A day to Return your gratitude!

[ulternnpc]

Today is Return Day in Ultern.

Happy families, and blushing couples can be seen excitedly exchanging gifts that day. Not only that but it seemed the Pokemon too can be seen handing gifts out to their own family and friends, be it another Pokemon or a person.

Like any other holiday in Ultern there seems to be excitement in the air. In fact, everyone just might notice there are Gracidea flowers blooming here, there and seemingly everywhere especially out in the fields. People here can be seen decorating their place with the flowers, or even handing out bouquets of them as gifts to those they hold dear.

Maybe, just maybe there's someone out there waiting to send you a gift too. Or perhaps there's someone you're excited to send a gift to...?

 

 

LateR...

 

(🌺Ulsai, everyone! Don't forget to check out the OOC post on the event!🌺)

Comments

[domeinion]

[Alice might not have Return Day at home, but it seems fun to her! (And with Return being her ace's signature move, she basically has to participate.) So she's currently gathering flowers and weaving them...

Well, she's trying...

Okay, she's got a tangled mess in her hands and a bunch of broken flowers at her side. Even Hyperbug is doing a better job, and he has cannons for front legs.]

[ateamrocket]

[Mayday sits outside smoking a cigarette, one leg crossed over her lap. Beside her is her normal messenger bag, itself filled with several smaller bags. A strange armored dog sits beside her, tail idly wagging.

If you happen to know her and have an even passably positive relationship, she’ll call out to you if she sees you pass. If you aren’t in the area, she’ll find you and flag you down.]

Hey, c’mere.


[For those of you who don’t know her, she offers a mildly interested half-scowl if you catch her gaze. Sorry, she’s kind of got resting bitch face, don’t take it personally. Maybe you are intrigued by the strange Pokemon(??) with her? Or maybe you just want her to stop stinking up the area with her smoke?]

[doesntevenlift]

H-Hey, having trouble?

[The voice that comes from behind her is sort of meek, but good natured.]

[domeinion]

Oh, hello!

[Alice looks up and drops her awful flower crown. Some of her Pokémon, all making their own crowns -- DJ is doing well, Peeps is decent, Hyperbug is... well, better than Alice -- wave or otherwise greet Levi.]

Are you new around here? I'll admit this isn't my strong suit.

[timidlyblooming]

Ah... do you need help with that? There's a trick to it...

[Lillie will gather her dress and set down besides her.]

May I have two of the flowers?

[long time, no see! o/]

[buson]

[Buson will blink and turn, but smile as soon as he recognizes her.]

Yo, Mayday! What's up?

[He casually waves at the pooch too, does he still hold a bit of a grudge?]

[doesntevenlift]

[He waves back, a little awkwardly.]

Something like that.

Yeah, I don’t know how to weave them like you’re doing, either, but I do know how to make a lei! They’re really simple. Maybe you’d have better luck with that?

[kenfrompokemon]

[Ken's been rushing about, giving or sending return gifts to people who gave him palentine's presents, but he'll stop when he hears Mayday, his face brightening when he sees her.]

Mayday! It's been a while, I'm glad to see you! Oh, and who's that Pokemon?

[flashing gif in the link, not very fast, but!]

[buson]

[This place sure likes to celebrate stuff... Buson's down for any excuse to have fun!

Gracidea flowers were more common in Sinnoh, so he wasn't exactly used to them, but the meaning was clear and simple, so he didn't mind buying a bunch to give to people he's thankful to! He'll deliver the gifts himself to friends and sworn brother, but just kind of have them anonymously delivered to people who helped him who he felt too shy to go see himself, like to the barista who fed him and farmers who employed him previously. (Yes, even Buson can feel shy! ... sometimes.)

As for anyone he's closer to and friendly with, they'll be receiving his gifts in person! If they gifted him anything on Palentine's Day, it'll also be accompanied by a customary white sweet like marshmallows (or, if he's feeling playful, it'll be halfway a gag gift, but still serving some purpose, like white-coloured throat lozenges for Ken!)

Pokemon, like Evie, will get Pokemon food with sweets mixed into it! ]

[squaredup]

[Calla has certainly made herself scarce as of late. She's been spending all her time running around in the wilderness training her Pokemon and enjoying danger-free training, so she's a bit grubby when she finally turns up in civilization again. Just don't mind the brambles stuck to her shirt!]

[She's got several bouquets of Gracidea flowers sticking out of her bag and several more poking out of her pockets. Chloris is waddling along at her heels with what is clearly meant to be a flower crown on her little Ivysaur head. It... isn't exactly the best attempt at one.]

[How many flowers does one person need? Apparently more than that, judging from the way she keeps stopping to look for more. She sure could use a hand, though!]

[domeinion]

Oh, like the Alolan custom? I've never done that. How does it go?

[domeinion]

Go ahead.

[Alice gestures to the pile on the other side, the not-yet-wrecked flowers.]

I don't think this is really my talent.

[timidlyblooming]

Well, the way I was taught it, is that you have to slit the stem like this...

[She pushed her fingernail through the stem, close to the cut end, to make a little slit.]

Then, you pass the stem of the next flower through like this...

[She slipped the stem of the next flower through the slit until the head of the flower acted as an anchor to keep the rest of the flower from slipping through.]

... and then you repeat! It's easier this way, isn't it?

[unchcsen]

[Now, finally, here's a tradition that Volo is more familiar with! There were Gracidea flowers in Hisui, too, usually associated with Shaymin.

He's managed to get himself not just one bouquet, but a few. But...he doesn't really know what to do with them. He could keep one for his room, but he has too many!

For now, he's just sitting awkwardly on a bench outside the main Pokémon Center with his arms full of flowers. Maybe people would think he received them as gifts...if he wasn't looking so lost and uncertain.

He can't be sitting here all day, so he decides he's just going to give them out to whoever comes close enough, even though that's not exactly the spirit of the occasion...]

At Churahana Flower Shop

[ulternnpc]

[Unsurprisingly there's bouquets that's been prepared for White Day--but they're given out to any customers or guests for free, along with a random assortment of berries simply for dropping by that day. Both shopkeepers are also more than happy to help out with anyone trying to choose a special gift for Return Day.

Of course for anyone (be it a Pokemon or a person!) who's talked to and befriended Manzana he'll approach them personally with a smile on his face. Among the flowers he'll pass a small, neatly gift wrapped box.]

It's not much...but happy Return Day. I hope you like this treat I made you.

[buson]

Whoa, there!

[Buson's amused to see Calla again, but a little bit worried about how frazzled she looks.]

You alright, Calla? You know you can buy these, right? I guess you're bein' thrifty, but... y'got thorns stuck to your clothes.

[squaredup]

[!]

[Calla's face lights up in a delighted smile at the sound of a familiar voice.]

Mister Buson! I would buy flowers, but, um... I kinda spent all my money on other stuff instead. -Like these! Hang on a second, which pouch did I put 'em in...?

[Calla unceremoniously pulls bouquet after bouquet out of her bag and heaps them up on a now-unamused Chloris. Then, finally, she extracts a small cardboard tube from the depths of her backpack and drops it in Buson's hands.]

Happy Return Day, Mister Buson! I hope you like 'em.

[Congrats, Buson, you now have one (1) box of Komala's March cookies. The seal hasn't even been torn open on it yet! Calla grins from ear to ear in pride.]

They're my favorites, and I thought you might like 'em, too. Mom always gets them for my birthday back home.

[domeinion]

Oh! Theoretically, that should be... let me try.

[Alice picks up a flower, goes to make a hole... and then splits way too much of the stem.]

Fine motor skills are admittedly few and far between for a host. Sorry, I am trying.

[squaredup]

[Calla's passing by with a small army's worth of flowers sticking out of her bag, but she definitely pulls up short at the sight of Volo with his own flowers. She blinks for a moment, then breaks out into a warm smile.]

Oh, it's you! Sorry, um, I don't have any shaved ice to share this time. But hang on, let me see what I've got.

[She digs into the depths of her bag before pulling out a small tin. It's a little dinged-up but still perfectly functioning. She holds it out in one hand with a flower in the other.]

These're super-sour candies! I bought 'em in Vermillion City the last time I was, um, home. Not here, but home-home. An' I remember that you really liked the shaved ice, so they're Cherri-flavored. Hope you like 'em, mister!

[domeinion]

wait4a!

[Alice flags down Calla as she's hunting for flowers. She holds out a pressed flower in a keychain.]

Happy Return Day! It's a great holiday, isn't it? My version of Palentine's, Feast of the Sail, doesn't have anything like this.

[domeinion]

[Fate is a Dolliv now, so she might be harder to recognize, but she remembers Manzana enough to approach and offer a flower in return.

...It's the wrong kind of flower, blue and smaller, but she tried.

Alice follows after, walking into a sign and then righting herself to wave at Manzana.]

Ulsai! I see Fate found you first.

[squaredup]

[Calla pauses mid-step and cocks her head to one side as Alice calls out. Then, at the sight of the keychain, she grins from ear to ear.] Ooh, it's so cute! I'm gonna put it on my bag strap. Thanks, Miss Alice.

Back home's got White Day, but I never really get to enjoy it. 'Cause the only boy around is Blue and he just likes teasing me. [Grumble grumble stupid neighbor boy.]

I really like all the flowers, too. They're way different than the ones at home. Here, you want one? I've got loads!

[ulternnpc]

[Even if the flower wasn't the right kind, Manzana will take the flower and smile.]

What a lovely gift, thank you.

[He will look surprised as he heard Alice walking in before seeing what happened.]

Ah--ulsai, Alice! I see Fate has grown so much bigger than last time we saw each other. Oh, that's right. Here!

[He's holding out the wrapped package out for Alice.]

I made some for you and your Pokemon too. I hope you like pastries.

[buson]

[Aw, boy, to be ten and have... a disposable income and no idea quite how to spend it. He can't quite imagine it, but now, he thinks he has a pretty good iddea of how it looks. Buson's stunned at first, then laughs, amused and touched.]

Thanks, kid.

It's real sweet'a you, but don't spend all your money on snacks, even if they are gifts. [A pat on her head, before he pockets the snack.]

Here, I got a gift for you too!

[He'll turn away, rummage around a bit (he miiight be sneaking some money into the resealable package of twisted marshmallows he's about to give Calla... because that situation's too worrying!)]

Here! Oh... and these.

[A pair of white, heart-shaped, novelty sunglasses! Because Wynaut??]

[doesntevenlift]

Yeah! That’s where I’m from. You need a needle and thread, but luckily, I’ve got something that might work.

[He fishes around in the small pouch at his side and pulls out a pocket-sized travel sewing kit.]

I’ve got a good friend who likes to make shell necklaces, so I keep this with me. After you thread the needle, you just poke holes through the center of the flowers and string them on! …Wanna try?