[Rui Sasaki]

Spending some time away from home had made Rui realize one very crucial fact: She was not good at keeping track of her money. She'd been in Maple City for but a few days, buying food and lodgings that she now realized had been a bit beyond her means, when she realized that her wallet was nearly empty. So she did what she figured any responsible adult would do in a situation like this: get a job.

Granted, the one she ended up taking, an urgent request to deliver a letter to a traveling trainer, wasn't quite what she'd had in mind at first, but the rewards were too good to pass up. Having a bicycle would make it a lot easier to get from place to place, after all. But... she'd forgotten one other thing: She hadn't ridden a bike since she was a child.

This is okay, Rui thought as she pushed the bike onto the path. They say you never really forget how to ride a bike, right?

She was grateful she'd put her Pokémon away in their Balls. She had a feeling that at the very least, she was going to embarrass herself.

|BfEKoICp_

---

Quest: An Elusive Recipient
Participant(s): Rui Sasaki

Party Status:
Clarence - Lv 7 Phantump - 5 Energy
Raijin - Lv 6 Pichu - 5 Energy
Kama - Lv 7 Scyther - 5 Energy

Word Count: 198

[Jae]

A random event has occurred!

What will you do?

Rui Sasaki

The frost on the ground from the tricklings of winter makes the path slippery, and as you start to bicycle, it is much harder than you remember. A slip here, a slip there, careful don't roll right over that ice patch.

[Rui Sasaki]

Z_uzINTvp_ + 15 Dexterity = 27

Rui had barely started pedaling when she began to wobble; she quickly moved the pedals back to brake (at least she still remembered how to do that) and planted one foot firmly on the ground... which she realized was much more slippery than usual. Oh, jeez, she hadn't taken the frost into account... This was fine, she told herself—she'd just have to be careful. She was good at that, at least.

She scanned the ground ahead of her for what looked to be dry ground between the frost that she could weave through. There was an ice patch visible several feet ahead, and she made a mental note to avoid that all costs. With deep, cleansing breath, she gripped the handlebars and began to pedal again. And in mere seconds, her plan went right out the window when she overcorrected to the left, causing her to slip on a frosty patch. She veered to the right to compensate, but that just made her slide through more frost. She grit her teeth and braked as hard as she could, but it didn't stop her from sliding right across the ice patch she'd sworn to avoid. It was all too much for her; with a scream, she tumbled off the bike and rolled a few feet into the cold, wet dirt, hearing the clatter of the bike as it fell behind her.

She groaned in pain. She'd at least had the sense to invest in a helmet (even if it had meant using the very last of her on-hand cash) and change into sturdier travel clothes, but that didn't stop the soreness that settled where she'd landed the hardest. There were definitely going to be bruises later... It took her a good few seconds to pull herself back up, wincing as she did so.

Maybe this hadn't been the best idea...

p_

---

Party Status:

Clarence - Lv 7 Phantump - 5 Energy
Raijin - Lv 6 Pichu - 5 Energy
Kama - Lv 7 Scyther - 5 Energy

Word Count: 310
Roll Total: 90·

[Jenesis]

A random event has occurred!

What will you do?

Rui Sasaki

As you pick yourself off the ground you can see a Patrat scurrying in and out of the edges of your vision. Maybe it wants to help? Or it's trying to mug you for everything you're worth. One of the two.

[Rui Sasaki]

There weren't many places to hide on this side of Route 12, but whatever Rui was seeing at the edges of her vision was good at using the sparse vegetation to conceal itself. She caught flashes of brown fur, a scruffy white tail tip, red-and-yellow eyes... a Patrat, she realized. It seemed keen on not letting Rui see it, so instead of continuing to follow it with her eyes, she simply looked straight ahead and folded her hands in front of her, keeping her ears open.

"I don't mean you any harm," she said, though her voice was more strained than she meant for it to be thanks to the pain.

gh9SNW7fp_  + 15 Charisma = 100

Fortunately, her tone was still calm enough for the Patrat to understand her intentions. It chittered quietly, and Rui turned in time to see it disappear into a burrow. The sound of the crash close to what Rui could only assume was its home must have frightened the poor thing.

