Behind Every Monster Is a Person in a Cute Costume: Let's Play Moemon Leafgreen!

[Deme]

You know, I avoided giving speech to the characters in my own LP because I was afraid it'd appear creepy somehow, but you actually make it look really cute, Deme. I like that.

It helps, I think, that human opression of pokemon only an idea of medium importance in this story. It also helps that I managed to get the "is this slavery" question off the table pretty fast... Well, I got it off the table for Seed and co fast. The rest of the world remains another story.
...And the fact that I do cute pretty well, apparently. I'm not sure how that one happens, but I at least know how to clear the field for it.

Edit: I would also like to add that leveling Terra (since I want to get her in line with the team before the end of next chapter, which does mean I kind of have to work on her development pretty fast) is soooo much better than leveling Rya.

[Penguinator]

Yeah, my latest Yellow playthrough had Gyarados leave for Kabuto/Kabutops right before Blaine, only to return for Giovanni.

[PhoeKun]

[latetotheparty]Oh, an update![/latetotheparty]

I don't subscribe to threads. Can you tell? >.>

Thoughts:

1) Holy wow, Bill has become extraordinarily creepy. Bravo for that.

2) Echoing previously posted thoughts, you have a definite knack for cute, and it shines through in all the right places, usually in just the right spot to counterbalance the general creepiness/darkness that is the world of Moemon. I am very curious to see how this dynamic will fare as we approach the shift in tone you've been promising us is to come. Very curious indeed.

3) It made me sad when you sent Phoebe away. Pidgeots are useful things, gosh darn it! Especially if you give her Toxic when you get the chance. Ninja bird of death. *nods sagely*

Also, in what way is Terra easier to level than Rya was? It's never been my experience that an Abra was any less head-desk inducing to evolve than a Magikarp, curse their adorable little hides. Just out of curiosity.

[Mando Knight]

Fewer levels, for one. Another: higher-level 'mons to grind against.

[Penguinator]

Mando can probably confirm this, but I'm guessing that Magikarp requires more Exp to gain levels than Abra. I could be wrong.

[Deme]

WAAAAY more. Terra from 15 to 16 took probably the same XP as Rya's 10 to 11, or at least her 12-13. Timewise, we're looking about 3 or 4 times as long in the intial training sessions alone.

Also, I was actually getting nearly the same amount of XP from the Jirachi split up as I was from the enemies here give when not split up, so there you go... Terra just levels up so much faster.

Working on compiling chapter now.

[Penguinator]

Serebii has confirmed my previous statement.

[Deme]

Chapter 15: ...Excellent *steeples fingers*

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I didn't do much of Rya's training, so I can't say if this is easier or harder. We start out with Spike showing her the basics of fighting.
"OK, so here you go. First, you look your foe in the eye..."

"And when you're looking at it, you think 'what do I got that can grind her into dust?' then you just stab her with your horn a few times, and..."
"...Where would I acquire a horn?"
"I'm just being specific!"
"This all sounds... Very Freudian."
"The point is, you pick your weapons and you use them."
Well, she does have a point. I'd say she isn't learning anything, but... she seems to think she is. She gets slowly stronger, anyway.



"Wow, Spike, that last fight really took it out of you."
"They got a lotta free hits on me, that's all. Just a walk to the pokecenter and I'll be good as new."
"Yeah. Man, it's a long walk..."
"...I can assist in this."
"What?"

"...I can use my power...and bring you there."
"Really? Yeah!"

Her eyes glow. The whole world spins around me, cliffs and grass and the distant bridge all swishing around and becoming plaster and brick buildings and a city road. I feel vaguely sick. As I reel in place, I lean my back against the pokecenter door. It leaks cool airconditioning onto my spine, and I realize I've arrived.

"Oh, wow! That was amazing!"
"...I have never heard mere teleportation... described as 'amazing.'... Maybe annoying."
"Well, it's not just the power, but what you do with it, I guess. I mean, being able to warp to free healing and cheap food and a place to sleep and bathe and junk? Being able to move five other pokemon and a whole adult human? That's really amazing. It's an excellent ability to have." Oooh, that sounded cheesy. But I meant it, so yeah. Meaning things makes you sound cheesy sometimes, folks. It’s not that I avoid it, but…
I guess maybe it wouldn't be useful if I had a bike or a car or something -- unless maybe I had a collapsable bike I could teleport with me. But a car would be right out. But it would save money for return busses and things. I guess it's only really useful for trainers.
"...So using a power to make her happy... That is what it is to be excellent?"

