The winding forest path between [[place:Njoty]] and the [[place:Togi]] settlement is broadest and best-defined near to Njoty, branching off into smaller, circling pathways ideal for walks near that urban moloch. It's the main path that [[character:Elena Lione|Elena]] is staying close to, though, at least at the moment - her [[:berries|berry]] run is almost over, and there are a few more likely to grow where more light falls, even if they're also more prone to being eaten.
When the flutter of a Venomoth stabilises the creature to a hover beside her at two arm's length distance, it stands out - most pokémon she's seen today have tried to stay hidden or at least out of her sight as much as possible, as is customary for wild pokémon not unduly startled or aggressed against. That leaves three options, in order of likelihood: Either, it belongs to a trainer, though there's none in sight yet; or she's currently attached to its favourite source of berries and its uncertain how to engage her, if at all; or it's simply not naturally shy around human beings, which could easily be a warning sign as much as not.
Its particular hovering point shifts, attention visibly scanning across her. Then, five long seconds later, its inched a bit closer, peering at her collected berries.
From [[pokémon:Iris]]' perspective, he reasons, those berries could be relevant. He's totally not distracted. If she's collecting a lot of one type of berry that he's not sure which one it would be to be relevant but he'd know it if he saw it, that could totally make a statement about her intentions and character, so he's totally- okay no. His mandibles fold against his face, the Venomoth equivalent of a scrunched up face. He's just daydreaming about berries, if he's honest with himself. She's clearly no threat so there's no harm in letting his mind wander a bit. It's been a long day, berries are delicious, and if [[character:Dakarai N'Sehla|Dakarai]] is allowed to stay glued to the shop windows of bakeries in pause of where he's going, Iris is allowed to wistfully ponder berries. That's fair.
Approaching wild pokémon were an oddity and the arrival of the Venomoth startles her. Automatically Elena found herself looking around for a trainer to explain the friendly behaviour. There didn't seem to be any in sight though and she racked her brain for what she knew of Venomoths as it sidled closer. They liked status, didn't they? It wasn't going to try and disable her and steal her basket, was it? But she had [[pokémon:Roman]], so nothing too bad could happen.
Slowly her right hand reached into the basket. Small red berries with coiled green stems and plump pale pink fruit with soft skin filled the majority of the shallow vessel. A few bluer berries and a single one of yellow completed the colourful arrangement. "Are you hungry?" she asked the hovering Venomoth. One of the pink Pecha Berries was offered in her outstretched right hand. With the handle of the basket tucked into the crook of her left arm the fingers of her other hand brushed against one of the pokeballs on her belt, just in case.
The motion of fingers against her belt lets Iris back away an inch, alert - when nothing seems to happen and the lady doesn't adopt any particularly predatory air he might associate with attempts to lure him closer for malevolent reasons, he swerves in closer, the motion slow and gradual, lightly banking to a stop, before leaning in to nip at the berry with his mandibles, only to jerk back with it by two inches, leaving her free to move her hands. Free berry! He gives off a sound akin to a coo, foremost limbs holding the berry up to his mouth, though he's not chowing down just yet, for now just cradling it happily instead, trying to convey thankfulness and an ability to cherish the offer.
The girl laughs as she draws her arm back, being careful not to make sudden motions and startle the pokémon. "You're welcome," Elena informs it and wonders again why it's so bold. Maybe it's one a trainer released and so its used to humans? It doesn't seem hurt, which was good; she'd wondered if the courage might be caused by hunger and desperation.
Mostly she was glad that it didn't seem likely to make aggressive moves towards her. An overly protective Arcanine would make quick work of a wild Venomoth and while she wouldn't hesitate to defend herself she'd feel bad when it got hurt. Or worse.
With the gesture clearly understood, Iris begins to nibble happily at his prize. If scouting came with free food more often he'd probably lose all second thoughts about being Dakarai's watcher and protector, both. Just one of those tasks was a handful, after all.
Speaking of the devil...
"Iris, what are you doing?" An amused tone trying hard to be scolding reveals the 'trainer' explaining the pokémon's familiarity with humans. The copper skin suggests a part-African heritage, the uninspired dark attire clashing with it. "You can't just harass strangers for berries."
Iris has broken into sudden motion, proving himself entirely capable of swift response, mandibles letting go of the berry but foremost limbs keeping a hold of it as a series of sounds spills from him. "Eee, eee-eee!" he comments, half apologetic, half scolding, himself, as if he wasn't sure whether he's been caught with a proverbial hand in the cookie jar or if he should be protesting his right to have a snack.
