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

[usedswift]

It takes more time, but it's worth it. With the egg Misaki-san sent me, this makes...

[She tips her head back, mouthing silently to herself as she counts.]

Twenty-seven of them, and they're all pretty great in their own way.

[beforethedarkness]

[Twenty seven...]

Why do you have that many.

[usedswift]

Because they're all different types, and they've each got their own traits that're useful. I mean, back home I had more than a hundred weapons in a single scroll, and Pokémon are basically weapons...

...Is that weird?

[beforethedarkness]

... I didn't expect you to get so many so quickly.

[usedswift]

I work, then I buy eggs with that money. It seemed like the best way to succeed here, was to base it off what I already know.

[beforethedarkness]

...

You've still been training them, haven't you?

[usedswift]

[What's that face?!]

Of course! I train them off each other, or we work together. I try to get in individual time with everyone, especially when they're young, but a lot of times I'll pair like types together and see what they come up with.

Since for me, I want to beat Gym leaders so I can fight you evenly, but I'm also more concerned about if we'll be able to protect each other in actual combat, too.

[beforethedarkness]

[He nods, and at last he stops seeming skeptical and more... Serious.]

I see.

[usedswift]

Mmhm.

[She glances to him, a little curious.]

You don't think that's a valid tactic, Sasuke...?

[beforethedarkness]

I have a lot of catching up to do.

I've caught twenty-two so far.

[usedswift]

But yours are stronger than mine.

[She points it out matter-of-factly, looking to him again.] Since you've had more time to build your team. It might take me longer this way, but... well, we'll have to see when it comes down to it, huh?

[beforethedarkness]

... Mm.

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

Only because I've been here longer...

[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.

[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...?

[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?

[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.

[usedswift]

I don't want them to, either, but that they're willing to is enough.

After Lee got hurt, Gai-sensei didn't stop training Neji and me. We wouldn't have wanted him to. It'd be the same for you and your sensei, wouldn't it...? And that's kind of what we are for these guys, whether we're trained for it or not.