"FOOD!"

[Radio]

Astra leaned on the wall of a building across from the Adoption Centre in Shellau Town, Green clinging to her shoulder as Pianz stood precariously on his head. Zon Three stood next to Astra and the acrobatic monkeys while Percy dragged his feet, trying to catch up to the rest of the group.

Once pulling out her pokénav from her bag, she began to study the map of Shellau for a restaurant. The closest one was--but how could that be possible? The restuarant was a nice neat rectangle with a dot standing practically on top of it, the one that was supposed to represent where Astra was.

Hopping back so she wasn't below the overhang anymore, Astra saw a neon sign with some English words (she couldn't read English, Team Rocket apparently didn't want to have literate grunts) and a picture of a burger and some pokémon food.

<FOOD!> Green and Pianz squealed with delight, both jumping off Astra's shoulder to get to it first.

<Hey! Birds! We're here!> Astra yelled at the taillow and wingull, <Time for your reward!>

Zon Three nodded as he waited patiently as Percy fell over onto the ground.

[PBK]

<Food?>

<So she wasn't lying...> the Wingull said thoughtfully.

<HAH! TOLDJA SO! JUST CUZ WHATS-HIS-NAME DITCHDJA DOSEN'T MEANEVERONEELSEWILL!> The Taillow's words came out in an awkward clump due to excitement.

<I NEVER SAID THAT!> the Wingull announced defensively.

Another quarrel began, the birds squawking so loud that it was nearly impossible to understand what they were saying. It ended abruptly with each swearing never to talk to the other again. Birds landed on either side of Astra, waiting for her to make the first move towards the restaurant.

[Radio]

Sighing, Astra walked into the building and sat down at a table. Not knowing what to do (she was never taken out to restaurants by her fellow Rocket grunts), she waited. The pokémon waited with her. Silence surrounded the table, until it was broken by Zon Three.

<How are you going to order if you don't even know how to read English, let alone speak it?>

<Maybe there's pokémon waitors like in Professor Kass' lab.>

<I highly doubt it. This isn't someone's lab to research pokémon, it's a restaurant.>

<Meh, we'll see.> Astra bit her lip. She noticed she was doing that more often.

[PBK]

A tired old lady came to wait on them. "What can I do for you," she said half-heartedly, frowning at Astra and her pokemon...or maybe she was frowning at something she saw through the window, it was hard to say. It seemed as if she had worked there since the beginning of time, and perhaps it was time for her to retire.

ooc|| Sorry, didn't see your post.

[Radio]

((ooc: it's okay.))

Astra smiled, trying to get on the lady's good side because even though she couldn't understand the lady, she obviously could see that she was not going to be pleased by the fact that her costumer couldn't speak a lick of English, aside from "Roar", but that wouldn't help. <Um, er, can I order some food? . . . or a translator?>

[PBK]

The lady gave her a quizzical look when Asta spouted off something in perfect pokemon tongue. Then she shrugged and walked off, leaving Astra and the other pokemon alone. Five minutes later, she returned with a young man, perhaps sixteen or seventeen years old. There was a slightly greenish tint to his face. <What can we do for you?> he asked.

"Pokemorphs," the lady grumbled as she walked away, "Never thought I'd meet one 'til he came along...now they seem to be everywhere."

[Radio]

<I'll have the best pokémon food you've got!" Pianz shouted, grinning.
Percy, added, <And make sure they're all the same color. And no spicy food. Or grass.>

<Make it extra spicy then!>

Percy groaned, <Fine. I'll take your finest Ice type food. If you have it.>
Green hit Percy with his tail and said, <Pfft! Ice type? The best normal-type food for all! Oh wait, birds, what do you want?>

Zon Three, not waiting for the birds to speak said, <I'll have Dark-type food . . . if you have it, of course.>

< Make that two,> Astra added, a worried expression fixed on her face. By the way all the pokémon were ordering, she'd be washing dishes for the rest of her life.

[PBK]

<Okay,> the boy said, counting the pokemon once more, <Seven luxury pokemon plates." He yelled it out, rather than writing it down, talking directly too the cook. <On the house.> He winked at Astra, then disappeared into the kitchen.

...25 minutes later...

