Set in the original region of Arciel, Legends Rising is a route-inspired, but not strictly route-based, Pokemon roleplay. Pick a faction, pick a class, and strike out into the wild to take on the League, master Contest coordination, research the mysteries of Pokemon and Arciel, and much, much more. Will you be a classic trainer? A criminal? A farmer? Choose your destiny on Legends Rising.
While Gabe himself may not have constantly frequented the farm that he now owned on the outskirts of Cherry Town, he actually had quite a few Pokemon taking care of it at all times. The Sceptile horde he had caught on Route 4 had almost immediately set out to build berry trees and move some wilder trees onto the property in some cases and maintained that well. Rose, his Venusaur, and Clopper his Gogoat worked to till the land each rotation for rotational seedings. Queen his Tsareena worked hard to make sure each seed was planted in the correct spot. Once more, though, they all enjoyed doing that kind of work, and Gabe was happy to leave it to them. When he was there, it went like clockwork. When he wasn’t there, it went like clockwork. It was nice.
Unfortunately, with winter settling in, it became harder for everyone to keep things running. While there were plenty of winter crops that seemed to just thrive in such cold conditions, pushing snow around to reach them was always a challenge. At least they (and Gabe) were up for that challenge, usually. That day, it was frigid, pretty freezing, but no snowfall to be had. Gabe had come ‘home’ for a bit to (punningly) chill there and was thankful that he’d been able to get the furnace going before nightfall the prior night. That morning, he sat out on his tiny house porch watching the Pokemon do their thing of clearing snow and checking on berries and doing whatever else they were doing. For the moment he felt… rather peaceful, all things considered— If cold. Where had summer gone again?
Suddenly, however, there was barking that reached his ears and caused him to straighten some. Hm? Ruby his Growlithe had found something down by the property entrance? That was where she was from the sounds of it, anyways. Grumbling a little to himself, he started off the porch and down towards the front which was— just a bit of a trek, actually.
Words: 271 | Tag:Gabe Alim | Notes: Pet the puppers
Wren had decided to take the time to look around Cherry Town. There were a fair amount of farmers around after all, and they were interested enough to know just what kind of people they happened to be neighbors with. "Come on Stormi, Lulu~," Wren mused, ushering their newest team members forward. The Stufful, Stormi stumbled forward, tongue sticking out of her mouth, and... fell face first in the snow. Well then... maybe they had made a mistake catching that particular Stufful but Wren hadn't exactly wanted to hang out in the cold for very long. Circe almost disappeared in the snow which made Wren laugh a little, shaking their head as their pokemon ran along the path, playing in the snow. Even Nightingale was hopping in the snow, making sure to stay in the footprints the other pokemon left.
It was only when Wren heard a woof that they headed towards the sound. As soon as they saw the Growlithe, Wren lit up and promptly scooped the pupper into their arms. They didn't care if they were attacked by licks, she was such a precious little puppy and the sweetest girl ever~. Yes she was~. Mockingjay grumbled and opted to shift into a Growlithe as well if only to get some attention as well. Wren laughed, now holding two Growlithes in their arms. "Aww, what sweet good puppers~, you're such a pretty girl aren't you little one, yes you are~," Wren cooed, not quite caring that the Growlithe might belong to someone. Having two warm puppies in their arms was just fine with them.
Ruby had spotted this new presence on her property a mile away! And only decided to bark once it had come closer! On better inspection, though, she realized there were many new presences. She’d been about to warn them, to bark again—
When suddenly Ruby found herself in the human’s arms. Blinking a little, she stared now face to face with the human before slowly grinning her puppy grin. Oh! Look at that expression! No this was a friend! Immediately she began to lick and shove her nose against the human! This wasn’t an intruder after all! Suddenly she found herself nose to nose with another Growlithe as well. Huh! Where did you come from other dog!
