thebastion | Day 307 Everything changes... [Open]

Entry tags:

Day 307 Everything changes... [Open]

Who: AZ, Eevee(?), and you!
Open: Open
When: Day 307, at dusk
Where: The Pokemon Daycare
What: Eevee's finally ready to grow up...
Format: Either!
Warnings: None I can think of?

AZ can tell that Eevee's ready. He's seen enough Pokemon evolve to recognize some of the signs - increased energy, increased appetite, and an unusual amount of clings. He's well aware of how friendship evolutions work, and Eevee wants to evolve with one of those.

So it's at dusk that he takes Eevee out to the yard, and watches her as she runs around, chasing bits of grass and climbing up structures. It's always a little sad when a Pokemon is ready to leave their base form and evolve for the first time. It's natural, but it's a mark of passage for those species that evolve.

Floette, Golurk, Sigilyph, and Torkoal are there, but they're hanging back, watching her as she runs. This is between AZ and Eevee, really. As the night falls over the Bastion, Eevee runs back to where AZ is sitting and leaps onto his lap. He strokes her back, and she starts to glow. He watches and shifts his hand so he's not in the way. After a few moments, she's just a bright light that shifts until her form is darker, sleeker, and has faintly glowing rings.

The new Umbreon nuzzles into her trainer happily, yipping excitedly as she wags her tail. She did it!

"There you go, Eevee - Umbreon. Good girl." AZ hugs her gently, and sets her down so she can run around some more and talk to the rest of the Pokemon in the yard.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ She had been standing in the doorway to the yard, watching quietly as Eevee did her thing. Hilda held Zorua in her arms, and while Zorua was eager to shout out a greeting to her sister and play with her, Hilda shushed her and told her to just watch in a whisper. It was only when Eevee finally evolved that she let Zorua go. Zorua barked happily and ran over to tackle her newly evolved sister happily. Hilda smiled and moved next to AZ. ]

Congratulations, Dad. She's a gorgeous Umbreon.

[Umbreon wrestled with her sister a little, trying to curl around her protectively. She can protect her now, see?]

[AZ put a hand on Hilda's shoulder and nodded, smiling a little.]

It's always a little strange to watch them grow up. I've seen it a lot, but when it's one of yours, it's... different.

[ Zorua don't need no protectin'! Except she totally does, she's still a babby. Zorua's just focused on playing with her sister, though. Hilda looked up at AZ. ]

Yeah ... It's been a while since any of mine have evolved. It'll be quite an experience when Zorua finally does.

[Little sis, look! She can pounce really good now!]

Sometimes I worry that she might have grown up too fast. All of mine are older... I don't want her to miss a childhood just because the rest of us are old.

[He looked down at Hilda and nudged her a bit, gently.]

That goes for you, too.

Hey, I had a childhood ...

[ She did! She actually waited until she was older to become a trainer! She's totally an adult now. Right? 15 was an adult age. But she looks back to Umbreon and smiles gently. ]

I don't think you'll have to worry, though. I think she's still going to be a kid for a while longer.

... You're still a child to me, but I guess almost everyone is.

[Being old... does that.]

And good. ... I just want everyone I care for to be safe and happy.

.... I guess that's true.

[ She sighs and leans against the wall of the house. ]

I think Zorua's getting a bit restless. She's a little jealous of everyone evolving so quickly. I keep telling her she can't rush it, that she'll evolve when she's ready, but she's an impatient little one.

... I know. I remember it felt like I'd never grow up when I was younger. Looking back on it though... it wasn't very long.

Time is strange like that. She'll understand when she's ready. I don't blame her for being restless, though.

[He sits down so he's more on Hilda's level.]

... I'll feel a little better about taking her out to the Skyway. I'm worried that things are only going to get worse before they get better.

Yeah ...

Emboar's used to the Skyway by now. I mean, we haven't been on the Skyway that often lately, but ... If we needed to go, we'd be ready.

I understand. ... And there are plenty of people who are trained in fighting. There's no need to endanger yourself unnecessarily.

I know. We won't go unless we have to.

[ She knows better now, Dad. ]

There's plenty of things that need to be taken care of here, after all. And fighters aren't always the best at that.

[He's seen the kind of people who go to war, and he's seen what happens when they come home. It's not always pretty.]

What about you? What would you do if they needed you and your Pokemon there to fight?

[... He's quiet, looking down. Floette turns to stare at them, and AZ closes his eyes.]

... I don't think I could let them do that. Not... not again. If there was no choice, I would go with them, because... I won't let them die alone and afraid again.

... Better to go with them than have them ripped away.

[ She moves over to give AZ a hug. She didn't mean to make him feel bad ... ]

I feel the same way. If I had to, I mean.

[He hugs her back gently, nodding.]

... I promised myself that I wouldn't let my Pokemon die without me. I've... seen a lot of them go... and it never gets any easier.

[Ghaleon had just happened to be passing by at the right time to catch the spectacle. He's polite enough to wait until after the moment so clearly meant for the giant and his charge, and them alone, has passed before approaching.]

They grow up so quickly, don't they?

[He looks up a little and nods. His smile is a little sad, but it's still there.]

It's strange to watch sometimes... but I'm proud of her.

I can imagine. Transformation of any sort is rarely an easy process.

It takes time... I was a little afraid that once she'd decided on her option, that she would never get close enough to me to evolve.

"Congratulations."

There's Zulf, standing a bit of a ways away with his tiny little Cubone clinging to his skirt and staring in blatant curiosity. This is baby's own first time seeing an evolution happen as much as his, after all.

