JerkchickenRolf Bannian
Deciding that the buizel would be called Pinwheel at least made him feel like there wasn't a group of pissed off trainers in line behind him. He didn't want to get in trouble in Fordis- ha was sure he already stuck out like a sore thumb, the only one who had a pokemon but also looked visibly dirty. How was it that trainers could spend every waking moment outdoors and still look so sick and span? His parents hated the way he smelled when he had been out at sea for a few hours, and even then he liked to carry a change of clothes with him. Being wet in the water was a completely different situation than being wet in a city. It wasn't the stares or the scoffs and scorn that bothered him, it was the frustration that he couldn't seem to get anything done lately. He had never fallen overboard and the one time he did, he lost everything? He had no money, no idea how to take care of Pinwheel, no friends, and, by the looks of it, wasn't going to get any ice cream, either.
Or so he thought. He wasn't even aware his feet were moving on their own, like leaves in the wind, but they were strung along as much as the rest of him when Charlie took him by the arm. His first thought of being pulled into a shady alleyway was that the other boy was going to beat him up, or at least try to- Rolf was sure he cold fight the other kid off, though he wasn't sure about the sturdy looking beldum he had. Clenching his hands into fists as he watched his calm buizel follow them- on two legs, no less- fully prepared to make a run for it, the damp sailor's eyes widened from their threatening glare when the other offered him an ice cream. His first reaction was to bite into it- he hadn't eaten anything but the hospital mush for a week, and there was still sand lodged in his throat- but he saw how Pinwheel stared at it curiously. He took a lick, and pointed it at the pokemon. "Go on, Pinwheel," He coerced, "it's real good."
Rolf turned to look at the helpful benefactor. He smiled a little, "Thanks. I don't have any money... or anything, really to repay you with but- thank you." He was about to introduce himself when he thought about just leaving the ice cream stand without doing- something. Wasn't that technically theft since Pinwheel destroyed what could have been potential profits? He frowned, staring at the other boy who couldn't be much older than he, but already appeared to have a bond with his ice-cream eyed beldum, and maybe he was being presumptive thinking so, but Rolf had a feeling that the two had met that day.
So what separated him from being a good trainer? Pinwheel didn't seem to dislike him by any means, but he had no idea what to do about the buizel's attitude. Hell, he had just given the damn weasel what could be interpreted as a reward for trashing the Casteliacone stand! That wouldn't do at all. If Pinwheel couldn't control himself in front of sweets, how would Rolf ever ensure that it would be safe to take him on excursions if- no! When! - he found the S.S. Summer Wind? He picked the buizel up with one arm, causing the furry pokemon to cry out. "There's something I gotta do."
When he arrived in front of the stand again, though, he had no idea what his plan was. Apologizing wouldn't be enough, so maybe he and Pinwheel could just pay the bill with hard labor? The surprise was evident on Rolf's face when the magician apeared from seemingly nowhere and covered the bill, even though he had never seen him in his life. Pinwheel couldn't care less, but he tagged along all the same when Ace whisked him off to the men's room. Well... Rolf supposed that now he wasn't in trouble, but Pinwheel still didn't understand why jumping into a tub of ice cream wasn't proper behavior. Still, it would be rude not to thank the other boy, and the sailor was prepared to do just that- for all his misfortune, it seemed that others were in very generous moods today- only for the other young man to finish talking and Rolf quickly realizing that the other wasn't as generous as he had thought. Plus the other had covered his mouth- enough grounds to pick a fight, in Undella Town. Only minor rage and confusion flashed across the sailor's face as the other finished speaking, even giving him a crash-course on how to distract law enforcement. Any sentiment that Rolf might have had, quickly vanished. "Hold it! You want me to help you run from the cops?" He demanded in an angry whisper.
Shooting a look to Pinwheel, hoping the pokemon would understand the situation was unusual, Rolf was disgusted to see the buizel was all but smirking at him. Great. All the pokemon he had met today had giratina's blood running through their veins, expect maybe the beldum, but beldums don't have blood anyways. Rolf would have been fine to tell the other boy to go into a stall and flush that stupid magician getup into the toilet, but he took a deep breath. Criminal scumbag or not, this kid had owed him nothing and helped him out. And, perhaps on a deeper level, Rolf was happy someone finally saw some use in him in his arceus-forsaken region. "Alright. You saved my sorry hide, I'll return the favor. But don't expect this to be a regular thing! I'm bailing you out because you helped me, that's all." Rolf's eyes were sharp with stubbornness, jabbing his finger onto the other's chest. He then paused and looked at Pinwheel. "And there's no way I'm gonna fall."
-
Pinwheel tucked back into his pokeball, Rolf walked out of the restroom, still soaking wet, and receiving some disgusted glances for walking out of a bathroom with everything soaked. It was pretty gross, but he'd been throught way worse on the high seas. Rolf wasted no time in meandering over to the officers, both of which he recognized from the hospital. One, the taller one with a mustache, had been part of the patrol unit that found him lying on the sand. Upon seeing Rolf, the ofixer brightened up. "Hey, it's John Doe! What happened? I thought it was a whole week ago when you washed up onshore!" There was laugher, and he sailor faked his. The vendor seemed to be more comfortable, now that the buizel was nowhere to be seen and it was clear that Rolf was on good terms with the law. Well, that's how it appeared. "Yea, I just had some issues with the bathroom. Plumbing's a mess." The officer raised an eyebrow. "Really? We should go fix it up, before someone else gets drenched!" The officers began to walk towards the restroom, and Rolf shouted,
"Wait! What are you doing here anyways? Did the vendor really call the police?" The officers stopped in their tracks. "Of course not," one said, "but we got a call to secure the area. We've got men to secure the entire city, everywhere but the Route 17 gate. There's been a theft of some sort, and no one's to leave the city without being checked." Rolf's eyes narrowed at this. "What kind of a theft?" The officer with a mustache laughed. "Citizen, you don't need to worry about that. Now, please leave us be to fix the bathroom-"
"I was just wondering, because I saw a shady character." The officers once again turned around. "He was headed east, toward route one," He was glad all that map study was finally coming in handy. "And, I think he had a pokemon with him."
"Great! What kind of pokemon?" Damn! Why couldn't he just have left it at 'headed east'? Well, he had to say something, and the first pokemon that popped into his head was, "Poliwag. I seen him headed with a real mean looking poliwag." The officers nodded, and saluted. "Thank you for the valuable info." They then marched off leaving Rolf to sigh in relief. He then walked away from the vendor, not wanting her to possibly ask him any questions. But his mind was overflowing with questions, even as he stood at the streetcorner. Who was the man he had just helped, and what did he steal..?