Dakarai reaches forward with a curled hand to touch the knuckles of two fingers against the Venomoth's hovering carapace in the lightest mockery of a punch, then peers past him at Elena. "Sorry, ma'am, I didn't realise my companion Venomoth is secretly a sneaky, petty thief," he grins. The comment prompts those free mandibles of the Venomoth's to jitter, then be thrust forward and downward to lock against Dakarai's fingers in a playful bite, prompting him to give his arm a shake, facial expression scrunched into a fake growl while his attention is focussed on Iris, grin rather too apparent beneath it.
Oh. It wasn't a wild pokémon after all. Just one that was apparently sneaking away from its trainer in search of berries. Elena grinned and relaxed more. Berries were sufficiently awesome for that to be justified, in her opinion. "Iris didn't steal, Iris pleaded and I gave him or her one," she corrected in amusement at the interplay. "No need to apologise, I don't mind."
"I'm sure he didn't just take it," Dakarai explains. "But I'm equally sure he wasn't all too eager to decline or correct the impression he's starved for one." Said, he dislodges Iris from his fingers, prompting the Venomoth to utter a sound like a half-hearted hiss, before fluttering to perch on Dakarai's right shoulder, four of its limbs anchoring it there. "I'd love to accuse him of a sweet tooth but... mandibles." He reaches up and drags the tips of index and middle finger of his right hand under Iris' chin in a friendly scritch. "Thank you for the berry. Is there anything you need? Because I am at least fractionally in your debt now." He shoots a mock-glare at Iris. It definitely looks like they're used to friendly digs at each other, because Iris' response to the glare is to simply finish the berry indulgently.
She shook her head. "I'm fine, but thanks for the offer. What about you, are you en route to Njoty?" A grimace briefly crossed her face as she realised something. "I'm sorry, I'm being rude, I'm Elena," she introduced herself, offering her hand to the stranger.
"If that's rude, I'm going to die knowing myself to be notorious impolite," Dakarai comments. "I go by 'Rhaptor'," he appends. "I'm en route to everywhere," he adds, before confirming her impression. "Though 'Njoty' is certainly the best approximation right this moment. Call it a checkpoint."
"'Everywhere' is a long way. What do you do?" she asks curiously. Maybe he's a courier? But there seems to be a lack of parcels or mailbags about his person and don't they generally use pokémon to FLY from one city to another unless the goods are too heavy or bulky? She's not even sure how long it would take to travel all of Sehto on foot but surely it would be measured in months rather than days.
"I suppose the canonical answer to that is 'I'm a bum'," Dakarai smiles. "I don't do anything for direct monetary compensation, at any rate, but I have a few friends around Sehto that take grave pity on me and feed me." A pause. "In exchange for a bit of loving slave labour," he appends in amusement, a fake grimace on his face. "Let me tell you, scrubbing a whole pokémon gym clean is physically punishing."
"Some would say food and shelter for work is just cutting out the middleman," Elena joked. "Are you heading for the [[place:Njoty:Pterygotamorphic Pokémon Science Center|Science Centre]] then? I pity you if you have to clean that, that place is //huge//." She wonders how they do clean it all. Long handled brooms and ladders? Dishcloths tied to bug pokémon suitably bribed with nectar? The former was more likely, the latter more amusing.
The girl gestures to the basket hooked over her arm. "About half of these are for the Science Centre, a few for the PokéCentre and the rest to be sold," she explains.
"I hope not," Dakarai comments as she speculates him having to clean it. "But then like anyone I hope for more of the 'free shelter and food' and less of the labour, naturally." He inclines his head. "I am heading up there, though, yes," he adds after she's concluded her berry explanation. "Iris was scouting ahead looking for trouble - I've had my fair share of attempted muggings during my travels, so if you'd like help finishing your pick and wouldn't mind company on the way there... I'm used to travelling by myself, but it'd give Iris' constant concern a rest." Offering his help as if it were her doing him a favour? Now who was being unduly sneaky.
From the smirk she seems to have guessed what he was trying to do but raises no objection. "I'm on my way back, today was only a casual day-trek," Elena comments as she turns and starts walking along the path. "There are a few more clusters of berry trees on the way but I don't think any of them would have fruit yet. Except for an Oran tree, but that one is right on the path just outside the city and gets picked really quickly once it ripens. If anything is there it's probably at the top, it'd be quicker for Iris to check than us." It was nice having someone to idly chatter to. Sure, she had her pokemon, but despite some of them being good listeners it wasn't quite the same.
{{tag>[raw]}}