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.
Then it came! The attack! Gusios growled and charged once again against Anne! Gusios gritted his teeth to defend against the sucker punch, but... He was too weak in the end! Gusios was kicked behind, and was the first to fell, breathing heavily. Tristan however used that moment to use Disarming Voice at Anne! Yes, while she's going at him, and while she's unable to change her trajectory! The Ralts himself tried to dodge sideway, but unfortunately, the shrapnel rock on Anne's neck managed to graze him enough to force him on his knees! Finding that he can no longer fight that much, he finally conceded by raising a hand. It was frustrating, but it was a good one.
Azur noted that two of them is now tired. They're not seriously hurt, thank goodness, but he himself need to finish the examination before going. "Gusios, Tristan, to me," he ordered. "You two did a great job while being alone."
It comes too late though, is what Tristan thought. He harrumphed. Albeit begrudgingly, he does approach Azur with Gusios in tow. Azur first applied some ointment on their wounds. He also massaged them a bit. Gusios in particular liked it a lot, so much that he exhaled and let out a content cry. Meanwhile, Tristan's reaction is more subdued. Once the two of them treated enough, Azur gave the two Pokemon foods. Checking the two, there weren't anything inherently wrong with them. One is just bigger than usual, while another is just smaller than usual. Back to the Snubbul's little checkup though...
"Yes, I'll try my best to get it done quickly, alright?" From the look of it, she's normally weighed for her size. Her sleepy nature is just because her personality. Her heartbeat is normal, and it seem she's just quite sleepy from breaking out is all. No deformations on her body (Azur did this along with giving the Snubbull some massages, just to get on her good side), there's no problem with her hearing also. She's well... but after what happened before, he honestly just need to do one final check... one that he'd rather not repeat. Azur took out a toy.
"Right, I just need one more thing to do from you, my dear. How about you bite this toy?" It's a toy with built in gauge. It's to gauge a Pokemon's biting strength. Based on her personality, he assume that the gauge will be about 20% lower than the usual amount of force given.
After that, he should be free in checking Tristan and Gusios in more detailed manner. "Say, Ettie, have you decided any sort of name for these two? Oh right, this Snubbull is also a female. She's the type that go her way... but beside the bite check that she have to do herself, the rest of physical examination says she's healthy. It's just part of her personality is all. I don't see anything externally wrong with her at all. Her teeth is also quite good, at least from what I see from her underbite."
As Azur joked about Honchkrows being a bit ironic, Ettie would pause for a few long seconds - mulling over his comment. However, even after thinking hard on it... She'd quirk her lips a bit at the older trainer. "I don't get it." She'd respond, tilting her head. "Is it... Because they become a mafia boss that it's ironic?" Ettie next asked; though even if that was the case, she wasn't entirely sure as to HOW that'd be ironic..! Was it because of her old gang? She hadn't exactly told Azur about the gang beyond referring to them as her friends and family (which technically wasn't wrong) so it wasn't like he'd know about that... Hm.
In any case; Azur's remark about dressing up for contests sounding like a massive pain would make Ettie laugh brightly, a grin across her face. "I dunno if it'd be THAT much of a pain or not; but wouldn't it also be fun, dressing up to make yourself look different for a little while?" She'd question, hopping along idly. "People always say that changing things up every so often is good for you!"
Then, Azur would take the time to dress himself up - putting on a medical coat and a pair of glasses. Ettie would watch as he did so - visibly curious as to why he'd need glasses, initially. Weren't glasses for if your vision's all blurry all the time? Well, in any case, Azur would soon ask Ettie if he looked smart enough - to which Ettie giggled, nodding. "Yep! You really do look like a nurse, in that!" She'd confirm with a smile, skipping up to him. She'd look him up and down briefly, before wrapping herself up in a portion of Azur's coat with a cheery giggle.
The Cool, Cute, and Smart categories would be what Azur suggested for Ettie, though; which seemed to make her curious. "... Could we both do Smart categories together, then...?" She'd ask - tilting her head a bit - before grinning and adding "We could both dress up like nurses, that way...! Ehehehe!" That sounded like it'd be tons of fun, in her opinion!
The mention of cleaning herself up and getting new clothes, though... Ettie blinked a bit curiously, at the idea of new clothes, but would shake her head. "It's okay, Azur!" She'd reassure the older trainer, giggling. "I like these clothes! I especially really like my jacket and goggles!" They were special to her, after all; and if these clothes still served their purpose, why replace them? It'd be wasteful to just throw them out if they still worked, after all...!
Though, after a moment of thought... She'd clarify "New clothes are always nice, though; thank you...! I always can mix and match them with these clothes, too!" Now that made her wonder, just what sort of clothes Azur might get her. She always preferred more practical clothing, over fancy clothing, after all; people always wanted to wear fancy tight pants and dresses and the whatnot - when they just weren't good at all for climbing and running about...! They'd either just make it hard to run, or end up getting caught on something...!
Anne's fight with Tristan and Gusios would soon wrap up, though; her Sucker Punch landing cleanly on Gusios, and the Tackle - though glancing - landing on Tristan. Both pokemon would be knocked down for the count, though Anne couldn't help but stagger as she landed; having taken a point blank Disarming Voice in the process. For being hatchlings, they both put up a respectable fight...!
Now that that spar was over, though... It seemed that Anne's demeanor would change near-immediately, allowing herself to sigh heavily and stretch her limbs as she winded down from the fight. She felt satisfied for winning; though was somewhat sore, too, from the attacks she took. She'd soon brush that aside in lieu of checking up on Tristan and Gusios both - lightly grooming them with a few licks, and helping them up onto their feet.
As the three of them would all make for Azur, she'd also bark softly in praise; checking in to see how they were feeling, and to make sure there were no hard feelings between them for this fight. Gusios and Tristan fought well; though she felt as though Tristan trying to tank her first Tackle against him, while admirable, did him more harm than good in the fight. His Disarming Voice certainly rattled her head, though...
Ettie, smiling brightly, would reach over to give all three pokemon headpats - mentioning cheerily "You guys fought really hard out there; good job...!" Watching the two hatchlings fight for the first time was interesting - they really knew what they were doing, once they had gotten a hang of their attacks, huh? It made her wonder, just how quickly her own two pups would get the hang of fighting...
Anne would bark in response to Ettie's praise; tail wagging as she went to check up on her newly hatched sisters... Only for the hyperactive Electrike to pounce on her, with a bark in greeting! Anne would yelp as the two were sent tumbling, across the grass...! The two pups seemed untroubled, though; their tails wagging as they yipped at eachother, and began play-wrestling and nipping each other.
Meanwhile, the Snubbull was rather passive; simply grumbling a bit as she put up with Azur handling her. The more she cooperated, the sooner she could get this over with, and the sooner she could go back to sleep, she figured. The massaging, too, seemed to help in keeping the pup patient; letting out a relaxed sigh as she leaned into his touches. Though she didn't appreciate her sleep being disturbed, she supposed that she could put up with this if he was spoiling her with a massage like this...
Then there was the toy, for checking the Snubbull's bite strength. She'd look at the toy a bit quizzically, taking it in her paws and looking it over briefly. So she just had to bite down on this, and then she'd be done? Well... If he wanted a bite, then she'd sure as hell give him one...! The Snubbull would suddenly become energetic, as she opened her mouth as widely as she could; as though she intended to bite the toy as hard as she could. However, as she chomped down hard on the toy, her teeth would catch aflame in a Fire Fang attack...!
Azur would then ask Ettie, if she had any names in mind for the two pups. The young girl would be quiet for a second, thinking it over as she murmured "I was thinking of naming the Snubbull Princess; since she kind of makes me think of those Sleeping Beauty fairytales... Though I dunno what name I wanna give the Electrike quite yet..."
Tilting her head, she'd mull it over for a second - musing out loud "...Maybe something similar to Princess, since they hatched together?"
Hmmm? So she doesn't get it? "Well, think it like this... In stories, Mafia bosses tends to be the big bad of the plot, or at least holding a really important position. So imagine if the boss of this mafia boss... turned out to be a street urchin you never thought to hold any sort of important power, isn't that like a great plot twist?" Azur explained. "You would never thought that the big boss isn't the mafia boss but actually the street urchin that you just met in passing in early chapter or something. Granted, depend the execution it could be a bad writing or a really good writing.
...But then again when it comes to Pokemon I guess it won't be so shocking if a street urchin have a Honchkrow, huh? It'll be a funny coincidence is all. Eh but either way, don't mind me. My geeky side just came out."
Dressing up to look differently eh... Well, she's not wrong, but at the same time... "Hmmm... so basically sort of role playing? Honestly, I'm not really quite into dressing up..." Azur commented, looking at his clothes. "My kind of clothes is whatever I think is suitable looking for me. I guess whatever felt comfortable to me too. So at times putting on clothes I don't feel suitable sort of... a mixed feeling for me. I guess that's why I never really challenged any gyms back in my hometown. Putting on clothes with a lot of sponsor logo in there is sort of embarrassing."
Come to think of it, other region does not have that sort of problem, huh? Azur both envied them and at the same time pretty much neutral about it. It's just strange that there haven't been much recognition for gym challenger until they becomes champion.
Azur just chuckled when Ettie wrapped herself with his nurse coat and ruffled her hair again. "Sure, I guess that's fine with me, but you know that if we're in contest together, especially in same category we need to fight against each other, right? I mean in battling round. There only can be one winner who win the contest ribbon at a given time after all."
Now, if there's a double contest, he have no idea what to feel about that!
"Well I'm not telling you to discard them or something. We could even ask them to fix it or create a similar looking clothes. If you don't want that, we can just ask them to wash it, then I'll get you some pair of clothes, yeah? I know the sentimental value of an item after all. So don't worry."
Though... he wonder what should he get for her? She's definitely the kind that like to be active. He guess something that can make her have easier time to move around? Probably some warmer clothes too? Hmmm...
...Wait, now that he think about it, since when has he become an official big brother figure for this little girl? ...Fate sure works in strange way.
Hmmm, Azur felt thankful that this time around he did not ask the Snubbull to bite his hand of all thing... This lady just like that used fire fang! Who would have thought! However, he noted that she's especially very motivated to do it right after he said it's their last test. Could it be that she's actually the kind who loves her beauty sleep? Azur mused this for a while before summing it up to Ettie. "So this one is also healthy, she's... very motivated when you follow what she want so to say. She seemed to prefer to be left to her own tempo. She does seem to enjoy massages though... I'll teach you how to massage her later, sounds good?" Azur asked.
Name is it? "...Well, that one is a princess, then this one is a Duchess?" Azur joked. "Sometimes Duchess and Princess are best friends, or even related." For the Snubbull, though.... "I think she would prefer to sleep than to eat. So I think it's best to get her a nice comfortable bed. Shall we--" before Azur finished his sentence, Gusios suddenly tugged his clothes. "Hmmm? What is it, Gusios? Are you hungry?" The Bagon shook his head in reply, then let out various short cries, seem to trying to catch his attention. Upon looking at where he's pointing... he saw a dark alley. It's a short one, with various abandoned boxes and trash cans... but what caught his attention is what on the end of the small alleyway. At first, he thought it was some sort of abandoned carpet. The color no longer looking good, and the strands are matted... At first he thought that Gusios wanted it, but then he saw pair of eyes staring right at him.
Azur cursed. That's not a carpet. That's a Pokemon! He made a hand motion for Ettie to stay as he himself approached the alleyway. He noted that it's too silent. There's no growling, there's no sudden movement... If anything, the Pokemon is trying to make itself as small as possible. "...Are you there?" he asked. "It's OK, don't worry... I'm not going to hurt you, alright?"
When he noticed what's there... it was... Oh God, it's an Arcanine. They're majestic beast, huge and powerful... yet this one is anything but. He looked scared, alone and absolutely miserable. He doesn't even look like he has been eating right! Not to mention this size... he's smaller than the rest of his species. Could it be that he... was evolved faster than intended? "...It's alright, can I come closer?"
There was no response, only low whining. Azur slowly approached the poor thing, hoping that he could learn what's going on. Even when he run his hand through the matted fur, the poor thing did not let out any unpleasant growl. It... is almost that the poor thing is a puppy that was abandoned or tossed away. Azur tried to check for any identification... but he did not find any. If the Pokemon are chipped, perhaps...? He would have lifted the poor thing himself if he have the strength to do it, but nope. He probably going to throw his back. There's no other way.
