Linkachu

[Linkachu]

The clunky bus rolled onward through the lush country side. Outside the windows was a bright sunny morning, full of wonder and glee. The birds were singing; big, fluffy clouds were slowly rolling in… It was a gorgeous sight to behold.

Too bad inside the bus was so gosh darn awful.

It wasn’t the interior of the vehicle that made things miserable. The seats were actually quite comfortable, and the color choices of the walls and floor gave it a nice, homey feel. No, the blame for this droll atmosphere lay solely on one of the three bus passengers. You see, the bus was rather empty this morning, save for a “talkative” cat, a quietly-dying-on-the-inside mouse, and the bus driver.

“Hey, you’re another new face, aren’t ya? There have been a lot of newbies around here lately. Quite the odd crowd, but guess it makes sense for an odd place like this. You know we're headed to Charming Town, right?”

“Yep.”

“There’s not much in Charming Town yet. It’s kinda a dump, really. Yet you still wanted to come here?”

“Totally.”

“You’re another strange one! I like you. Strange folk are interesting folk. What’s your name?”

“Linkachu.”

“That’s an odd name. Are you a boy?”

“… No.”

“HAHAHA! Just kidding. I knew you were female. I’m just messing with you.”

The Raichu stared blankly at the Meowth. He’d been rattling on and on throughout the entire bus ride, first to the bus driver and now to her. On and on and on. Somebody kill me, she thought with a sigh.

“Hey, did I introduce myself yet?”

“Nope, you didn’t,” Linkachu replied dryly.

“HAHA! Sorry about that. Sometimes I forget myself when I get talking away! Maybe that’s why people are constantly yelling at me to shut up… Anyways, my name’s Nomad. I’m always traveling place to place, seeing the sights; meeting new folk. It’s a big wild world out there! So much to see. I want to see it all!”

“That’s nice.”

“So, why don’t you tell me a bit about yourself, Linkachu? What made you choose Charming as your new home? I can’t help but be curious, all things considered.”

Linkachu groaned silently to herself, yet pondered the question for a moment. What to say? She wasn’t quite sure why she was moving here, to this underdeveloped town of all places, yet it’d seemed like the right thing to do at the time. There was just something about this place, something that kept tugging at the back of her mind. In some strange, twisted way, her moving here felt like fate, and who could argue with fate, eh?

“Fate.” Linkachu finally answered.

“That’s… One of the best reasons I’ve ever heard! Did I mention I like you? Because I lied. I love you! You’re gonna be big, kid. You’re gonna go places. Just keep following your heart! Follow your dreams! Never stop do-“

Linkachu’s eyes were wide with horror as the talking continued, on and on. Not a single pause. It was inhuman. This creature was not of this world.

Oh good gods! It’s not fate. It’s a nightmare! I want to wake up. Wake up right now. GET ME OFF THIS BUS!

The bus finally pulled into town and came to a rumbly stop. The moment the doors creeked open the Raichu bolted off the vechile faster than she'd ever moved in her entire life.

Nomad followed her to the door and stood by with a wave. "Nice to meet you, Linkachu! We have to talk again real soon!"

Linkachu turned to face the cat with a weak wave and a nervous laugh. Nomad smiled brightly, then turned back inside the bus and disappeared as the doors shut.

The Raichu sighed with relief, but a worrisome doubt lingered in her thoughts. May I never, ever, ever encouter that demon again. I will kill myself first.

"Now then... Here we are. Charming Town," Linkachu murmured to herself. The place looked exactly the same as she'd seen in the photos - namely, it was pretty damn empty. There were a few buildings off to her left however, and another in the distance to her right. Directly in front of where she stood now appeared to be the town gate. "I guess that's where I'll head first, then go from there."

With that the Raichu headed towards the gate, desperately hoping that she wouldn't meet anymore freaks around town before the day was out. (Continue reading...)


OoC: I'll have to continue my next activity laters. Gotta go for lunch now. But yay! I've started. :'D

P.S. - I JUST realized that I mixed up today's weather forecast, so I guess it'll magically be raining in my next post. Contrived plot devices for the win. :3

 

[Rex]

Re: Don Nick's Part Time Helpers

5:01pm

Rex entered the shop as quietly as possible, and shook the water from his fur. Despite being as quiet as he could, Nick quickly found the Linoone.