Gabe, meanwhile, was closing the distance and finding his in-training guard dog had found a friend. He snorted softly at that. “Ruby, what are you doing, pup?” he called even as he closed the distance now. Ruby immediately perked up and looked back towards him. Oh! She’d forgotten her human in the excitement! Whoops! Squirming a little, she tried to get put down before going bounding back over to Gabe again. “Why hello there, hope she wasn’t bothering you too much…”
Words: 206 | Tag:Gabe Alim | Notes: Pet the puppers
Wren cooed over the precious puppy, fully aware how jealous MJ had become. The Ditto, now Growlithe, was adorable, if a little resentful and giving the good puppy a stink eye. The licks and kisses Wren was getting made them laugh. Aww, what a sweet girl this one was~. The puppy's confusion over MJ's sudden appearance was so adorable before it seemed the Growlithe owner called her. Letting the puppy down, Wren laughed as MJ, still in the guise of a Growlithe, huffed. Good riddance. Wren would only laugh at the expression on their Ditto's face and rolled their eyes. "Come on, MJ, don't be such a pill," Wren scolded, chuckling softly as they settled into their arms.
At the stranger's greeting, Wren looked back over to him, their smile remaining as they briefly scanned him. Looks decent enough. "Of course not~, she's such a sweet little girl. I was just looking around and letting a few of my Pokemon play in the snow. Just moved to Cherry Town and wanted to see who my neighbors were~," Wren explained, shifting MJ enough to hold a hand out to Ruby's trainer, "I'm Wrenova~, by the way."
Hm? Oh seemed the other person had a Growlithe as well? Cute, no wonder Ruby wanted to go play, or so that was Gabe’s assumption right then and there.
At the verbal explanation that followed, Gabe smiled a little. So, he had been right then. Best behavior for the neighbors then. “Welcome to Firegrove Farm, name’s Gabe,” he smiled rubbing over the Growlithe some more. “And this little one is Ruby…” She leaned into his hand and thumped her foot a couple of times before barking once, loudly. He snorted softly and picked her up. The warmth of her body was just enough to push off the chill in the air.
“Are you new to the Arciel region as well? We’ve had quite a number of people come in lately.” Gabe asked with a small smile. Of course, the program that had been put in place to attract tourists had been going strong, so it was expected to be as much but still.
Wren hummed a little and withdrew their hand, smiling at the greeting. That was fine, they hadn't wanted to actually shake hands anyway. A small smile played on their features as Gabe introduced himself and the farm apparently. Firegrove farm, hmm~? Wasn't that interesting~. The adorable puppy's name was Ruby, because of course it was. What an adorable little pupper~. Thankfully, MJ could mirror a Growlithe's warmth just as well as its form. That was good, especially given the chill in the air. "This one is MJ~, I have a few others wandering are around here somewhere. But wouldn't you know it, they blend right in with the snow," Wren explained briefly while MJ gave a small woof in greeting. It would do for now to keep up the pretense.
The follow-up question earned a nod and a soft hum at the brief statement that there were a lot of new people coming lately. How odd... and in the dead of winter too~. What could that mean? Was Arciel really so intriguing? Something to look into later."Yes, from Kalos, originally~," Wren mused, "Arciel seemed a decent enough place to go~," they continued, shrugging their shoulders. There was truly no reason to hide that bit of information. Besides, Gabe seemed friendly enough. Now if only her other pokemon would show up sometime.
As if on cue, a Zorua bounded out of the snow on the heels of a Galorian Zigzagoon playing a game of chase before disappearing into the snow again. Lulani, the strangely colored Snubbull opted to attach herself to Wren's legs, growling quietly at Gabe and Ruby. Stormi meanwhile... tripped over her own feet again. Arceus what were they going to do with that one. "Meet Lulu, Stormi, Circe, and Night," Wren explained, gesturing to the Snubbull, Stufful, Zigzagoon, and Zorua in turn, "Thought they would enjoy a bit of exercise." Well, that and look around to see what they could use to perhaps stir up some trouble.
Gabe smiled as the opposing Growlithe was named. “I see,” he mused softly back. “Don’t let them wander too far unattended…My own Pokemon know this is their territory.” Granted, Ruby had showed spectacularly how some of them, at least the babies for now, were more than a little friendly, heh.
Originally from Kalos— ah so that was where that accent matched up from, actually. Yeah, he could hear it now. “It’s got a lot of openings for new everythings, so it’s definitely a good choice,” he agreed. “Even when you don’t register as a farmer initially, the land here is cheap enough to buy.”
This was cut off as a Zorua and Zigzagoon came bounding through the snow— visible for a moment, gone in the next. Right after that, other Pokemon including a Snubbull and a Stufful appeared. Heh, seemed someone had gone through the recent swarms of Pokemon (or just happened to have the weird luck of already having them). Heh, he was never going to be able to remember all of those names, but that was fine. Gabe smiled.
“Kind of cold to be out exploring,” he answered. “Granted some Pokemon love it.” Or were completely unfazed by it like Ruby. “Want to come in for a bit and have something warm? I only have black tea or coca but the normal visitors find that satisifactory.” He laughed once.
A nod would be given at Gabe's warning followed by a smile, "Of course~, they generally don't stray too far and they're young enough I think they'd come running back if they do run into some of yours," Wren mused, petting MJ some more. It was pretty cute how jealous they got but the Ditto knew that they were Wren's favorite.
As Gabe went on to explain some things about Arciel, Wren hummed and nodded again. Seems like they had made a good choice when deciding where to go after all. When he explained about buying farm land, Wren raised their eyebrow. That was... unexpected, mmm, perhaps..."Oh really~? I'll have to keep that in mind," they mused, shifting MJ a little to make the Growlithe-Ditto a little more comfortable.
Circe and Night were having the time of their life chasing each other through the snow. It was adorable really, seeing them jump out of the snow every so often. Still, they would return Lulu and Stormi who seemed to be Done with trying to explore in the cold snow. At the offer to come inside, Wren's eyes grew a little. They hadn't expected that when they had just opted to explore a bit around their neighborhood. Still, the offer was much appreciated. They weren't exactly dressed for the cold weather after all...
"I would like that~," Wren mused, smiling a bit more, "Cocoa would be fine, Kalos was much warmer than Arciel winters... I'm afraid I don't have much in the way of warm clothes," they explained briefly, holding the Growlithe closer. I'll have to get more fire types to survive. Yes, that would be good.
A small hand gesture to follow was given before Gabe turned and started up the path towards the farmhouse again. “Kalos is…. Mediterranean if I remember right?” he hummed a little at that. “Surrounded on several sides by temperate sea….” Yeah that explained why it didn’t get near as cold. “Arro, my home country, was sort of similar.” At least in the one part he had been in. The water kept things humid but mild. He…. wasn’t going to say he missed it, though.
“If you don’t mind hand-me-downs, I may have a jacket that fits you…” Gabe smiled a little at that. The bulk of his clothes weren’t here, but he had a few things that added up to layers upon layers of clothing.
Ruby, meanwhile, trotted alongside them all happily. As they got a little closer to the house, she ran on ahead. She barked a couple of times, and a door opened revealing— an absolutely massive Alakazam who came to stand with one hand on her hip and her head tilted curiously. “Ah, that’s Harriet,” Gabe pointed out.
The Alakazam gave a small nod from Gabe to Wren. ‘A pleasure’
Following after Gabe was a small matter... well, after Wren managed to return Circe and Night of course. The rambunctious pokemon were having the time of their lives but Wren wasn't going to chance leaving them out where they could cause trouble. No need to upset their neighbor's pokemon after all~. At Gabe's comment, Wren hummed lightly, "You have a good memory~, it is indeed~," they mused, smiling a bit more when he explained that there home was similar, "Oh? Was it indeed? The cold must be miserable for you as well," they continued, glad to be getting in out of the cold.
