usedlaserbeam | 003 | Violet City

Entry tags:

003 | Violet City | Video / Action;

[Greetings, Johto! This video is coming to you from some secluded part of the streets of Violet City, courtesy of PhantomCam™, and features one Yagyuu Hiroshi sitting comfortably on a bench beneath the shade of a tree, engrossed in a book with his backpack resting securely at his feet. Perhaps most notably, he's not wearing his yellow-and-black Regulars jersey today, which is largely because it's currently piled next to him on the bench in something vaguely approximating a nest, with what can only be a Pokemon egg resting safely inside.

Yagyuu, for his part, is mostly oblivious to the fact that he's currently on candid cam, but the reason for it quickly becomes apparent—the egg in its nest is beginning to rock gently from side to side, making vaguely egg-like noises, and gradually beginning to glow.

(Fortunately, Phantom is wise enough to the workings of Pokemon hatchings that he's taken the initative to record this for posterity, regardless of whether or not his trainer is as quick on the uptake about it.)

Another few moments pass, and now at last Yagyuu takes notice, setting his book aside and turning his full attention to watch as the egg wobbles, brightens, cracks—]

Vee! Eevee!
[—and yields a bouncing newborn Eevee, still snug and secure in the jersey-nest, taking her first look at the world.

Book completely forgotten now, Yagyuu carefully extends a hand to his newest Pokemon, letting her inspect him a minute; after a few courtesy sniffs and nudges, the Eevee hops out of her nest and climbs up into Yagyuu's lap instead, settling in to ensure his full attention as she carefully inspects the human who's going to be her trainer. A minute later, Yagyuu's hands come to rest on her back, stroking through her fur as he conducts an appraisal of his own. This is, after all, his first attempt at breeding a Pokemon, and he's clearly intent on thoroughly examining just how well it turned out.]

Ah, aren't you a friendly one. Yes, it's a pleasure to meet you, too.

[And as Yagyuu continues to fuss over his new Eevee, Phantom apparently decides that his work here is done, and switches the feed off.]

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Pepper-- [ at the warning tone, the Flareon slowly turns around to face his trainer, before he gives Yagyuu's shoe a perfunctory sniff and trots back to Rise's side. ]

Honestly, you--

[ ... and she finally looks at the person Pepper's harassing. Oh. ]

Whoa-- Yagyuu-kun!

[Phantom continues to look affronted, advancing a step as if warning the Flareon to keep its distance; Yagyuu, meanwhile, is looking up as well--and putting a name to a face.]

Kujikawa-san. What a surprise to cross paths with you like this.

[ Pepper puffs up just as warningly, but doesn't budge. Rise, on the other hand, is already lighting up and trotting forward, because personal space invasion isn't as much of a concern to her.

Enjoy your carefully maneuvered designed-not-to-squish-Eevee-or-whack-anything-on-a-bench hug, Yagyuu. All idols are required to master this within the first year. ]

I knew you were here, but it's great to meet you in person!

[Wait, hold on, what is she--why is there physical conta--WHY IS HIS LAP FULL OF EEVEE SO HE CAN'T GET AWAY.]

Ah...yes, of course. It's a pleasure.

[PLEASE STOP TOUCHING HIM.]

[ JUST AS PLANNED. Rise will take mercy on him and, in a perfectly calculated move, draw back and switch her attention to the Eevee. ]

Aww, who's this?

[Phantom YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO ATTACK PEOPLE WHO DO THIS. Or not, because that would be illegal. Regardless, it's a lot easier to be cordial when people are respecting Yagyuu's personal space, so he's slightly less terse than he was a minute ago.]

The newest member of my team, it appears. She just hatched a few minutes ago.

An Eevee, huh? This sure brings back memories. [ and she offers the baby a hand to sniff before she starts rubbing the base of her ears. ] Congratulations, though! She's beautiful.

[The Eevee snuggles back a bit, situating herself even more firmly in Yagyuu's lap as Rise's hand approaches as though making it very clear just who this human belongs to. However, she's not about to turn away the pampering that is, understandably, her due. Not by a long shot.]

I'd expected an Umbreon like her mother, frankly, but it seems she's been forced to start back at the beginning of her evolutionary chain. Which is only to be expected, really, but interesting nonetheless.

