usedlaserbeam | 027 | Goldenrod City

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?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Ah. I see.

[Pause.]

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

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

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.

Is that so? I've mostly found myself with the younger members of their respective teams, for some reason. That, and Gyarados. I keep receiving Gyarados.

Do you? I haven't had the misfortune of one of those yet. And how do you find the experience of being the trainer of a Gyarados?

Not nearly as troublesome as many claim, though that could be because I was not foolish enough to mistreat them during the time as Magikarps.

Is that something that happens regularly? An acquaintance of mine once raised a Magikarp, but his was in the rather odd position of being incapable of swimming.

...How exactly can a fish be incapable of swimming? How can it survive without swimming? How can it get caught in the first place?

To this day, neither I nor any of the other witnesses have any idea how it came to pass.

But it was, in fact, a fish that couldn't swim.

...If this was not so horrifying it would be hilarious. Could it swim after it evolved?

I don't recall if it ever did, actually.

I believe it was too terrified of its trainer's efforts to teach it to swim.

...Should I ask what sorts of efforts were involved, to traumatize it so?

Sanada-kun always had a certain, ah...imposing presence? And particularly so when it came to improving ourselves in areas where one might construe a perceived weakness.

Was the rest of his team equally affected by that... presence?

Speaking as one of them myself — in varying degrees, yes.

...As long as it works and as long as it does not lead to crippling insecurities...

027 | Goldenrod City | Text;

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