The teen with the green-tinted skin appeared with a whole tray full of different foods, and passed it around the table, whistling as he worked. He lingered on a little longer than necessary, seeming to enjoy the company of the other morph.

Meanwhile, the two birds waited for no invitation, instantly digging in to the food presented to them.

[Radio]

Pianz and Green rapidly began to shove food into their mouthes, whilst Percy carefully nibbled on each piece, and ZonThree casually munched his, not at all in a hurry. Astra popped a few pieces in her mouth, thinking. She had seen pokémorphs before, it was a given, considering she was one, but it just wasn't the same. The only pokémorph she had seen free was herself and Eva.

<Thanks for the food, I'm Astra.> She said, smiling. Smiling? The part of her, the one who smiled, had been lost on a dusty shelf next to a label in a rich collector's office, perhaps even before that. She was coming back to her old self, or at least a bit of the old Astra. The thought was jolting, she didn't know what emotion to feel.

[PBK]

<Eniv,> the boy introduced himself.

Then, from the kitchen, "Eniv! Get your butt over here, there's stuff to be done!" followed by a crash, and certain swear words which probably shouldn't be repeated.

<Sorry about that,> Eniv said, his mouth turned slightly into a frown. His mouth. That was another thing. His lips were the same shade as the rest of his face, making them undestinguishable, so it just looked like a line across his face- cartoon like. <Gotta go. I'll be back when you're finished.> "COMING!" And with that, he left.

[Radio]

Still grinning, Astra began to dig into her food. But almost on cue, worries began to creep into her head. She really didn't want to battle at all, but of course, she had to, if she wanted to be a trainer. She stopped eating.

<Zon,> she said.

<What?> He replied in a tone that declared he wasn't really listening.

<I don't want to fight the Gym Leader,> Astra said, biting her lip.

<Why?>

<Zon, I can't even hold a pokéball, let alone battling even a Wurmple. Do you really think I can battle a Gym Leader?>

<So don't.>

<But how? I'm supposed to be a trainer. I can't not battle this person.>

<Call the Lab's people. They generally know what to do,> He replied.

Getting up, Astra drifted towards the phone, and dialed the number. Body tensing, she heard the bleeps, waiting for someone to pick up. Stupid, stupid. Astra thought bitterly, What are they going to make me? An explorer? Field Professor? Feh, I might as well go back and turn myself into Team Rocket.

[Professor Gravon]

"Kantex Regional Laboratory, How can I help you?" A voice of a ninetales responded on the other side.

[Radio]

Astra froze up. Hanging up the phone she ran back to the table and collapsed into a chair.

<You idiot. When are you ever going to make a defined decision?> Zon Three smirked.

Astra remained silent for a while. He was right. She was just some messed up kid who couldn't make decisions without changing it. Stupid, stupid. She thought bitterly, Why am I so stupid? Can't read or speak English, can't hold a pokeball even if someone paid me, can't fight. <Zon? The Three part of your name's being chucked. Think of it as a promotion.>

Sighing, Zon mumbled something under his breath along the lines of changing topics and switching to useless small talk.

Percy was counting the number of pellets he had in his dish as Pianz and Green were fooling around, throwing two times more than they ate at each other. Grinning, they began to throw at Percy, whom caught each one in his beak before gulping it down.

<Don't play with your food,> Astra said angrily, <Or I would get you it the next time.>

Knowing that Astra was lying through her teeth, the monkeys could've continued without consequence, but they settled down and began to eat again, chattering to each other.

<So you have to battle now,> Zon mused, <What happens if you lose?>

<I thought about that,> Astra said, <I think I'd be better for me to battle. Remember that egg I found back on Route 2? Well supposedly they hatch quicker when they're around active pokemon, battling pokemon. So I'm guessing I'll battle a bit, and if I don't like it, then I'll either lose or forfeit and I'll call Kass' people.

[Professor Gravon]

A waiter came by and collected their empty plates and cups. It wasn't Eniv.
"Please pay at the front desk. Tah!"

[Radio]

Sighing, Astra walked over to the desk near the front of the restaurant. She had put all the leftover food into containers she had found in her bag, and by the gestures of the waitor, was going to pay for it. Maybe Eniv hadn't be truthful after all. . . Or not. Putting on a straight face, she walked towards the person behind the desk and and began to act.

