.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

[secondplacing]

[...okay, Carolina is pretty sure she knows what that means, based on context clues, but--]

Mind explaining that one to me?

[Cats and dogs can't lay eggs that's weird]

[ratherbelocky]

Well, from what I hear, when a girl Pokémon and a boy Pokémon like each other very much and are compatible in ways I really don't goddamn understand...

[He gestures at her Pancham egg.]

That happens.

[secondplacing]

Thaaaat's what I thought you were gonna say.

[She sighs in mild exasperation, looking to where Stripes and Empress are playing.]

At least Tucker's not around to be a bad influence on you.

[Stripes, knowing he's being spoken to but not at all grasping it, just looks at Carolina with a happy little tail wag.]

[ratherbelocky]

[Empress, who may or may not understand, just takes the opportunity to rub her head along Stripes's side and shoulder. Yes. This is her dog. Good.

York sighs.]

We're boned.

[secondplacing]

I'm sure we can manage letting them play without winding up with a litter, York.

[Eyeroll.]

You just have to be careful.

[ratherbelocky]

[More sighing.]

Yeah, yeah, constant vigilance. Maybe I can get D-2 to help chaperone. She'd probably like that.

[Anyway, he leaves Empress to her own devices--devices that mostly involve headbutting Stripes a little to get him to play-wrestle--and nudges Carolina's arm.]

So what'd you get North? Or is that a secret?

[secondplacing]

[Carolina's smile becomes a little more of a proud smirk, and she shakes her head.]

He was talking to a little girl about Eevee, remember? So I did a little research and asked if any of them would learn a fairy move, and...

[She gestures to the egg on the bed.]

[ratherbelocky]

The one that grows up into the thing with the ribbons?

[York considers this.]

...He's gonna be adorable.

[secondplacing]

[ah yes, validation. She has made a good decision, both in getting this egg and in coming to York for an opinion.]

Isn't he? I'm looking forward to North seeing it.

[preen preen]

It's like a little fox at first.

[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]