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[heritrix]

"The number you are trying to reach has yet to record a greeting. Leave a message after the tone."

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[heritrix]

[The two of them had been playing — or well. Rin had been sitting on her bed intensely reading a book, holding her arm out so Koo could apply colorful bandaids as he likes to do. He was just trying to squeeze under her arm so he could stick one on her jaw instead when he hears Masaomi say his name and the both of them perk up with matching expressions (synchronize).]

Koo?

[Sure they're talking about him now, the little Ralts hops onto Rin's knee to make himself taller, giving a mock salute. Yes, yes, that's him! Reporting for duty!]

Hm. He's alright, but I think he wishes he could be more useful or see more of the castle. He's gotten bored of our usual play areas.

[Koo drops his hands and nods vigorously at this. The castle's dangerous, he knows, and he hates not being able to help his trainer.]

[generalflirt]

Hooo, see, that's what I've been thinking. He's got a surprisingly brave spirit, all things considered. A real knight for you. [ A beat, and Masomi's lips turn into something almost coy. This is a discussion he should have had a while ago, isn't it...? So he decides to take this seriously, starting from the very beginning as he pulls the Pokédex out of his pocket to scan for Koo's moves and ability, as well as some other basic info other than actual levels because fuck diegetic levels ]

Actually, what is your and Koo's relationship?

[heritrix]

[The Pokedex will beep back at him:

Ralts
Feeling Pokémon
It is highly attuned to the emotions of people and Pokémon. It hides if it senses hostility.

Height: 0.4 m
Weight: 6.6 kg
Nature: Careful
Ability: Synchronize
Moves: Growl, Confusion, Double Team, Teleport]

Why this line of questioning all of a sudden?

[For once, Koo's less cautious than Rin here, too busy puffing his chest up with pride. He'd be sparkling if it weren't cool. That's him, yup! A ~real knight~]

[generalflirt]

[ Huh... those really aren't bad moves, at least as he knows them. He scrolls through the data as he responds to Rin, reading through it and then clicking on the moves to see what data the Pokédex has on them. Teleport? He's encountered it in the dome before, but never used it in person. Same for Confusion, really.

But... ]

Call it a philosophical question as a Pokémon Trainer.

[heritrix]

[He'd only just gotten that last one a few days ago. Rin had been excited for the implications, more eager than ever to toughen her Ralts up for the castle.

She gives Masaomi another questioning look, but relents easily enough with a shrug, reaching out to pull Koo closer to her and ruining his heroic image. But that's okay; from the way his body warms up, she knows he appreciates the cuddle.]

When I first arrived here, I didn't know anybody or who I could trust. I felt like I needed a partner I could rely on faithfully.

[One she knew the loyalties of for certain. Rin taps his 'helmet' gently with her knuckles.] He has incredible psychic potential, so when he gets stronger we'll fight together, but I also intend to make him my familiar.

[generalflirt]

[ A partner, huh...? He doesn't know if she means it the same way as he does. But he presses on, still looking more at the Pokédex than at her ]

Okay, so in the spirit of cultural exchange, could you tell me what a familiar is, magic user to Pokémon Trainer?

[heritrix]

[A chance to babble about her favorite subject? Naturally.]

Familiars are like special assistants to mages, highly valuable due to the nature of our existence. We use them to run errands, or to scout.

[He might have seen her birds before, actually. Rin reaches near her nightstand to take one such amethyst from her bag, which unfurls wings and begins to hover over her palm as she briefly pours life into it. She lets it hang there for a moment as demonstration before commanding it to fly back into her bag and sleep again.]

[generalflirt]

[ Huh...

That really is cool ]

So that's more of a service creature of sorts. Though I don't assume the gem one there is alive?

[heritrix]

Not necessarily. There are several kinds of familiars that can fight for their masters. They come in all skillsets and shapes and sizes, dead or living.

[generalflirt]

So what's the distinction between a familiar and, say, some dog. Or I guess along another track, if you were to make one of those rock monsters you see in RPGs... eto... golems, right?

[heritrix]

[...RPG?]

Golems are a type of familiar. A dog is just a dog. It has no purpose but to be a dog.

[generalflirt]

But what if you're blind! [ He snaps his fingers ] Then it's a seeing eye dog?!

[heritrix]

[She's just going to groan at that joke.]

[generalflirt]

But no, seriously, I think I get the distinction. I'm not sure I totally get it, but well enough...

[ He looks up from the Pokédex ]

Anyway, let's go with another basic one here. What's a Pokémon?

[heritrix]

[Well enough is good enough. She might have been intentionally vague there... This castle plays by a different set of rules, but mages will always have their own internal ones. It's never a good thing to be completely honest about one's abilities or weaknesses.]

A Pokémon? [She looks down at Koo.] Aren't they a sort of animal native to the world they come from? Like instead of normal cats and dogs, they have Koo and all the other kinds of Pokémon in the daycare.

[generalflirt]

Mmmmmhm. That's one way to look at it, but if you were to tell that answer to [ Silver ] Blue-chan, I suspect she would find it incomplete. After all, man's relationship to animal is very different than the relationship that exists between humans and Pokémon.

[heritrix]

[A baby born in this world, Koo can only oooh at that, not knowing better than his own trainer. Rin raises a delicate eyebrow, an expression that says "go on" on her face.]

I know you've had Linda for some time, but I didn't realize you were an expert.

[generalflirt]

I'm not. [ He answers that upfront, letting the Pokédex fall into his lap. From her corner of the room, Linda yawns. She's only vaguely paying attention to all this ]

Which is really why I'm trying to impart at least as much as I've learned over the last few years here. Touching on it, a little. I feel like doing less would let down those who trained me, who most certainly are.

[ A beat ]

Still, while it's a lesson to us, this is second nature to them.

[heritrix]

[This is a side she's seen of him before, though rarely; one where he treats things with a sense of solemnity and grace she finds inspiring. She wonders what triggered it this time, though maybe he answered it now for her so simply.

I feel like doing less would let down those who trained me.

She can respect that.]

That relationship, you mean?

[generalflirt]

Mmmmhm. [ He smiles. And then pulls out the Pokéball that has his baby Kangaskhan, Julia, inside of it. She lets to sleep in the ball for fear of stepping on Linda's toes. He looks through the top of it to see she's sleeping, and he nudges it a little with his finger, setting it and he on the beside table. ]

Linda is my partner. We go into battle together, and we do everything together. If you could hear her tell it, no one will ever love me as much as she does.

[ ... In the corner, electricity sparks. WATCH IT. SH-SHE NEVER SAID SHIT LIKE THAT OKAY--- OKAY?! ]

I'm not sure where Julia and I stand, but I want to help her reach her potential, and I know I want to be worth some respect there. But to be honest, even with both of those, I'm still not sure I can get it completely. Pokémon are born of competition and challenge. Obviously, not every single one prefers battle, but having the ability to do it is their birthright, and the challenge is in their blood. I'm sure even Koo understand that, and some genetic memory brings him back to the nature of this human relationship.

Humans aren't as strong as Pokémon. But humans are also resourceful because of that lack of strength. In our world, animals are kept as pets, or lived apart from. Or livestock, I suppose. [ He sighs, and makes eye contact proper again ] But humans and Pokémon are a part of the same ecosystem and same world to those people. And well, to begin with, more or less any Pokémon is smarter than almost any animal.

[heritrix]

[He means a normal human, of course. Normal girls, and not someone like her.

Koo is watching Masaomi with a bit of awe, like he can understand and finds great meaning it, and Rin watches him in turn.]

It's true. I don't think he'd be so captivated by your words words if he wasn't.

[generalflirt]

[ To be fair, as he pictures basically any of Silver's Pokemon, he's pretty sure that they could beat up most of the magic people he knows. But he hums and... ]

So the relationship to them is symbiotic. And the Trainer is one aspect of it - a Trainer is someone who trains there Pokémon, yes, but it's to make both parties work together and become stronger as a pairing. And as a team.

[heritrix]

I get that. It's not like I'm going to train him to be out on his own.

[Maybe to use him from a great distance, now...]

I told you I wanted him as a partner.

[generalflirt]

[ He holds up his hands, he's not criticizing her per se, he's more imparting lessons. ]

What about you, Koo-kun? Where do you stand on everything?

[heritrix]

[Unlike several other pokemon in this castle, Koo is generally a quiet thing. It's a rare occurrence when he pipes up, and usually only a sound or two at a time.

So it's a bit of surprise when he does so now, chirping non-stop as if imitating human conversation. Rin is his trainer; he loves her a lot! He wants to get big and strong, so he can fight by her side! Scary things happen in this place, so he should be the one to help her, right? That's what brave knights do.

And wow, Rin just watches him kind of stunned, she doesn't think she's ever heard him 'talk' so much. While she doesn't necessarily understand those chirps, Koo is an empath and so they have a special bonds. It's less she hears him, and more... She feels what he means.]