ohmyarceus | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER TEST DRIVE MEME

"You bubbled him!" Just with a different sort of bubble. How fascinating! At his mentioning that she likely had her own bubbled companion, Rose immediately started digging around in her backpack as they walked.

She was still barefoot.

"Hmm, there's so many things in here...oh! Oh look, Henry, you were right!" She pulled out the red and white sphere, holding it up to her face to peer closely at it. It looked mechanical! But who had put it there for her? Where did the creature inside come from?

There was so much to learn about this new place!

"How do I let it out to meet it?" She looked back to Henry, all bright eyes and beaming smile as she towered over him.

A wistful expression slowly drifted across Henry's face. He was getting to see something kind of special--someone was going to meet their first Pokemon for the first time right in front of him.

It had been so long.

The rocky feeling in his chest grew heavier. But how long?

Henry let out a tired chuckle. "Okay, first off, try not to open it facing yourself--who knows what could be in there. Some Pokemon are small enough to sit in your hand and some are the size of--well, let's just say they can be very big."

He tugged Sword's ball off his hip again and held it out before him before commanding, "Come out!" and pressing the button to expand and open the ball.

Sword reappeared in another bright flash and twirled around before facing the both of them. "Honedge!"

Henry tried to press back the little lump of sadness in his throat. No matter how many times he called out Sword, he wasn't Clam.

"You try."

"And there's no way to know before?" Her eyes went back to the ball as she exhaled eagerly. There was a surprise friend just waiting inside there, for her! She clasped the ball to her chest for a moment, eyes closed, enjoying the moment of anticipation.

"We're going to be such good friends," she whispered, before holding the sphere out in front of her like Henry had.

"Come out! We're so ready to met you." Holding her breath, Rose pressed the button.

She was expecting the flash of light. She leaned forward to try and see through it, quivering with excitement to see what would come out of the mechanical bubble.

When the light began to fade...there was a round, star-like bouncing stone before her! Roughly the size of a head with two wide round black eyes and faintly glowing points! Rose gasped in astonishment, hands clasped together under her chin. How perfect!

"Oh....."

Without another thought, Rose dropped to her hands and knees in the street to bring herself face to face with her new friend.

It was a...what was it?? Henry opened his mouth to remark on how he hadn't met this kind of Pokemon before but Sword was already zooming around Rose and the newly released 'mon to introduce himself.

"Honedge! Honedge! Hone!" Sword was very insistent on letting the little space creature know that he was Very Cool.

"Sword, please..." He understood that his new Pokemon--his new partner was just excitable and generally perky but it was just so much so soon. "What do you think, Rose?"

Rose, still on the ground, fished out the little computer that was supposed to have all sorts of information in it. She'd at least skimmed the handbook. Sort of. Parts of it. There was so much to explore, she didn't have time to read a book!

It was very easy to bring up the information she wanted, ignoring the excited sword as she read the little description of what where apparently Miniors. Not that the name mattered, but what it said...

"She's a living mineral from the stars...she's just like me!" She really was perfect. Rose rose to her knees and gathered the Minior into her lap. She still didn't understand why or how she was here, but it was a beautiful place and something had made sure she had this familiar and fitting companion...

It was almost too much.

It really was a nice scene, even with his stupid overgrown toothpick whirling around in the background. Henry took a moment to appreciate it. Maybe this was why Sword had smashed his own Poke'Gear--instead of instantly running to the edge of town waiting to be whisked away on the back of a Togekiss, he was here, watching an important friendship form.

Receiver.

A real smile finally did find its way to Henry's face. "I've been to space once..."

HENRY MOON PROM IS NOT THE SAME THING.

"You've got to give her a good name!"

"You did?" That managed to distract Rose for a moment from her Minior. Not many humans went into space.

But oh...a name! She blinked, suddenly unsure. She looked down at her new companion, lips pursed.

"I don't know what name would be good...ha, isn't that funny? I spent weeks reading baby name books and now I can't think of any names!" And what if she didn't pick the right one? It was so easy with Gems.

"A good name..."

Henry glanced aside at Sword, suddenly feeling a little guilty for not granting the Pokemon with a more...creative...name. But he'd been in a hurry to get him registered in his Poke'Gear before dropping it.

"Some people name their Pokemon after people they know...or things that they like..." Henry offered helpfully. His Pokemon...did his friends have them? Were they at the ranch? He was starting to feel dizzy from all the questions and he swayed on the spot.

Henry really didn't look well. Rose set her Minior gently aside and then she was on her feet, reaching out to Henry intending to gather him right up into her arms. Before he fell on his face, which it looked like he just might do.

Poor man. He really was exhausted, wasn't he?

"Names can wait."