The offer for a jacket had Wren's eyes growing once again. Did the kindness of strangers know no bounds~. "How very generous of you..." they mused, their words a little more pronounced, cautious even. Surely Gabe wouldn't simply give them something just to be kind. There had to be a catch... but what? Stepping into the warmth of the house, Wren couldn't help but sigh in relief. That felt much better than the frigid air outside. Even MJ seemed to appreciate the warmth and jumped down just as they saw the....enormous Alakazam? That made them step back a little, enough to hopefully not be instantly maimed by such a frightening creature.
Of course, then Gabe introduced them as 'Harriet' and while Wren still wasn't quite so on guard, they quickly realized how outmatched they were just with the Alakazam so close to them. Right, Gabe hadn't shown any signs of being a threat. Surely they would be alright. Of course, the voice in their head gave them a start and they quickly looked to the Alakazam. Right, powerful psychic pokemon knew telepathy. That was a given. "Nice to meet you, I'm Wren and this little one is MJ~," they stated before walking further inside and hopefully away from the Alakazam. They didn't want anyone prying into their thoughts.
Gabe shrugged his shoulders at the mention of generosity. Cherry Town’s citizens had been nothing but neighborly to him since he had gotten there, and he wasn’t going to screw with that if he could help it.
That was, at least, until a cluster of thoughts bounded off Wren and hit Gabe all at once. Surely he won’t just give me the jacket just to be kind. There has to be a catch— but what? Gabe’s lips parted and closed tightly. He knew those weren’t his own thoughts. He could tell the difference now, but the sheer amount of paranoid anxiety in tone was familiar to him. Gold eyes flicked back to Wren, and for a brief moment, Gabe was aware of a kinship between them. Something more to it than meets the eye hah… Well wasn’t that grand? How far did it go? Did he want to know? Meh, might as well.
Harriet, meanwhile, was aware of a multitude of things right then as they stepped into the house now. How did Gabe always find these types of people, she’d never know. Still, she wouldn’t judge by thoughts but by actions. Her eyes flicked to Gabe’s. “Would you mind setting a kettle, Harriet? I’m going to dig in the closet for something,” he spoke with a smile. Ah, so that was what he was choosing to do then. She nodded and started off to the kitchen using her telekinesis and things to start things.
Gabe found himself listening into those surface thoughts a little closer now before he gestured to a couch to sit at and then walked over to one of the closets to start pulling at things. Ah, yeah, this would probably fit them he guessed. Walking back with something clearly hand-me-downed to Gabe even, Gabe held it forward. “It’s old but it’s warm enough.”
When Harriet was told to go elsewhere to start the kettle, Wren relaxed a little more. They didn't want to be near the Alakazam, at least not when their team consisted of little ones, most notably dark types which... while they had the advantage over psychic types, wasn't exactly a good idea right then. They didn't want to make an enemy out of Gabe without good reason. He seemed nice... though if Wren could figure out what he wanted from them, that might help. Never in their life had they been given anything for free. Unless beatings counted but that wasn't something they wanted to dwell on.
As Gabe looked through the closet, Wren held MJ a little closer. The 'Growlithe' whine a bit and licked their face which elicited a soft smile. Right, they were just fine. It was only after the coat was held out to them that Wren set MJ down. The Growlithe didn't like that one bit and opted to sit down right at Wren's feet while they shifted to try on the jacket. It fit well enough, and they could tell how warm it was. This is nice... Maybe, just maybe, they would be able to survive the winter with this. "It feels nice," Wren mused, pulling off the jacket once again and folding it over one arm, "Do you want some pen for it?" Just because it was old, didn't mean that it was free. Nothing in life was ever free.
