That was good news - there were several different fruits in the garden for her to pick from, however, what kinds of fruits did she prefer? After all, some animals, as well as humans, favoured different flavours, after all.
As they walked (or rather, he walked and she flew beside him), Fefnir asked once again, “any particular flavours that you prefer, Neffi?”
It would be best to direct her to the ones she liked the most, after all!
“I like all kinds of fruits, but I like ones with some bitter taste the most, I guess.” Neffi chuckled softly as she floated next to Fefnir.
However, she soon looked at the sky. It was only then that she realised how late it was.
“However, I’m afraid I should go back home soon. I currently have a guest in my cave and I told her I was only going out for a small flight, she might be worried about me. I’ve been out for quite a while now…”
“… Four hours, to be exact.”
If Neffi had legs and was able to jump, that’s what she would do at the voice a few metres away from them. She turned around quickly. Surely this was her, but… Why?
“How in the name of Arceus did you get here?!” Neffi pretty much yelled at her friend, a rather large fox with golden fur, red eyes and nine long, beautiful tails, as well as a big pink flower attached to her left ear.
“I was worried about you, just like you said. So I tracked you down.”
“That’s not exactly what I mean. How did you get past the guards?! They could have killed you, you know!” Oh dear don’t tell me you murdered them, Sir Fefnir’s going to be mad, oh no—
“Dear, I think you’ve forgotten that I used to serve as a ninja. Worry not, they’re just fine. I killed no one.” The other Pokemon chuckled, smiling calmly. Well, yeah… Neffi did kinda forget that her friend was over a thousand years old.
And she’s certainly an even better mind reader than her.
The Latias scratched the back of her head unsurely. How was she supposed to explain this to Fefnir? She turned to face him and chuckled.
“S-Sorry. I really didn’t think she would come here. I hope you don’t mind. She means no harm to Neo Arcadia, just like me. Anyway, this is Sora.” She pointed at the fox, who sat there, still smiling friendly. “She is a Fire Pokemon called Ninetales.”
Perfect.
Just what Lifesaver would have asked, Neffi provided. He worried for only a moment that he was perhaps a bit too predictable, but that was quickly overridden by the relief of having a source of information.
“Thank you Neffi. This is exactly what I needed.”
And it took every once of will power to not crack the book open to start taking notes immediately.
Ben stepped forward and hugged Neffi with one arm around her neck. “Thanks Neffi. You’re really great, y’know that?” He picked up the basket to hold it in his arms, not wanting to let it dangle with such precious cargo inside.
Neffi smiled. “You’re most welcome.” She chuckled, noticing that Lifesaver was having a hard time resisting the urge to start browsing the book immediately. “Calm, Sir. That’s a book, not a Deerling, s’not gonna run away~” She giggled, not even realising Lifesaver may not know what a Deerling is. Oh well, once he reads that book he’ll find out.
She smiled warmly at Ben and nuzzled his cheek. “Hehe, thank you. Make sure to take good care of them, alright? And don’t give them too many sweets, no matter how much they will beg. I know they’re adorable, but I’m sure you don’t want them sick.”
Pilla was surprised by the petting, but her eyes drooped shut for a few moments. Once Sora was finished, Pilla straightened back up.
Sora smiled warmly at Pilla, her eyes still somewhat mysterious, but no longer so intimidating. “You are a strong one.” She said softly.
Neffi wasn’t sure what Sora was talking about, but she guessed the Ninetales must have read a piece of Pilla’s past. She couldn’t help but feel admiration and a bit of jealousy.
She’s only just met her… And she already knows her better than me…
“Strength is important if you wanna be happy.” Pilla smiled. She stretched her wings out before taking to the air for a loop-de-loop.
Neffi giggled before following Pilla and doing a loop-de-loop of her own. Sora sat down, obseving the two and smiling gently.
While they were talking, Neffi had somehow disappeared from the room.
“I see.” Sora said again. “And yet you act quite like a human being. That is some advanced technology for sure.”
“… Aaaaaaxl?”
The Ninetales looked over and chuckled when Neffi came back, holding Axl’s helmet. The Latias put it backwards (on purpose) on Axl’s head.
“… Any idea how it ended up in Sir Zero’s room? He wasn’t in there, but the door was open and your helmet was in the corner.”
((OOC: And I’m happy you like my little picture ^^))
“Heh. Thanks. Nice to know that I act more human than machine.” Axl grinned when Neffi returned, merely rolling his eyes upwards when she set the helmet on his head backwards. “Ahah! You found it! Eeeexcellent!” He paused. “Zero’s room, huh? Ah…well…” He chuckled. “There might’ve been a cuddle session recently, I must’ve forgotten it. Thanks, all the same.”
“You’re quite welcome.” Neffi said with a chuckle while Sora looked at her unsurely. “Zero is Axl’s… Friend. Or a bit more than a friend. They’re Maverick Hunters.” The Latias explained.
“Oooh? I see.” Sora nodded before tilting her head. “Ma-ve-rick Hunters? So what do they hunt?”
“Mavericks.” Neffi responded, thinking about how to explain. “Bad robots that rebel against humanity, either from some virus or error or on their own accord. That’s their job.”
The Ninetales blinked, but nodded, having understood, then turned to the Reploid. “I see. You sure have some interesting life, Axl.”
Harpuia gave a nod, standing. While he could have waved a human down, he doubted it was done in this sort of place. Everyone seemed to get up and order in front of what he calculated to be the registry table. As such, he did the same, assuring Neffi that he’d fetch her order.
The line was short, and he soon arrived to his destination, listing the items efficiently, then paying for them himself. The chocolate cake was already prepared, so all he had to wait was for the ‘cup of tea’. As he wasn’t sure what Neffi liked, and he was asked on the spot as to what kind of tea, the reploid requested ‘black tea’. He didn’t know why he was also given a small cup with milk and another with cream, as well as cubes, but he supposed the disguised Pokémon would know what to do with them. Deed done he returned to their table, setting the tray in front of Neffi and taking a seat once more.
“Is Black Tea to your liking? I was asked for a flavor, and I was unsure as to what you wanted, so I requested the first one on the list.”
In his opinion, it was the most requested, yes? Well, from what he could garner. They had certainly not been arranged alphabetically.
While Neffi was waiting for Harpuia, she glanced around the place curiously. She doubted people hadn’t noticed she was a newcomer, so it would be okay if she looked around a bit, right?
The human-turned Latias observed how people behaved, but didn’t stop on one person for too long, not wanting them to become unconfortable. Those humans looked at ease. They kind of reminded her of those she saw sitting outside the caffees in the Hoenn region, except there was something… Different about them. What was it? Apart from lack of Pokemon here, of course…
Before Neffi could come up with the answer, she heard Harpuia’s voice. She turned to him and saw he brought everything she requested. “Whoa, that was fast! Thank you very much, Sir.” She smiled with gratitude. “And I love pretty much all kinds of tea.”
Though that was only maybe the second or third time she had black tea with milk, actually. The Latias liked it, she simply didn’t have many occassions to have it.
She put the milk and some sugar in the cup with the tea and took a sip, then smiled at the Guardian. “They make some lovely tea here. Thank you very much.”
(Source: neffi-the-latias)
Pilla stared for several moments, before her wings lifted back up and she finally blinked. “Just bad memories. Not your fault, Sora.”
Sora remained still for a moment, her red, somehow intimidating eyes fixed on Pilla. She then walked over to the moth-girl, still looking at her for a moment. Neffi watched in silence. Even though she was a Psychic type and Sora was not, the Ninetales seemed to read others’ thoughts and emotions better than her. It almost looked like Sora was looking through Pilla.
The Ninetales said nothing, only lifting her paw and petting Pilla on her head.
She knew.
Pilla was surprised by the petting, but her eyes drooped shut for a few moments. Once Sora was finished, Pilla straightened back up.
Sora smiled warmly at Pilla, her eyes still somewhat mysterious, but no longer so intimidating. “You are a strong one.” She said softly.
Neffi wasn’t sure what Sora was talking about, but she guessed the Ninetales must have read a piece of Pilla’s past. She couldn’t help but feel admiration and a bit of jealousy.
She’s only just met her… And she already knows her better than me…
Lifesaver stood there awkwardly. They had essentially barged in and were taking the two little ones home immediately. But Neffi was correct in that she would have to eventually find homes for them soon anyways, but still… he could understand her heartbreak to an extent.
“You’re more than welcome to visit the clinic, Neffi. You’ll be able to see them whenever you want to check on them.”
Ben smiled down at the two baby pokemon warmly. Though they were far from human, he felt an intense protectiveness being invoked in his core. These two would be pampered their whole lives.
Neffi kept smiling sadly, looking at the two. “It’s okay. I know they couldn’t be happier with anyone else. I trust you completely.”
She floated over to her shelf, picked up a book and handed it over to Lifesaver. “If you need any help, this is a book about raising baby Pokemon.”
Sora’s smile widened a bit. “Yes, I can. Many highly intelligent Pokemon have this ability.” She then looked more warily at Axl, her calm, but yet somehow intimidating red eyes staring at him as if she was looking through him. “You’re not a human” The Ninetales said. “What are you?”
Neffi meanwhile had wandered off, looking around to see if she could find Axl’s helmet somewhere around here.
“Ah, I see.” Her eyes were a tad disturbing, but Axl kept his gentle smile all the same as he let go of her paw and dropped his hand to his side. “Not human, no. I’m a Reploid- replicant android.”
“… I see. I’ve never heard of this, I have to admit.” Sora said, glancing at Neffi messing around before returning her attention to Axl. “A ‘Reploid’? So you are a robot, are you not?”
“Yep!” Axl knocked a fist against his chest armor, eliciting a quiet metal thunk. “All synth and steel and zeros and ones, nothing organic to be found.”
While they were talking, Neffi had somehow disappeared from the room.
“I see.” Sora said again. “And yet you act quite like a human being. That is some advanced technology for sure.”
“… Aaaaaaxl?”
The Ninetales looked over and chuckled when Neffi came back, holding Axl’s helmet. The Latias put it backwards (on purpose) on Axl’s head.
“… Any idea how it ended up in Sir Zero’s room? He wasn’t in there, but the door was open and your helmet was in the corner.”
((OOC: And I’m happy you like my little picture ^^))