.001 Δ [Video/Action for Cherrygrove]

[ratherbelocky]

[The feed flips on to show a man holding a brush in one hand and a young Shinx in his lap. Both of them appear to have been freshly bathed, with the damp Shinx swaddled in one of Cherrygrove Inn's warm, fluffy towels. When all of her wriggling and protesting comes to naught, she just lies there in her towel burrito and seethes. York, on the other hand, has found that shops in this world do, apparently, sell hair product for humans, and he couldn't be happier. He's fixed his hair for the first time in days. Life is wonderful.

Not that vanity's necessarily the reason he hasn't introduced himself to the PokéConnect community at large yet. It's just. You know. Coincidence.]

Good morning, people. And Pokémon, too, of course, can't forget you guys. For those of you I haven't spoken to yet, I'm York, I'm one of your more recent unwitting transplants to sunny Johto. Or, well, partially cloudy Johto, anyway. How about that weather, huh?

[The temperature has dropped literally twenty degrees in the five days since he got here, oh my god, why. Being caught out on the road in yesterday's rainstorm sucked. Now he's warm and dry and comfortable in a clean shirt a couple sizes too big for him (and he's not exactly a small man). Really, what could be better than being alive here and now?

He rubs the Shinx's fur drier, unwraps her, and then holds her still before she can escape so he can brush the tangles out. She mewls fussily, but his hands are steady, and eventually she relaxes--if mutinously--into the attention. He chuckles a little.]

But okay, I'm not actually here to make small talk. I got a question for you folks.

[He turns the PokéGear with the back of his brush to show another Pokémon, an Elgyem, bundled up in a blanket on the bed, fast asleep.]

Can someone tell me more about Psychic Pokémon? [He goes back to brushing.] I get that they read minds--Delta Two there communicates with me all the time--but she doesn't use words so it's hard to get more...complicated ideas across, sometimes. I was wondering, can you train them to talk? Or do other things? These guys are obviously a lot more intelligent than the animals back on my Earth, so I guess you could say I'm curious about what they can do.

[The Shinx's eyes are half-closed now as York brushes away. Someone's a sleepy baby.]

'Preciate your time. Over and out.

((Action also available for Cherrygrove, where he can be found at the inn or browsing the PokéMart stock.))

Comments

[ratherbelocky]

Is it fluffy? How fluffy is it?

[Even if North weren't desperately in need of it, York would be 150% in favor of drowning the man in fuzzy baby animals.]

[secondplacing]

It's got a collar-- like this?

[she gestures to her neck, miming the size.]

All fur. Huge tail, too.

[ratherbelocky]

Man.

[He can see it. He can see it now. He can imagine fifty of them climbing over North.]

Coming here was the best idea any of us ever had.

[secondplacing]

Yes, as wonderfully voluntary as that was.

[ratherbelocky]

What, sick of your animal adventure vacation already?

[secondplacing]

[Carolina looks York up and down, weighted, like he's the object of what she's really here on vacation to see, like she's drinking him in. A lopsided grin, and she shakes her head.]

No, not yet.

[ratherbelocky]

[And she calls him unsubtle.

His brows rise, and then his eyes crinkle in a faint, crooked, incredulous smile.

Really, Carolina? After all this time?]

Well, I hear these sabbaticals can run long. Gotta do what we can in the meantime to keep things interesting, right?

[secondplacing]

[Shh, York, you saw nothing. Carolina just... Happens to be completely unsubtle about everyone she cares about.

...But she's always been obvious with her feelings for York. With a soft smile she turns as though this is somehow still a secret, like she's only given him a glimpse.

She shrugs, sitting on the bed with this pancham egg in her lap and regarding North's carefully.]

You're right. Might as well play by the rules, I suppose.

Once we're at Violet, I'm going to challenge Falkner. Are you going to challenge the gyms too?

[ratherbelocky]

Yeah, probably. Can't let you run away with all the fun, Champ.

[He turns the chair all the way to face her and sits back in it, props his legs up on the bed, crossed at the ankles. He spares one glance at Delta Two to make sure she's still sleeping. She stirs a little, but snuggles back into the egg and blanket with a soft noise.]

I wasn't sure since Two seemed kind of...well, she's not built like a fighter, you know? Like I'd be a dick to make her do that. But Psychic Pokémon have their own way of doing things, apparently, and she's been keeping up with us okay.

[York carries her most of the time, still, but she Tries Her Best. And by now she's proven she can hold her own in combat, too.]

Empress should help, too, after some catch-up training. [Empress twitches an ear, but continues to pointedly ignore them.] If I do end up focusing on other things with Two, I'll still have some power in my corner.

[secondplacing]

She's got a lot of potential. Then again-- I get the feeling she'll let you know if there's something she doesn't want to do.