"Well, don't you look a mess!" the Zigzagoon smirked. Rex only glared in responce. "That took way longer then it should have, as well," the Zigzagoon continued, smirk turning into his favorite reproachful frown. "We got a bunch more people living here now then when I sent you out, but I guess I can let you off the hook there, since they'll eventually have to find you!"

Nick hurried over to him, and pulled him behind the counter again. "Anyway, this time I think I'll let you do some real work!" He handed him a four leaf clover, and smirked, "Don't drop that now, it'll turn back into furniture. That's a CD Player for Sem, you're to deliver it to him for me! Easy enough I hope, but try not to get it too wet, either."

The Linoone silently nodded, carefully packing the clover into his pocket. Then, with a final "Off you go!" Nick pushed him out of the building, and back into the rain drenched outside.

 

[Linkachu]

Re: The Mapmakers

5:24 PM

Linkachu was met with a a couple of confused stares as she entered the gate.

"Hello there, miss! You must be another new resident, am I right?" A rather large Arcanine greeted her with a warm smile. "I can't help but notice however... You're soaking wet! Where's your umbrella?"

"I don't have an umbrella... And wait. What? I am?" Linkachu replied quizzically, gazing down at her blue-and-white lightning shirt. It was was utterly soaked through. Apparently her head and ears were dripping water as well. "Huh. That's odd. I remember it being sunny on the bus ride here, but the clouds were moving in... Then my brain kinda shut down from all of Nomad's yammering. I didn't even notice the time or sky when I finally arrived in town... I guess it was raining all along and I didn't even notice!" She grinned sheepishly.

"Hah hah! Typical Nomad. That cat sure loves to talk! Hoh boy. He even talks more than me!" The Arcanine gave a hearty laugh.

Linkachu's grin shifted into a frown. This dog has no idea of the hell I've seen.

"Now then, lass. What's your name? I'm Sherriff, and this here is my right-hand dog, Popo." The Arcanine jerked a thumb towards the Growlithe, who'd yet to say a word since Linkachu had arrived.

Popo gave a nod at the mention of his name and tipped his hat. "Howdy there."

"Nice to meet you both. My name's Linkachu, and you guessed right. I'm new in town, and I'm not really sure what to do."

"Ah, well, I can help you with that," Sherriff started to say as he made his way towards a small table. He continued to speak with his back to the Raichu. "I'd been waiting for more of you newcomers to show up. There's been quite a wave of them lately... There we go." Turning back around, the Arcanine held a rolled up piece of paper in his hands. It appeared to be a map. "Take this map. It'll help you figure out your way around town."

"Sure! Thank you muchly." Linkachu stepped towards the Arcanine to retrieve the map and give his hand a shake. "I'm sure this'll definitely come in handy."

"Good good! Now then, what you'll want to do is head towards the post office and meet with one of the Pelipper sisters. They'll tell you what your next step is to finding a place to live."

Linkachu nodded and replied, "Thanks again!" She turned to leave the gate, giving Popo a quick wave goodbye over her shoulder. The Growlithe didn't return the gesture however. He appeared to be nodding off to sleep...

Linkachu suddenly remembered the rain then and took a step back to open up her map under the shelter. The Post Office, eh? It appeared to be located inside Town Hall, which was the building she'd seen in the distance to the east when she'd first arrived in town.

Well, off I go then, she thought as she rolled the map back up and stowed it away for safe keeping. Linkachu gave herself a moment to mentally prepare for the rainfall, then dashed back outside towards her destination.

 

[Linkachu]

Re: Welcome to town!

7:50 PM

Linkachu burst through the door of the Town Hall with an exasperated cheer. "VICTORY!" She immediately shut the door and slumped back against it, struggling to catch her breath. This town... She'd been right about it after all. Charming was a complete nightmare. Not only had the pouring rain intensified shortly after she'd walked back outside, but some idiot had thought it'd be a fun idea to plant Pitfalls seeds... EVERYWHERE!

Okay, maybe she was exaggerating just a tad, but Linkachu had literally hit five different Pitfall traps between here and the Town Gate. Or maybe it'd just been four. Possibly three. REGARDLESS, she'd had to claw her way out of the mud holes multiple times, and with the ground being soft and soggy from the constant downpour it'd been ridiculously difficult to do. The Raichu was now soaked, muddy, and incredibly pissed off.

Safe to say, the sudden yell that boomed in her ears didn't help matters. "Who do you think you are slamming that door? And look at this mess! You've tracked mud in, and I just swept up a few minutes ago!"

