In Which A Mun Fails To Think Of A Title

[in4apounding]

Who: Penny and Dave
Where: Cherrygrove City
When: Friday, 11/13 - Afternoon
Summary: Two newbie trainers with no real-life experience partner up for traveling. What could go wrong?
Rating: Probably nothing worse than PG13 for Dave’s language.
Log:

It had been more than the usual three days for Penny to arrive in Cherrygrove City. Poor weather aside, literally stopping to smell the roses –or at least any available flora- at every opportunity lent itself to greater than normal travel times. In that time, she felt she’d already learned a great deal about what being human involved. Specifically that traveling the wilderness without proper supplies, though terribly exciting, isn’t very pleasant. Even more specifically, that a bag of trail mix and a bento lunch don’t last so much as a day, much less four.

So, the first stop? The local PokéMart, to stock up on supplies food. Smudged and a bit ragged from the road, she walks up to the counter with an armful of snacks and food –and disposable batteries- that looks far too big for someone with her lanky frame. Setting it all down with an audible ‘thunk’, she turns to the Joltik nestled into the scarf around her shoulders.

“Do you think that’s enough..?”

Comments

[callbacks]

The noise catches Dave's attention from where he's perusing the Pokéball selection and wondering if it might be worth shelling out the P-bucks for better gear this early in the game. He glances up, takes in Penny's...everything, right now, and comes to a couple conclusions:

She's probably just come up from New Bark Town.

She's new.

He pauses, then wanders over, hands in his pockets, Ralts at his heels.

"Hey. Um, you got enough cash on you for all that?"

After all, everyone's been so accommodating towards him...

[in4apounding]

"Oh, hello!"

The first person she's spoken too in person since arriving. Besides 'Mom', at least. And even that was less talking to and more being talked at and shoved out into the cold.

"I think so..?"

She takes a second to look back over the giant pile of junk food she's amassed, trying to tally up the half-remembered price tags. There's still three-thousand Pokèyen in her bag, but who knows how much that would be in Lien.

"Um. Maybe not for quite this much, actually. ...I should probably get some more potions, too..."

[callbacks]

"Oh, yeah, that's the healing juice, right?"

Dave looks over Penny's pile o' stuff again, then finally shrugs.

"I don't have much, but if you don't have the money to cover everything you need, I can spot you the difference. I've at least got a part-time job and you probably need this stuff more than I do right now, coming up the road in this weather and all."

[in4apounding]

"I think it's more of an artificial chemical mix than juice, but it could be derived from the berries! Some of them heal."

Sorting through her selection a little, setting aside some of the more expensive items in favor of the aforementioned healing juice. And starting to get just a little aware that the cashier's waiting - is this what embarrassment is?

"Maybe-"

Penny turns as Dave speaks, his offer taking just a second to register.

"Oh, thank you! That's VERY generous of you!"

Why is literally everyone here so great.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm being terribly rude!"

Her hand shoots out for a shake; the action is a bit abrupt and mechanical, but the grin on her face seems genuine.

"My name is Penny, it's a pleasure to meet you! And thank you SO much."

[callbacks]

His hand comes out of his pocket automatically, but hesitantly, like he's unsure of the social nicety. A frown crosses his face momentarily, too, but it's unrelated.

"Penny...?"

Penny, Penny.

"Oh, hey, I think we talked earlier this week. The kid from Remnant, right?" Dave finally completes the handshake action, still as gingerly as he'd poke a sleeping dog. "Dave. I was the guy talking about apple juice. But let's figure out this cash thing, yeah? Don't want to hold up the line."

[in4apounding]

"I remember you! With the- um. Meteors."

Which seems like it should be kind of a sensitive subject, but apparently isn't? Regardless, she gives Dave's hand two firm, textbook pumps before releasing it.

"Yes! Sorry. And thank you very much!"

Aforementioned cash thing is, as it turns out, both better and worse than she'd worried about -- a total of 3800 Pokédollars, enough to more than wipe out the funds Mom had left her with but hardly an insurmountable debt to owe someone.

"Thank you SO much," she said again, now carrying an over-full plastic bag of her purchases. "I'll repay you as soon as I can, I promise! ...May I offer you anything?"

Rummaging through her bag a bit as she speaks; with the tearing of some cardboard, she pulls out a small battery and passes it to the Joltik nested in her scarf. Amber snatches it up with her tiny legs before scuttling back into the depths of slightly-janky wool. Penny herself pulls out a granola bar and tears into it with a little more gusto than public decorum generally allows, but she holds the bag out to Dave in offering at the same time.