3rd Run // As blue as the sea [Backdated to Friday 17th]

[rambling_runner]

[ The screen comes on to show a Lucario, who is checking that the camera is on. He nods and then sets it down, so it shows Ash lying on the bed of the Violet City inn. For once, isn't his usual upbeat self. He seems...very thoughtful and downbeat. An aura is surrounding him, deep blue and green in colour, which only adds to how solemn Ash appears compared to his usual, sunny self. He says something in Irish to the Lucario, before groaning when he notices the camera is on. ]

Danny, nach bhfuil...Look, I didn't want to make a big deal of it, okay? I'm fine. [ The Lucario shakes it's head and cuffs him. Ash groaned and waved back at him. ]

Fine, fine! We lost a Gym battle. No big deal, it's the first time we tried that shit. [ Danny gave him a look and went to cuff him again. Ash folded his arms, looking up at the ceiling. ]

...and it's St. Paddy's. So I'm a bit homesick. Alright? Cas ar an cheamara as. [ He rolled onto his side, facing away from the screen. Danny sighed and gestured at him, before picking up the camera and shutting it off. ]

Comments

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[schachmeister]

If you refer to the first gym, I don't think that is unusual. Falkner really is on a different level compared to the normal trainers out in the road.

[And, you know, it can be a little surprising if it is your first time going to against a gym leader.]

[rambling_runner]

My Pokemon got fucked up though. [ Danny jumped on top of Ash, making him gasp, and folded his arms at his trainer. Stop that shit >:c ]

[schachmeister]

It's always hard the first time.

[Armin had worried his little heart out the first time his pokemon had gotten firmly trounced. But after a trip to the poke-centre, Amadeus hadn't really seemed like it left any lasting damage. In fact, the little hoot-hoot, had been eager enough to get out there again.]

I think... that sort of thing can be a learning experience too. Lots of people don't take things serious until they experience the bad consequences.

Ah--! Not to say that you are this type of person. I was just thinking... one of my friends is like that.

[rambling_runner]

[ Much like Amadeus, Danny didn't seem to care that much either. He was more worried about Ash's bad mood than he was about getting beaten. The thing was, Armin wasn't wrong. Ash ws headstrong and reckless and really, the sooner he got his ass handed to him the sooner he'd learn to be more careful when challenging Gyms. ]

I guess it is. I really didn't expect him to be that hard. [ He sits up, Danny shifting to sit beside him. ] Man, I even brought potions and shit to patch them up in case it got a bit rough.

[Video]

[rosehecate]

[...Oh, aw, no. Anthy's own aura is a deep, plum purple streaked with the lightest featherings of pink - mysterious, perhaps dangerous, but holding spots of hope. It's kind of her default. That's what you see around her when she responds with a little frown.]

Oh, no. I'm sorry to hear that, Ash. Are you from Ireland?

[...Yes, we're addressing the homesickness because she knows heck all to do with gym battles. Who needs badges, amirite? Ash probably needs badges.]

[Video]

[rambling_runner]

[ Oh, it's Anthy. He'll actually face the screen to answer her, pushing himself up onto an elbow. ]

Hey. And no. But my Dad is. We live in London but he grew up out there and misses it a ton. So St. Patrick's Day was important to him. He said it wasn't a reason to get drunk but to celebrate the culture.

[ He can't help checking out her aura. The dark colour was probably a bad sign, given his own was currently pretty dark in hue. But it was very pretty with the pink and sort of complimented her. ]

[Video]

[rosehecate]

[Her Eevee had been wary of it all day, but judging from how Junior climbs into her lap to join her, the Aipom doesn't seem to mind.]

That must have been nice. They didn't have that holiday in Japan...except if you were a Catholic, I suppose. But there weren't a lot of those, either.

[Said as if Anthy could even get out much to see such different people.]

text.

[torsion]

[ She might have an ulterior motive beyond the obvious for texting this guy (look at that Lucario!), but it's more the recognition. Though she can't say she's homesick when the concept of home is defined more by a person than a place, there is sometimes a little ache within her that she'd describe as such.

And that holiday is something she can very definitely identify. ]

Eh, to my knowledge a lot of the odds are stacked at the first gym if you haven't been here at least a few months and don't have a pretty full team. Personally, I'm traveling a while before going back around.

St. Patrick's Day, though, huh? Maybe not from the same place, but similar enough that if most people spend the day as an excuse to drink until they're sick then we might have one thing in common.

