Fifth solo; video/action;

[cutiepanther]

video;

W-W-Wait!! Not so fast! Slow down! I-I'm gonna fall off!

[ It's a little hard to see given the up and down motion, but it's pretty clear Maki is not on her own two feet. Instead, she's riding the green-back of a Skiddo, her first Pokemon that she actually bonded with on her own that wasn't from an egg. She somehow got convinced to let him take her for a ride, but she had no idea just how intense it would be for a girl who was more used to proper tea parties and fancy ballroom dances. ]

L-Look out! I can't stop--!!

[ And so the video cuts off as Maki and her Skiddo suddenly find themselves crashing into a cart full of fruit, breaking apart the wooden cart with a deafening crack! ]

action;

[ Maki and her Skiddo are going to be crashing around the city, a cat atop of a goat. She's trying to get a hang of riding one, but it's not going well. Her Skiddo prefers to charge at things in his path, rather than go around. Because apparently that's no fun.

At the same time she has a reason for being out on her Skiddo, planning on trying to learn how to ride it so she can go see Nozomi to speak about certain...personal problems. ]

Comments

[action]

[brandnewshoes]

Kyaaaah!

[Estelle wasn't watching the network, so she didn't see the warning about the charging Skiddo with Maki on it. So she sees her as the Skiddo rounds a corner, and her eyes go wide. She yelps and... tries to outrun it, rather than dive to the side.]

I DON'T HAVE ANY FOOD FOR YOU, SKIDDO!

[She just assumes Maki's Skiddo is hungry because what's common sense, where can it be purchased?]

[cutiepanther]

G-Get out of the way! You're going to get run over!!

[ Maki tries her best to warn the other girl, but she's...running in the same direction as her Skiddo...but the Pokemon seems to be faster. Which only leaves Maki worrying more that she's going to hurt some innocent girl and have to explain to her parents and the authorities what happened. ]

[brandnewshoes]

W-Why's it chasing me, though!

[Estelle wails while she runs. The looming shadow of the Skiddo, though, suggests that Maki is right: she's gonna get run over. Which is why she jumps! She laughs, going airborne, and being a physically enhanced Enlightened, she jumps high.]

[...maybe a little too high...]

[...such that the Skiddo runs under her, and she lands on its back behind Maki, immediately flailing her arms and wailing.]

THAT DIDN'T WORK HOW I WANTED IT TO AT ALL!

[cutiepanther]

It's not chasing you!!

[ Maki tries to tell Estelle that...but it really does seem like he is chasing her, when she runs in the same direction like that. Maybe he actually is, thinking it's some sort of game, seeing how she isn't actually getting out of the way! ]

A-Ah! [ Looking up, as Estelle seems to soar over them, she's a little surprised when she suddenly has a passenger on the Skiddo's back with her. ]

W-Why would you just jump like that in the first place?!

[brandnewshoes]

[Two explanations run through Estelle's mind. One is to make some excuse about why it was totally okay and necessary. The other is to tell the truth. She... goes with Option B.]

...i-it seemed cool?

[cutiepanther]

[ If Maki had a free hand she would be covering her face in her palm right now. Instead she has to try to steer this Skiddo and not crash into anything else! ]

That's a terrible reason!

[ The jump up and over a fence and continue running, with Maki holding on for dear life. ]

Do you at least know how to make him stop?!

[brandnewshoes]

[...she has no clue, actually, and didn't think this part through in the slightest. Estelle screws her face up, looking around, before she nods with sudden inspiration.]

Let's feed him his favorite snack!

[cutiepanther]

That's a good idea. Except I don't have any with me!

[ Why would she have thought ahead? Maki's still so new with training Pokemon, she barely knows what she's doing at all. Seeing that's how she got here so far. ]

[brandnewshoes]

Oh.

[She stares wide-eyed for a moment. Before she gets another idea.]

Steer with the horns! It's gotta work, right!

[cutiepanther]

[ Luckily Maki can't see that wide-eyed stare since Skiddo's don't have rear view mirrors, because she might have scowled even more. ]

I-I already tried that! He doesn't like to listen!

[brandnewshoes]

[...]

[There's only one that Estelle can think of to try: YELLING. Maybe this Skiddo needs to be given a stern talking to!]

HEY, SKIDDO! You gotta slow down! You'll throw us both off and that'd be really bad!

[cutiepanther]

[ That...actually is closer to a useful answer. Because the Skiddo actually does start to slow a bit, like he takes clear, forceful issues much more seriously than erratic screaming from Maki. ]

D-Did that really work?!

[brandnewshoes]

[Estelle lets out a sigh of relief. Then she grins like an idiot, because the answer is clear:]

Yes, because I'm awesome.

[cutiepanther]

Skiddo. Stop!

[ Maki tries it herself, clearing away her usual hesitation in her speech, and gives a nice loud command. Sure enough, the two girls on the Pokemon's back come to a slow halt, with Skiddo seemingly calm now. ]

...I can't believe it worked.

[brandnewshoes]

I think sometimes, you just gotta be a little firm!

[She thinks about it, then she nods.]

Pokemon are like kids, that way.

[cutiepanther]

[ Now that they've stopped, Maki can come back to terms with the fact that she has some strange girl on her Skiddo's back with her. ]

W-Well...I-I'm sorry for getting you caught up everything..

[brandnewshoes]

Aw, don't worry about it! These things happen, right? Uh.

[She attempts to extend a hand over Maki's shoulder, then realizes that won't work for a good handshake.]

I'm Estelle.

[cutiepanther]

It's nice to meet you Estelle, I'm Maki Nishikino.

[ Definitely the strangest way she's ever met someone new, that much is for sure. ]

Can I take you to where you were going? I didn't mean to take up your time..

[brandnewshoes]

Sure. I was headed to the agricultural tower. That's nice of you.

[She pats the Skiddo on the back, for good measure.]

Where'd you get this guy?

[cutiepanther]

It's our fault you got so out of your way...

[ It's really Skiddo's fault, she thinks, but she'll take some of the blame. ]

Near the Mossy Rock, outside of the city. I thought...that maybe having two Pokemon wouldn't be so bad.

[brandnewshoes]

Don't worry about it. Sometimes I just get lost on my own, so this is pretty novel.

[She tilts her head and considers that. Two Pokemon? She has a lot more, but that might be kind of rude to say.]

It takes work getting used to them. And you're doing great now.

[cutiepanther]

[ Everyone has more than Maki, but she never wanted them before a couple months ago, so she's catching up. ]

Do you really get lost that often? Are you not from Union?

[ Trying to get Skiddo on the right track, she's focusing down at her Pokemon at the moment. ]

T-Thanks... [ The cat ears on the top of her head do twitch in embarrassment at that compliment. ]

[brandnewshoes]

[The cat ears are kind of awesome, Estelle thinks. She tilts her head, before shaking it.]

I'm from Caldera. I've been here a few months, but...

[She laughs sheepishly.]

I get lost sometimes anyways. It's a pretty big place.

[cutiepanther]

Caldera too? I've met a lot of people from there now.

[ Maki's never been, but she's surprised at how different all the people she's met from there are. As if she expected anything else. ]

It's not so bad, once you get used to it. I can show you around sometime...if you need help.

[brandnewshoes]

Yeah! It's nice to visit Union and the other cities.

[She tilts her head to the side, then she grins.]

Yeah! Thanks! I could use the help, y'know?