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The stables were full of Ponyta and Tauros, all producing various smells and sounds. This area was too small for what she was after, however. But at the back was a door leading to a much larger stabling area. That was where the rock snakes were.

Nervously, Penelope stepped through the archway and gazed over the few Onix. They all looked far more friendly than wild Onix, but that wasn't saying much. There was a lighter colored Onix towards the end of the stables taking a nap. Penelope walked over cautiously and stuck the name-card Bill had given her in a slot under the Onix's name.

"Bongo." Huh. Penelope shrugged and left. She staked a claim on a pokemon, so now she could do some shopping.
To the store!

"I'm not sure how I feel about being cargo," Liam replied, grinning a little at how the rocket deflated a bit at his comment. It earned him another nudge in the ribs before the healer settled back to walking, staring up at the sky and opening his mouth wide, extending his tongue to catch raindrops. Apparently he was cocky enough he thought Ridley would warn him if he was about to run into something. Or that he was just good enough to know. As it turned out, by talent or luck, they managed to reach the pokemart without a problem, not lowering his head until they had stepped under the overhang in front of the door and the tile started squeaking under their wet shoes.

The pokemart was one of those things that was interesting about each city -- while most cities had one, and while they all had the traditional blue roof, each tended to stock different things, and no two stores seemed to carry the exact same selection. It was a luck of the draw, really... or it just depended on how big the city was. Smaller cities tended towards a smaller selection and more of the basics, such as his own home town's pokemart. In a city such as Katarina, the selection was much larger, and along the shelves things such as pokedolls and Hyperpotions created a multi-colored display, each seemingly color-coordinated. Although he had been in the mart before, he couldn't help but marvel at how much STUFF it had compared to the one back home, turning towards one of the Max Revives to admire the glowing little orb.

Turning his head to glance back at Ridley as he was leaving, he grinned, waving a hand at him before turning back to the shelves, picking up a basket. "Go ahead, I'll pick up some of the things you mentioned, as well as some antidotes and the likes. I'm running low on the small ones meant for traveling."

"Ooh, from your sister huh. Must say, I'm kind of glad to hear that I'm not the only one trying to catch a first pokemon." She gave a light laugh when her own ponyta whipped her tail, nearly smacking Lumina in the process in stepping up to its fellow pokemon.

"I am! I mean, I do want to get one of my own, but my mother is sort of a scientist version of a watcher so I've always enjoyed that sort of thing. But I'd rather see pokemon in their natural homelands than at a ranch with scientists. Stay in one place a while, study some habits and movements and such, then move on and return later." She shook her head with a fond sigh at the memories of setting out, then slowly clambered up atop the rental pokemon.

"I'm not terribly skilled at riding just yet," Lumina admitted sheepishly, "Got any tips?" She grinned, nodding towards how Tabitha at least seemed to have decent balance.

Alexa nodded. "I think several people are going to see why so many eevees have gathered while others are just going to try and catch one." She chuckled and nodded, "I'm sure your brother would say that you don't need to repay him but will still take what you give him." She looked at Velasco and shook her head. "He seems like a loyal type but you couldn't tell right now because of that look."

Vincent had crawled all the way up to Ezekiel and the bird pokemon on his shoulder. "Arrrrr.... Canine!" He looked up at Ezekiel with a hopeful look. It's a bird! A bird! Please let me play with the bird!

Lamen was scanning the dispersed crowd for familiar faces when she noticed an orange figure coming towards her. The Arcanine didn't seem to notice she'd seen him and kind of walked his nose into the front of her hoodie. "Hi there. How's the fluffmaster, and where's the fluff's master?" She asked jokingly, recognizing the special stripes of Adriel's pokemon. She couldn't recall his name, though. "Hey, Donut, come say hell-" her call was interrupted by the loud crack of thunder, and one couldn't deny the sky was darkening rather quick. This did not bode well for the Ponyta out here.

Miriam wasn't surprised when the sudden downpour of rain started. About the time the heavy droplets started to hit her purple hair was about the time she put the hood of her raincoat on. Thank God for raincoats and rain boots. She couldn't help but frown at the sudden worsening of the weather, though. This wouldn't be good for traveling in, not at all. Poor Allene was probably hating this right about now. She would have to deal with rain later on as it is if it was still coming down by the time they left. So, because of this fact, the Ranger decided to return the dinosaur pokemon to her pokeball with the saddle and supplies still situated on her. Everything would be fine in there.

"C'mon, Fubuki," she said, motioning for the Delibird to follow her. "I know a place where we can go for a while." Bill the Rancher's farm wasn't too far from where they were. It was an expansive place, and Bill was a nice guy, often letting trainers come and take shelter in weather like this. He would let them stay for a couple hours, and not only that; they'd probably meet a few trainers on their way to the swarms there. ["Good, I'm glad,"] Fubuki mumbled to himself, ["A warm place to stay would be nice until we leave. I'd rather not be wet for longer than I have to."] And so, they made their way to the rancher's, coming in sight of the farm after a good twenty minute walk or so.

Lizzie scowled as the first crack of thunder rang out, but she was glad that she at least got her shopping done before the storm. What timing. But unluckily, she was one of the people that couldn't get inside until the downpour was in full force. So she was soaking wet when she took refuge in the first building she saw, which was Bill's ranch.

Taking cover in the stables, she didn't bother to dry herself off until a certain Pokemon of hers swooped down and awkwardly landed inside as well. Psywater wasn't a full grown Lugia, but he still took up a decent amount of room. And while he wouldn't have minded flying around in the storm, he wanted to see where Lizzie was, inside the stables.

Ignoring the stares that she was sure she must be getting, she whipped out a large towel and started drying him off.

"You're lucky that you didn't get struck by the thunder." She said, to which Psywater just rolled his eyes.