Linkachu's eyes narrowed sharply. Who in their right mind would say something so ignorant when- Oh. It's a Pelipper.

The Raichu stared back at the glaring Pelipper. A nasty expression was etched on the bird's face, as if she'd frowned too long and it'd stayed that way permanently. It didn't take a genius to realize this Pelipper had a bad attitude. Lovely.

"Well, are you just going to stand there all night looking like a wet fool, or are you going to tell me what you want?"

Linkachu's mouth fell open. Oh no she didn't. She did NOT just call me a fool, now, after the HELL I've been through today. Linkachu's face burned with rage, but the Pelipper's expression was unwavering.

"Well?" the Pelipper repeated bluntly. She paid no mind to Linkachu's murderous death glares.

What is this woman? Has she no soul? Linkachu couldn't believe this was happening. In a matter of hours she'd encountered two Pokemon who'd inspired a deep, seething hatred within her. All she'd wanted was to travel to her new home and settle in. Was that too much to ask for? But between Nomad, the Pitfalls, and this... this... BEAST, she was about ready to throw up her arms, scream some random obscenity, and flee the town never to return.

No. She was stronger than this. No matter what demons the world threw at her, she would get through this day, buy her first home, and start putting her life plans into motion. This couldn't have all been for naught; all this pain and suffering. She'd make it work or, lord help her, she'd die trying.

Clearing her throat and giving her arms two quick shakes to remove excess water, she walked straight up to the Pelipper's desk and stood before her. The two females locked eyes. "Sheriff sent me," Linkachu said flatly.

"As I assumed," the Pelipper replied with an identical tone.

"My name is Linkachu. I've just arrived in town."

"That much was obvious," the Pelipper huffed.

Linkachu clenched her fists. "I'd like to purchase a home."

"Why didn't you just say so in the first place?" the bird squawked angrily, pulling out a map from beneath her desk and throwing it in front of the Raichu. "And just because I like you, you can pick which home you want. Except this one, this one, that one, this one..." She listed off at least six homes.

Linkachu stared at the map a moment and slammed her paw down on a house located in the south-west corner of town by the ocean shore. "This one!"

"A loner, aren't you? Meh, suit yourself." The Pelipper quickly pulled out more papers and started scribbling down notes. Finally she handed the bundle to Linkachu. "As a special treat, I'll have Don Nick meet you outside the house."

Linkachu raised an eyebrow at this. "But how will he know that I'm-?"

"He just will." The Pelipper replied simply.

The Raichu wasn't sure how much she liked the sound of that, but that was the least of her concerns. She had her house papers, and at least for now she could be rid of this wretched creature. One day that bird would get hers. Until next time...

"Have a good night," Linkachu murmured, packing her documents away and turning to leave.

"Just go!" the Pelipper snapped.

"Gladly, whoreface!" Linkachu growled under her breath and threw the door open. She didn't give the rain a second thought as she stomped out into the night and headed towards her new home.

(Continue reading...)

 

[Rex]

Re: Don Nick's Part Time Helpers

10:14am

When Rex entered the store, Nick was once again behind the counter. "You take a very long time to do any sort of task, why is that?" the Zigzagoon asked when he noticed the Linoone.

Resisting the urge to strangle the smaller Pokemon, Rex replied, "Sem didn't make an appearance until late at night, so I just went to bed after the delivery was completed, instead of coming back here." It was partly the truth.

"Yeah, well I don't think I'll have you do any more deliveries any time soon," Nick smirked, "The weather report says that this fog will clear up in the afternoon. I'd like to have a few more flowers around my store by then." The Zigzagoon dug around under the counter, eventually coming up with a few packets of seeds. "Plant these around, and don't get any funny ideas about taking off with them."

Nick threw him the seeds, and Rex walked out of the building, growling. Still, the Linoone had little choice but to get to work. He had been given six seeds. Simply tearing open the packets and spreading the things on the ground would be enough to get the flowers growing. So, one by one, and as precise as he could, the Linoone planted the seeds, which quickly shot up into flowers. They were all in a nice row, located under the window that looked into the store. After he was done, the Linoone stood back to survey his handiwork.

As far as he could tell, the the flowers looked nice. Of course, he had little skill with planting, so he had no idea if it was acceptble to the Zigzagoon or not. With a shrug, the Linoone returned to the building, where Nick was waiting. "So, they look nice?" the Pokemon asked, a stupid grin on his face. "I guess that doesn't matter, everyone will know it was your handiwork, so if it looks bad, it's on your head."

