Puff, Puff, Huff... Egh, need to catch a breath for a sec....
Ryan sat down on a nearby boulder, sweating and moaning in exhaustion.
Stupid stumpy legs. Gotta learn some other way to move around, or they'll go without me.
Scratching his head, he suddenly got a shock. Literally. Jumping up, he looked around, arms glowing blue, ready to strike with a Wood Hammer. He waited for a while, and since nothing seemed to appear, he shrugged and decided he had to get there soon; he din't want to get left out, after all.
The others must have gotten there already. If I even manage to get those stumps to actually move me around, I should be there soon. I can see the smoke from the houses already.
After 20 minutes of walking (which was more like running to him), he finally saw the first few houses, and the brown paving-stones.
He tried to remember what the Abnomasnow told him:
Wah-Hah! Remember the basics: You can get geared up at the supporters, so try going there as soon as you reach the place. Then some place to sleep, and then somewhere to find berries. Wah-Hah-Hah! I heard the custaps and pechas there are amazing!
Well, I guess I'm gonna have to find a supporter then. I might even get some tips, if I'm lucky.
Ryan's family were cooks and ran a restaurant in the snowy peaks. The family had been doing so for generations, and were known in the whole region for their Cold Treats, and for their hospitality to any lost or tired travelers. Ryan was apprenticing in the field of juice and drink-making, and was hoping to open a shop someday, specialized for adventurers and explorers in need of a refreshment or break.
He noticed a small batch of trees in the distance, with berries apparently growing all over them. Excited, he ran (or more exactly stumbled) to the garden, which turned out to be huge. He walked up to the first tree, and found it to be an Oran berry tree.
Whoa, they grow on trees too?!
He desperately reached for it. Despite his efforts, the berries were too high up. Disappointed, he sat on the grass, which was freshly cut and shiny. Then from behind the tree, a smiling Mareep approached him. She greeted him and asked him if anything was wrong.
"Well, I was trying to get one of those berries up there, but it's too high up."
"You can climb on my back to reach, if you want!"
"Oh, really?"
"Of course!"
Ryan climbed onto the Mareep's back, and found it much easier to grab two berries from the tree. He handed one to her, and they both began eating them. After finishing their meal, and chatting a little on the town's events and other things, Ryan asked the Mareep:
"It seems a little odd that this place might be public property or wilderness, right in the middle of a town. It looks so neat. Who is the owner, if there is one?"
The Mareep laughed.
"Well, believe it or not, I am!"