[ she has to smile, affectionately, as she obligingly lavishes attention on this fluffy ball of adorable. ]

Ah, yeah-- any egg you get, it'll always start off at the first form. You won't need a stone for an Umbreon, but that one and Espeon are a little trickier.

[Yagyuu, somewhat surprisingly, still hasn't taken his hands off the Eevee himself, though his are well out of the way of Rise's and in no danger of touching hers by mistake. But it's a surprisingly possessive gesture out of Yagyuu, despite being a highly subtle one.]

I wasn't set on having that one specifically, fortunately. But as I understand it, Eevees have quite a bit of potential for evolution. I suppose it'll depend on how she develops in the future, more than anything else.

[ she's had years of reading people under her belt, but this one's at Niou's level - understandable, they're partners - and some of the more obvious gestures aren't evident with Yagyuu. It's a hunch more than an actual knowing that has her drawing her hand back after another bout of petting. ]

You're right about that! Pepper here's only one of a bunch.

[The Eevee looks vaguely affronted when the petting stops, but only for a minute before settling down again, the picture of contentment.]

A Flareon, if I'm not mistaken. Did you decide on that evolution for it, or is that the one it chose for itself?

[ the Flareon in question returns to Rise's side, who remains crouching; she pauses to pet him. ]

That was all him. He had some time to figure it out, but in the end, he went with this.

[Phantom's certainly happy about that. The greater distance from his Eevee, the better.]

I expect it'll be much the same for this one. She'll develop in her own way, according to her own skills and merits.

[ Bring it on, Phantom. ]

Well, it's like growing up, isn't it? You don't just grow according to how people want you to-- you end up having skills and learning different things as you go.

[He's well-behaved enough, really. He's just also very possessive.]

People's wants do play a part, that much is undeniable. But it's a question of influences, and how they drive your choices. There isn't much difference between an untapped skill and one that isn't there in the first place--neither one is being used. [He smiles faintly.] So opportunity plays a key role, as well.

Opportunity... huh? [ a pause to consider this. Well, she can't really deny it. ] So you could end up having a skill and not ever knowing it until something happened.

That's right. And naturally, there are some people who can recognize skill even in its untapped form and find ways of making something happen to draw it out--which you could say is another way someone's want plays a part in a development.

[A slight shrug.]

The difference is how much control one has over the outcomes. Exposure to choice is one matter. Who is actually directing the choices is quite another.

[ at first all she hears is NAOTO LINGO NAOTO LINGO NAOTO LINGO until she actually listens.

... And then it's NAOTO LINGO-- "someone's want plays a part in a development." Much better, and not just because she can relate to it. Rise's thoughtfully quiet over this, as if remembering something, before she speaks again. ]

I guess there'd always be an audience involved.

[The truth is, the two of them probably have more in common in terms of the pressure of outside expectations than one might think. He earned the title of Gentleman as a result of his behavior, yes, but he's had it long enough to grow into it, too--modulating his actions, giving people what they want to see. In his way, he's as much a performer as Niou and Rise are, just on a much subtler scale. And sometimes with nastier surprises lurking beneath.]

There's no escaping it, Kujikawa-san. Though sometimes it's larger than others.

[ she hadn't had any expectations to answer to as a kid, except her parents', but that was really only because she didn't have any kind of closeness or importance to anyone. The idol life, however, was constant demands and acting, regardless if true intentions or feelings lying beneath that. ]

Yeah. I know, but I also think you can deal with it without escaping.

Are you of the opinion that it's something to escape from at all?

[His expression is nothing but friendly, but he's watching for her answer.]

No. [ whether she's aware of how intently he's watching her or not, Rise's answer is firm. She's been through this before, she knows. ] No matter what, you don't run.

[Ah, so that's a pointed topic, is it? That's interesting. He'll have to poke at that a little more sometime, in learning what makes her tick.]

I wouldn't have taken you for someone who disliked audiences, Kujikawa-san.

Huh? Oh, I don't. [ and she sounds sincere enough, even a little surprised. ] I wouldn't do what I do if I didn't like it.

[ that's more true now than it was before, but she won't say as much. ]

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