16th Tomoe || Video, Action for House of Minnie

[beforethedarkness]

[It's early in the morning when Sasuke is woken up by Sakura. He groans when he sees the cheerful Lucario greeting him, and when he's pulled along to see why...

Well, that makes his morning a whole lot worse.

A sigh leaves Sasuke before a video goes up on the network, revealing the tired boy (sans headband) in a closed, rather plain room with his happy Lucario leaning on his shoulders. Seems like the radio on his gear is tuned in to the 'Town Channel' to cover up whatever background music there is, too...]

I have a lot of eggs and am putting them up for sale. There's Zubat, Shinx, Emolga, Oshawott, Riolu, Treecko, Yanma, Feebas, Charmander, Buneary, Vulpix, Torchic, and Purrloin eggs. I can send them over the PC to you.

[Yeah he's incredibly tired right about now. Shutting off the feed on that note.]

[[OoC: There are still some eggs left! Post is here!]]

Comments

[beforethedarkness]

[He nods to Lightning as he starts down the stairs, careful of the egg in his arm as he goes. It's still a little weird to accept help like this, but what choice does he have? Not much of one at all, really.

And, being put in a position where he can't do too much by himself... It's frustrating, but at least he's not near anyone who would take advantage of his condition.]

[beforethedarkness]

... It doesn't make sense.

[beforethedarkness]

... Mm.

[A nod, but after a moment he speaks.]

Only because I've been here longer...

[ Video ]

[beforethedarkness]

Maybe for the pokémon.

[He is not grumbling what would make you think he's grumbling.]

Video

[beforethedarkness]

...

What's that pokémon you have there?

[Okay he might be a little curious. He's never seen it before.]

[usedswift]

Yeah, maybe.

[One of the Pokémon responsible for all those damn eggs, Hibuchi, pads around the door to sniff curiously at the eggs before moving to curl up near her trainer.]

But don't sell yourself short as a trainer, either. You don't get those badges just by looking cute for them, you know.

[beforethedarkness]

I'm planning on going after the gym in town soon, speaking of that.

[usedswift]

[Tenten curls her fingers in the Vulpix's fur, massaging her the way Totsuka had shown her before, leaving the little fox yawning and stretching her paws.]

Another one already? Tch, I keep getting further and further behind you.

[beforethedarkness]

I only started to really collect them recently. I didn't try for a long time.

[usedswift]

How come?

[beforethedarkness]

... I didn't want them to battle for a long time.

[A sigh and he looks down at the ball in his hand. Sakura wasn't around for it but...]

I fought in a tournament in November and made it past the first two rounds. But, in the semi-finals, I lost to Riku. Badly. Hiruzen, Ino, and Senshi never stood a chance -- I almost took down two of his pokémon, but his Arcanine finished off Ino.

At that time... It wasn't even that I lost. I was outclassed completely, and they paid the price for me not being ready; they were seriously hurt from the battle because I failed to protect them. I failed to protect the ones important to me again.

[Clenching the ball a little more tightly now. Chances are it's Hiruzen's ball.]

For a long time after that, I didn't want to train them or make them fight. I didn't want to see them that badly hurt ever again.

[ Video ]

[gracefall]

[ that makes her giggle a bit. not that she ever stops for long. ]

Don't worry, you're still young! [ YOU'LL FIND YOUR SPRING, SASUKE! ]

[ Video ]

[beforethedarkness]

[. . .]

I'm not thinking about doing anything like that for a long time.

[NO HE DOESN'T WANT THAT PART OF SPRING YET ANYWAY]

[ Video ]

[gracefall]

Oh...well if you don't look for it nothings going to come smacking you in the tail either.

[ how boring. he should enjoy his youth before he's married. ]

[usedswift]

[She stayed silent to let him finish, fingers just rubbing Hibuchi's fur. The Vulpix apparently has different ideas, though, and squirms out from under her fingers to move over and butt her head gently against Sasuke's leg, making a soft, plaintive sound as if she wanted to comfort him.]

Was that the first time you'd ever suffered a serious defeat on your own, Sasuke...?

[ Video ]

[beforethedarkness]

I have things I need to do before I even think about that.

[beforethedarkness]

...

[He closes his eyes, having to take a deep breath to collect himself before he answers.]

No. It wasn't.

[usedswift]

[She just tilted her head, waiting for him to continue if he were going to.]

So you figured that if you didn't train them, you wouldn't have to see them battle or get hurt again...? What changed?

[beforethedarkness]

... Roxas.

[He shakes his head again, setting down the ball to run his fingers through his hair.]

He was... A rival. Someone I wanted to fight, but he went home a little bit after the tournament. I think I remember him coming back briefly, but the memory's fuzzy -- I think it was the same weekend when I supposedly attacked Bowser.

He reminded me that they weren't going to get any stronger if I just stopped training them. Things like the tournament were more likely to happen if I refused to work with my pokémon to help them grow.

[usedswift]

[She nods and looks to him again before turning her attention to the Vulpix nuzzling near Sasuke's feet.]

I don't know who that guy is, but he makes a lot of sense. I know you weren't there, but Lee... when he fought Gaara, he tried to keep fighting even after he lost. He was willing to give up everything just to prove himself. So even if my Pokémon are relying on me to train them, I can't help but think that most of them are... a lot like he is, in way. Every battle, they fight their way into unconsciousness, all for me.

So if it's to beat you, or Bowser, or Gym leaders, I've got to always do my best. 'Cause that's what they do for me, you know?

Video

[aburame]

...

A Trapinch... the antlion Pokemon. [Thought he should clarify, rather than people think it is an orange pacman with legs or something.]

[beforethedarkness]

... I don't want them to have to fight their way to unconsciousness. But they won't get strong if they just stop training, either.

Video

[beforethedarkness]

[Hm.]

What type is it?

[ Video ]

[gracefall]

There are always things that need to be done. It's no excuse to put off everything else, really! [ she says that encouragingly more than anything. having a workaholic of a husband has taught her that, and just generally living with overly driven men who have one goal and tunnel vision issues. ]

Video

[aburame]

Ground. Its later evolution is a dual typing with Dragon...