Gabe felt a pull at the corner of his mouth as the reactionary thought reverberated loudly in his head. “Good,” he hummed a little at the comment. The question, though, had him pausing. He could just as easily accept money, but he had to wonder what would happen if he kept pressing them…. “Nah, just go ahead and keep it,” he answered. “So long as it’s doing some good outside of a closet, I’m happy.”
A whistling sound caught his attention, and he made a small head gesture to the kitchen. Sounded like Harriet had indeed heated up a kettle, and now it was ready. ‘What kind of tea do you want?’ Harriet’s thoughts reverberated in Gabe’s mind only. The response had the Alakazam pausing surprised but sure enough changing her tactics.
“Sounds like the water’s ready…. Let’s step into the kitchen,” Gabe made a small head gesture before heading that way. The kitchen was small, cramped, and full of pots and pans and one old stove that was more used as a furnace than a stove. Still, there was a small table to sit at and two chairs. Good enough.
As Gabe refused the offer for pen, Wren stared at him owlishly. Was he serious? He can't be serious. There just had to be something else Gabe wanted. Just what kind of game are you playing... Tilting their head, Wren smiled, "Would you like something else then~?"Come on, just tell me already...
Of course the kettle would distract Gabe and the huge Alakazam would make an appearance again. At the invitation to step into the kitchen, Wren nodded and followed him towards where she could hear the The kitchen was... quaint. Of course, Wren didn't really expect anything less from a cottage in Cherry Town. How cute~. At least it was warm in here, especially close to the stove. "Sure is cozy in here~," Wren mused, setting the jacket on the back of one of the chairs. MJ promptly jumped up on Wren's lap as soon as they sat down, wanting to be close and well, Wren wasn't going to say no to a cute fire puppy in their lap.
Still... that Alakazam was a little worrisome. Was she going to pop up somewhere? Was this some elaborate plan to cut off all attempts to escape? Or maybe it's just... genuine kindness. It was weird to think about that but... maybe there was a first for everything?
What kind of game are you playing— The thought came loud and clear in Gabe’s head, and he couldn’t help but smile a little more. He shrugged his shoulders indifferently at the question, clearly unwilling to give them an answer. Of course, at this point there was no game, but Gabe liked yanking people’s chains so heh. Instead, he headed on to the kitchen where sure enough Harriet was putting the last of the mini-marshmallow additions to two cups of steaming hot coca. Good good…
“It’s nice,” Gabe agreed. “Thanks, Harriet…” He’d take the mugs as she held them out to them and walk over to the small table where Wren was. Setting down the mug and then sitting down across from them with his own, Gabe took a slow, warm sip. ‘What do you think of them so far?’ his thoughts went out to Harriet again.
The Alakazam didn’t answer back immediately but slowly made a decisive word only to Gabe again. ‘Very paranoid.’ But that wasn’t something she was unaccustomed to. Instead, her eyes raised to Wren, and her thoughts became audible. ‘If you need anything else, just let me know,’ she commented before turning and walking out of the kitchen again. Presumably, she was in the living room now, but it was hard to tell from this angle where she’d settled down.
“So why don’t you tell me a little more about yourself?” Gabe asked taking a slow sip of coca again.
When Gabe didn't say anything to their question, Wren had to fight back a sigh. Ugh, he certainly didn't make this easy, did he. He was clearly playing some sort of game with them and Wren didn't appreciate it one bit. Or at least, that was what that smile told them. The move to the kitchen after that was nice enough, it was quaint and homey almost. Wren didn't mind the almost cramped quarters when it was so much warmer in the kitchen, especially with a fire puppy on their lap.
As the mugs were placed before them, Wren gave Harriet a slight nod of thanks before taking a sip of the cocoa. Oh, they could feel that go all the way down and the marshmallows were a nice touch. Of course, Wren would just begin to relax when that voice was in their head again and started, eyes darting to the Alakazam. Stay out of my head. They... didn't really like psychic pokemon that much, not one that huge at any rate. I could be trapped... Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea.
Ah, but Harriet stepped out of the kitchen after that and Wren was able to relax again. It.. wasn't exactly Harriet's fault, but mother had a psychic pokemon and... nope, not going to think about that moving on. Gabe's question brought Wren out of these thoughts and managed to smile a bit before taking another sip of cocoa. "Shouldn't I be asking you that~?" Wren mused, "How about a question for a question, sound fair? I already mentioned I'm from Kalos, Lumiose City specifically. Parlez-vous français?"
Wren’s thoughts were so loud that even Gabe was fully aware of them now. His lips twitched a little as he registered that Wren’s mother had been Psychic leading to a bias there. Well, no sense in telling them anything ever, heh.
He smiled and brought his mug up to his lips at the immediate verbal rebuttal. “That’s fine,” he answered. The comment after that earned a look of interest. My what are the chances…. A small shake of head was given. “I understand a little Kalosian but speaking it is another story.” He chuckled at the question.
“I’ve lived in Arciel most of my life,” he decided on. “Mostly in the Bass area, but occasionally in and around Plum. When I got enough pen to buy this place, it was a good escape from the noise of the cities.” Not at all lies, technically, but not really full truths either. “Most” meaning “about half” was a stretch for sure, but whatever.
That slight twitch of a lip was noted, but Wren wrote it off as a reaction to their own statement. Interesting, though. They were nothing if not observant. Of course Gabe agreed to answer their questions which would make quite a fun game if Wren played their cards right. Besides, they had already given a fair amount of information to Gabe already. It was enough to have him answer the first question regardless.
The fact that Gabe understood Kalosian was impressive and Wren found themselves leaning in a little, very interested in just how Gabe had picked up Kalosian. How indeed. Gabe himself stated that he lived in the Bass city area most of his life. "Is that so? My, you're full of surprises aren't you~," Wren mused, smiling at the explanation that followed. Ahh, so that was why Gabe had the farm in Cherry Town. Ah yes, that made sense. They didn't like cities after being in Lumiose most of their life either.
"That's true indeed, Cherry Town seems quite peaceful. Quite a nice break from busy city life. Truly, I don't think I ever want to go back to it," Wren agreed, sitting back with their cocoa, "You know~, I can also understand Kantonese a fair bit~," they explained briefly before taking a sip of their cocoa, "But I believe it's your turn to ask a question~."
Gabe snorted softly. “I suppose I am,” he answered taking a slow sip of his hot chocolate again. More than you know… Granted he had an unfair advantage in that category right then. Hm, Kantonian (ese? Did it matter? Were they the same thing? Gabe would look that up later). “Interesting,” he smiled.
Hmmmm what should he ask, though? Maybe something light to start. “I don’t know a lot of Kantonian; I’ve heard it here and there, but not a lot. Do they speak a lot of Kantonian in Kalos?” Or was it something specific to Wren, was the clear follow up that Gabe didn’t really need to give right then.
Wren laughed softly as Gabe agreed with them. The little tidbit about knowing Kantonese as well was more of a bitter subject, but it was something they'd volunteered. It was a harmless thing to admit after all. Sipping a little more of their hot chocolate, Wren nodded as Gabe said they didn't understand a lot of Kantonian. Or rather, he hadn't heard it very often. Was there a difference? Maybe, maybe not.
The question had Wren hesitating briefly, internally swearing in Kalosian. Arceus dammitall. They'd walked right into that question, hadn't they? Trying their best to appear calm, Wren simply shook their head, giving Gabe an all too bright (and all too fake) smile, "My mother never spoke anything else~," they hummed, petting MJ again who whined up at them. A laugh would escape Wren after that. Yes, MJ was and always would be their favorite. Such a dear~. Even if MJ got incredibly jealous of their attention. It was quite endearing, really.
"Otherwise, no, they don't speak a lot of Kantonese," Wren continued, "Now for my question~. Do you people watch? And if so, what's the wackiest thing you've witnessed?"
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