ohmyarceus | Test Drive Meme

[ After the contest, Yuzu needed to wind down for a bit... and fortunately for her, Cherrygrove isn't too far away from Azalea. At least, that's the case when you have access to both warp pads and flight. A picnic with her Pokemon on the beginner-friendly Route 29 followed by some time at the spa sounded nice and relaxing, after all.

Then, as she was making her way through the route... she's startled by the sudden shriek that Rio lets out. Yuzu is pretty sure she sees a few birds off in the distance, startled by the sudden scream. Yuzu can't blame them. She practically jumped as well. ]

W-What's going on...!?

[ Either way, even if the Pokemon on this route are pretty beginner-friendly, in terms of strength... it does occur to her that somebody might have ended up here like she did, so she's quick to rush over in the direction of the shriek and— ]

...Eh?

[ It's... just an Espurr? And not even an agitated Espurr either. Not that she's ever really seen an Espurr's expression change much from their thousand-yard-stare, but still. ]

[Noticing the footfalls headed her way, Rio realizes she might be able to use this opportunity to get rid of it. She doesn't have Ryouga to bully into it, after all.]

Help! I don't wanna go near that thing! I mean, look at it!

[If it occurs to her to send her Eiscue after it instead, she doesn't act on that impulse. Yet.]

T-That thing…?

[ Yuzu glances at the Espurr, and the small creature stares back with a perpetual O_O face. Well, even if she doesn’t see anything threatening about the psychic cat with an unchanging expression, this girl obviously does, so… ]

Right, right… go on, shoo!

[ At her side is a Sylveon, who lets out a few high-pitched barks as Yuzu gently shoos the Espurr away. Seemingly understanding, the Espurr promptly turns and starts to trot away.

Congratulations, Rio, you’ve been saved. ]

...Eh.

[Belatedly, it occurs to her how embarrassing the whole spectacle must look to someone else. She stands up and brushes her skirt off indignantly, sighing.]

My apologies. I just... really hate cats.

[And it's a great way to bully her brother. If he were here, that is...]

Ah, my name is Rio. I'm sorry about all the trouble, making it sound like more of an emergency than it was...

[ Now that Yuzu is getting a good look at Rio, she's definitely a pretty girl with an elegant air to her... an elegant air that's hard to perceive now because of how her first impression with Yuzu has gone. ]

A-Ah, don't worry about it! I guess we've all got our fears, huh?

[ Now that she thinks about it, actually, a fear of cats isn't too unusual. Not something that she can understand—they're so cute, after all—but it's hardly the strangest thing to be afraid of. ]

Oh, I'm Yuzu! Nice to meet you, Rio! [ Either way, it looks like she's fine now that the Espurr is gone... so she may as well ask. ] I take it you're uh... new here, right?

I... suppose you could say that, yes.

[Though it bothers her to think she's "new" and that this is a known phenomenon.]

Tell me, does that woman back in town treat everyone like her child? It was more than a little awkward, but she didn't seem willing to take the hint...

[At least she gets a cute penguin out of the deal.]

[ Well, known at least amongst everyone here, considering how it’s an understandably unreasonable story. ]

Ahh, yep. I’ve heard that there might be a reason for that, but I haven’t got an idea of what that might be.

[ Fake-Mom is someone who Yuzu has decided to not think too hard about. For a number of reasons, really. ]

Still, it’s a good thing I showed up when I did. Espurr are pretty easy to run into on this route if I remember correctly…

Eh...?

[Cats everywhere. She glances around as if expecting another to pop out at them at the mere mention.]

Oh. That... is unfortunate.

[She swallows, then turns to Yuzu.]

If it's not too much trouble, do you mind accompanying me to the neighboring town? I suppose I should try and get used to this battling thing in the process, but... eugh. Cats.

[ Yuzu raises an eyebrow before giggling at her reaction. The idea of running into another cat is clearly one of the worst things that could ever happen to her, and can you really blame Yuzu for seeing the comedy in that? She'll put off the picnic for another time, then. ]

Of course! Cherrygrove isn't too far at this point, and I promise you won't have to worry about any cats while I'm around! I'm a pretty seasoned trainer at this point, after all!

[ She says with a wink. ]

Actually, if you don't mind, we could get there even faster if we ride on one of my Pokemon.

Oh! You have one that's big enough to ride? That'd be great!

[And it'll probably scare away all the Espurr in the process. She's sold.]

What is it? I want to see!

[ Yuzu smiles. ]

Hehe... not just one! Here, I'll introduce you to my team.