We go back to training. She's a pretty quick study; I guess that's what it is to be a psychic type, huh? Everytime Spike gets hurt badly enough, she teleports us back. After the first time, it's not quite as dizzying.
"I guess I must be used to it, huh?"
"...That is part of it... There's not a single explanation."
I stare at her. I bury my hand in my face... Or, in less fancy terms... facepalm.
"Is there ever anymore?"
"...Not when our kind are involved. Probably not where your kind is involved, either..."
"Gaaah!" I stomp a foot. "What's wrong with simple and direct, huh?"
"Well, I think it's that she's getting used to you, too, Mistress! That is a simple thing."
"Thank you, Rya... Why couldn't you just say that? In fact, Azula, why can't you ever be that direct?"
"Mistress, I do my best where I am able. Rya is still an innocent. Innocence strips the complication from the world."
"OK, OK, point. Let's get back to training, shall we?"
As we train, I think about what Azula said. Things do get complicated as you get older... Is that what it is? That the world doesn't get complicated, but your understanding does?
...I wonder if all this means I'm still growing up after all... I don't want to not be as mature as I thought I am. Life is hard enough; it doesn't need to get harder.

After training for a while, I switched to letting FISTICUFFS help her out some more.
"PUNCH."
"...I'm not sure I'm...made for punching..."
"FIND." She swept her arms out wide. A grin spread on her face, and she gripped a fist. "BATTLE. OPPORTUNITY." Then she gestured at me. "DUTY. ... JOY."
They looked at each other.
"I think I see what you mean... That, then, is...As you would call it...EXCELLENCE?"
FISTICUFFS nodded.
"FISTICUFFS...It's nice to hear you say that, but don't think I'll go soft because you're flattering me." I grinned in spite of myself and crossed my arms to hide it. "We've got a lot of work to do before dinner!"
"YES!"

I think Terra slept for the next few battles; it was hard to tell. She just sort of...went inside herself and didn't come out for a while.
As she slept, her head moved to follow whoever was battling in her stead, swaying like a divining rod. Then she tilted her head to one side, stretched her limbs, and rose to her feet.
"...Hm. I see... So that is excellence... Yes... It may be my role in this world to strive for it... An unreachable dream..." She made a sound, not a laugh so much as a breaking of her breathing, over and over again, as she rose to her feet. As she stretched, her body grew -- they light that surrounded her was faint enough that I could see her hair grow into twin ponytails.


My question, though, is where she got the spoons. Spoons do not just happen. Spoons come from -- where do spoons come from? But they do not ust appear willy-nilly! I mean, really, spoons...

...You know, I notice that her new attack involves confusing people... And I just spend the last five minutes confusedly babbling about spoons. Coincidence or accident, place your bets!
Her next new attack is less likely to get me talking about spoons...

It wasn't long until she was all caught up, and the time came to approach Cerulean Gym.

The Gym features that con-man trying to "help" me "get to the top" with his basic type-advantage advice... I wonder -- with the giant docks in the middle, how useful is this gym for actual swimming?


"...But nothing happened…”
"If I keep trying, something will happen!"

Ah, Nugget Bridge-style introductions.


His pokemon are adorable, but not ridiculously sturdy. Really, you'd think that they'd try and prepare for grass and electric types here.
Or maybe they're not supposed to...? Even as I think that, I think it sounds absurd.

Someone like me...? Who is someone like me? Someone who thinks about her team? Someone who wants to do well?
...Someone who's scary?


"Well, I guess we'll see!”

"But she's right there watching us. I'm right in front of her."
Misty: "It's really not a bother to watch or to fight..."
Camper: "Shut up and let me be condescending for you!"

A water pokemon ChuChu couldn't take down in a single move...? OK, now I'm worried. Defense isn't ChuChu's strong suit.

...OK, I guess I don't have to worry about that.

And I... Hm. I need to go back and think. If she had done something useful, it could have been trouble -- and Misty's will be stronger. Brock was easy... But I can't help but wonder if Brock is deliberately easy. I mean, a gym leader... Probably has tons of pokemon to pick from.