"At least, I hope that's what one is supposed to say," Zulf adds with a dry smile.

"That's as good as any of a thing to say." He smiles a bit, and Umbreon runs over to sniff at them, yipping happily. Hello, friends!

"Are the two of you doing all right?"

The Cubone gives an excited flail of her bone club. She absolutely has no idea what just happened, but she's excited!! Everything is new and amazing, she wants all the details. All of them.

Zulf just patiently shooes her off of his skirts, giving a nod to AZ in the meantime. "We've been doing fine. Nothing nearly as exciting as it seems you've been up to."

She grew up! The others told her about it. When Pokemon get strong enough and big enough they can get bigger and evolve! She's not a normal-type anymore!

AZ nods, looking the Cubone over for a moment. She seems healthy and happy. "One day she'll evolve, if she wants to. Pokemon grow and change just as people do... it's just that ours tend to be slower and less dramatic."

Each new bit of information seems to make the Cubone's eyes shine, and by the end of it she's practically flailing her bone club around. She wants to get bigger! Then she can play with the rattletails properly!

"Hopefully, theirs is also less awkward." Ah, teenage years. Zulf doesn't miss them. "Is there a particular age when they evolve?"

Get big and strong! She'll play with you even if you're small, though. It's not like she's really big...

"For some it depends on levels, or how strong they are. Others need particular stones. Cubones... just evolve after enough experience, if I remember correctly."

It's been a while since he's read anything about them, but that sounds right. "Eevees can evolve into one of eight different possibilities, which is the most out of any Pokemon seen so far. The Umbreon evolution happens when they have a close bond with their trainer and they gain enough experience at night."

Then they need to decide what game to play. Cubone taps her club on the ground thoughtfully, doing her best to think. Zulf watches with some faint amusement.

"I see... I think I recall something about that before. Is it really alright to do that sort of thing here?"

Hmm... Umbreon taps Cubone gently on the skull snout. You're it! She darts away, yipping playfully.

"Of course. This is what they do naturally. Even if these little ones never knew the world we came from... I don't see why their instincts would change."

"Hmmm..." Watching as his Cubone chases off after the Umbreon, Zulf sighs.

"I should probably start doing it more with her then. She rough houses with the rattletails, but I don't think it's quite the same."

"She can always spar with mine. The older ones know not to use too strong of an attack against the little ones. It's how they learn and grow. But it's all right that you didn't know. We're not from the same world."

And from his understanding, there's really nothing that's equivalent in other worlds.

"Well..." It can't hurt, can it? Zulf supposes he doesn't need to think too hard on it. "I suppose if you're willing to show me how this works, then I may as well for her sake."

"Not a problem." He gestures Golurk and Floette over. "Since the two of you aren't weak against each other, please show Zulf what a battle is like."

The two Pokemon nod, and back up a little bit away from each other. Floette glows for a moment, and a large orb of pink energy appears in front of her. She flips and sends it towards Golurk, where it impacts. Golurk seems relatively undeterred, and vanishes for a moment. Floette knows this trick, and whirls around, petals appearing in the air, so that when Golurk appears and strikes her, she strikes him in return with razor sharp petals.

"Enough."

He turns to Zulf, smiling a little bit. "They could go on, but that's enough for now."

For a moment, there's just silence. It's been ages now, but Zulf still isn't used to that kind of show. After a second he glances over to Cubone, who's banging her club on the ground in excitement.

"...And she can do that?"

"She'd have more ground-type moves. Golurk is part ground-type, but his move set is somewhat different. I'd have to borrow Hilda's Pokedex to give you more details."

He knows a lot about Pokemon, but memorizing each and every single one's movelist is... insane.

"I see..." Shifting in place, he gives a small shake of his head. This is turning out truly bizarre, but somehow bizarre is also a normal part of his life now.

"Nothing too unbelievable, hopefully."

"Probably not. Though Cubone and Marowak - that's her evolved form - have a signature move called Bone Club. I imagine you can figure out what that is."

At that, Zulf glances over to where she's happily banging against the ground with her bone as she chases after her new Umbreon friend.

"Oh. So that's what she's doing."

"I think so. She's at least practicing. When she gets stronger she'll have a move called Bonemerang, another move that just that evolutionary line knows. But she looks like she's developing just fine."

Maybe a little slowly, but there's not a Pokemon battling culture here so it's understandable.

"I'll have to make sure that she doesn't break anything by accident." With a tiny little not-dinosaur prone to swinging around a club... Yeah, it's a concern.

"Would it be alright if we dropped by regularly, then?" he asks politely. "It seems as though she might appreciate the company and could grow up well."

"Of course. And my older Pokemon will be more than willing to explain anything to her. They're quite patient - especially Golurk."

Which isn't surprising to him, but he's known Golurk for centuries - and people who don't know Pokemon might not know just how long some Pokemon can live.

"He seems... reassuring, I suppose." Zulf isn't too sure himself, but his Cubone has never had any problems with any of the Pokemon or even shown any fear or nervousness. She's quite a bold little thing, really.

"He's seen a lot of young Pokemon before. He's one of my oldest Pokemon." It's easy enough to deal with them as long as you can let them tire themselves out.

"A shame he can't speak in a way I understand. I'd ask him for advice." Although Zulf supposes that he's managing well enough on his own. It's a bit what he imagines taking care of a child is like. But also a pet.

Pokemon are confusing.

"He can show you things. He understands human speech just fine." Or they can get N to translate, but he doesn't want to overwork the poor boy.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Day 307 Everything changes... [Open]

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

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

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject