight! His at last! He chirped happily and jiggled about excitedly. Griffin looked over to see what had him so pleased, and finally broke down into a fit of giggles. He dug into his bag and put away his sketches, pulling out instead a generous tip and placing it carefully into the hat. "You certainly earned that, thanks for being such a great model, and giving Tangy a distraction from that cart."
He turned to the cart's owner. "Sorry, he looked like he was going to cause some mischief there. Lucky this Mr Mime helped avert it, although I promise Tangy meant well, he's just a little excitable in this new town. I'm Griffin... a pokemon trainer I guess. Nice to meet you." Griffin extended his hand to the stranger for a handshake, a little nervously.

[whod99]

K looked away from the Mr Mime at the flying tangela.
"Well now, don't see that every day! Looks like Tangy there is having fun. Thanks for looking out for my bag, ma'am."
They fished in their bag for a handful of bills and handed them to Cassie. The butterfree had apparently noticed the tangela a bit ago, and was circling K's backpack protectively. Giving a chirp that K interpreted "I've got my eyes on you, Tangy," Cassie flew over and dropped the money into the hat.
"Hey there, Griffin, you can call me K, just about everyone does. I'm a travelling merchant, but I also do some odd jobs. You know, working people through pokemon problems, helping pokemon evolve, that sort of thing,  In fact, if you'd like, I can tell you what Tangy needs to finish growing!"
K looked down at Griffin's clothes, noting that they were clearly designer brands. "Or... if you'd like, I can help you stock up. I've got a little bit of everything back at my stand."

[A Weedle]

There was noise outside the tent, which meant that there was then noise inside the tent. The whole structure shifted, and then a small weedle plopped out from the doorway, clutching something thin and long in its mouth. After an ungraceful series of flops, the weedle found its feet and scampered, at speed, back into the bushes.

[Bifuriousa]

Griffin blinked a little. "Finish growing? I mean, he's already pretty tall, and the vines never stop. I find them very useful actually!" Tangy fell to the ground with a slight thump and ran to Griffin's side. "I guess I really do still have a lot to learn. I'm on the start of my pokemon journey you see... Late bloomer and all that." He looked a little uncomfortable and shuffled his feet a bit before continuing. "I have enough supplies for now probably, but I'll keep you in mind. I would be interested in learning what you know about Tangela sometime though."

He looked down the road each way, noting the long path up the mountain to the lab. "I was heading to the market before the lab, but I think I maybe underestimated how long it would take to get to the professor. Maybe I should go straight there? Do you know the area well?"

[whod99]

K scratched their chin.
"Well, truth is I just got here this morning. I got some good directions from the lady who runs the daycare, though! Seems like we just have to head up route 16 and you can't miss it."

Cassie settled back in on K's hat and shot a glare at Tangy while Bro began to snore softly.

"We're actually heading to the lab once the show's done, if you're looking for company."

The shellder on the slowbro's tail shot a jet of water at the back of K's head.

"Ow! Alright, alright. Margot back there has been itching for a battle since she heard that you were a trainer, so I'd be much obliged if you'd let her cut loose a bit. No pressure, though--I won't force you to."

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