usedlaserbeam | 003 | Violet City

[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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There aren't many other options, aside from sitting idle and doing nothing. Which is hardly an option at all.

[He pauses, considering a minute, and then shifts his Eevee carefully back into her nest so that he can get up from the bench. She'll be fine under Phantom's watchful eye, and Yagyuu doesn't want to be in the position of being pinned to the bench by his resting Pokemon any longer.]

You've been acquainted with Niou-kun for quite some time now, haven't you?

[ eyebrow raise; interesting segueway, but when you fight alongside a bear mascot with a penchant for unsubtle puns and spend more than half a year with Fuji, you get used to it. She doesn't rise to her feet just yet, casually working out imaginary tangles in Pepper's fur. ]

Mm, a couple of months.

[It's a segue that was bound to happen sooner or later, particularly with the memory of Niou's breakdown still so fresh in Yagyuu's recent memory. And now he has Rise in person, the girl whose name keeps coming up again and again from a myriad of different sources, and he has questions still waiting for answers.

She kept tabs on Fuji; he knows that firsthand. It's not unreasonable to think she's been watching his partner as well.]

I'm glad he's made friends here. And I appreciate that you've been one to him.

[ she watches everyone, really, but that's just Rise's nature. A support role only amplified it. ]

I'd, um... say you're welcome, but that sounds a little weird.

I suspect you could hardly say it's no trouble, either. Knowing Niou-kun.

[It's a joke. Really.]

It's been interesting when I haven't wanted to kick him!

[ it's also a joke. Really. ]

I imagine that happens quite frequently, really.

Five times. Maybe one was more of a punch...

[And up go his eyebrows.]

You counted. Consider me impressed.

Having a good memory comes in handy sometimes.

[ except when you don't bother using it for studying, but this is why she has Naoto to sit her down with a sheet full of math puzzle problems as punishment. ]

That's reassuring. I was worried the circumstances were so notable as to be unforgettable.

Oh, no, after stalkers, you don't get much more unforgettable than that.

[He's smiling politely, but honestly, he can think of a few things more unforgettable even than stalkers. Most of them involve tennis.]

I see. I hope you don't find yourself in that situation often?

[ she could say the same, but hers tend to involve satellite-headed rainbow strippers, giant robotic eyeballs, and soul-devouring bears that ramble about the futility of existence. And, you know, that just isn't civil conversation. ]

Not here and not all that recently back home! Life's just as exciting without 'em.

I'm relieved to hear it. And hope things stay relatively peaceful for you in the future, as well.

Thanks! And I hope you never get involved in any explosions. ♥

That makes two of us, I assure you, Kujikawa-san.

Well, in that case, I'll just tell you to look out for things that look like giant Pokéballs and angry pinecones. I mean, there are the dragons, too, but you at least sort of have warning with those guys.

003 | Violet City | Video / Action;

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