[D-2 has so far been pretty communicative-- it's not been a terrible experience, either.]

Did you find anything else out? I saw you put up a video message.

[Everyone else has been getting the video memo faster than she has.]

[ratherbelocky]

[York honestly just wanted to celebrate his hair, okay. Come on. You understand, haircut princess.

His gaze skitters away for a second, though, and he turns to retrieve a mug of coffee from where it was sitting on the desk. From the way he frowns, it's mostly gone cold, but he's gross and he drinks it anyway.]

...I'm trying to see if it'd be possible for a Psychic type like D-2 to take over some of what Delta was doing for me.

[secondplacing]

...Smart move.

[She isn't surprised. York had been with Delta for... Far longer than she had been with Eta and Iota. He must feel so strange, like something must be missing. Hell, she's been missing having Church bark like a fox in her ear every five minutes to complain about Tucker or Caboose.]

Think it'll work?

[She leans forward, resting her arms on her knees around the egg.]

[ratherbelocky]

[Carolina, you don't even know. It's worse than losing his eye had been.

He'd had less to mourn.]

It can't hurt. Or, I'm hoping it can't, anyway. But I heard we can teach them to read, so she can probably handle that so I'm not squinting one-eyed at this tiny screen all the damn time.

[He stares into his coffee cup, then breathes out, going serious.]

And I'm hoping I can find a way to help North, too. He and Theta were together almost as long as D and I.

[secondplacing]

...You're right.

[Carolina pauses for a moment.]

Should we be keeping a closer eye on him?

[The look on her face says more than she does herself; will he be safe?]

[ratherbelocky]

[He sighs and scratches his temple.]

Hell, I don't know. We're not usually the ones looking after North, and god knows he won't ask for anything.

[He chews it over for a moment, then looks over at the wall, towards North's room.]

...But I'm worried.

[secondplacing]

[Another short pause, and Carolina leans back. ]

Then we keep an eye on him. Keep the pace slow until we figure him out.

[Haha why would they actually TALK to him]

[ratherbelocky]

[Talking is for people with healthy communication skills and not badass Freelancer agents, d u h.]

Guess that's all we can do, anyway. Either he's fine, or we'll find out he isn't some way or another.

[And hey, maybe he's okay. York's okay.

JK, York is an emotional time bomb.]

[secondplacing]

...Righr.

[She stares pensively at the carpet for a moment. Should she be asking if York is alright too? Or...

Her thumbs rub the shell of the egg as she decides.]

What about you?

[ratherbelocky]

What? [He starts to smile automatically.] Oh, hey now, I'm...

[...Okay, no, no one in any universe is going to believe he's fine. York thinks about it, then nods and shrugs, puts his empty coffee mug back down on the desk.]

It's an adjustment, yeah. But I'll be okay.

[He pauses one more time, and then his voice softens as he admits:]

It's good to have you and North around, and not... [Gone, or planets away with no means for direct contact, or dead, or believing he betrayed them. He lets that sentence trail off unfinished and just bulls ahead.] Dunno how I'd be otherwise, but, hey. I promise I'll be all right.

[secondplacing]

...

[The corner of her mouth twitches and it's unclear whether it was going to be a smile or a frown. She puts the egg down on the sheets, next to the one she got for North, and walks over with her arms crossed over her chest.]

Well, if you need it. [she reaches out suddenly to push her hand through his hair, mussing it up slightly.] I've had to do a lot of listening lately. You could say I'm starting to get better at it.

[At least she's got enough humour to tease herself.]

[ratherbelocky]

Whu--hey!

[He drops his feet back onto the floor and puts his hands up to shield his hair, laughing.]

Carolina! I just fixed that up!

[The noise finally wakes Delta Two, who sits up around the Fletchling egg and blinks at them blearily.]

[secondplacing]

[Carolina snickers, teasingly reaching for York's hair once again-- before turning around to see D-2.]

Look, you're being too loud. You woke her up.

[Walking over to D-2, she offers a little 'good morning' wave.]

[ratherbelocky]

D-2, help, I'm under attack.

[Delta just blinks again, then shuffles out of the blankets with the egg to scoot to the edge of the bed and lean against Carolina instead. She sends Carolina a sleepy greeting, a little color pattern, like she's too fuzzy still to even lift her hand and blink it.

York sighs.]

Traitors, both of you.

[secondplacing]

[Carolina grins, sweeping D-2 up gently into her arms.]

D knows what she's doing. She's got the right idea.

[ratherbelocky]

[York looks at them, this woman with her old smile and her new hair as she cradles his sleepy little alien partner. He knows the strength of those arms well.

Knows their warmth, too. York's smile starts out nostalgic, but then he looks up at Carolina's face again and it brightens, focuses.]

Yeah, she does.

[The past, it was pretty good. But there's no time like the present.]