"You won't have a head by the time I'm done with you," the Linoone growled, just low enough for the Zigzagoon to not hear.

"Anyway, time for your next task," Nick continued. He then handed the Linoone some stationary and a pencil. "Write letters to all my valuable customers! I'm having a sale soon, and I want them to all come here and give me their money. So, you are to write to Sem, Chad, that human, RMA, and three new villagers that I'm aware of. Their names are RX, Belle, and Linkachu."

With a sigh, Rex accepted the stack of paper and the pencil, and took a seat behind the counter. This would take a while.

4:51pm

Hours later, and Rex had made little progress. Nick had gone off to make sure his wares were where they were supposed to be, leaving the Linoone alone at the counter. He had written about a paragraph on six of the papers, to be mailed to each of the recipients. The rest of the paper he had used to doodle the Zigzagoon suffering numerous deaths at his hands.

Looking up at the clock, Rex realized with a start that he had spent the better part of the day sitting and doodling. The Linoone leaped to his feet, and picked up all the papers he had drawn on, as well as the ones he would be mailing. "I'll be off to mail these now!" he called into the store, receiving a general grunt from the Zigzagoon in responce. He quickly exited the shop, heading in the direction of the Post Office.

 

[Linkachu]

OoC: Alrighty, sorry guys but I was too busy yesterday to make a reply. I'm retroing this half of the post to the morning of April 7th, around 1 AM, otherwise it just won't make much sense. Contrived plot devices only work so much. If this screws anything else up, sorry. :X

BiC:

It was now pitch-black out, and Linkachu was cold and hungry. Thankfully the rain had finally cleared up around midnight, but the fog had rolled in since and there wasn't much light to guide her to her destination. She could only hope that she was still headed in the right direction.

Her large ears suddenly caught a familiar sound. "I hear water! The ocean must be that way!" she cheered, her spirits lifting a little. Racing towards the source of the noise, the mouse could've cried when she saw the deep dark, expansive ocean that lay before her. This would help immensely. All she'd have to do was follow the shoreline west until reaching the lonely home.

There were many sea shells along the shoreline as Linkachu walked, but mostly porcelettas and sand dollars. Some broken pieces of coral and Venus comb too. The Raichu paid them little attention. Having lived in a seaside town in the past, she was well aware that such shells never seemed to interest anyone. Too common. "What's the chance that I'll find-" she paused at the sight of a distinct shell. Even in the darkness she could make out what it was. "Hello, Scallop!" Linkachu greedily scooped it up and stuffed it into her pocket. She hadn't made any cash in several days (too much time spent traveling) and having some extra spending money couldn't hurt. "Guess I might as well collect some of the more valuable shells as I go..."

She walked for at least another 20 minutes but managed to locate two more scallop shells, three white scallops, and, best of all, one pearl oyster. They were quite the rare thing to come across, not to mention very pretty. Just holding it in her paws made Linkachu's mood brighten much more. I guess if the ocean touches here, too, Charming Town won't be so bad... Maybe. And it is a rather nice night tonight, now that the rain has stopped...

A small house caught the corner of her eye then, and she stuffed the pearl oyster into her pocket. "Is that it? Could I actually have finally found my house?" Breaking into a run towards it, she skidded to a stop in front of the door. A letter had been taped onto it, but it was too dark to read a thing. Linkachu pulled the letter down and looked around. She couldn't see, or hear, anyone nearby, just the soft murmurs of the waves. "I guess that Don Nick guy left this? Huh. Now what do I do, though? He wouldn't have left the door unlocked, would he...?"

Trying the knob, Linkachu was surprised to see that the door opened. Anywhere else she would've found this incredibly creepy, but Charming was so deserted that they probably didn't worry about hobos hiding out inside the empty homes. Stepping inside, she choose to leave the door open and began searching for a light switch. There didn't seem to be one, nor did there seem to be any furniture in the house at all. Suddenly her foot bumped against something. A box maybe? She reached out into the darkness and felt something cold and metallic. Had to be a lamp. Searching further still, she finally located a power switch and flipped it on.

The Mini-Lamp illuminated the small space, and small it was. The floors and walling was rather shabby, and there wasn't anything else in the room but the box the lamp sat on. And yet, Linkachu didn't mind at all. "Oh gods, please let this be the right place!" She fumbled with the letter she'd pulled off the door and read it in the light.