[ She starts to pull out six Pokeballs of varying colors before turning and tossing them into the air. Appearing in front of them are a Sylveon, Dusk Lycanroc, Gallade, Altaria, Togekiss, and finally... a Garchomp. The latter three are, of course, the ones who are big enough to ride. Her Lycanroc is another option, of course, but they're only big enough for one person.

Still, Garchomp aside, Togekiss and Altaria are far from intimidating. ]

[Of all the things for Rio to be intimidated by, a shark is absolutely not one of them. Past experience. In fact... she claps her hands together and grins at all of them, even the Garchomp.]

Ahhh, they're adorable! Look at all of you, you're so cute!

[After taking a hot minute to dote over all of them, she turns to Yuzu again.]

So, I'm guessing we'd be riding the flying ones, right? That's so exciting! To think there's creatures like these that are strong enough to ferry people...

[ Part of Yuzu wants to immediately question how she's able to find all of them cute but not a little Espurr... but it's a sentiment that's immediately overshadowed by... mutual agreement on the matter. ]

Right!? Look at them! Cuties, all of them!

[ She says, reaching her arms up to hug her Garchomp around their neck, a motion that they recognize and respond with by lowering themselves so that Yuzu can better reach them. If Rio looks closely, she may be able to tell that this landshark looks a little embarrassed by the girls' shared sentiment.

Still, after the doting is done—her Pokemon take to Rio very well. Fang (Lycanroc) is a very calm and good boy who appreciates any and all pets... and Aria (Sylveon) is quick to become affectionate—Yuzu moves over to her flying Pokemon, Soprano the Altaria and Pianissimo the Togekiss. ]

Yep! Though Schubert might be a bit much for your first time riding a Pokemon. [ She says, gesturing at her Garchomp and indicating who Schubert is. ] Still, each of them can carry both of us at once, so I'll leave it up to you! Who do you wanna ride?

[ The very fluffy cloud bird, or the large—almost egg-shaped—bird with a friendly little face. ]

[Rio can't help but smile fondly at the Garchomp's reaction. It reminds her of her brother, just a little.]

Hmm... I like the one with the spots and the cute little face! The shape almost reminds me of a jet plane. Not that I wouldn't love to pet the cloud cotton ball bird too, of course.

[But if she's gotta choose only one, might as well go with that.]

What'd you name it?

[ Yuzu smiles and motions for the Togekiss to move closer, bringing her up to Rio. ]

Her name is Pianissimo... she's a Togekiss, so she's super friendly. Wanna feel her?

[ She's very soft to the touch... and if Rio is worried about how Yuzu's Altaria feels about this, the cloud cotton ball bird doesn't seem at all bothered, choosing to simply fold in their ~~seemingly large wings into a large tuft of cotton. ]~~

[Indeed, her feathers are silky, almost like down, and such a beautiful white that light refracts off of them. Rio takes her time stroking her, luxuriating in the motions.]

Ahh... I want one, too. I'll have to ask around about that. How did you come across yours?

[~~Little does she know how much of a pain evolving a Togepi twice can be.~~

Without fear, she tries to climb onto her back, careful not to hurt her in the process. It's like mounting a horse without a saddle, sort of. Only, without the gear to keep her in place, she'll just have to hold on tight and hope the ride is smooth.]

Anyway, shall we?

Ahh... I got them from someone else as an egg. They start out as Togepi, and evolve twice to become a Togekiss... but they're not easy to raise! I can tell you about it while we're flying.

[ Fortunately for Rio, Pianissimo gently lowers themselves down as much as they can so that Rio can easily climb on top. Still, even if it's easy enough to mount Pianissimo... Yuzu's not about to leave Rio on her own for her first flying experience. Even if Pianissimo is a very smooth flier.

So, once Rio is comfortable on her, Yuzu will promptly return the rest of her team to their balls before climbing up herself, mounting the beautiful bird Pokemon with relative ease, the proper motions as to not hurt the Pokemon clearly having become second nature... or at the very least deeply-ingrained muscle memory.

Either way, now Rio has Yuzu to hold onto, which is decidedly easier than trying to figure out how to hold onto a massive bird for the first time. ]

Ready to fly, girl...?

[ She says, reaching down to softly caress Pianissimo, earning a soft coo in response. ]

[Rio's heart races at the anticipation as she runs her fingers down soft feathers, letting Yuzu make her preparations without complaint. It is a little awkward to find something to grip without hurting anyone in the process, but Yuzu's waist is a comfortable place for her to find balance, so she goes with that, despite how oddly intimate it feels.

