Victory Road Inbox

[notvaljean]

Hi, this is Jean... [loud crackling in the background, the sound of sighing] ... and Blitz. We're busy right now and can't answer, so leave a message and we'll get back to you.

Comments

[schachmeister]

[At this distance, there is pretty much no way for Polo to miss and Magellan takes a full blast of fire to the face, letting out an affronted meow and rubbing his paws over his singed whiskers.]

[notvaljean]

Press the attack! Ember again while he's distracted!

[That scratch hurt Polo more than Jean wants to let on, and if they're going to win this, Polo needs to push hard. Another good hit from Magellan and he's going to go down. Or rather, he'll get weak enough that Jean will pull him out of there.]

Mutual knock-out?

[schachmeister]

Don't let him take you down. Use scratch again.

[Magellan shakes his head one finally time, ears flopping, still looking a little singed around the edges of his whiskers, but despite that he raises his paw again to deliver another scratch to Polo.]

aaaaand two floppy, passed out kittens

[notvaljean]

[Magellan's claws rake across Polo's ear just as another explosion of fire takes him in the face. Both kittens totter, with stunned looks on their faces, before keeling over in a faint. Whoops. Guess that went on a little too long.]

[Jean stands up and saunters over, picking them both up and handing Magellan to Armin.]

Good fight. We probably should have stopped it a little earlier though.

[He's not worried, though. Now the kittens know what it's like to faint during a fight, and how it's not the end of the world.]

I've got some revives and potions back at the camp. [He looks at the two Grass-types and Blitz, waiting patiently at the edge of the clearing.] Some for you ladies too, and dinner for everyone.

[schachmeister]

[Armin gingerly takes Magellan from Jean, cradling him to his chest. It's a good thing he's seen pokemon faint often enough by now to know it's not something threatening. It's just a normal part of battling, and something Magellan and Polo will have to get used to sooner or later.]

We got too caught up. But I think they did very well for a first attempt.

And so did you, thank you.

[He passes a hand over the leaves of Holly's flower when he gets near enough, giving her a smile as well. Whatever very faint fumes that had been clinging to her leaves seem to completely dissipate, replaced by a very soft, pleasant smell.]

[notvaljean]

[Dinner? Yes! Blitz bounces merrily to Jean's side, and bumps up against his legs. Jean hands him Polo, and the Electrode carefully takes the kitten in his mouth, holding him by the back of his neck like a mother cat.]

Don't drop him, okay? And don't bother Armin to give you Magellan! Maybe Holly wants to carry him!

[Blitz rolls his eyes, but accepts his role as Carrier of the Kitten, and starts leading the way back to camp.]

Yeah, that was definitely a good first fight. They'll probably wake up and want to go again.

[schachmeister]

[Armin is fine carrying Magellan himself. Holly's got really stubby arms, after all. And she seems content to walk at Blume's side, probably gossiping some more as they are wont to do.]

Probably. [he concedes] Hopefully they'll be ready to take on wild pokemon on their own soon.

[At least they'll be able to burn off their energy on those rather than on roughhousing in the tents.]

[notvaljean]

[It's pretty damn cute how much Holly and Blume like each other. Whenever one of them is out of her ball and the other one isn't, the free Pokemon will go hassle Jean or Armin to have her friend released. Fortunately, they're content to go settle under a tree somewhere and chat, and don't cause any trouble when they're both out and about.]

Maybe even without Blitz softening them up first.

[Please, no re-enactment of The Spearow Incident.]

[schachmeister]

[The great Spearow disaster of '17 will forever be etched on everybody's memories.]

I'm still surprised he's so patient with them. Somehow I expected him to stop caring once they hatched and weren't round anymore.

I wonder if he'll be this way with every egg we get.

[notvaljean]

Let's ask him.

[Jean clears his throat and calls ahead.]

Hey, Blitz! Do you like baby Pokemon in general or eggs in particular?

[Blitz half-spins around, enough to show them one of his eggs and Polo hanging out of his mouth, and makes a crackling noise before turning back around and continuing on his way.]

I think he just likes babies.

[Jean, how on earth did you understand that?]

[schachmeister]

[Yes, Jean, how on earth did you understand that?]

That's amazing. Did you really understand what he said?

[notvaljean]

Not really.

[Jean shrugs and grins.]

If I ask him yes or no questions, I can usually tell what he means based on how his crackles sound, but anything more complicated than that is harder.

We've had this conversation before, and I asked him yes/no questions then. He likes eggs because they're round like him, and then he likes baby Pokemon when they hatch because he can teach them how to do Pokemon stuff.

[Well, Blitz does have the dad-bod shape, this is only to be expected.]

[schachmeister]

[Armin makes a soft noise as he thinks over Jean's words, glancing at the back of Blitz.]

It surprises me Blitz has the patience to teach. I expected him to ignore the babies until they'd be strong enough to pose a challenge.

[notvaljean]

I think he wants help bullying other Pokemon around.

[A quick glance at Armin.]

I haven't asked him that, I'm just assuming.

[See also: the Great Spearrow Debacle of '17.]

1/2

[schachmeister]

When you say it like that, it's like Blitz wants to create his own army...

[schachmeister]

[oh crap, Blitz wants to create his own army.]

[notvaljean]

He probably does! No wild Pokemon will be safe!

[Jean = totally okay with this plan.]

[schachmeister]

I don't think it's the wild pokemon we should be concerned about!

[Like. Be concerned about them. How long until Blitz turns them into monkey slaves? It is not a question of if Blitz will overthrow the human domination, only when.]

[notvaljean]

Oh gods, don't freak out!

[Jean slings a companionable arm around Armin's shoulders, something that seems intimately familiar and yet very foreign at the same time. If Armin were a little taller and broader, it would feel like second nature.]

I'm sure he'll treat us well during his Poke uprising. We're the ones who give him treats, after all.

[Or Jean does, at least. Armin should maybe start with the goodies, if he wants a good spot in the upcoming Rise of the Electrode.]

[schachmeister]

[Jean slinging an arm around his shoulders has Armin stiffening in surprise for a moment, before he relaxing. This is a bit strange. They've never really been close enough for Jean to do this, but things really did change after Trost, didn't they?]

... sometimes I open the door for him.

[But, to be honest, it is not like a closed door would really ever stop Blitz. Armin just doesn't want to end up paying for the property damage when he decides to just roll through it.]

[notvaljean]

[A lot changed after Trost. Jean has only ever done this to one other person before.]

See? [Jean gives Armin a friendly punch on the chest.] You'll be allowed to live once his army takes over.

[Jean knows damn well that Armin only opens doors for Blitz to prevent property damage, but hey, it still counts!]

[schachmeister]

[Ow, his ribs.]

That's good. [a beat] Probably.

[notvaljean]

[And it's that reaction to his punch that makes Jean realize what he's doing, and he quickly takes his arm back, letting Armin go. He's... not too sturdy, is he?]

Would you rather be destroyed in the first wave? Blitz can organize that too, if you want.

[schachmeister]

[He is not. And Jean is obviously used to rough-housing with someone much taller and strong.

But honestly, Armin hadn't really mind Jean's arm there.]

If it is all the same, I'd rather not die before seeing the ocean.

[Armin, you might be taking this too seriously!]

[notvaljean]

[Oh gods, this ocean stuff again? For once, though, Jean is willing to indulge Armin in it a bit.]

So we should go to the one here pretty soon then. So you can say you've seen one.