"...Ettie, could you... could you ask Anne to stay with him for a while? I'm going to call for a Pokemon Center staff here!"
Last Edit: Apr 30, 2020 0:23:20 GMT by Azur Schild
As Azur described his preference in clothing, Ettie would hum a bit - tilting her head - before nodding. "That sounds a lot like the type of clothes I like, honestly!" She would mention, smiling brightly. "I mostly wear whatever I can find, and I'm not picky about what I wear... But I really like clothes that I can move and run and climb around in...!" Ettie described, continuing "But I always wear my jacket and goggles; they're super special to me...!" as she gestured to the accessories in question. They were gifts to her - so she did her best to take ultra good care of them, and would wear them wherever she went...!
As her hair was ruffled once more though, Ettie would giggle; keeping herself wrapped up in Azur's coat. "I mean... Yeah, I know we'd be competing..." She'd begin, smiling up to him. "... But even then, wouldn't it be fun? It'd be just like playfighting or sparring, except fancier...! And as long as we're both enjoying ourselves, all would be good, right?" And even if one of them didn't win... There was always next time, after all...! She or he could always just try again, with other people, and win their ribbon next...!
Azur listing off the options they could go through for Ettie's existing clothing, though... She'd think for a few seconds - mulling over the aforementioned options - before... "... I think I wouldn't mind them washing n' fixing everything... Though I want them to be extra careful with my jacket and goggles, okay?" She'd ask - glancing up to Azur. "They're special, like I mentioned before...!"
But that did raise the question as to what, exactly, Azur would be getting for her alongside her existing clothes. She already mentioned her preferences - but her preferences were pretty open, honestly! The clothes he'd get her could be just about anything...! Maybe they'd be something like the clothes he's wearing now...? She wouldn't mind that - that sounded like it'd be interesting...
... Though, she supposed that she would see, whenever they did get around to this whole new-clothesy-stuff...!
Meanwhile, the Snubbull - now Princess - would return to Ettie's lap now that the tests were over - plopping right down, despite her large size making her not exactly a lap dog - and closing her eyes with a wide yawn. She was ready to doze, then and there - even as the toy that Azur had tested her with sat smouldering on the ground, between Azur and Ettie both. Ettie, disregarding the fact that Princess practically murdered the toy, would giggle softly; gently scritching the top of the Snubbull's head.
Ettie would nod along to Azur's explanations regarding Princess' nature and personality, smiling down to the Snubbull in her lap. When Azur suggested to her about learning how to massage Princess, her voice would be surprisingly soft and gentle - respectful of Princess wanting a nap - in response. "I'd like that; and I think Princess would like it tons, too." She'd remark; gently wrapping her arms around the Snubbull in question. Princess, though a sleepy girl, was quite adorable with how she snuggled close and gently mumbled to herself...
Then, Azur would suggest naming the Electrike Duchess..! Ettie's eyes lit up curiously, and she'd glance over to the electric pup - who was still playwrestling with Anne. "What do you think, puppy?" Ettie would call to the Electrike - who paused mid-play, Anne's tail caught in a play-bite, to glance over at Ettie quizzically. "Do you like the name Duchess?" The Electrike, it seemed, would agree to the name - barking eagerly in response...
... Only to be taken surprise by Anne, who tackled into her! The Electrike - now Duchess - would yelp from being startled as she toppled over, but the two would eagerly return to their play; yipping at each other all the whilst. It seemed like the name Duchess was a hit for the little Electrike! Grinning, Ettie would glance back to Azur - chirping "Thank you for the name, Azur...!"
But, then, something seemed to have Gusios agitated; the young Bagon getting Azur's attention, pointing out towards a nearby alleyway...! Ettie and the others would follow Gusios gaze - and though the young girl was initially as confused as Azur was, the scent of a frightened pokemon was unmistakable to the canines. Anne and Duchess both would stop their play - concern visible across their faces - whereas Princess would simply watch the pokemon through a halflidded gaze, quiet and gauging.
Even as Azur asked her to stay, Ettie couldn't help but shift a bit closer; a deep worry visible in her gaze as she restlessly fidgeted. Poor Arcanine... He looked like he had been through a lot - sympathy and compassion for the canine welling up in her heart.
Soon though, Azur would ask for Anne to keep the Arcanine company; to which the group all nodded. Ettie would carefully pick Princess up - a hefty task, given the Snubbull's size - as Duchess and Anne followed at her heels; the lot of them slowly and carefully approaching the fiery canine. Ettie would sit at the entrance to the alleyway - giving the Arcanine some breathing room - while Duchess and Anne both would approach the Arcanine.
The two pups would bark to the Arcanine in greetings and reassurances, approaching in a slow but friendly fashion; tails wagging slowly all the whilst. It was okay, they'd both say - you're safe now. You can relax now. Duchess, admittedly, was following Anne's lead here - but they both were equally compassionate to the Arcanine's plight. Only Arceus knew just what sort of messes he might've had to put up with until now...
Ettie, too, would speak up softly - mentioning "It's okay, buddy... Azur's a nurse; he'll help you be healthy and happy soon, when he gets back..!" Even that being said, though; she couldn't help but sound a hair choked up - it pained her to see another stray pokemon forced to go solo, and being in such a bad state; especially given that she was sure that Arcanines were just as social as any other canine pokemon... She wanted to take him in, alongside the others, here and now; so that he could have a proper pack, and so that they could show him all the love that he deserved...!
Almost immediately, the two canines would begin trying to groom the Arcanine - using their claws and fangs to comb out the smaller mats, and licking his fur clean the best they could. Being comparatively smaller than the Arcanine though, meant that their work was slow going; but they both seemed firm and tenacious in their tasks. One way or another, they wanted to help this poor lost Arcanine out, and help ease some of the discomfort that they were sure he was feeling.
Even Princess, though initially remaining in Ettie's arms, would eventually hop down from her lap - lumbering over to the Arcanine, and plopping down next to him. She would quietly look the larger canine up and down, before huffing; reaching a paw out to stroke the Arcanine's muzzle in a lazy, but reassuring, gesture.
"So they're like your trademark, huh?" Azur asked in return. It does looks like it's meant to grown into. "I guess I'm the same with my headband, heh. Well, either way, I don't think I should be the one picking. You should. We can ask direction later where to buy clothes, alright?" Then again he guess if he look for expensive one, she would only able to buy cheap ones. But if he look for ones where it's cheaper rather than a brand name, she could pick more than enough for a journey if she want to go on a journey. Still, raincoats and such must be in great condition otherwise there's no point buying it. Clothes are more flexible.
Hmmm, what with this girl and her liking of blanketed by his coat, he wonder? Azur cannot help but to smile warmly. "Well, if that's how you put it I guess it's fine. As long as there are no hard feelings I'll be fine with it. If there are hard feelings though... I hope it can be sorted outside battle... Like probably, if you or I lose and the other is the winner, the winner must treat the loser Ice cream or something?" Azur joked. "Come to think of it, do you have any favorite flavor?"
Hmmm, again, those are precious huh? "Don't worry, professionals are used to fix items. If they can't fix it because it'll get more damaged, I think they will not take it, so it's fine."
By the way, is he ignoring the toy? The smouldering one? Yes, let's not talk about it. Azur actually just sighing in relief that he doesn't do anything stupid. But man, he'll make sure to ask about given another one of those toys. They're free, but only to licensed nurses. And even then, he have to prove that he's a working nurse by working in the Pokemon Center for a good while before he could get issued a new one.
"... All you have to remember is each Pokemon have spots in their body they want to be touched on and places they don't want to be touched on, alright?" Azur started, voice low. "For example, cat Pokemons tends to dislike being handled on their tail and their legs. Hind legs are especially annoying spot for them. They like being rubbed on the head or on the neck. As for dog pokemon, rubbing then on their stomach seem to be doing that trick. Now, thing is though, when massaging, you shouldn't take places where they like to be touched as places to be massaged on. Instead, focus on their muscles. Make sure you only apply enough pressure to heal rather than outright pressing to make it hurt, alright?"
He then pull out a piece of paper, draw Snubbull's silhouette quickly and pointed at places that recommended to make Pokemon of that physiology to relax with red circles. "Pretty much these. The part I dotted red? Those are places you could press or gently massage. It's super effective!"
Looks like Duchess likes her name too. Azur just smiled and reached toward Duchess to give her a quick pat. "Get along well with your sisters!"
Back to the Arcanine situation, Azur quickly ran toward the Pokemon Center. He headed straight toward the receptionist (Nurse Joy). It was a blur, he doesn't remember much. "Excuse me, I'm sorry to take a bit of your time. I found a malnourished Pokemon... no, I have no idea who owns it, I think it's abandoned. There's no tag, he's scared and alone... oh, I forgot to show my identification, do I?" Azur whipped out his nursing license to the staff. "Azur Schild is my name, yes. I'm a nursing student graduate... Right, about the Pokemon it's an Arcanine. It's smaller than its size. I'm afraid it might have been evolved far too soon. Perhaps a case of someone who wanted to have Arcanine quickly, but ended up making the poor thing ended up underdeveloped instead. I have no idea if the damage are irreversible or not, but it's definitely severely underweight... What else do I noticed? The Pokemon's fur are terribly matted. It's definitely lacking the usual orange color. I suspect there might be a case of parasite infection too. Fleas are given, but I mean worm kind. They're not behaving like a wild Pokemon either. They don't attack, they don't... bark or even growl. They just whined and tried to make themselves as small as possible. I think they're traumatized... from the look of it, probably they have been abandoned close to two months or so? They're definitely not a wild Pokemon. Someone owned this poor guy, and somehow they ended up on the street. Right. I'll show you, this way, Nurse."
Meanwhile, being approached by Anne and the rest made the Arcanine still whimpering. He's not quite sure what to think. He's been alone, so alone. Because he's an Arcanine, he scared a lot of other Pokemons.. and there are also a lot of humans that wanted to catch him. He ran, ran and ran, and eventually he just gotten too scared to move. The licks are appreciated, but even then he's worried. Worried that he will get captured for real... Perhaps he should just give up and let himself got captured? He guess that's better than running away again. He's tired, really tired...
Azur soon returned, this time with Nurse Joy in tow. "How do you think we should approach him?" Azur asked.
"I think the best way is to not capture it with Pokeball... Let's try to see if we could somehow put a leash on him and guide him to Pokemon Center. It's best if someone do it alone. Would you do the honor? He have seen you before, so I think he should be accustomed to you," Nurse Joy suggested.
"Right." Azur once again slowly approached the Arcanine. "...Hey, are you alright? Don't worry, I'm not going to force you to go against your will... I want to help you, alright? ...You must be hungry, thirsty too... are you tired?" The Arcanine only could whine. There's... indescribable sadness on his eyes. "...It's alright. Can we move to Pokemon Center to treat you? Please?"
Perhaps, due to its own tiredness, it relented. "...Can you move by yourself?" Leash probably is a bad idea at the moment. Azur instead opted to gently put his hand on its back. "...Right, that's the way... let's go to the Pokemon Center, alright? We'll get you treated, feed you up, and let you drink. You can rest there. It's better than in here."
OOC: Boosting Occupation Skill (Nursing)
Last Edit: Apr 30, 2020 11:26:39 GMT by Azur Schild
As Azur asked Ettie what her favorite flavor of ice cream was, the young girl would think it over for a second - though otherwise seemed to already know what she liked. "I really like chocolate!" She'd chirp, bouncing along, giggling with a wide grin. "Peanut butter, too...! They both go together really super well - though..." Trailing off a bit, she'd scratch her cheek a bit in a sheepish fashion. "... I don't tend to get it very often. It's hard to steal ice cream, and what money I do find I usually spend on more important things, like clothes and food..."
Even though Ettie was a youngster with a mischievous streak, it seemed that even she had her priorities straight for supplies. She learned real quick - thanks to both the gang she grew up with, as well as personal experience - that you had to be mindful of where you invest your money, hard-earned or otherwise...! Else, you might be going to bed hungry or cold!
However, whereas Azur was ignoring the toy... Ettie was staring right at it, amazed that Princess was able to set it on fire like that. That, and the burning rubber and plastic made her nose wrinkle; the smell being rather unpleasant, all in all. Briefly, she considered whether they shouldn't put it out or something - she was somewhat worried that the grass around it might catch on fire - but... She couldn't exactly move from the spot right now without risking disturbing Princess...! And she wanted to make sure that the young Snubbull got all the rest that she wanted..!
Instead, she'd soon turn her attention back to Azur - listening and nodding along as he explained the difference between petting and massaging. It made sense to her - just because a spot felt good, doesn't mean that it hits all the muscles...! Though, the mention of how canine pokemon tended to like getting their bellies rubbed would make her glance down to Princess; thinking for a few moments. Sure, she already knew this - she rubbed Anne's belly all the time, after all..! But, the reminder of it made her wonder: what would Princess think, about getting her belly rubbed?
Curious, Ettie would carefully reach down - brushing her hand along Princess' tummy. The Snubbull would lazily mumble a bit, shifting in Ettie's arms - but seemed more than happy to bare her belly for more petting; which Ettie provided with a soft giggle. Dawww; for being such a sleepy grump, Princess was also very adorable...
As Azur provided a diagram with a basic idea of places what were good to massage, Ettie would look it over before nodding; already beginning on lightly massaging the indicated spots. Princess, on cloud nine, would practically melt into Ettie's touch - letting out a long and content huff against her shoulder. Ettie, in response, would giggle softly; continuing her work, and watching as the Snubbull snuggled up to her for more attention. "Thank you, Azur," She'd whisper to the older boy - clearly appreciative of his teachings.
Yeah, she could put up with this, Princess thought to herself. If putting up with people meant being pampered and massaged like this, then she'd put up with others all they liked. Just don't stop massaging there - ah yes, that's the spot...
Meanwhile, there was the Arcanine situation... As Azur went to get help, Ettie and co would remain at the Arcanine's side; Ettie frowning softly as her heart twisted, emotionally pained at the Arcanine's soft whimpers. "Shhh... Relax..." She'd gently hush the canine, finally getting up to get closer to him - a hand stroking over the top of his head in a gentle and reassuring fashion. "You'll be okay now. You're safe with us, okay?" She'd reassure him; offering him a gentle and heartfelt smile.
"We're like you, y'know. We don't really have anywhere to go; we only usually have ourselves to rely on, in this big scary world." Ettie begun; threading her fingers through his fur, helping untangle the mats the best she could without hurting the poor canine. Her voice soft and reassuring, she would continue "But it's okay, because we all still look after each other, like one big happy family, because we're a pack." Briefly, she'd gesture to indicate Anne, Duchess, and Princess. "And we'll look after you, too. Even if you don't end up becoming part of our pack, we'll protect you here and now; so I promise, you're safe with us. And you'll be safe with Azur, too, when he comes back soon with help. Alright?"
Kneeling down, she'd offer the Arcanine the rest of the pokefood that Azur had shared with her - having already shared some with Duchess and Princess before. "Here you go; I know it's not a lot, but I'm sure Azur will give you more later." She'd murmur; her free hand stroking atop the Arcanine's head. "There there... You've been so strong, and you've been through so much, but it's okay now; you don't need to be afraid of anything anymore... We're here for you, and you can rest easy now..."
And indeed, just as she said before, Azur would soon return; a Nurse Joy following after him. Anne, initially, would eye the Nurse Joy warily; having already grown protective of the Arcanine. However, Azur's presence was enough to make her relax; she and Duchess, along with Ettie, all backing up so that Azur could get a better look at the fiery canine. Duchess, visibly concerned, would make a soft whine - pawing a bit at Azur's leg, and glancing up to him; as if she were asking 'He's gonna be okay, right?'
Once Azur was able to coax the Arcanine to his feet, and started moving to the Pokecenter with him, Duchess and Anne both would follow closely at the duo's heels; almost as though the both of them were a protective escort, ears and eyes alert for anything that might hurt or scare the Arcanine. Duchess, honestly, was still following Anne's lead on this - but even she understood that the Arcanine was scared amidst all of this.
Meanwhile, Ettie would go to pick up Princess - though thought for a second, considering. "... Hey," She'd speak softly, digging into her bag. Ettie would pull out a pokeball, and offer it to the Snubbull - asking "Do you want to hang out in a pokeball? I imagine it's quieter in there, a-" Ettie would be interrupted, however, when Princess proceeded to just poke at the button of the pokeball on her own - going right in, without any further prompting...! Blinking a bit owlishly, Ettie would give the pokeball a quizzical look - as if she didn't expect Princess to take up the opportunity for a quiet place to sleep quite that easily.
Huh. Well, that solved that, she supposed.
Putting the pokeball in her pocket, Ettie would follow after Azur and the other canines; ready to keep the Arcanine company, even in the Pokecenter. OOC: Charisma skill-up for Ettie comforting/reassuring the stray Arcanine, please!
"What, you rarely get any ice cream? Well we got to fix that, shouldn't we? How about getting some later when we're buying clothes for you?" Azur offered. "I see, so chocolate and peanut butter huh? I like that too. Crunchy peanuts on chocolate is the best, in my opinion! I don't mind chocolate chips either... oh but the supreme one would be brownies bites. Though, I have to say I love vanilla soft serve most. The way it melts in your tongue is just really nice, you know?"
...Talking about ice cream made him want to eat some. Darnit. He guess he'll ask tomorrow if there is any open ice cream shop. Still Ettie got her priorities straight huh. "...I have no idea what caused you to think you could reveal to me so easily that you're stealing a lot, Ettie... but for some reason at this point I'm already used to it to the point that this conversation sounds like a normal conversation between friends." Well, that's what it is! Normally, someone would be aghast that they're talking about stealing in public like this, but somehow Azur ended up thinking it as "ah yeah, that's normal for this kid"
Back to the Arcanine, after they managed to get him to the Pokemon Center... Azur...
"I'm sorry, but could you please handle him for the meantime? You're a nursing student graduate, right?" Nurse Joy told him. "I don't mean I will let him be like that, I mean I'll be getting the necessary equipments for him. IV, blood test and such. So for the meantime, please check his weight, health of his teeth and such..."
"Right, I'll do it immediately."
Azur quickly put on his nurse outfit once more, before clipping his license on his chest. "Ettie, sorry, but if you want you can wait over there in the waiting room... or if you want to look at how the treatment is like, you can enter, I guess... But at the moment, I'll be busy. Most likely going to be for a while."
Azur guided the Arcanine to a scale and jots down the numbers there. He pinched the Arcanine's scruff, then watched how long it takes for it to return back to normal. "...Dehydrated, as expected," he muttered. He checked his eyes, then his nose condition, and finally, his mouth. The Arcanine stayed whimpering the whole time. He's scared, but for some reason, he felt that he'll be alright. Finally, Azur takes a scanning gun to check whether he's owned... The test returns negative.
"...As expected, he was released," Azur commented. Which means, he's free for grabs. No wonder he was so scared. "It's alright, it's alright... don't worry, OK? We'll get you sorted out."
Immediately afterward, Nurse Joy returned with IV bottle for his size. Azur noted that when he administered the needle to the Arcanine's vein and cut the fur to make it easier to insert it, the Arcanine did not even once attempted to bite him or even protest. He's just there... accepting whatever happened to him. Azur gritted his teeth in frustration.
Azur also noted that this big fella did not eat the food given to him by Ettie... could it be that he's still not trusting after all? At the very least, they have gave him IV, so hopefully that could rejuvenate him some. Next to take their blood and to run some test with it. At the moment, giving him vaccines probably not going to bode well against him, so... it's probably best to keep it for later. Azur patiently treated him along with Nurse Joy, making sure that everything is fine... and it wasn't until few hours later that they got everything they need regarding the Arcanine.
Azur sighed in relief. Now, it's resting in an isolation unit. It's not a cage to avoid any sort of trauma, but rather a wide room with bed, toys, food and drink. For the meantime, Azur let the Arcanine to his own device. He watched it laying on the bed on the corner of the room. It still tries to make itself as small as possible, but... at the very least now he's going to recover. "Thank you, Nurse Joy," he thanked the nurse.
"It's fine, it's our duty isn't it? But even so... what are you planning to do with him?"
"...Eh?"
"I understand you want to help the poor Arcanine, but... you have to think what you want to do afterward, you know? Like, will you put him in foster care? Or will you take him for yourself? He have no one at the moment other than you. So you have to think what do you want to do for him. You're his benefactor, and as someone who worked in this field... you understand, right? He's not a wild Pokemon, so you can't release him. He need someone who can care for him, or perhaps give him a loving home..."
"...Right, um... by the way, can we stay here? I'll be helping around obviously. I'd like to help him if possible... and... well, I can't really just like that dump him and walk away, right?"
"That's fine definitely. Are you working for your entire team and your little sister also?"
"Oh, um... she's not my little sister, but I happened to act as her guardian for the meantime you see."
"Just a travelling partner then? Alright. I'll make sure to book a room for two of you. How long you think you'll be here for?"
"I think for two weeks... probably. I think as soon as the Arcanine is good enough to go, we'll hit the road... I do at least, I have no idea about my companion."
"Very well. I'll give you the key later, alright? For the meantime, why don't you eat first? I'm sure that you haven't ate in these few hours, right? Take anything from the cafeteria."
"Thanks."
Azur walked away and looked for Ettie and the rest, hoping that they're still around. Drats, he should remember to buy the girl a phone too, just in case... Would whistling get their attention somehow? Nah, probably not. Maybe they're close to the Arcanine's isolation room? He headed that way.
Ettie might've been disappointed when the Arcanine didn't eat the food that she offered, but she didn't blame him; the poor canine was scared, food was probably the last thing on his mind right now. Instead, she'd sigh softly - putting the food away - and returning to stroking him. "It's okay... We'll keep an eye out for you, alright?" She'd murmur in further reassurance; scritching gently. When she couldn't find any more words to say to the Arcanine, she'd instead begin to softly hum; a gentle tune that was almost like a lullaby, that she had picked up from listening to the radios that'd play at restaurants and the like.
As Azur arrived to coax the Arcanine up to his paws, and begin escorting him towards the PokeCenter... He'd mention to Ettie the options to either watch over the Arcanine while he was treated, or to wait in the waiting room. Though Ettie was about to respond, Anne would be the one to respond for her - barking firmly, as she sidestepped a bit closer to the Arcanine! This fellow canine was scared, and she was going to be here to keep him safe, no ifs, ands, or buts about it...! Duchess, too, would respond the same; sidling closer to the Arcanine, and barking as well!
Ettie would be unable to help a smile at this; happy to see the two pups be so quick to stick around for the Arcanine's sake. "I think they said it better than I could," Ettie would joke softly - trying to inject a bit of humor into the situation, to make the stress and seriousness of it all less oppressing - before her tone became more firm as she added "But I wanna stay with him, and make sure that he's gonna be okay. I promised that we'd protect him and keep an eye out for him, so I'm keeping that promise..!"
It sounded as though there wasn't going to be much to change Ettie's mind, nor the minds of Anne or Duchess. They promised they'd be here for the Arcanine, so they were gonna stay with him! Thus, they'd all follow Azur to the examination room - all three of them sitting together nearby, as they watched staff mill about and retrieve supplies, and watched Azur give the Arcanine an examination, and some treatment.
Anne, being protective and wary as always, would give any staff that came into the room a look; watching and gauging to see what they were here for, even if it was something as simple as bringing over some supplies. Duchess would follow Anne's lead on this - though she seemed far more curious and friendly towards these strangers, otherwise.
Ettie, meanwhile, would simply keep her attention on the Arcanine; her expression sympathetic. He'd be okay, now that Azur and the other doctors here were taking care of him; though she still couldn't help but wince when Azur would administer the needle to the IV. That looked uncomfortable, to say the least; and she didn't like needles, not one bit..!
These treatments and examinations would go on for a few hours longer - during which Anne remained vigilant, though Ettie and Duchess had taken to stretching their legs a bit. It seemed that the both of them were unused to being idle for this long, and were growing fidgety as a result, being the kids that they were. However, before much longer... The Arcanine would be good to go, and be moved into an isolation unit for the time being. And as soon as he had been transferred, Ettie and co would have made a beeline, to set themselves up near the isolation room...!
It was a big and comfy room - one that Ettie couldn't help but be (jokingly) jealous over; he had his own big room, all to himself, to run and play in..! However... Even then, even with all the space, the Arcanine continued to cower away in bed, in one of the far corners of the room. Ettie, peering in through a window, would frown sympathetically at this - though she'd remain near the unit, standing as vigilant as she could.