Takeoff is smooth, not unlike a mechanical airplane as Pianissimo picks up speed and lifts into the wind, and she finds herself watching the ground grow smaller with wide eyes.]

Wow...

[Even turning isn't that scary once she figures out to lean into the turn a little bit to stay level. Once she's confident she has everything figured out, she speaks up again.]

This is so cool! I can't wait until I can catch a Pokemon that can do this, too!

[ Yuzu would be a liar if she said she didn't recognize that the feeling of Rio's arms around her waist is a strangely intimate feeling, but it's also perfectly normal and really the best place for someone to hold onto when riding on anything like this. Whether it's something like a motorcycle or a large and powerful bird creature flying through the sky. ]

Hold on tight, okay?

[ They fly through the air, Pianissimo flying fast but steadily through the air. Flying nearby and alongside them is a flock of Starly, and while Yuzu is careful not to get too close and disturb them, they're still much closer to a flock of flying birds than one could ever get normally.

Yuzu smiles at Rio's excitement, looking back so that as Pianissimo continues to glide towards Cherrygrove. ]

Right? Isn't it great? And I'm sure you will! There are lots, and if you want, I can help you find one too! Ah, though you'll need a Zephyr Badge first. For some reason, your Pokemon won't let you ride them if you don't.

Hmm? How would I acquire one of those, if I may ask?

[She glances down at the distant forms of moving critters in the grasses, silently thanking whatever divinity is listening here for her good fortune in running into Yuzu. Of all the silly things to get flustered over...]

Anyway, advice for what to try and catch for flying Pokemon would be lovely! I'm quite fond of birds, after all. And ice-types, but I imagine an avian ice-type might be a difficult thing to find... unless it's a penguin.

[ Yuzu is happy to explain everything to Rio. They've got nothing but time, after all... especially once they arrive at Cherrygrove. ]

Oh, right... you get it from this thing called a Gym Challenge. It's kind of a big deal in this world? Basically, some places here will have a place called a Pokemon Gym, lead by a powerful trainer who specializes in a single type called a Gym Leader. You can challenge these Gym Leaders to a battle, and if you win, you receive a badge... and they're kind of like, symbols of your worth as a trainer.

[ Yuzu grins, looking a little proud now. ]

I happen to have all eight from this region! Though I have been here for a while, so...

[ Yknow, might be a little of a given... plus, she's been putting off starting her journey in Kanto, so... she'll just leave that out for now. ]

Mm... avian ice-types, huh...?

[ Yuzu furrows her brow... one immediately comes to mind, but Articuno is hardly an option. ]

Yeah, sorry... I can only really think of one that isn't a penguin, but... it's a Legendary Pokemon, so you'd be lucky enough to even see it. Let alone catch it.

[ Yuzu herself has actually met the legendary birds at the last Prom... albeit not the usual ones. The Articuno she saw back then was a psychic-type, so she'll leave that to be a conversation for later. Besides, she ended up challenging Zapdos' race rather than Articuno's challenge of admitting to some kind of important secret. So she wouldn't have too much to say. ]

But still! There are plenty of different kinds of birds you can catch! And, actually, you don't even have to worry about looking for one as big as this one. Most of them start out small, but get big enough to ride once they've fully evolved. Like those!

[ She points at the flock of Starly nearby... very small birds, small enough that one could have them perch on your shoulder easily. ]

Super small, right? Well, that changes once they've fully evolved.

Ooh... I've seen a few that are supposed to be evolved, but I don't know what they evolved from just yet. I guess I'll have to study up some.

[A pause.]

...I wonder if the penguin I got evolves into something, too? I hope it's still cute!

Oh, you have a penguin Pokemon for your starter?

[ A few Pokemon come to mind... specifically a certain cute but prideful penguin comes to mind, though she can't know for sure. Though the other Penguin Pokemon out there don't evolve, do they...? ]

Well, I'll help you figure everything out! I'll answer any questions you have as best I can... and oh, right! Once we get to Cherrygrove, there's actually a super nice spa there if you wanna unwind!

Yes, she's quite an oddball! She has a... an ice cube for a head, but the ice is quite fragile. Go figure.

Ooh, but a little relaxation would be nice... Hopefully it doesn't cost too much. Spas can sometimes be quite pricey.

[Pricey isn't normally something she worries about, but with limited resources on her hands, she supposes now's as good a time to start as ever.]

Thank you so much for your help, Yuzu. I don't know if I said it before, but it bears saying again. I'll be sure to repay the favor when I find the opportunity.

Test Drive Meme - March & April

1

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject