bellyshirt | 5 ♫ audio/video + action

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5 ♫ audio/video + action

Come on, Fish! If you don't get a move on, we're gonna look like fools in that tournament!

[The sound of...something moving, abruptly. A smack. Being kicked? Followed by the splash of water.]

Zrrr...

I know what I'm doing, Shadow. Shut up.

[The next minute is mostly the sound of water rebounding, Magikarp flailing, and Shadow's tiny growls of concentration. Eventually, the noise dims in favor of--]

Yes! I knew we were close! See, what'd I tell you--

[Video feed clicks on to giant Gyarados! Luke is all smug.

Until giant Gyarados starts snarling.]

T I N Y G I R L S C R E A M]

Hnnnnaaeeeeee!

[Feed cuts.]

[For anyone around the small pond on Route 35, Luke is being harassed by his Gyarados. He'll be responding once he's got her back in the ball.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

You did not? I'm surprised; people were already getting attacked by their newly-evolved Gyarados when I first arrived, and that was years ago.

[At least his surprise is genuine and not mocking?]

I didn't think she'd try to eat me! Pokemon are supposed to listen to us, aren't they?

Children are supposed to listen to their parents and soldiers are supposed to listen to their commanding officers, yet that's never stopped anyone. It's the same for Pokémon.

But I took care of her! [For a relative value of 'care'.] You'd think she'd be grateful.

Ah, but do you care for her? Animals can often understand human feelings, no matter how well they are hidden.

Well I...I don't know, she's just a fish.

[A beat.] Was just a fish.

A fish that undoubtedly dreamed of the day she would learn new attacks and have the chance to show them to you. She must have been very proud of her very first Tackle.

[...goddamn it Cecil, stop making him feel bad over a fish.]

And just how was I supposed to know?!

...I have to admit that it's difficult to read a fish's moods and thoughts. Do you have any Psychic-types? They could help the two of you communicate from now on.

No, I just have a Dark-type.

That makes things trickier. Unless you can understand your Dark-type more easily?

[There's a noise off camera, prompting Luke to glance sideway, until whatever made the noise slides up and...welp. There are now two Lukes.]

Kind of. He can't really talk, though.

...His face must be easier to read, at any rate. That's not a Ditto, is it?

[Before Luke can reply, his double makes an irritated noise, before his mouth creepily splits far too wide and with far too many teeth, eyes flashing gold and painted red in the corners. He's clearly trying to intimidate or surprise Cecil.]

Zrrr!

[Luke just side-eyes his pokemon.]

He's a Zoroark.

Ah, yes, I can tell now. A Ditto could never have such an impressive expression. ...Or teeth, as a matter of fact.

[There's no surprise in his voice, but there's approval, at least. Then again, he's very good at projecting calm if he needs it.]

[The smile becomes less wicked and more pleased, and eventually the face around the smile starts shifting. A Zoroark stands next to Luke, its dark red mane a match to his fiery orange.]

He can look like pretty much anybody, if he gets a good look at them.

Really, now? I can think of a thousand ways that could be useful for a young man your age, though I should probably not admit that.

[He sounds a little lost in thought at that. Ah, the possibilities of a body double...]

Well, I know it's useful, it'd just be more useful if he could talk.

[Like the time Luke used him to...sneak into a pokemon center...to get a pretty girl to play maid for him...what is his life.]

...I know there's at least one bird Pokémon that can talk. If you could somehow hide one near him...

[This is a very hypothetical, trouble-free chain of thought, of course.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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