[rambling_runner]

I didn't realise you couldn't punch birds :( I mostly feel bad about that cos my team got the shit smacked out of them, cause I didn't know what the fuck I was doing.

Heh, I ain't allowed to get blackout drunk. My Dad's Irish. He always treated it as a day to get in touch with his roots and to teach me shit about Ireland.

[ Which was actually the main reason why he was so glum. He missed his Dad - this was the longest he'd been away from him and yeah, it was probably lame that an eighteen year old kid was missing his Dad after a month in a fantasy land full of magical creatures. But fuck everyone. His Dad oughta be here too. ]

[torsion]

From what I gather, Special Attacks are the way to go with Flying types. Up until recently, I just had a Normal type with mostly normal attacks. Figured it was better to wait. Still, it can be considered a learning experience, right?

You're probably better off, in that case. As someone that hasn't gotten blackout drunk but has had her fair share of bar crawling... not really fun unless it's with friends and it's more their company than the booze. Unless you're stuck with someone you don't like, I guess.

[ Though for her, it's been a good decade since she really did that. She didn't typically indulge in BSAA outings; it had all been back in Raccoon with STARS. Everything felt much simpler back then. She figures thinking that sort of thing is how you know you're starting to get old, though. ]

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[dreamsofahero]

A holiday where you're from, I take it?

*he'll start with, y'know, what's probably the more pleasant of topics here...*

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[rambling_runner]

Yeah. It was a big deal for me and my Dad. [ Danny sits cross-legged beside him, watching the screen curiously.</small. ]

Re: Video

[dreamsofahero]

*there's definitely a part of Sion that wonders what that's like, having a father to do things with, but he's quite good at ignoring it by now*

What sort of celebrations did you have?

[islandshore]

If you don't mind me asking, what level was your team at? I'm not judging. It just might help as far as pointers go.

...Mostly because it can take a good month worth of training before you're ready to take on a gym. Sometimes a bit longer.

[His voice is soft. Sympathetic. His expression is likewise neutral. Riku knows not everyone shares his level of experience.]

[rambling_runner]

Ur...about level twenty? I didn't realise they'd be like, level thirty. [ Yeah, he'd been under-leveled. But once he'd started the fight, he couldn't back down. His Lucario pats his shoulder. ]

I even brought some potions and shit but it didn't help much.

[islandshore]

Potions can help, and type advantages do give you an extra edge, but as much as it sucks, levels definitely make a difference. It's less of an issue once you reach the higher levels, but early on? Even a five level difference can make or break a battle.

[Sighing, he rubs at his neck.]

Best advice I can give is to train up a little, work out a strategy. Take what you learned from your loss and apply it for the next round.

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[a_sin_for_him]

You aren't the first to leave Violet's gym without a badge, it's nothing to take to heart.

Some of us haven't even tried.

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[rambling_runner]

I just feel bad cos my Pokemon got hit really hard by those birds. [ Danny punched his shoulder. Ash groaned and sort of flailed an arm at him in response. ]

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[a_sin_for_him]

That is the nature of Pokemon battles. It's why I prefer not to.

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[thenightsky]

[Well, looks like it was probably a good idea that he and Prompto decided to wait to try the gym.

He gives the other a sympathetic look, glancing at the Lucario then back to Ash.]

...What's St. Paddy's?

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[rambling_runner]

[ He's honestly surprised by the number of people he doesn't know responding to him basically having a sulk, and it shows in the curious yellow of his aura. ]

Ur, St. Patrick's Day. It's a holiday held special by Irish folk. Which me and my Dad are. [ ...okay he was raised in London all his life and had no idea what his biological parents were like, but he was raised by an irishman so he considered himself Irish by heritage ]

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[thenightsky]

[This aura thing is still so weird. Noctis's own is mostly pink right now but there are hints of yellow if one looks close enough.]

I've never heard of that before...actually I've never heard of 'Irish Folk' either. I guess that's not really a thing where I'm from.

[But he tilts his head a bit, eyebrow lifting.]

Why's it so special? [A pause.] If you don't mind me asking.

[toothaches]

_{[Maurice...recognizes that wallpaper! Sadly he kind of blunders past the obviously blue overtones of this message because this is his BUDDY.]}

Dude! You made it!

[rambling_runner]

Made what? [ ?? What did he make?? ]

[toothaches]

That wallpaper--are you in the Violet City hotel?