<You see, I believe there was a mistake,> She said dramatically, and to help if they didn't know how to speak Pokemon, she made dramactic gestures as well.

<. . . And one of your waitors Eniv, said my meal was on the house. Your reputation might be ruined if you don't keep to your word, you know how the word of mouth can be so damaging.> Eyes widened, she hoped of all hopes that she didn't have to pay. She needed to stock up on medical supplies with that money.

[PBK]

The man at the desk gave her a funny look. It was hard to say whether it was because he couldn't understand what she was saying, or because he couldn't understand why she was saying it. A moment later, he yelled something into the back room, and Eniv came running out. The boy swiftly apologized to Astra in poketongue before talking to the man at the desk. "I said that this one was on the house." He looked back at Astra, figuring that she probably needed all the help she could get in this strange new place. "She's a friend of mine."

"Well, it'll be deducted from your paycheck," the guy said, ringing it up.

<Yeah, whatever,> Eniv said, forgetting to use English. "I mean, sure, that's fine." <You can go now,> he told Astra, <Everything's fine.>

[Radio]

<Thanks a ton, Eniv,> Astra said, smiling. And being completely irrational and a foil to her usual sullen self, she hugged him. Blushing she began to head over to the restaurant's doors, giving her pokemon enough time to catch up.

As they walked out the door, Zon looked up at her and said nonchalantly, <Who are you and what have you done to Astra?>

<I don't know,> she replied, looking up to the sky, and after checking her pokenav, headed towards the Gym.

- - -

They were finally here. The gym towered before Astra and her pokemon. No, friends, Astra thought, They're more friends than anything else. Regrets, ambitions, and ways of forfeiting filled her mind. Pianz sat on her shoulder.

<Do you think you're going to be able to battle?> Astra asked, knowing the answer. Wiping her eyes, Pianz became melancholy, and whispered, <No. I don't think so.> Astra nodded. This was understandable. Fighting probably brought back memories of her previous trainer.

Everyone else was ready to battle though. Biting her lip, Astra pounded on the door. <Hello?>

[Professor Gravon]

As soon as Astra banged on the fogged up glass doors, they opened releasing fog from the gym.

Singing could be heard towards the back of the misty gym. Lily the Lapras was enjoying the heavy mist.
It stopped singing when Astra called out into the gym.
Her faint shadow looked at the silouhette standing at the doorway.

<Hello! Lily here! Want me to get Lillian?>

[Radio]

It was another one of those moments. Freezing up, Astra's mind began to race with fear. She didn't want to battle, she was forcing herself. She could walk away now, be done with it, not have to worry.

Biting her lip, she mumbled, <Yes.>

The deed was done, contract signed, lose ends tied. She wasn't going to back out now. Green jumping on her shoulder with excitement, yelled, <I'm battling first!>

Sighing, Astra retorted, <No. Zon is, thank you very much.>

((OOC: Think one might want (fightable) Pokemon information. This might help when battling.
Species: Aipom
Name: Green
Gender: Male
Level: 8
Attacks:Scratch, Tail Whip
Hold Item: None

Nickname: Percy
Species: Delibird
Gender: Male
Level: 9
Attacks: Present, Body Slam, Belly Drum, Rest
Ability: Early Bird
Persona: Methodical
Hold Item: Polkadot Bow (Increases Normal type attack)

Name: Zon
Gender: Male
Ability: Inner Focus
Persona: Serious
Level: 13
Attacks: Scratch, Leer, Quick Attack, Endure (TM), Frustration (TM) ))

[Professor Gravon]

(Ooc: Thankyou very much! Very handy indeed!)

Lillian came forth from the mist with Misty in her hands.

"Hello trainer! I'm Lillian! How many pokemon do you want to battle with?"

[Radio]

<Eh?> Astra was a tad angry. Obviously she didn't like being confused. <I have three pokemon whom are willing to fight, if that's what you mean. And I'm assuming that we'll be using the standard one versus one battle, none of the double or whatever.>

[Professor Gravon]

"Great! I'll choose... Misty... Lily... And Lottle..."

Lilian's three pokemon swam to her side of the arena.

"Misty! I choose you!"