Well, she wasn't going to get anywhere just standing there. She grit her teeth as she hoisted the bike off the ground, surprised to see that despite some scuffs and the dirt that now covered one side of it, it was still in good shape. She didn't get back on it just yet, though. Instead, she chose to push it ahead to find clearer ground before trying again.

p_

---

Party Status:
Clarence - Lv 7 Phantump - 5 Energy
Raijin - Lv 6 Pichu - 5 Energy
Kama - Lv 7 Scyther - 5 Energy

Word Count: 229
Roll Total: 139·

[Jae]

A random event has occurred!

What will you do?

Rui Sasaki

You get rolling this time and manage to keep peddling. Unfortunately the ground seems to have been taken over by Sandile up ahead. They've formed a line and are digging in the ground. Better be careful not to run over one of them. 

[Rui Sasaki]

"Papa, look! I'm doing it!"

"That's it, Rui! I'm so proud of you!"

Those now-bittersweet memories of learning to ride a bike as a child came to Rui as she pedaled much steadier now. She'd grown since then, of course, but the movements were still the same.

In the distance, she saw what seemed to be a group of Pokémon on the path ahead; getting closer revealed them to be a line of Sandile digging in the ground. She wasn't sure why a line of Sandile was digging in the ground, but she didn't exactly have time to question it. She had to act fast if she was going to avoid running any of them over.

d12LuNVyp_ + 15 Dexterity

She thought briefly of trying to ride between them to get past the line they'd created, but she realized just in time that she wasn't a skilled enough biker for that and hit the brakes instead. She skidded to a stop probably a few inches too close to one of the Sandile, who looked up and scampered back with a startled squeak, causing the rest of her fellows to look up and see what had caused the commotion. Some of them tilted their heads curiously, while others crouched down with little growls.

"Just passing through," Rui said with a rather uneasy smile. Luckily, enough of them seemed to understand enough to move so Rui had a path to ride through. "Thank you." She rode through them as quickly as she could, lest she get bitten on the ankle or something.

p_

---

Party Status:
Clarence - Lv 7 Phantump - 5 Energy
Raijin - Lv 6 Pichu - 5 Energy
Kama - Lv 7 Scyther - 5 Energy

Word Count: 256
Roll Total: 203·

[Jenesis]

A random event has occurred!

What will you do?

Rui Sasaki

You see a lone figure off in the distance. Could it be -- the person you're looking for?

[Rui Sasaki]

Despite her occupation as a shrine maiden and her interest in Ghost-types, Rui wasn't a particularly religious person, but she still found herself praying that the person ahead was who she was looking for. From this distance, Rui could see that they were wearing an orange coat—a good sign, given the description Rui had received. Pedaling closer revealed their short brown hair and the Croconaw at their side. More good signs.

"Excuse me!" Rui called. The person turned their freckled face to look at Rui, who came to a much smoother stop than last time next to them. Their Croconaw stepped forward and sniffed at the bike.

"You look like you've been through the grinder," the person said, eyebrows raised slightly.

Rui let out a nervous little laugh. "It was a bit of a rough trip. Are you Francis Regan?"

"Yeah?"

Rui reached into her pack to distract herself from the relieved sigh trying to escape her. "I have an urgent letter for you from Maple Lab."

"From Maple Lab?" Francis asked as they took the letter. "Oh! Oh, wow, I can't believe I forgot this. Kinda surprised they sent someone out to find me, though. I figured they'd just hold onto it until I came back."

"I'm glad to help," Rui said. "Now you don't have to turn back to get it." She wouldn't ask what it was, nor would she mention that she was glad to get paid for this. That would just be rude.

"Here," Francis said, reaching into their pocket. "Consider this a tip." They took Rui's right hand and pressed some Pen into it before Rui had a chance to react.

"Oh! Thank you."

Francis turned and waved their hand. "Don't sweat it; we're even now. C'mon, Crash. Don't eat the bike."

The Croconaw let out what sounded like a disappointed growl and shuffled after his trainer. Rui really hoped they had been joking...

"Safe travels!" Rui said. Francis gave her another wave and kept walking; Rui pocketed her money and got off the bike so she could turn around. As tempted as she was to sleep in the fluffiest bed she could afford once she got back to Maple City, she'd settle for just staying in the Pokémon Center tonight.

---

Word Count: 378

Quest complete!

[Jae]

Congratulations!

Your thread is complete and now locked.

Rui Sasaki

You receive: 200 PD, 5 Rare Candies, and a free Bicycle.