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[b][color=7FFFD4]INTERACTING WITH:[/color][/b] Naoko ([@Chezka])[/center]


[color=7FFFD4][i]A Natu's cry is always an omen of disaster.[/i][/color] It was a mantra no self-respecting countryside family would let themselves forget, and for the first time since deciding to go with the group, doubt sprung up in Barry's mind. Was it really the smartest idea to leave everything they've ever known to travel across Johto in hopes of achieving... well, something? Barry's eyes scanned across the ragtag group of travelers; the hodgepodge reminded him a bit of the annual groups of youngsters that would set out to begin whatever their version of a Pokemon journey looked like from Professor Elm's lab. Except this time, none of them were kids and none of them could afford to waste their lives chasing after pie-in-the-sky dreams of fame and success.

Again, his eyes darted across the remaining faces as Kiel and Cho sprinted toward Route 29, clearly in some kind of hurry. Of course, a few of them looked familiar—there was Dante, and Naoko, and now Flynn? Of the others, faint names and faces danced across his memory, but he couldn't quite place them. He knew he had seen just about everyone at some point or another—usually because they or their parents had bought something from the shop—but the pink-haired girl with the Pokegear around her neck stood out from the crowd.

[color=7FFFD4][b]"Hey, Nao! Long time no see—how's that arm of yours doing?"[/b][/color] Barry had no shortage of moments mixing Kee and Chilan berries for the Jin family; after her incident, they were regulars at the shop for pain medication and treatment to keep infections in check. The Mulkapers always tried to send them off with an ice cream or soda along with the medicine to encourage a happy heart along with a healthy body. Barry loved to be the one to fetch the treats from the cooler—after sneaking an ice cream for himself, of course.

He wondered if Shuckle would recognize her or anyone else when he eventually let it out of its ball. Shuckle as a species could be a little on the slow side, so if he had to bet on it, the odds weren't exactly stacked in its favor. And while this particular Pokemon did have history in Little Root, Shuckle weren't known for having the greatest of memories. But they're great at what they do, and for this new adventure, that's all that could possibly count.