Tilly

Prologue Modus, no inventory/pokemon information available at this time.

— Participant(s): @Xaltwind
— Location: Byjerlfal City, Camphor's Lab Interior


Tilly remaiend in the position she had been, squatting down, hands on her knees and a smile on her face. The little fuzzball in the bush kept staring at her, peering out from the safety of its little leafy bunker, observing and carefully trying to determine the intent of this bright-haired stranger with the vibrant red eyes that now kept staring at it.

Their non-verbal, non-active exchange continued, unabated and uninterupted, for who knows how long? It wasn't like someone was there to use a stopwatch or keep track. So, it could've been just a minute or two, or far, far longer. In the end, regardless of the time spent, a sudden rustle marked the end of the stalemate.

Out of the bush, the small pokemon eventually emerged. Either it had decided that Tilly didn't seem to pose any danger, or its curiosity had gotten the better of it. But no matter what the case was, it was now slowly, with careful and small trodding steps, approaching the girl. Tilly's smile got even a bit bigger then it already was, and she proceeded to slowly shift into sitting fully down on her knees and legs, thus, hopefully showing the little one that she wasn't going to suddenly spring back up and try to nab or attack it.

And... it seemed to work?

The creature got close. Very close. So close in fact that Tilly could feel the air coming out of its cute little nose. It plotted around, circling the girl, looking her up and down. It went over to the human's satchel that had been left on the ground, and gave it a sniff and few curious, angled look-overs, before returning back to Tilly's side.

And, finally, after a great bit of what - perhaps - would've felt like forever to anyone else, the pokemon made the first move, and gently, but carefully, placed one of its forepaws onto Tilly's left leg, looking up at her face as it did.

"... Stuf...?"

If there was a machine that could've seen through a person's being, it would surely have shown Tilly's heart just melt, right there and then. The galarian girl smiled, a small, glittery moisture forming at the ends of each of her eyes.

"'Ello, li'l one. i'm Tilly." She sad, her voice calm, soft and gentle. "Nice t' mee'cha."

"... Ful? Stufful~"

The pokemon replied, blinking at her. It didnt appear scared or frightened. A bit guarded still, perhaps, but at least it wasn't baring any fangs or revealing any claws. So, Tilly tried to raise an arm, slowly and delibaretly moving to the creature's flank, placing a fingerless gloved hand onto the fluffy critter's body, getting a feel of its fur for the first time. Thankfully, the pokemon did not recoil or respond aggressively.

It just tilted its little, fluffy and cute head, looked over at Tilly's arm, and then back at the girl.

"Stuuuf~"

"MMhmhmhm~ Aren' you a swee'eart." She giggled softly and gave the critter a gentle stroke with her hand along its side. "I be lookin' for my partner-pokemon, y'see? 'N 'at wouldn't 'appen to be you, wou' it?"

"Stuf? Stufful-stuf. Ful."

"Ahaha~ Sorry, I ain' go' a clue wha' yer sayin', li'l one."
"Stuf! Stufful!"
"Haha~Well, if ye can' tell me the answer, why dun'cha sho' me?"
"Stuf!"
"Ohh~!?"

Suddenly, the Stufful, as it was now obvius that this creature was, pushed it's little face into Tilly's exposed belly, nose first, and gave the girl a nuzzle with its moist little nose and fluffy face. Tilly, taken off-guard by this sudden display of affection, looked - for the first time since anyone here in Eidda had ever seen her - completely såpeechless and utterly, genuinely surprised - or shocked?

"Stuuuf~!"

There was a brief moment of silence and stillness. A moment lost in time, where there was nothing but a girl, and a Stufful, sitting alone on the outskirts of an artificial forest, on a man-made island. The stufful pressed its face into Tilly, and Tilly gave the stufful a series of soft but firm pets along its coat.

Then, time resumed, just as quickly as it had stopped.

"Y'kno' wha'?" The blonde said, now placing both hands on either side of the little bear-pokemon, who in turn looked up at Tilly's face. "I dunno if'n you be the starter tha' professor chose for me, bu'..." She paused, looking the little one straight in the eyes. "... Bu', d'you wanna come travel 'round Eidda wi' me? it'll be fun, promise."
"Stuf... Stufful...?"
"*at a no?"
"Stuuuf!"
"Mhmhm~ I'm jus' teasin'."
"Stu-ful..."

Tilly's hands relinquished the pokemon, and she slowly rose back up to a standing state. Walking over to her satchel, she retrieed the sole, lonely pokeball that she'd been givne. her one and only opportunity to catch the starter that had been meant for her. Holding it in her hand, the weight of the thing seemed to have somehow increased from when she'd gotten it earlier... Was it all in her head? No matter.

Walking on back, she squatted down again next to Stufful, and held the pokeball out towards the little teddy-mon.

"So, askin'gain jus' t'be sure. You wanna come wi' me?"
"Stuf! Stufful."

With a smalls swipe of its left foreleg, the pokemon somehow managed to boop the ball's front button. A flash of light, and the fluffy creature was gone, sucked into the red and white orb that now lay on the ground - as Tilly had dropped it out of surprise. It shook. Again. And again... And again... And then, the red button let out a relieved sound, and it turned back to white.

The galarian knelt down, picking the pokeball up with her hand. Holding it, she gently put both of her hands around it, and pressed it against her chest.

"... Thank you..."