45th moon [video]

[paladinlost]

[A pale hand is slowly rolling a few Pokéballs on a desk, as its owner speaks softly.]

One received as a starter, oh so long ago.

[Sweet little Rosie, who had taught him the basics of this world when he was not in a state to learn by himself.]

Two caught with my own hands, within my first month here.

[To have revenge and to keep the peace, and perhaps out of curiosity and wonder.]

One received as a gift, to remind each other of our fondness.

[But Aerith was gone, now, and he'd never found out where her Marill went.]

Eight eggs, bought and traded and raised from birth.

[All of them grown, now, with nearly nothing left to learn from him.]

...Nine who found me when their trainers were lost, and who might have seen them come and go since then.

[Yet so many of his friends had disappeared leaving none behind, with nothing but his memories left of them.

The hand stills over one of the balls. His message is almost over.]

...Perhaps I should start catching once more, and start anew somewhere else.

Comments

[Video]

[soggypastry]

That would be one way to turn a fight around. Not many people would expect a pokémon to use a frying pan all of a sudden.

[Rosie probably understands. All those newborns would keep anyone busy for a while.]

[Video]

[paladinlost]

Gogo would, but that's because he's her usual target.

[Besides, she loves doting on them as much as he does.]

[Video]

[soggypastry]

Like I said, not many. And even if they're used to it, dodging an attack like that is something else entirely.

[Which undoubtedly helps matters. Easy to keep busy with babies.]

[Video]

[paladinlost]

I wonder if it'd be considered a legal attack? They dislike weapons, but since she's a Pokémon...

[But now the babies are all grown up, and she only has the one Shinx to mother.]

[Video]

[soggypastry]

A frying pan isn't something that a Pokémon could normally get hold of. I don't think they'd allow it.

[A stick, on the other hand...or a log. And with only one baby to mother, she can practice her log tossing technique. Maybe.]

[Video]

[paladinlost]

What a shame. It's the closest I could find to traditional weapons, too.

[...Her Shinx-throwing technique, perhaps?]

[Video]

[soggypastry]

You might have better luck using it yourself and getting away with it. You could explain it as self-defense if you had to.

[If they can perfect the Shinx's landing technique first, it might work.]

[Video]

[paladinlost]

I just might, if last year's Halloween celebrations find themselves partially repeated. Until now, I've mostly used it for sparring.

[Definitely head first, for Fire Fang.]

[Video]

[soggypastry]

[Last year's--Etro. If that thing shows up again, fal'Cie help them all.]

How's that working out for you? A frying pan isn't much like any weapon I've seen. Too heavy to mimic most swords.

[Head first for impact, but what about an actual landing? Paws need to hit the ground first, not its head.]

[Video]

[paladinlost]

It's not too bad, but that might be because I use it as Sheila does. The Onion Knight used to throw it; that did not work very well for me.

[...Flips over the opponent to land on its paws?]

[Video]

[soggypastry]

Not when you've only got one and no way to get it back without getting close. Getting your head bitten off isn't going to win you any battles.

[Provided the opponent doesn't move, that could work. Some things could shake off a Fire Fang to the nose, if they're strong enough. Preparing for that could be trouble.]

[Video]

[paladinlost]

...Admittedly, very few manikins were quick enough to even attempt to bite his head off. He had the advantage already.

[...He wouldn't even need to land. Magnet Rise.]

[Video]

[soggypastry]

Most of the time. I remember him tripping a few times, and that got him into trouble every time.

[Then there's no need to worry; they just need to make sure he lands jaw first on his target. And that he knows how to run for it quickly.]

[Video]

[paladinlost]

He tripped rather less often when Terra was there to see. It's amusing what a little motivation can do.

[Thrown items that come back by themselves are the best.]

[Video]

[soggypastry]

[While she doesn't know Terra, she knows precisely what kind of behavior a girl could bring about.] He was showing off. I'm surprised he didn't lose his head when that happened.

[Indeed. It's probably why Hope was so fond of his boomerang.]

[Video]

[paladinlost]

She was the only girl in the group, by then. I believe everyone was slightly tempted to show off.

[Everyone would be fond of some of those enormous spiky things.]

[Video]

[soggypastry]

[headshake. Men.] Did showing off get you anywhere? It wouldn't have given Chaos any trouble.

[That's true. Easy to beat monsters over the head with them.]

[Video]

[paladinlost]

I did my showing off by throwing my brother at a few cliffs. It got me quite far along.

[Might poke an eye out, though.]

[Video]

[soggypastry]

That's not showing off. That's keeping yourself alive instead of trying to impress someone else.

[Also true...and it very nearly happened a few times back in her world.]

[Video]

[paladinlost]

I never was in any danger, or at least not against him. But a slight show of strength turned out to be necessary.

[That'd be a shame, ruining the pretty face he gets ten years later.]

[Video]

[soggypastry]

I'm guessing he didn't listen to what you had to say at the time, then.

[They did have some pretty high level healing spells, and scars fade. Lightning would have been more worried about him being in pain than anything else.]

[Video]

[paladinlost]

He did not, or pretended he did not to force me to manifest my crystal, or had had a bad day and needed a way to blow steam. Eighteen years, and I still do not understand half his plans. Kain was the one who...

[...Who had apparently been told, and because of that Cecil doesn't remember nearly enough of Lightning and Tifa.

Aw, what a nice big sis.]

[Video]

[soggypastry]

Family's the hardest to understand, Cecil. You think you know them, but then they go and change on you. Tell other people things they should tell you first, trust people they shouldn't...all while they're trying to either help you or confuse you.

[siiigh. Cecil's brother told Kain and Serah told Snow. Did neither trust their siblings? It's hard to say for sure. Hope, at least, Lightning could figure out most of the time. Easiest when she was trying to keep him from poking an eye out.]

[Video]

[paladinlost]

Between his plans and his tendency to leave my life for decades, it's a wonder we manage to get along.

[To some degree, at least. He's quite aware that they have many issues to work out, even if he usually pretends they don't exist.]

[Video]

[soggypastry]

Family does that. You think you can't stand them but when it comes down to it...there's no one else you miss more.

[At least they still have the chance to make it work...though Lightning is suddenly quite sure that if Cecil's brother ever shows up in Johto, he'll be getting shoved off a ledge.]