As if on cue, the Canon Update Fatigue finally got to him and he slumped forward like a rag doll with his arms dangling in an undignified manner. He'd been worried about all his human friends, sure, but WHAT ABOUT HIS POKEMON?

Sword finally stopped his dramatic flailing around and noticed that Trainer was...not looking so good. How could he be so neglectful on day one! He had to sharpen up and fast! Sword rushed over to Rose and hovered anxiously by her shoulder, reaching out to lift one of Henry's feet and release it, watching it dangle.

"I'm fine, I promise."

Rose caught him, making soothing noises as she did, and held him in her substantial arms. He was in need. And...it kept her from wondering too much about those she left behind.

"It's alright if you're not. It's one of the wonderful things about feelings, there's so many of them! A life lived is a life full of all of them. Sometimes we have to feel not fine - if you weren't supposed to, you wouldn't be able to." She looked over Henry at Sword, and then to her own Pokemon. This would be fine. She knew what to do, they'd all be just fine.

"I think we should get you someplace comfortable. Resting is important for humans, you know."

Henry had to admit that even though he woke up in a bed, he had no idea if he'd actually rested in that bed. It had been a long time since he'd had a good old fashioned anxiety attack and this felt like it was the start of one.

And also probably nicotine cravings.

He started to struggle out of her arms. "Let's get that ice cream you were talking about and I'll tell you what I can about this place."

Rose released Henry and stepped back.

"I'd like that very much. I'm glad I met you, Henry. Hard things are always a little easier when we aren't alone."

Which she was now. It...was a very strange and new thing. It was one thing to take time to herself, off away from the other Crystal Gems, another to be cut off completely from everyone and everything familiar. With no preparation, no warning...

It was as frightening as it was exhilarating.

Once Henry was back on his feet, he wobbled once before taking the lead.

The little Go Shop was small and clean and full of all kinds of great things for newbie trainers like a set of post cards depicting humorous situations in experienced trainers might try with their pokemon like someone petting a flaming Ponyta or sitting on a Rhyhorn without a special saddle.

The little deep freeze sat below the shop window and Henry dug one out for himself before moving aside and letting Rose have her pick.

"If nothing has changed since I've been gone, these should still be pretty good. They're affordable anyway."

TIME TO USE MONEY, ROSE.

Gliding along behind Henry, it was hard for Rose not to get distracted by all the trinkets in the little store. But they were on a mission! Even if there were so many things that kept catching her eye and making her drift a bit off course...

Rose had a general sense of money. She knew what it was, and that it could be very important to humans, but most of the finer points eluded her. She'd never needed money. She'd never needed things.

But humans needed all sorts of things. Including money. Which...she didn't have any of, as far as she knew. Unless that was in her pack, too. Some quick rummaging revealed it was! Money! She had her very own money!

With that taken care of, she peered intently into the cooler. There were so may choices! Her hand hovered, moving back and forth, and the tip of her tongue poked out of her mouth as she tried to decide. Finally, after much 'hmming' and 'ooohing', Rose came up with her fist clasped triumphantly around the stick of a Swirlix Push Pop.

"I'll buy this one! How do I buy things?"

The question caught Henry off guard. He was guessing she was some kind of alien space person but he really had no grasp on just how alien.

"Watch me."

Henry turned and approached a steel-nerved older woman who had seen everything in the long years Strangers have been showing up. He placed the push pop on the counter, the woman rang it up and announced a number. He glanced back at Rose to make sure she was watching before he counted out the correct coinage.

The register made a satisfying cha-ching noise as Henry's Poke' was traded for Goods and Services. He pinched the receipt between two fingers and waved it as though he had just done some kind of impressive trick.

Rose watched.

She watched intently, lips pursed together as though this were sacred information being imparted to her. And clapped when it was done. Well, that didn't look too hard! She stepped up to the counter and enthusiastically placed her ice cream on it.

"I would like to buy this!"

Of course she hadn't exactly grasped the fine details of exact pricing, but it looked easy enough. And went just as Henry's transaction had gone...until it was time to pay. And Rose simply dumped a pile of what she guesstimated was the right amount onto the counter.

And stood smiling brightly while the clerk, with a single finger, pointedly pushed back the excess and scooped the rest into the register.

Well. It had almost gone perfectly! But now she had her very own ice cream, and Henry was going to tell her about this new world and maybe he'd continue to cheer up. He seemed so sad.

"Not bad," he said. He made as though to lead her back out into the town so that he could shoot the clerk an apologetic glance. The woman behind the counter didn't even blink. With the shit she'd seen, this was a walk in the park.

"Don't eat it too fast or you'll get a brain freeze."

[OOC: WANNA CONSIDER OUR OTHER THREAD A CONTINUATION OF THIS ONE?]

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER TEST DRIVE MEME

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject