Team Petal-Purr
Day of the Summer Festival
Part 1-One Day Before
Part 2-Morning
"Heidi's Day"
Heidi kept her head low as she wove through the crowd, tailing the Tropius from a distance. Even in her bright yellow cape, she moved like a shadow and made herself as inconspicuous as possible. She kept herself mostly hidden from view by moving swiftly behind stalls, crates, banners, and even other Pokemon in the crowd that were large enough to obscure her, keeping her eye on the Tropius at all times. Luckily for her, he was easy to spot even among the heavy crowds; his giant green head stood above all others, swaying gently as he walked.
Though not exactly what one would call a typical festival activity, Heidi didn't see the harm in taking a break to indulge in a little bit of innocent stalking. She had been disappointed to learn that most of the games on offer here involved only throwing a ball and none of them required, or encouraged, chasing it.
~"If only they'd held a scavenger hunt. I'm so good at those!"~
Even though she knew they would not be performing for several more hours, she was sure that the Tropius would meet up with his band mates before then. She kept on his trail and watched him diligently, but her mind was with somebody else. A special somebody she had found herself unable to stop thinking about. Even at her age, Heidi had only a vague grasp on the concept of romance and wasn't entirely sure why she was so drawn to him. She had met more than one Smeargle in her life, but none of them had the affect on her that this one did.
Of course, she could never tell anyone just how confused she was by the strength of her own feelings. The idea was more embarrassing than anything else she could possibly imagine. This was something best kept to herself, where she could reflect upon it at her own pace. For now, just catching a glimpse of the elusive Smeargle was as much as she was ready for.
“Hey, watch it!”
Heidi froze in her tracks, horrified for a moment that someone might have figured out what she was doing. She turned her ears toward the voice and heard the sound of someone scuffling on the ground. Another Pokemon replied in a voice that sounded just as angry and Heidi couldn't help but turn to look at what was causing the commotion. She hated conflict of any kind and was naturally inclined towards keeping the peace, often falling into the role of family negotiator whenever her brothers got into one of their many fights. It wouldn't be right of her to walk away without making sure everybody was alright.
She was surprised to see another member of the band, the strange white Vulpix, lifting himself off the ground and confronting another Pokemon. It looked as though he was just about ready to leap at the stranger, before both of them quickly realised that they knew each other and the tensions eased considerably.
~'They can't be angry with each other if they're friends. Friends shouldn't ever fight.'~
The stranger was panicked, but still took the time to check that her Vulpix friend was not hurt. This Pokemon made Heidi feel uneasy and she crouched down lower at the sight of her. A tough looking Sneasel, with giant claws that looked sharp enough to cut a creature in half. From her dark fur mottled with old scars to the graceful, yet powerful way that she moved, Heidi could tell that this Sneasel was a fighter. But she didn't look ready for a fight right now; she looked scared and distressed. When she spoke, Heidi perked up her ears to listen, curious to know what could possibly frighten someone that looked so scary herself.
Someone named "Booker" was missing and the Sneasel was almost on the verge of tears as she expressed her fear that he had been kidnapped. It was clear that she cared about "Booker" very much and Heidi felt dreadful for her as she continued to eavesdrop the conversation.
~'Poor Booker.'~ She thought. ~'Poor Sneasel, she seems so worried about him. I hope he's alright, wherever he is. I wonder if he knows how much she wants him back. I hope he does. It must feel nice to have someone love you that much, even when they don't have to.'~
Heidi knew that there was nothing she could do to help, she could only watch helplessly as the Sneasel and the Vulpix took off towards one of the festival stalls. She considered following them, but then turned back to see that the Tropius she was tailing had wandered away while she was distracted. He must not have noticed his bandmate and hadn't heard any of the Sneasel's sad story.
~'It must be hard for him to hear things from all the way up there. The noisy crowds probably don't help. He doesn't have big pointy ears like I do. I didn't see any ears on him at all. I wonder how he still sings so well. I wonder if his Smeargle friend likes to sing, too.'~
The Tropius was far enough away now that she could not see him and so she ran back to the spot she had last seen him. She trotted in circles, trying to pick up his scent. It was hard with so many different smells in the air, but she managed to sniff out a faint hint of bananas, just strong enough the point her in the direction she wanted to go. She couldn't help but let out a little howl, as if her instincts were telling her to call out to her pack and let them know she had found something. But there was no pack here; she was all alone.
The thrill of the chase was almost more exciting than the end goal as she thought of the satisfaction she would feel once she finally tracked him down again. Putting her nose to the ground one last time, she slipped under one of the stalls and shrunk back into the shadows. She was determined to find him again, absolutely certain that he would lead her to her goal.
The scent trail was not an easy one to follow, having been crossed over by hundreds of different Pokemon in a very short time. She quickly realised that her nose was not the most reliable in a place with so many distractions. Lifting her head up into the air, she scanned above the crowds for any sight of the distinctively tall creature. From the corner of her eye, she spotted a flash of his long brown neck in the distance before it quickly disappeared as the Tropius bent his head down into the crowd.
In a flash, Heidi took off running after him. She mapped out the path ahead of her as she ran, making sure there was always somewhere to hid if she began to look too suspicious. Her movements were swift and precise as she wove around the many patrons of the festival. It wasn't long before she had managed to catch up and had to slow down so she did not outpace him. The Tropius did not seem to be in any rush, walking slowly as he hummed to himself. She felt proud of herself for successfully tracking him in such a busy place, but was beginning to worry that he was never going to lead her where she truly wanted to go.
~'What if he's going to see someone else instead? What if he isn't planning on meeting anyone at all? What if the band broke up and that Smeargle hasn't even come to the festival? What if I left my friends all alone for nothing? That would make me the worst friend in the world...'~
Just as she was considering giving up the chase, another voice caught her attention.
"Hey, Tropius!"
Heidi watched as the Tropius stopped and looked down to see who was calling his name. She followed his gaze and immediately realized that her search was over.
"Ross! There you are."
As soon as she caught her first glimpse of the Smeargle, her breath quickened and she began to feel incredibly nervous. She could hardly bear to take her eyes off him and yet her instincts were screaming at her to run away, terrified of the thought that he might catch her looking at him.
The sight of his smile made her heart swell with joy, which made her smile too. His face looked so wonderful in that moment, with his floppy ears perfectly framing his face and accentuating his large, soulful eyes. His short, cream fur seemed to shine in the sun as he turned his head to look up at his friend.
~'Ross. His name must be Ross. What a handsome name. It fits him perfectly.'~
Peeking out from behind a large wooden crate, Heidi continued to stare in silence while her mind wandered. She'd always been prone to daydreaming, finding it very easy to become lost in her own thoughts and inadvertantly shutting out the world around her. She lay on her belly with her legs tucked under her, watching from afar and thinking about all the things she might like to know about him.
~'I can't believe I actually know his real name! I wonder if it's short for something. I wonder why he always seems to look so tired. I bet he stays up late writing songs and practicing his guitar and thinking his most private thoughts. He looks like such a deep, sensetive soul. I wonder what sort of food he likes. Does he have a favourite flower? Or a favourite colour? I love that his belt has a big pocket on it, what a clever thing to wear! I hope he likes to read books the same way that I do...I hope he likes me...'~
Oh, the questions she would ask him, if only she had the courage.
Though she wasn't listening to their conversation, something had made the Smeargle and his bandmate erupt in laughter, causing her to jolt in surprise. It felt like her belly was doing backflips and she could hear her own heartbeat in her ears. The feeling was growing uncomfortable and she calmed herself down by imagining a tiny Houndour that lived in her chest, running in circles as it tried to chase its own tail. With this, she was able to steady her emotions and give herself space to think.
~'There you go, Heidi. You got to see him after all. You even got to learn his real name! Who could want more than that?'~
She sat up on her haunches and shook her head, trying to force herself to keep focused.
~'You shouldn't be spying on him in the first place. It's rude. You should get up and walk away now.'~
Though her mind was telling her to stand up and leave, her legs didn't seem to be listening. She stayed exactly where she was, until she saw Ross and Tropius begin to walk away. Finally, she stood up and turned her back to them, taking a deep breath as she prepared to take a step in the opposite direction.
~'But what if they're going to practice again? I'd hate to miss it! I'll only follow a little longer...just to find out if that's where they're going.'~
With one last promise to herself, Heidi turned back and continued to follow them.
~'Only for a little while.'~
Supplemental pop music that fits too well Guitar String / Wedding Ring Upside Down HOT TO GO!