Anne and Duchess, too, would remain by the door into the unit - though Duchess would have taken to restlessly trying to play with Anne, getting all pent up with excess energy from having been idle for so long. Princess, meanwhile, was outside of her ball now - dozed off against the wall nearby, though Ettie would transfer the Snubbull to her lap as she sat down with the other pups.
Pulling out a patchy old blanket from her backpack, she'd wrap it around herself and Princess - though Duchess and Anne would soon nestle themselves underneath it as well, forming a cuddle pile of puppy and trainer alike It was getting into evening, Ettie observed as she peered over to a distant window - around now, she would have settled down in a new hideout for some sleep...
... Though, she supposed they might end up staying the night here, huh? Yawning softly, Ettie would wrap an arm around her pups, pulling them closer, and nuzzling them. Hopefully the nice staff wouldn't mind if they dozed here for a little bit... Maybe when they wake up, they could look into finding some food for everyone...
Wandering in the direction of the isolation unit, it wouldn't take long for Azur to find them; nestled together underneath the window that peered into the Arcanine's room, wrapped up in a patchy old blanket that looked as though it had been sewed back together multiple times over.
Princess and Duchess were dozed off completely, and Ettie looked like she was in the process of conking out as well. Anne, though, remained awake; sleepy and half lidded eyes staying alert of her surroundings. Upon noticing Azur, Anne's ears would prick up, and her eyes would light up, as she made a bark in greeting!
Though Anne tried to keep her bark low and soft, Ettie would still jolt a bit back into wakefulness; blinking owlishly, before she noticed that they weren't alone. The young girl smiled up to Azur welcomingly, her voice quiet and hushed - as to avoid disturbing Princess or Duchess - as she greeted him as well. "Hey, Azur!" She'd chirp softly. "We're just here keeping the Arcanine company. What's up?"
The hum seems interest it. Its ears twitched at the hums that Ettie is singing. The Arcanine seem to be wondering what the girl is doing... but whatever it is that she's doing, it seems to relaxes him ever so sightly. The Arcanine's whine ceased, and instead replaced by a slight low rumble, almost like a snore, except it's still awake.
Hmmm, Azur noted that Anne seem to already take a favorable approach toward the Arcanine. She treated him like member of her own pack huh... It's endearing, considering how different their size are! While Anne herself is Huge, the Arcanine is small... but their size different is still so apparent thanks to Arcanine's size being really huge. Either way... All of them was patient with him examining the Arcanine and doing all those tests... Until finally, it seem they stayed there, where he found them.
"Ah, you're sleepy huh..." Azur checked his phone just to be sure of the time... "Right, it's already this late, no wonder... But I think before you sleep, you should eat first... Or take a bath first, how about it? He's not going to go anywhere at the moment. So you should take a bit of your time to take care of yourself, alright? Let's go meet Nurse Joy."
They headed toward the reception area. Nurse Joy immediately passed them a key card. "Looks like we got a room together. Excuse me, may I borrow a clean clothes for one of her size?"
"Yes, of course. Here you go," Nurse Joy gave Ettie a simple designed clothes.
"You can wash the clothes later. For the meantime, let's check our room, alright?"
Azur would guide Ettie to their room, and unlocked the door. It's a simple room with two separate beds and two study desks. "Here you can put your belonging. There won't be anyone that going to steal them. To turn on the electricity, simply put the key card over here..." Azur put it on the card reader. It activates the room's lights.
"There's a mini fridge over there to put your food and drinks. The cafeteria is open most of the time, but if it's not open you can just take cup noodle there and pour hot water, then you figure out the rest. After that... I guess first and foremost, let's take a bath, then probably food after, alright? Does that sounds good?"
If Ettie prefer it, Azur would guide her to the communal bath. He would take one himself on the male side, then changed to new clothes. He put his clothes (including his nursing clothes) to the coin laundry and cleaned it up. Thanks to the advanced technology, it can be dried immediately. He waited for Ettie on the hallway while drinking a coffee milk. As much as he want to soak his body in the bath, he still have to check on the Arcanine. After she returned, he would guide her to the cafeteria.
"Eat whatever you want here. The food price is cheap enough. I think I got enough for a lot of us after my shift today.."
Azur wasn't sure what to talk about, so he pretty much just ate in silence. He made sure to check for the time though. It's about... eight or nine, huh. Both Tristan and Gusios has ate their fill and is returned to the Pokeball. He guess he should try to check the Arcanine. "Oh, right... You can go sleep first, Ettie. I'm heading to the isolation chamber myself." And with that, Azur brought his food to where the Arcanine is. He noted that the Arcanine has yet moved from his position. He wasn't sleeping either, perhaps too unused to new place. The moment he came in, the Arcanine perked. He... wasn't as scared as before, although there's still that whining.
"...Shh, it's OK. Have you ate?" Azur asked. "I'm going to stay with you, alright? I... told you that I'll stay with you. I promised to make sure you're feeling better, so... until you're better, I don't think I'm going to leave. Sounds good?" Azur asked the small Arcanine. It only can look at him through a sad looking eyes. Azur pulled the Arcanine's food bowl closer. It's soft foods, mostly to ease him into eating regular Pokemon Food again.
"...Do you want to eat?" Azur picked up some of the food and put it on his hand. He made sure to put his hand as flat as possible, to avoid the Pokemon's sharp teeth. "...Do you want to?" It looked at him, as if unsure of it. Azur suddenly did the unthinkable. He put the food to his mouth, chewed, and swallowed it. It's... how to describe it? He can't even begin to... but he wanted to make him know that it's not dangerous to him or anything.
Looking at Azur doing that... The Arcanine slowly eats the food. Azur smiled in relief and patted the Pokemon's back. "...There you go... it's delicious isn't it?"
He washed his hand and returned to eat his food. "...Let's eat together, alright? It's fine, no one going to take your food. If you're hungry for more, we can always add more, OK? But for now, you have to recover... so make sure to eat a lot, rest a lot too... afterward we'll clean you up."
He gently combed the Arcanine's mane as it ate. After a while, it seems that it has ate its fill and returned back to the bed. Azur gently patted it, humming a tone that seem to come from faraway land. He chuckled. "I'm not a good singer, I think."
But even then, he noticed that for the first time, the Arcanine put his head on his lap. "...Ah.."
...Did he decided to trust him? For it to be abandoned, for dunno how long it has been on the street... It still decided to trust a human, him? It... honestly made Azur very grateful. He ended up sleeping there, together with the Arcanine. He have decided what to do. At the very least he'll foster him. If he want to stay with him, then he'll take him in for real.
Azur's comment about the group's sleepiness would prompt a small sheepish giggle from Ettie. "Eheh, maybe..." She'd respond, grinning lopsidedly. "We've been staying here the whole time; and it's easy to doze off, when you're just laying about in the same place for awhile..." Ettie murmured, humming in relaxation as she tilted her head against the wall behind her. It seemed like if Azur left her to her own devices, Ettie was perfectly happy just dozing off here and now, seated against the wall!
The mention of food and a bath, though, would make Ettie perk up in interest - sitting up straight. The motion would jolt Duchess and Princess a bit - prompting the two canines to stir a bit, yawning widely. Ettie, wincing a bit sheepishly, would apologetically pat both pups; though still smiled to Azur, mentioning "That sounds good!" with a brief giggle. Slowly but surely, the two pups would begin to wake - hopping off of Ettie's lap, so that she could get up.
Before she'd leave though, she'd glance back to the window - peering towards the Arcanine, who seemed to still be huddled in the corner. Briefly, she couldn't help but hesitate at the idea of leaving - not wanting the Arcanine to be all by his lonesome, even with Azur's reassurance, but... Gently, she'd tap on the window to get the Arcanine's attention, mentioning "Me and the others are gonna go take a bath and get some food; we'll be back later to keep you company, okay? Be good!"
With that, she'd turn back towards Azur - following after him with the pups in tow.
Being led to their room, it was nothing special - having a couple beds, a couple desks, and a mini fridge for food and drinks. Yet, even that being said... Ettie's eyes would light up visibly, whooping excitedly as she went to hop onto one of the beds; sitting atop it with a slight bounce! How long had it been, since she had a hideout with a proper bed, let alone a proper mattress..??? Such a big, open, and clean room - she was practically ready to just thrive here, forget baths and food..!
Duchess, Princess, and Anne all would hop onto the bed with Ettie, one by one; reveling in the softness and the springiness that the mattress had. In fact, Duchess - upon noticing the bounciness - would make an excited bark, as she began hopping and bouncing on the mattress; up and down and up and down..! Princess briefly grumbling though - displeased at all the rocking - would prompt Duchess to stop; the young Electrike sheepishly yipping an apology to her sister.
Ettie, meanwhile, would watch as Azur showed off the different things that the room had to offer - the mini fridge, the cup noodles, as well as how the card reader controlled the electricity in the room. Briefly, Ettie would tilt her head in curiosity - having the sudden temptation to see whether she could turn everything on and off and on and off. However, she refrained; figuring that Azur wouldn't entirely appreciate it if she got up to antics like that.
Instead, at the offer of taking a bath and getting some food, Ettie would nod eagerly; hopping off the bed. "Sounds good to me..!" She'd chirp in response, right on Azur's heels as he guided her towards the communal baths. Anne, personally, was a bit disinterested in taking a bath - though Princess and Duchess both appeared interested enough! As a result, Anne would be standing guard just outside of the bath - in the hallway where Azur would wait, once he was done with his bath. Water baths, more often than not, were just extremely uncomfortable for Anne; she preferred dust baths, being brushed, and just grooming herself, honestly.
Meanwhile, Duchess and Princess were more than happy to join Ettie in taking a bath - even if Duchess entering the water did cause a slight harmless jolt, from all the static in her fur. By the time that the trio were ready to come out, Ettie - dressed up in her new clothes - would be chasing after Duchess with a towel, laughing all the while! "Duchessss, c'mon, let me dry you off, silly!"
Duchess, seeming to be thinking that this is all a game - even if she was still dripping wet - simply barked in response, tail wagging eagerly as she kept dancing just out of arm's reach of Ettie. Meanwhile, Princess - her fur tousled every which way from being dried off - would simply go over to Anne and Azur, and plop down; looking quite pleased, with how clean her fur was now. Though, it wouldn't take long for Ettie to scoop Duchess up - or, at least, scooped her up best that a 4'4'' girl could scoop up an almost 3' dog. Laughing, Ettie would wrap the wiggly and playful Electrike up in a towel burrito, to keep her from running off again while she was being dried off. "Gotcha, you goofball..!"
Once everyone was clean and dried off though, they'd all make their way to the cafeteria - following Azur's lead still. With the trio's keen noses, the pups would smell the food before they saw it - but it was enough to get them excited, for a good meal, that much was for sure...! Whether or not it was a good idea for Azur to give them free reign on the food, though, probably would come into question rather quickly. Given that Ettie was a young girl who had a lot of growing to do, on top of Duchess, Princess, and Anne being all large pups with plenty of growing to do as well?
Well, it was safe to say, that the foursome could easily pack a lot of food away altogether...! Hopefully Azur had the pen to afford all this...
When Azur did get up to leave for the isolation chamber, Ettie - still eating her dinner - would be quiet for a few moments, before nodding. "Mmkay!" She'd chirp in response; swallowing down her food as she did, watching him disappear into the hallways of the Pokecenter. Ettie, though, didn't exactly have any intention of going to bed - at least, not while the Arcanine was still recovering...
Once the group had finished eating, they'd clean up after themselves - Ettie packing away any leftovers they had in the minifridge in their room for later. They'd grab the blanket and pillows off of their bed - enjoying just how soft and cushy it all was - and move for the isolation unit, that the Arcanine and Azur both were in. Ettie, frankly, didn't expect for Azur to actually enter the unit, but... Glancing around to make sure that noone would catch them in the act, she would slowly - but surely - creep into the isolation unit, joining a sleeping Azur and Arcanine.
Ettie, giggling softly, would set herself up next to Azur, snuggling close and against his side. Anne would lay on her lap - next to the Arcanine - and Duchess and Princess both would snuggle on the opposite side of Ettie from Azur, resting against their trainer's side. Ettie would use the pillows to make sure that everyone was comfy, before draping the blankets over everyone the best she could; so that they were all nice and toasty warm.
And once they were all satisfied with their arrangements? Ettie, and the pups, would all drift to sleep - one by one, snuggled up to Azur, the Arcanine, and each other...