-In the Pokemon Center-
"ChuChu, are you ready?"
"Of course I am! I can take them all on!"
"Yeah...Yeah. We may just want to polish up a tad, and then...We need a back-up plan."
"Back-up?"
"Right. If something's giving you trouble, I want to be able to know how to handle it. I bet Misty has a surprise up her sleeve."
I pause and look over our resources.
"OK, if it's a move giving you trouble, we'll switch to Terra and let her disable it before sending you back. If it's a whole pokemon, FISTICUFFS or Spike can try and weaken it for you so you can get in a final blow. How does that sound?"
"It sounds acceptable to all of us, I believe." Azula butted in. She sounded pretty resentful -- I guess having two gyms in a row where she's not much good is bugging her.
The back-up plan makes me feel safe. Even with ChuChu's tissue-thin natural defenses, she's not going into this fight alone.
...Not being alone matters a lot sometimes.
OK, I guess it's time to see how well my plans hold up.

Will ChuChu be able to handle Misty? What is the true nature of the world of Moemon? And how did Sage die, anyway?
All this and more Next Time, in the conclusion of Act 1 of Let's Play Moemon: Leaf Green!

Edit: I've also figured out how to make making the font smaller work for me again. It got kind of wierd because of my set-up for a while, hence my use of (parenthesies) to replace that device.

[Penguinator]

"...Where would I acquire a horn?"
"I'm just being specific!"
"This all sounds... Very Freudian."

This is epic.

[Mando Knight]

"...Where would I acquire a horn?"
"I'm just being specific!"
"This all sounds... Very Freudian."

Catch 'em, catch 'em, gotta catch 'em all...
Gotta catch 'em all,

PokéFreud!

[Deme]

Now, what does it say about your subconciouses that you all latch onto that one?

[Mando Knight]

"...Hm. I see... So that is excellence... Yes... It may be my role in this world to strive for it... An unreachable dream..."

The line is "star." "Unreachable star."

This is my Quest!
To follow that star!
No matter how hopeless,
no matter how far!

[Deme]

....Thank you for getting that song stuck in my head. Again. Man, I love that musical. I seriously wasn't thinking of it.

The song is far too optimistic for Terra, who I think finds the notion that her job is to do something she sees as impossible somewhat funny. But this is not the last place or the last character where this idea will come up (it's not even exactly the first, though figuring out what counts is a good question), so who knows?

[Terry576]

Heh.

Freudian.

Also, Mirrinus? D'you have an english link for Touhoumon Lunatic?

I apologize for the offtopicness. I'm looking for it.

To make up for it, I'll draw some fanart.

[Mirrinus]

"Splash!"
"But nothing happened!"

I admit, I chuckled.

Also, Mirrinus? D'you have an english link for Touhoumon Lunatic?

If it exists, you should find a link to it here, or at least ask for it if you can't find it there.

[Terry576]

If it exists, you should find a link to it here, or at least ask for it if you can't find it there.

I found you on that site.

I'M NOT A STALKER.

MUCH.

[Deme]

Everything's in spoiler boxes today, including my comments about the chapter and my schedule for a while.

Chapter 16: The Psyche of a Pokemon Trainer, Part 2

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Misty: ”Except for when you fought my minion a little while ago. But you’re new in town.”
“Yes.”

Misty: ”OK, so that’s not exactly true, but what these poor saps don’t know won’t hurt them, right?”

“Find their strengths and play to them. Try to find balance so they’re never alone.”

Misty: ”Find your affinity and make it work!”
With this declaration, we begin.

Like Brock, she just has two – this and one other. This is the weaker, and it’s nearly the strongest thing I’ve ever fought. I’m glad I made back-up plans.
Still, I don’t have to use them yet. Her Staryu tries to buffer its defenses.
“ChuChu, now’s your chance! Thundershock!”

And it falls.

Her Starmie is, far and away, the toughest pokemon we’ve ever encountered. I begin to see what she means.

The results of the first round of attacks horrify me. I need to think of what to do. She outsped ChuChu, and out-hit her.
I get ChuChu out of there, and bring Terra in to try and take out that killer move.

Terra doesn’t do much better. But if I can disable that Water Pulse, everything will be safe…

But as she staggers with the last of her strength, I see that that her one try doesn’t work; another attack of the Starmie’s is disabled. I don’t know what to do.
I decide to send in Spike, like I planned.

She opens with a move that ends up hurting her! Excellent!

But its defensive power is absurd!

I’m trying everything, switching ChuChu back in as she heals the Starmie completely. I shudder in horror as all our work is undone.

“Please hold on, ChuChu!”

If I can outrace it, I can win. If only ChuChu were faster.
And then I think about what ChuChu can do. ChuChu, who has always relied on her thundershock first and foremost, who I brought because she was super-effective…
Does not only have thundershock as an option. Stupid, Stupid Seed! If you try to beat Misty with an all-out attack with one type, her own style… How do you expect to know what’s going on?
“ChuChu, forget about what’s super effective! Just hit as fast as you can!”

She races at the Starmie, hurdling herself forward before it can move. Misty looks surprised.

“Ha! Ha! Oh, it worked! Good girl, ChuChu!” I take my friend into my arms and hug her. My clothes are wet from where all those water pulses soaked her dress and hair to the bone. I don’t care.

Misty: ”I expected you to stick what you liked, but…That was pretty good.”

She continues explaining what her badge can do. I’m still giving ChuChu a hug. Spike and Terra will get hugs too, later on.

Free stuff makes me lift my head.
“Really? Cool, thanks.”

Misty: ”It wasn’t a bad show. If you can beat me, you have real potential… So start preparing for the real deal, OK?
“You bet!”
I walk out, feeling triumphant.
…Until I realize that…if I had thought about it…I would have just slowed the Starmie down with Thunder Wave to begin with, and maybe could have not used up almost my entire collection of potions that way.
…I am such an idiot.

Well, next time, right?

In the Pokecenter, two celebratory Virgin Pina Coladas down and all hugs bestowed (And Rya given Water Pulse), I look at Azula and say,
“OK, Azula. You promised me. It’s time to tell all.”
Azula looks around.
“The rest of you wait here.”
”UNFAIR!”
”But why?
”I am her first. Her compact is with me.”
“Azula’s right. This is between me and her.”
I leave the rest in the care of Nurse Joy and take Azula outside, somewhere private.

”You know, I hope, that all matter in this world can be converted to energy, all energy to matter?”
“Yeah, E=MC^2 and all of that, right?”
”If that is how humans understand the concept, very well,” she said with a somewhat disinterested voice. I guess she doesn’t much like math. ”Everything in this world is made of one or more of the 17 types of energy. These energies exist in this world as forces...But also exist in a world ‘above’ this one, a world home to spirits composed elementally of these energies… It is the world that I come from.”
“Pokemon are…spirits?”
”Yes. And when we come here, we take these bodies – and, because of who we are, our energies, or who we could be… because of the fate that has been allotted to us, we are in turn given these raiments.” She motions to her clothing, her Charmeleon costume. Her face is very grave, her voice and gestures draw themselves out. I take them in slowly, trying to process this. To give myself time to catch up, I ask,
“And that decides…What pokemon you are?”
”My Mistress is wise. The raiment does correspond to the name humans have given to the roles. Each of these raiments has, so that the people of this world will be accepting of the use of our power, an illusion, that we would resemble a beast of this world.” She glances at me – it is now her turn to examine my face to see what I am thinking. I have no idea. ”Except for people like you, who can see that we are but spirits –“
“By which you mean ‘adorable people’”
”By which I mean Spirits – in familiar disguises. There have always been your sort of humans. In the past, they have been priests and magicians, wise men privy to the true nature of the world. Now, they mostly hide their gift – everyone can agree to what the world is like, and thus aberration becomes monstrous, not wonderful. But they exist, as they always have. And you have opened to it.”

She pauses and collects herself. She has said this all with a perfect straight face. She has asked me to believe. I…considered a possibility like this, back at the start. I can accept it. I’m about to say we can go back to the party, but then she looks up at me again and starts anew.


“But there are still afforded to your manner of person…certain privileges. To the one who becomes the champion of this world and our world, to the one who defeats the Elitest of the Elite of this word and the mightiest of the True Spirits…” She folds her arms and looks away, “And perhaps to those she has chosen…” She looks at me fiercely. “The wish they want most in the world shall be granted to them.”

A wish? My heart begins to race, and my mouth goes dry. I could…I could ask for Sage back, Sage before Dad decided to kill her when he was trying to kill himself. Sage before the day I found Dad doing that to her. Sage before she was put in that position. Sage who smiled and asked me to read her bedtime stories. Sage who looked at the map of the world and told me where on our big journey we were going to go, and what was going to happen there.
My Little Sister. I could have her back.
…If I can get a wish granted. But when have I ever gotten a wish? If there were wishes in this world that could be granted…Where was that power when I wished she would be safe? When I wished Dad would stop and I wouldn’t have to call the police like I said I would?
When I wished that it had been me that he had hurt like that, that it had been me that he had murdered, that it had been me, me, or anyone but her?
As I think that, I know.
“You’re lying.”
”I am not, Mistress.”
“You’re joking.”
”I am not, Mistress.”
…Then she, then this whole world…was asking me to believe an impossible thing.
This whole world thought I was terrifying. This whole world made hard things easy. This whole world went my way. When the real world never had.
This whole world wanted me to believe an impossible thing – this whole world wanted to lie to me, to reach into my eyes and lie to me, to pull itself into my ears and lie to me. It wanted me to believe.
This whole world, mad as it was, offered me friends. I want to believe in them.
Then a little voice, my little voice in my heart that first told me, Moron. You let him kill her, just because you wanted to pretend you could still be a happy family, says something. It says Believing an impossible thing just so you don’t feel alone… Isn’t that the definition of a delusion?

It’s right.

What is that, rising in my throat as I think that? Is it vomit or spittle, tears or mad laughter? Like everything else, have I just dreamed it up? I force it back, whatever it is.
I chose wrong. In Viridian. I chose wrong.
I reel back. I think of my grandmother saying, “If you ever think you’re hallucinating, don’t run. You don’t want to get hit by a bus."
My body must disagree. It turns and starts running, leaving my visions of a Charmeleon-girl reaching out behind it.

It runs past buildings, past crowds. They must think I’m scary, too. Everything crowds around me, my heart flutters, the light beats me and the sound crushes. I think I am scary, too.

I reach a little alley, and my legs give out. This world wants to lie to me. I am alone. It keeps pounding like a mantra. I curl into a ball.

The tears pour out, springing from some hidden place in myself. I keep thinking of a day after my threat, after my discovery: My father lying on his bed, somehow still alive, with half his face blown off by his gun. My sister, somehow dead, laying on the floor in front of him, with a bullet hole in her head.

Moron. Moron. You let yourself be tricked like that.

This world wants to lie to me. I am alone. The world, full of heat and tears and lies, blurs out.

End of Act 1

...

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Now, if I were really evil, I'd end it right here. I could, too -- certainly, it's my last opportunity to answer a negative to this particular question. But I'm not that evil.

However, I will be leaving you here for a while: I have to have my wisdom teeth removed tommorow, and friends don't let friends write LPs while medicated.

[Penguinator]

Hm. That's nice and depressing. Only thing, it said her father survived the suicide. Is he still around? (I'm banking on... probably not getting an answer to that.)

[Small Grey Cat]

I wanted to add my voice to the praise of this LP. Great job, Deme.
You've got the setup for a really good story here. I'm loving the characterizations - especially how Seed runs from her 'specialness' and how you've handled Spike in the girls' club. Keep up the good work!

[Domochevsky]

Sudden bout of angst there at the end, hm? I'm cautiously curious how this continues.

(...after the medications have worn off, that is. >_>)

[PhoeKun]

I am impressed. I am very, very, very impressed.

Your writing to conclude the Act was of a deeply emotional and personal nature, tapping into something a great deal of writers will try to and fail to find... in far more than "just" LPs, at that. As someone who has dedicated her life to trying to tell stories, I want to congratulate you for doing such an excellent job of characterization and storytelling.

You deserve something special. Alas, I have nothing to offer but praise.

[Deme]

Hm. That's nice and depressing. Only thing, it said her father survived the suicide. Is he still around? (I'm banking on... probably not getting an answer to that.)

He's around as in alive, but Seed hasn't seen him since that day. That's about all I'll say to that... But I admit I totally love answering questions, even if I do it evasively, so feel free to ask.

And to everyone else:
Thanks. It means a lot to know I got this bit about right, and that you enjoyed it. While I don't try and do moments exactly like this in most of the stories I write, it's the moments like this that matter most to get right: it's early enough that if I goof up, I won't get the rest right, and late enough that it means everything else I've done did its work.

[Penguinator]

He's around as in alive, but Seed hasn't seen him since that day. That's about all I'll say to that... But I admit I totally love answering questions, even if I do it evasively, so feel free to ask.

What I meant was that it might become a plot point that would be spoilered. I like that you answered in a way that wouldn't ruin anything in the case that it ends up being important. But, umm... I don't know of anybody with half their face blown off in Pokemon, and I'm not sure about plastic surgery, so... I'll stop talking now. I think I lost myself.

[Deme]

Yeah, it's not a plan at the moment for him to show up in person, I admit. For several reasons, starting with the logistics -- he went to trial for all that nastiness (though he himself was in no condition to actually show up), after all, and while he's not in jail, he's also not free.

That, and I think he'd actually lose power if he showed up, like the monster in a horror movie. His story's not totally complete, but there exists someone who would know how to take what's left to be said of him and do more with it than he ever could.

[Deme]

Chapter 16+, with Special Guest Narrator Beau!

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I sit in the Pokecenter and drink a soda. I can’t explain what I’m doing here – I should have left Cerulean. At this rate, Seed’ll catch up. I’d like to do all of this without her watching too closely – as far as I know, she’s no good for this.
I could be wrong. After the last fight, I’m getting the feeling I’m wrong.
Still, it’d be nice if I could have found her a ticket, too. Find a way to give it to her that didn’t look like charity, get her in a little dress – she’d look good in red, I think – with a slit up the side… heh…

Beau’s Squirtle: ”Dirty boy. Everyone’s going to think you’re a pervert, having ideas like that.”

I don’t say anything. She has a sense of what I’m thinking – well, she can get a sense of what I’ll do to her if she doesn’t stop commenting! I know Seed’s not the sort of girl who’d ever go out with me – she’s too stubborn and proud and oh, so hoity-toity, I bet she’d never think I was…

Squirtle starts snickering. I guess I went right into that, didn’t I? Maybe I ought to use my time on the boat as a vacation or something. Stop thinking of how to prove myself to this absolutely impossible girl and, I dunno… Go fishing.

I stir my straw around as I’m thinking, the ice hitting the sides of the glass with an almost metallic clacking. clack. Clack.
thud!

I look up to the corner where the stairs are. Tumbling down the stairs is a rolling ball of pokemon violence. A Nidorino and a Mankey against a Charmeleon – or something. A few more pokemon stand at the top of the stairs, watching the fight. Their expressions aren’t like ours: ours are a little curiosity and a lot of shock. They look sad and angry – except maybe the Kadabra. She looks somewhere between disappointed and amused, like when you know something is going to fail and it does.

”FAILURE! FAILURE! FINISHED!”
”One shot, one shot, and you blow it! You act like you can handle it, but then she’s crying in an alley somewhere – and you can’t even find her!”
”She will be found! It will be repaired! I am still able as first!”

Everyone’s talking and no one’s listening but me. It’s all just a bundle of noise. I realize then that the Charmeleon is definitely Seed’s, and the rest fall into place.

The whole place calms as I walk that way, trying out my best confident ‘I got this’ walk. It’s super-effective apparently, since no one questions what’s going on. Even the Pokemon stop fighting and I just lift up whatever I can grab that’s on top: it’s the Mankey. She doesn’t struggle, but glares at me like she wants to rip my arm off. The others have the same expression.

“They belong to a friend of mine, Nurse Joy – I got this.” I say. I gesture for them all to get upstairs, which they do.
“OK,” I say in the relative privacy of the sleeping quarters. “What’s all this? Where’s Seed?”
And then the Gyrados burst out into big, theatrical, little girl tears.

The explanation I get sounded something like this:
”SHE RAN AWAY –“”The dumb broad here spilled the beans about us –“”I don’t know what went wrong! One moment she’s with me, the next --“”HOPELESS.””AND NOW SHE DOESN’T LOVE US ANYMORE!””I suppose it’s what to expect when one attempts the undoable… We shouldn’t be surprised.””Well, maybe if we all just try again –“”It’s not a failure! Merely a… setback.”

What I eventually came to understand was something like this:
Seed’s got the sight. I was right about being wrong. But it’s new. Apparently I grew up alone in this as I thought, but… Not anymore. I don’t really know how to take that.
Anyway, so Azula told her all the whole “mystic spirits from an elemental plane” stuff. Now, apparently Seed was with her there (Really? When the pidgeys told me when I was 7, I didn’t freaking believe them until I got it confirmed by at least a few of the classier pokemon in Gramp’s lab.) But when it came to the whole trial and wish thing, Seed didn’t believe her, freaked out, and ran. They’re not sure where she is, only that she’s really upset. Azula’s pretty sure that Seed thinks she’s crazy, or something like that.

“And battering eachother to death, which I’m aware is how Pokemon solve everything, will solve this…how?”
”PUNISHMENT.”
”It won’t.”
”Sure made me feel better. If our one shot at the big-time is over, I’d like to at least go out fighting.”
”It is. Not. Over.” The Gyrados went and clung to her like she was her fiery mamma.

“Well, how about I handle it? At least see what can be done.”

I’m not sure how smart it was to leave them there. OK, I lie. I know it was dumb. But if Seed saw everyone trying to give her an intervention – she’d be way too proud to accept it. Man, of all the rivals neighbors GIRLS, why her, huh?

I searched the whole city looking for her. Cerulean’s not a big place, but Seed probably has a lot of practice when it comes to finding little hide-y holes for herself. Eventually, though, I spot her.
She’s hunkered down, squished between two buildings so there’s barely any light filetering through. She’s pulled her knees close to her, and hidden her face between her hat and her shins. I can’t find her expression. Every now and again, her shoulders shake. Her breath comes in in hiccups and gasps and out in sobs, the way a child’s would.

I stand there for a very long time. Here I am again.

Can you keep a secret? Once upon a time I saw her cry like this. Right after the trial – sweet Mew, the trial. No one had seen that coming. They’d seemed like such a sweet little family: dad away on business a lot, but coming back at mostly reliable times. Seemed to treat the kids well. Mother focused on housework, doting. Two daughters who were the world to each other. And underneath – I guess their family was like a pretty mosaic stone in a garden. It was all worms and leaf rot underneath. The stuff they asked Seed was pretty rough – and not half as bad, not half as hateful, as the answers she gave. She sort of froze up for those few weeks, like she was waiting to punch something.

Of course Daisy and Gramps and I went. To give our support. Everyone in Pallet came, all the way to Pewter. I’m not sure what we were expecting to hear, or see. I kinda wondered who hired her dad’s lawyers: their client couldn’t even be there, but they didn’t miss a beat. He was found not guilty by way of insanity, on both of the charges. I couldn’t believe it. No one could. I mean, yeah, I guess you’d have to be crazy… But… Yeah. Seed spent the entire ride back looking like she wanted to strangle something. Then nothing. Everything went dead quiet.

And I was walking around the edge of town and saw her in the woods, curled up like this. Crying like this, reaching for the edges of her hair and pulling at them in raw frustration, never tearing and never letting go. Leaves fell down on the top of her head, and she’d rip them to bits without even seeing them, just looking for something to tear apart.

I like to think that when she looked up, for a moment, she didn’t see me there. I don’t think she could have ever looked me in the eye again if she knew I saw her crying like that. I knew I couldn’t. Not because I saw her crying, I mean – but I didn’t do anything. I didn’t say anything. I just stood there, hidden from her by the trees or a trick of the light, too stupid to move.

And that’s about where I am now. What should I have said then? What should I say now?

“I thought you were stronger than this, Seed.” That was not it.

But she looks up anyway and glares at me.

“Shu- up,” she mumbles. A bit of the sound is bitten off as she gasps for air. She turns her head away from me. “You’re no- even rea-.”

“Hey, who says? Just because you’re the one with the tragic backstory and the drive for justice doesn’t mean you get to decide the state of reality, missy!” I figure, hey – I’ve started this off, I may as well continue. It’s the only way I know to talk to her, and it’s as easy as going down a slide. “’hey, look at me, I’m Seed! Even though my much cooler neighbor has seen this stuff for as long as he can remember, I’m allowed to worry my whole team sick and go mad from the revelation!’”

“…You’re just a reasonable facsimile created by my subconcious to give me comfort… Or something,” she mutters, resolving her breath. “You’re doing a lousy job, so go away.”

“Listen, Seed, I promise you. You’re not crazy. You’re stupid and over-emotional, but you’re not crazy. Your team, we can debate…” Then she looks up at me again, uncertainly. I try to grin like I own the whole world. “They’re a noisy bunch, eh?”

