usedlaserbeam | 007 | Outskirts of Goldenrod City

[It's late afternoon on the outskirts of Goldenrod City, where Yagyuu has evidently been out training his team; it's a somewhat unusual sight to see them all out of their Pokeballs at once, but at the moment the full roster has been released to roam around the open expanse of field chosen for today's practice grounds.

Or at least, most of the full roster is: there's an Absol staked out relatively near his trainer, seemingly on high alert as he surveys the other Pokemon in his midst. Farther back from the camera, a Rapidash is roaming with a stately air as a very small Vulpix trots along beside him, bounding four steps for every one of his own. And even Yagyuu's Ditto seems to be present— if the occasional glimpse of purple molecular goo seeping over the edges of the camera lens is any indication.

Yagyuu himself is visible, too; he's crouching down to administer his Eevee's usual meticulous grooming— an activity she clearly seems to enjoy, given the way her tail is flicking with pleasure at the attention— and speaking quietly to her while he's at it.]

Now that Vampa's evolved, that only leaves you to go, doesn't it?

[And she coos, pushing her head against his hand insistently.]

You're certainly growing strong enough for it. And the necessary stones aren't particularly difficult to come by, either; a quick trip to the department store will easily take care of that. So it's just a matter of deciding which type suits you best, isn't it?

[He glances over, surveying his team as they roam and remarking almost absently:]

An electric type, perhaps, might—

[But he never gets the chance to finish the sentence, as the Eevee lets out one last emphatic trill before taking one step back and beginning to glow with bright, almost blinding light—

— and when it clears, there's an Espeon in her place, just as perfectly well-groomed and somehow managing to look twice as haughty for it.

Yagyuu, for his part, just stares for a few seconds before shaking his head in what is probably half amusement and half disbelief.]

...Ah.

[And he keeps staring, up until a Pidgeot comes flapping down from overhead a few minutes later, drawing his attention up and away from the Espeon and toward this latest arrival.]

Irene, another excellent job, but I see we'll have to work at perfecting your aim—

[And on that fairly cryptic note, purple goo oozes completely over the lens, and the Gear switches off.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Would you call any of yours pets?

I would, yes.

Not Lady. [ thoughtfully. Not to her, anyway. ]

No, not Lady.

[And here he takes the Gear and turns it to bring the Vulpix into view, still bounding along next to the more leisurely walking Rapidash.]

That one.

The Vulpix?

[ now that's interesting; she doesn't keep tabs on him, but she's pretty sure she wouldn't have missed him running around the area before you hit Ecruteak if he'd caught it. ] Was that one a present?

Actually, you might say she was something of an accident. Kirihara-kun ended up with an egg he wasn't equipped to raise, so after she hatched I offered to look after her for a period while trying to find her a more permanent home.

[A hint a smile tugs at the corners of his lips, but it's not precisely the sort of proud, fond one you might expect--there's a little more of an edge to it than might ordinarily arise from a comment like that.]

And it turned out she found one. In my care.

[ ... not quite the smile she ever expects to see from someone reminiscing about Pokémon acquisition, but Rise has learned that the only thing she can really expect from Yagyuu is what she normally wouldn't. ]

Why'd you decide to keep her?

I was persuaded into it. In a remarkably novel way.

No storytime, huh?

Suppose it's a boring story?

Try me.

She walked over to me.

... How is that boring, Yagyuu-kun? [ perfectly sincerely. ]

It's only a sentence long, and devoid of a single adjective. That's not traditionally what one might call interesting.

... [ wryly ] I'm not that eloquent or picky on sentences unless I have to be. Besides, the simple stuff can be the most interesting sometimes.

Traditional or not.

In that case, did you find it interesting, Kujikawa-san?

Of course I did! I mean, in one way, it's kinda like leaving your audience hanging. But then you start thinking that it's just that, only it isn't, because it means more... ugh, I'm no good at explaining this.

The implications are where the significance lies, I believe is what you're going for.

Exactly!

Then I'm curious to know what implications you derived from it.

[ a thoughtful pause. ]

You didn't call her, did you?

No, she found her way without my help.

So she wanted to be with you.

She wanted something, at least. And I thought such a display of courage deserved some form of consideration in return.

... It's not the easiest, doing what you want.

[video]

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