Linkachu,

I waited until the rain stopped but was needing my beauty sleep and had to go. This house is yours if you want it, for a price. Feel free to use the bed upstairs and catch some zzz's, then drop by my shop tomorrow. I'll discuss fees with you then.

Yours truly,
Don Nick


"Guess that settles it," Linkachu said to herself, shoving the letter in her pocket and looking towards the stairs. "I'm dead tired, so I'll take him up on the bed offer, too."

The Raichu walked back to the front door to pull it shut and lock it. Continuing on to climb the narrow staircase, she was met by another small room. The light from downstairs was just enough for her to make out a single bed, a bedside table, and a phone sitting on top. It was homey enough. Without another thought - and still dressed in her wet clothing - Linkachu fell onto the bed. She was fast asleep a second later.

April 8th, 7:06 AM

Linkachu awoke to the sun shining through her window, directly onto her face. "Uuughh..." she muttered and adjusted her eyes to the light. It felt like she'd been sleeping forever.

Rolling over to glance at the digital display of her telephone, she noticed the time and date. 7:09 AM. April 8th. The Raichu choked at the sight. Gods, I actually DID sleep a full day! It almost feels like all of that hell I faced was a dream now...

"Meh. That's the past. This is a new day. I'll make it work, yes. I'll meet this Don Nick fellow, buy the house from him, and make this place my own." Linkachu jumped straight out of bed and punched a fist into the air. "My new life starts today! All those bitches better watch out. Linkachu has arrived!"

She chuckled quietly to herself and headed downstairs. With the new days light, she could really make out the interior of her home now. Empty. That would change quickly. Taking her map out of her pocket, she located what appeared to be Don Nick's place. Must be it. Let's fly!

Stuffing the map away again, she threw the door open with a smile and stepped out into the morning. Shutting it tightly behind her, Linkachu turned to gaze out at the ocean that greeted her. The sun's rays were shimmering a top the calm waters. Beautiful, just beautiful, but now wasn't the time to admire nature. She had to get to Nick's shop ASAP and get the ball rolling.

As she left in the direction of Nick's shop, she didn't even notice that her mail box was signaling the arrival of new mail.

 

[Linkachu]

Re: Pick n' Nick

12:07 PM

Linkachu entered the shop with a skip in her step. The sun had been shining brightly all morning, not a rain cloud in sight, and she'd finally had the chance to take a good look around the town. It certainly was a quiet place, and she hadn't met single other creature during her morning travels, but that wasn't a bad thing. Silence could be a person's best friend, especially with alternatives like that bloody talkative cat. Nomad. Just the thought of him made the Raichu's skin crawl. But that was behind her now, and she had every intention of continuing her day with a smile.

"Good afternoon! Are you Don Nick?" she called across the room to the only other creature inside. It was a Zigzagoon wearing a green apron. It had to be him.

"That's me, and 'afternoon to you, too. You must be Linkachu, yes? I thought you'd never show up! What'd you do, sleep yesterday away?" the Zigzagoon asked with mild amusement.

"Uh... Yeah. Something like that," Linkachu replied sheepishly. "But how'd you know who I was?"

"Can't say Charming gets new residents that often, and I was told by Pepper to expect a smart-mouthed Raichu named Linkachu."

The "smart-mouthed" remark made Linkachu twitch. That whorefaced bird. Pepper is her name, eh? I'll get my revenge someday.

"Ah heh... Is that what she said now? I guess we just got off on the wrong foot. She seemed to be in a sour mood when we first met," Linkachu laughed nervously.

"Nah, that's just Pepper twenty-four seven. You'll get used to her. Everyone does... Mostly." Don Nick gave a chuckle at the thought. "But down to business! I hear you want to buy a house? You're not broke like the rest of the folk I've met recently?"

"Of course not! I'm not some poor hobo." Linkachu frowned. Just exactly what kind of people had been moving to this town? Worry was beginning to set in, but she forced her thoughts back to the situation at hand. "The ad said that the basic homes here cost $19,800?"

"That'd be correct. 19,800 bells."

"Great! One sec," Linkachu grinned excitedly, digging around in her pockets for her money. Her eyes suddenly grew wide with horror. She continued to dig around in desperation, but her heart sank deeper by the second. Don Nick simply stared at her, the corner of his mouth curving into a smile. "B-but, I had the money! I know I did! 19,000 bells exactly! Where did it... What did... I..." She wanted to cry.

Nick quietly put his hand on her shoulder and gave her a couple of consoling pats. "There, there, kid. I understand your pain. Losing money is like losing a part of your soul, and almost 20,000 bells? Whoo... That's gotta hurt!"

Linkachu shot him an upset look. How can you say that to someone with a straight face?!

"But don't worry," Nick continued to add. "Don Nick won't leave you hanging. You've come all this way, and we could use some spirited folk like you around town. Why don't you work for me a bit, then we'll discuss payment options?"

Linkachu's eyes brimmed with tears of joy. "Really? You'd do that for me?"

"Of course! I couldn't live with myself if I turned away a good cilent. And I just so happen to have an extra shop uniform lying around."

Linkachu yelped with glee. She took both of Nick's hands into her own and shook them vigorously. "Oh my gosh, thank you, thank you so much! I'm forever in your debt!"

"You have no idea..." Nick's eyes gleamed slyly.

"Did you say something, Mr. Nick?" the Raichu asked innocently.

"Err, you have no idea how much I appreciate the help! The thanks is all mine!" Nick laughed forcefully. He stepped away from Linkachu a moment to retrieve a green uniform from behind the front desk. "Here you go: one shop uniform. It should fit you just fine. Go get changed and let me know when you're ready to work."

"Will do!" Linkachu thanked the Zigzagoon and happily took the uniform. Praise be to Don Nick. She wouldn't let his generosity go to waste. She'd be the best damn worker he'd ever seen! (Continue reading)


OoC: No, you can't find her lost monies for yourself. Where it went will forever be a mystery~

 

[Linkachu]

Re: Don Nick's Part Time Helpers

2:52 PM

"Linkachu? Linkachu...? Linkachu!"

"Huh? Who's yelling my name?" the Raichu snapped out of her daze.

"Me! I'm yelling!" Don Nick's somewhat irritated face came into focus. "Why have you just been standing there for the past two and a half hours? Psychics abduct your mind? I was about ready to sell you off as a statue!"

"Oh! Sorry, Mr. Nick. I guess I spaced out. So sorry." She couldn't fully remember if she'd changed into her work uniform yet and looked down to note that indeed she had. Good to go then. "Regardless, I'm ready for my first job now! What would you like me to do?" Linkachu smiled cheerfully.

"Hmm, lessee..." the Zigzagoon pondered over it a bit. "Well, it's still bright out, so why don't you plant some flowers around the shop?" He pulled six packs of assorted flower seeds out of his pocket and handed them to Linkachu. She proceeded to put them away inside her own pocket. "Make the shop look pretty, but try to be quick! I have lots more for you to do when you're finished."

"Yes sir!" Linkachu saluted the Zigzagoon, whirled around, and hurried out of the shop.

4:44 PM

Linkachu returned inside the building almost two hours later, a fact Don Nick didn't let escape. "I told you to be quick, didn't I? Two hours isn't exactly 'quick', especially when all you had to do was plant some flowers outside my shop!" He looked slightly huffy again.

"So sorry again, Mr. Nick!" the Raichu apologized. "Time got away from me, but I finished planting the flowers as asked! I hope you're satisfied with the arrangement. May I have my next task now?"

"May you...?" Nick parroted with astonishment. In all his days he'd never met someone so eager to do his bidding's. It was intriguing... and relishing. If he played his cards right, this could turn into a wealthy investment. "Yes! Your next task isn't quite a 'job' per se. I'd like you to meet everyone in the town. Get out and make yourself known, but feel free to take your time doing so. Once you've met 'em all, come back and see me."

Linkachu was slightly confused. "You just want me to visit everyone? That's it? But Mr. Nick, that doesn't seem like I'd be aiding you at all."

"Don't worry, you will be soon enough. Now go meet some people!" Nick replied. It seemed like a generous request on the surface, but all was working out exactly as planned.

Linkachu began to leave but turned around to say, "Thanks again, Mr. Nick! I'll be back soon!" She gave a happy wave and exited the store.

"Yes, come back again soon," Nick quietly mused to himself, then walked back to sit behind his desk. He felt like counting his money again.

 

[Linkachu]

OoC: I realize Rex wrote his character planting the flowers within the "Don Nick's Part Time Helpers" topic, but I'm going to post about it here. Don't hate me.

BiC:

Linkachu surveyed the area outside of the Pick n' Nick shop. There was already a row of flowers planted under one of the windows. The Raichu couldn't be sure, but they looked to be freshly planted today. "Hmm..." She hummed to herself as she tried to decide where to plant the six seeds she'd been given. There was still a lot of empty space around the store, so the options were fairly open.

Maybe I could do something fun with these. Instead of planting them in a row, I'll make a shape. Shapes are fun stuff.

Linkachu retrieved the bags of seeds from her pocket and stepped out onto the patch of grass on the east side of the shop. There she began to plant the seeds one by one, each sprouting up into a beautiful, healthy flower immediately after being planted. They consisted of two red tulips, one white and one yellow pansy, a white rose, and a yellow cosmos.

She took a step back to gaze at her display and smirked at the job well down. "Mmm hmm. Very nice if I do say so myself." Linkachu had planted them in a perfect hexagon, each flower making up one point of the shape. Only a crazy person wouldn't enjoy such a stylish arrangement, and Nick didn't seem like the crazy type.

Linkachu remembered then that she'd been asked to be quick, and she'd already taken a considerable amount of time to finish the job. Uh oh. Better get back to the shop now and find out what my next task is! Leaving the flowers be, she turned away and headed back towards Pick n' Nick.

(Continue reading @ 4:44 PM)

 

[Linkachu]

"No, Nomad... Stop talking to me... You know who I am! ... Just let me wake up... Blaaaah..."

Linkachu awoke to the sound of falling rain. She put a paw to her forehead and groaned. Had it all been a dream? Thank the lords for that. Images of a rambling Nomad, standing alone in a dark room that was illuminated by a single light, were burned into her memories. It'd been a nightmare. There was no other word for it.

The Raichu rolled out of bed with a yawn and stretched her limbs. What time was it? 11:30 AM? Rather late to be waking, yet not nearly as bad as the current date. "I've been sleeping for DAYS again. And I haven't even started my next task yet for Mr. Nick. I wouldn't blame him for firing me."

She'd slept in her work uniform, so there was no reason to change clothing. Heading down the stairs, Linkachu eyed her still empty house with a sigh. Already here for over a week with still nothing to show for it. She'd definitely be productive today, or at least she'd damn well try to be. Probably.

Pausing a moment at her front door, Linkachu wondered what to do about the rain. She still hadn’t purchased an umbrella, nor had had the opportunity to sell the seashells she’d gathered. As of now she was still utterly broke. All she could really do was hurry when outside and hope not get too soaked.

She pulled her map out and studied the various buildings upon it. She'd met Sherriff and Popo, that horrible monster Pepper and Don Nick, but no one else yet. Greeting random strangers for no particular reason wasn’t really her thing, so it seemed best getting the employed workers of Charming out of the way first. "I'll hit the museum first,” Linkachu murmured to herself. “It seems to be the nearest structure, just east of here and across the river..."

Putting the map away, she braced herself for the impending rain and exited her house. This time she immediately noticed that her mail box was ringing at her. Yes, ringing. She'd never heard of ringing mail boxes before either, but apparently Charming had 'em! "Who could've sent me a letter? I haven't even met anyone here yet."

Scurrying over to the box, Linkachu quickly opened it up and was surprised to see not one but two letters inside. She quickly glanced at the names of the senders before pocketing them away for safe keeping. Rex and Mr. RMA, huh. Odd names. I’ll read these once I’m out of the rain.

Finally she turned to face east along the ocean shore and hurried on her way towards the museum.

 

[Linkachu]

Re: The Coop

10:35 PM

Linkachu didn't look at anyone as she hurried down the steps into the room. Music was blaring throughout the small space of the Coop, but the room itself seemed to be quite cozy and inviting. Exactly what she needed right about now.

She quickly found an empty table directly in front of the main stage and plumped down into a seat, burying her face in her hands. What had she done to deserve this? Break a mirror? Walk under too many ladders? Run over a black cat? She'd always tried to be a good person, really she had. Lies had been kept to a minimum, and she was more than happy to help old people across the street. So why were the lords doing this to her?

Why? Why...? Why... Hey. This music is actually pretty good.

Linkachu lifted her heads and peered out at the lit-up stage. It was occupied by a single individual, a Houndoom to be precise. His head was down as he strung away on his guitar, completely engrossed in his music. The serene ballad that escaped his lips was quite beautiful. It was enough to steal even the Raichu's thoughts away from her misery and focus it on something else. What a lovely tune.

Only then did she give the rest of the room a good look. A few other creatures were sitting around the various table, but none that she recognized. Behind the curved drinks counter stood a very refined looking Tranquill, who appeared to be nodding his head to the music as he washed out a coffee cup. Everyone in here seemed relaxed, really. It was certainly a nice atmosphere.

This isn't so bad, Linkachu thought and turned her eyes back to the Houndoom, who she'd realized by now must've been this ZZ Rocker Blabbers had mentioned. Such beautiful music. Maybe she'd stay here awhile and listen to the next few songs as well...

 

[Linkachu]

Re: The Coop

10:10 AM

Linkachu awoke with a slight headache. "Ugh... Where am I?" she grumbled and lifted her head off the table. The Raichu blinked a few times to focus her eyes. She was inside a dimly lit room filled with empty tables and chairs, and a mellow tune was flowing into her ears. When her eyes landed upon the rather familiar Tranquill standing behind the bar, it all came back to her. Oh! The Coop! That's right. I was too lazy to leave after the show and fell asleep here. Linkachu eyed the stage directly in front of her. It was currently empty.

She'd listened to ZZ Rocker's performance all night, and when he was packing up to go she'd walked up to the stage to meet him. The dog was pretty cool; a true rocker through and through. He'd been extra generous with his music as well and was more than happy to hand Linkachu a copy of his ballad piece, conveniently titled "ZZ Ballad". She'd pop it into her stereo as soon as she got the chance, assuming she could finally afford one someday.

It had only been then, after returning to her seat with the CD, did she notice the letter sitting upon her table. She'd been surprised to see the name "Mr.RMA" while reading through it. He was one of the same people who'd mailed her a letter a couple of days before. How the heck did she miss him? Regardless, he sounded like a pretty decent guy, and she appreciated his offer for advice. Maybe he'd share her fear of Blabbers and hatred of Pepper, too...

"Time for me to go," Linkachu said to no one in particular. She stood up and gave her body a shake, then headed towards the bar. The Tranquill looked up from his cleaning as she approached. "Sorry for crashing at your place for two days," she smiled sheepishly. "I appreciate not being thrown out on my ass. You've got a really nice joint here."

"Thanks," the bird replied. Linkachu wasn't sure if he was thanking her for the compliment or his kind gesture. He was only half focused on her as he spoke and continued to wipe down the counter top. "We appreciate all new faces around here. Stop by whenever you like. I guarantee you won't find a better cup of coffee anywhere else." He paused for a moment and looked straight at her. "Did you want a cup right now? Only 300 bells."

"Sorry... I'm kinda broke."

"Ahh. So I see." He eyed her work uniform. "Don Nick got to you, too. Poor soul. Best of luck with that."

Linkachu wasn't sure how to take the comment and simply replied, "Thanks. I'll be sure to drop by again." With that she gave the bird a wave and headed up the stairs out of the room.

 

[Linkachu]

11:17 AM

Linkachu didn't make a sound as she slipped outside the Charming Museum. Blabbers had still been standing in the middle of the lobby, but this time in far too deep a sleep to notice her. It had to be a blessing from above.

"Where to now?" Linkachu asked herself. She pulled out her map and looked at the locations again. "I wonder which house belongs to Mr.RMA? And why do I talk to myself so much? If people heard me they'd start thinking I'm as crazy as Blabbers, oi." She paused and pondered what to do. "I guess then... I'll meet the mayor next."

The clothing store appeared to be right next to Pick n' Nick, so it'd be a good final stop. That still left all of the town residents to meet, but maybe she could just write them all greeting letters? It'd certainly be quicker, and the mail delivery service would know where the letters needed to go. She'd just have to get her hands on some stationary first.

"Right then." Pocketing the map once more, Linkachu began to head north towards the Town Hall. It'd be easy to find in this sunny weather.

There didn't seem to be much of anything between the museum and the Town Hall. Far in the distance a tall cliffside loomed, but all that lay directly before Linkachu now were weeds and the occasional tree. Nobody was currently occupying this space. Needed more flowers, too. I'll see what I can do to spruce this place up once I get more monies. However, the further Linkachu walked, the clearer she could make out a white building on the horizon. It appeared to be somebody's home, nestled almost right up against the cliff.

I wonder who lives there?

Linkachu decided then to take a short detour up to the front door. There should be a name written somewhere. (Continue reading)