006 | Avert Your Ears

[diehardreaper]

[ And today, you are greeted by the sound of what seems to be a meowth being stretched on a rack. The camera isn't pointed at anything in particular but it does seem to be a rather good view of one of the routes. Too bad those sounds are ruining the scenery. These are screeches and yowls so vicious, you'd probably think it was two meowth fighting over a rattata. It goes on for probably five minutes in what seems to be a poorly attempted "Ode to Joy" and then stops abruptly due to a vicious

CRACK. ]

Ow!

[ Ow? Rattata don't go ow. And neither do pokemon. What you do get afterward though is the sound of ruffling and a "funf" as someone deposits himself right next to the Gear. ]

Blimey, Niccolo, can we take a break? At the rate you're going, m'prolly going to end up being unable to use this hand for a week!

[ And then you hear chittering.

ANGRY Kricketune chittering.

And a sigh from the poor belaguered Mister Knox. ]

Listen, I appreciate you trying to teach me the violin and all but could you take it e-- [ CRACK ] OW!

Alright, alright. Let's have at it again then.

[ To which the yowling begins anew. ]

Comments

[diehardreaper]

[ Nah man you can totes laugh. He and his pokemon know he's doing poorly... but if he's entertaining someone, then all's not lost.

The screeching stops though before hearing Ronald going "Hang on. Take five!" and picking up the Gear while setting a violin next to him. ]

Just a bit of trouble! Niccolo here thought he'd take it upon himself to teach me to play.

Turns out it'd be a bit harder'n I thought.

[styxiedust]

Most things in life are.

[That's what makes them worth it in the end, yadda yadda.]

I didn't even know you had the inclination to play. What sparked this interest?

[diehardreaper]

Can't fault a lad for trying!

[ But he's grateful for the break, though. That kricketune can hurt when he wants to. ]

Was Niccolo's idea, really. Heard me playing on a leaf and thought he'd have a go at teaching me the violin.

[styxiedust]

That's very considerate of him, my Froslass tries to teach the rest of the team to dance sometimes.

[But never her, so why did she even bring that up? Who knows, it's Botan.]

You'll get better, Ronald! You just need to keep at it!

[diehardreaper]

M'sure I will over time!

[ And a laugh. ]

Who knows? Give me a few months'n I'll prolly stop sounding like a strangled cat, eh? How'd that thing with your Froslass work out though?

[styxiedust]

Ehhh...I don't think my others have much of a future in dancing, that's a bit of a disappointment to her, but she'll get over it.

I'm trying to avoid having her end up a diva, she used to be so sweet as a Snorunt!

[diehardreaper]

Maybe she does it for fun!

[ There's a shrug there and a small smile. ]

Nick here didn't start fancying the fiddle 'til he evolved. I thought it was just him, really.

...okay this got lost, wow

[styxiedust]

Probably, she fancies the Kimono Girls over in Ecruteak, reckons she was one of them in her previous life.

[Considering how odd everything here is, Botan hasn't written it off.]

I've read that's very usual for the species, they look like they're based on some type of cricket.

No problemo yo!

[diehardreaper]

Could be! Do all dead folk become Pokemon here, d'you think?

[ There's a sigh though. ]

wouldn't put it behind Nico either. Crickets always did sound rather pretty at night so that'd make sense, eh?

[styxiedust]

I hope not, there's also an implication behind it that people who do simply couldn't reach the afterlife. I wonder how difficult it is to get there if even Pokemon are acting as guides? It certainly doesn't sound like they have any system in place.

[William was already not very happy with that.]

[diehardreaper]

Doesn't seem so, no.... M'sure Mister Spears'd given anyone who'd listen a piece of his mind about that...

[ And a thought ]

what if that is their afterlife though, d'you think? They live as a pokemon for a bit then when the pokemon dies, they become human? Or prolly another pokemon?