“…But it’s not true. There’s no such thing as wishes. No one’s going to answer a wish.”

I look away. What do I say? An idea springs to mind, but I bat it away. I can’t tell her that – it’s embarrassing!

“Oh, yeah? I think maybe they can, if you don’t give up on it all. We have the power to change our worlds right now… So here’s a bet: if you get up, and stop crying, and see this through… Then you can see me get my wish. And when I do… You have to kiss me. With tongue.” I think of what she wants, and I don’t know. Besides beating me. “And if I lose, I’ll do whatever you want me to. That way, if you’re right and there’s no such thing as wishes… Then at least you get something out of it.”

“You talked to everyone…?”
I nod. She eyes me even more suspiciously.
“…What’d FISTICUFFS say when you talked to her?”

“Eh, this and that. One-word answers, said in a booming sort of ALL-CAPS for the voice I grin. I have her now.

“…You’re not kidding. This is all real?”

“Eh. I’m not confident about the wish thing, either – I’ve asked around who’s done it, but I’ve got nothing. I’m just making the bet because I’m always right, and this won’t be any different.” I offer her a hand. “Come on, do you want to take my bet – or are you too scared to have a real adventure?”

“I’m not afraid of losing to you…” She grumbles. The dust slides off her as she rises to her feet. I catch her hand and we shake. She looks at me firmly. “Anyway, after you get disappointed, someone’s going to need to catch you… I may not be crazy, but I can’t believe that there’s such a thing as a wish to be granted.”

“Maybe, but then again, maybe I’ll end up with everything I ever wanted – and your first kiss, yes, another girl’s first kiss under my belt!” She growls. I turn and walk away.
“Have fun bandaging everyone up. Smell ya later!”


OK, now I really have to beat her. Well, that could have gone better… But the job’s done, right?

I maybe should have waited a bit longer for this chapter: I'm not particularly fond of it, and I can't help but wonder what it would be like were I not somewhat ill still. Eh, well.

[Domochevsky]

A job well done, Beau. Also: score.

[PhoeKun]

Ah, familiar doubts. It's so weird to see you in the head of another... get back here! Out of Deme, this instant! You're mine damn it, don't cheat on me!

*ahem*

In all seriousness, what you've written was quite good. You gave exposition, set the stage for the continuation of the adventure, and threw in some wonderful character development, helped solidify my stance that Blue/Beau is awesome (and secretly a sweetheart, although the context changes with a male protagonist), and generally just put out an entertaining piece of writing.

I enjoy your prose style, and it was nice to see something from you that didn't need to be wrapped around screenshots (and not that you don't do a wonderful job of it, but it's wonderful to catch a glimpse of your writing in freer pastures). Thanks for putting it up. I also needed a good kick in the pants, so thanks for that as well.

[Deme]

Mmm. Thanks, Phoekun.

Writing the rival is about 600 million times easier when the main character is a girl, but I'd be willing to bet the same principles could be applied to the all-male cast, just tweaked depending on a number of factors. At least for first gen. Making the second gen rival nice is really, really hard; I know that the Shinygold Hard LP does that by flipping the alignments of the hero and rival, but doing it without switching... Is tricky, I'd think. I don't know about later gens, though.

But any guy who uses "Smell you later!" can't seriously be cruel. That sort of really lame insult-mongering can only come from the heart of a basically good person. A bad person would be, if not more creative, than at least more effectively insulting.

[Penguinator]

As far as I'm concerned, the third gen rival/s don't count as rivals. One, there's two, Wally and Brendan/May. And they aren't huge challenges, either. You fight them, like, never.
Fourth gen, on the other hand, is fair enough. And he's not a bad person, either.

In other news, this chapter with Beau was totally badass.

[Deme]

Next chapter may (once again) take a bit: I've decided that it should be devoted to giving a little screentime to the reserves.

Also, I'd like to add... Mellow is alarmingly fun to write for. I'm very glad to not have Helga in the active team anymore, based on her performance here. I had to make a tough choice involving TopPercen, but I think I mad it well enough. I will probably edit this post as I move through the remaining members of the reserves that aren't at level 20 (or 19 in Helga's case. Darn if Fury Attack isn't annoying) yet. Consider it a preview.