027 | Goldenrod City | Text;

[usedlaserbeam]

There's a saying, I believe, that things both bad and good come in threes. I'm not entirely certain if I subscribe to that belief, but I suppose there is something to be said for things taken in multiples being superior to ones that stand alone. Or perhaps that's simply the perspective of someone with a particular inclination toward doubles.

Though I admit I'm not averse to singles, if there should happen to be two tennis players in the same vicinity of a court. I enjoyed our game, Shiraishi-kun — let's have another again, soon.

But on the subject of doubles, today marks the second birthday I've had the occasion to observe in Johto. By local reckoning, it seems I'm now sixteen. And it also seems a few members of my roster have seen fit to observe the occasion in a manner...uniquely commemorating that. Thank goodness Marui-kun left me Tensai Jr. upon his departure a few months ago; it appears I'll be making good use of his reserves of Sleep Powder again.

And for the sake of indulging what is almost certainly a sense of morbid curiosity, a question: do any of you, reading this, have multiples of the same species of Pokemon in your roster? And if so, what is the most of any one variety you've ended up with?

Comments

[video]

[punchandkiss]

[Astrid still isn't comfortable with text.]

Why would you need more than one?

[video]

[usedlaserbeam]

[Frankly, he was using the text to avoid the possibility of the Eeveeswarm showing up on video, but since it's here anyway — behold the guy basically drowning in fuzzy brown tails and ears and paws, Astrid.]

A question I ask myself frequently, believe me.

[video]

[punchandkiss]

[Blinkblink.]

Woah.

[video]

[usedlaserbeam]

Indeed.

[SHOVING AT EEVEES, THANK YOU.]

This time around, at least, I'm slightly more prepared than I was the last time this happened.

[video]

[punchandkiss]

[She looks almost impressed.]

Did they hide the eggs again?

[video]

[usedlaserbeam]

No, they were quite forthcoming about the fact that they'd, ah, made the decision to extend the family further. Which, having been through this ordeal once before, at least had the benefit of giving me a few weeks to prepare for the inevitable apocalypse. And this time, at least, the adults outnumber the newborns.

[video]

[punchandkiss]

How many are there? Are they all staying with you?

[video]

[paladinlost]

Two Gardevoirs, a mother and a daughter. Two Luxrays, a mother and a son. Two Gyarados, no relation. Of these, only one of the Gardevoirs was mine from the beginning. ...Unless you count my Nidoking and Nidoqueen.

[video]

[usedlaserbeam]

I see. You opted to keep their progeny, then? I'm glad to hear it's not such an unusual occurrence — particularly when so often people see egg clutches as something to be rid of.

[video]

[paladinlost]

...It's not that I chose to keep their progeny. In fact, my original Gardevoir was the daughter, whose egg I received from a friend.

[No prize for guessing what happened to the friend who gave him the egg.]

[video]

[usedlaserbeam]

Ah. I see.

[Pause.]

For what it's worth, I ended up with a few of my multiple team members that way, as well.

[video]

[paladinlost]

It happens all too often, I'm sad to say. But at least it means that certain families were not permanently split apart.

[video]

[usedlaserbeam]

Or that certain familiar faces weren't abandoned to the wild. I've ended up with quite a few of my teammates' starters, simply on account of their departures, and whether they'd intended them for me or not, eventually they've trickled down into my roster anyway.

[islandshore]

I don't have much in the way of multiples besides my two Eevee evolutions, but I've seen and heard of people with doubles before. The Gym leaders probably do, for one, since they have two teams to toggle out of their favorite types.

But wouldn't it be hard to tell them apart? With Jolteons and Umbreons, it's not so bad, but I can't imagine how someone would separate, say, two Magnemites or Voltorbs.

[usedlaserbeam]

Some of us resort to collaring them, and color-coding them that way. At least, that's the simplest way of distinguishing them in my experience — assuming they have a neck to collar in the first place.

[islandshore]

Yeah, I think for most Pokémon that wouldn't be so bad, but when it comes to ghosts or Pokémon without limbs to begin with, it gets a whole lot trickier.

Even worse if they're the exact same size and share similar personalities.

[usedlaserbeam]

Were both your Eevee evolutions Eevees at the same time, prior to evolving? Or did you acquire them separately, or in their evolved forms?

[islandshore]

Well, only one of them was mine originally. Shade, my Umbreon, was a gift from a friend. My Jolteon's actually her brother, and he used to belong to a different friend before he left.

But to answer your question, they did hatch around the same time. Biggest difference was in their attitudes. Shade was always pretty mean spirited, and she had a habit of turning my hair into a nest. Roxas, though... he started out extremely shy. They were practically polar opposites.

[usedlaserbeam]

That seems to be a trend, I'm discovering — people ending up with multiples on account of a friend's departure. And particularly so when it comes to ones with an existing relationship, whether by parent-child or brother-sister.

The troublemakers are usually fairly easy to tell apart from the rest of the batch, though, aren't they.

text;

[kyoukashotennis]

Happy Birthday.

I'd be happy to play with you again. It was nice to actually play real match instead of practicing on your own.

text;

[usedlaserbeam]

Much obliged, Shiraishi-kun.

It was; I haven't had a proper game in several months now, and there's only so much solo training can do.

text;

[kyoukashotennis]

Yeah. Practicing alone can get really dull. [Though even if it did, he still does it. He wouldn't become the Bible if he didn't.]

It's really a shame that we only have a few tennis players around. I only know you and Miyuki-chan.

text;

[usedlaserbeam]

And Tensai Jr. He's surprisingly skilled with a racket, though certainly not on par with a regular.

text;

[kyoukashotennis]

[A Pokémon playing tennis?]

What Pokémon is it? Sleep Powder would imply he's a grass type.

text;

[usedlaserbeam]

It's Marui-kun's Venusaur. Not his starter, but one of the first ones he acquired — hence the grandiose title.