Skitty Trouble [ OPEN ]

[unabates]

Who: Jack and youuuu

Where: Violet City & Goldenrod

When: Violet City, 1/9-11/19; Goldenrod 1/16/18

Summary: Upset Skitty, Upset Skitty, what are they feeding you.

Rating: PG for language?

Log:



[ VIOLET CITY 1/9 ]

After the Skitty had decided she did not want to be traded away to Armin, Jack had spent some time calming her down, before letting her curl up in the hood of his jacket. Then, with a little sigh, he'd gone to go look for something for her to get wrapped up in that wasn't his jacket hood.

He's trying this because any time he even hazarded suggesting she go back into her Pokeball, she started up with her soft crying again.

She also did so if she hadn't seen him for a while. Case in point: while looking at some of the clothing items in the PokeMart, she wakes up, and immediately begins wailing because she can't see him. Bandit jumps onto his hind legs to paw at Jack's jeans.

Jack grimaces, reaching up to pull the small Skitty out. "Hey, it's all right, I've got you," he assures her, which calms her noises to small sniffling. Jack looks at the person nearest to him and shakes his head.

"Sorry. She's... new to the team."

[ GOLDENROD 1/16 ]

This is ridiculous.

Travelling through the snow, they'd been approaching Goldenrod. Crybaby had been, well, crying when Jack had to move her from his hood to the chest of his jacket - she'd only kicked up more of a fuss when he tried to put her away in her Pokeball despite having been with him nearly a week.

And those cries had attracted the attention of a nearby Pokemon - a Houndour, to be precise. Bandit and Scout had closed ranks around Jack and his travel companion with growls, ready to defend against an attacking Pokemon - but the Houndour had simply sniffed at the air, pausing.

She only came forward when the Skitty cried again, looking worried. And that had Jack pausing, putting out a hand to Bandit and Scout and crouching down...

Long story short, he now had a Houndour tagging along with him. And once they reached Goldenrod and settled in the Pokecenter, Crybaby had a new spot to sleep in - curled up with the Houndour on the ground and purring.

Jack pinched his nose. "She's more trouble than I thought," he said out loud to himself.

Comments

Goldenrod

[ghoststanning]

[Ray's been working at the Goldenrod Pokemon Center ever since he arrived here, so he's seen a lot of people and Pokemon come and go. You'd think by now he's be used to seeing stuff like this.

However, when he gets off work and sees the Skitty and Houndour and instantly falls in love with both of them.

He crouches down to snap a photo of the two with his Pokegear, and looks up at Jack.]

Are these your Pokemon? They're absolutely precious!

[He just met them.]

[unabates]

One of them is.

[ jack doesn't... actually sound grumpy, despite an attempt at the tone. he crouches down with ray, reaching a hand out to the skitty, crybaby, who lifts her head with a loud mrp! bandit, his rockruff, and scout, his growlithe, are curled up next to the houndour. ]

I found Crybaby outside Violet City about a week ago. This one showed up a couple hours ago when she was crying and wouldn't leave me alone. So that one's technically hers.

[ they are both absolutely his. ]

[ghoststanning]

That's amazing! [Said a tiny bit too loudly.] I've never seen a wild Pokemon bond with a tame one like this before!

I wonder if the Houndour has a parental instinct that made them attracted to the cries of the Skitty. I haven't done a lot of research on that particular Pokemon but it's fascinating to see what appears to be a form of Hell Hound be protective of anything, especially someone they just met.

[unabates]

Maybe she wasn't wild. She could have been tamed before and released. She's remarkably well behaved - but apparently these gals are normally pack units and intensely loyal.

[ jack reaches up to the houndour to scratch behind her ears, and she tilts her head into the contact. ]

It's not the first time. A friend of mine has a Drampa, and he damn near scared me out of my skin when he stuck his nose into my jacket to find her when she was making noise.

[ghoststanning]

That is possible; but I have no idea who would want to release a good girl like her!

[He just met her.]

Oh yeah, I've heard about Drampas! Apparently they're guardians of children and Ifind it fascinating. Did you know that they will sometimes burn a child's house down if they find out that they've been bullying their trainer?

Goldenrod

[adandyinspace]

Having just finished healing up his own Pokemon, Dandy manages to walk by just in time to overhear Jack's sorrows. He feels for him, he really does, but in the end the old man decided to keep the damn thing. One can only sympathize so much.

Martini is the only one by his side as he walks over, hands behind his head as he looks down at the sleeping babies. Dude sure knows how to gather up a good amount of pooches. How does he do it, what is his secret? And why would he ruin it by bringing in a whiny feline?

"Yup, that's cats for ya," his eyes are still on the houndour and skitty, his foot blocking a very eager Martini who looks as though she found the perfect opportunity to chomp. One day he'll teach her that sleeping doesn't equal an easy target. "I mean, if it bugs you so much, you can probably hand her over to someone else."

[unabates]

Jack is already the king of having pooches, it's true. As for Dandy, he gives him a look, shaking his head.

"Tried to, right when I first got her. She put up such a fuss the kid and I figured it'd be better if I kept her, at least until she calmed down."

And now look at him - pussywhipped, literally.

Jack reaches out to Martini, offering her head scritches if she wants them. He's noted so far she frequently doesn't - but he keeps offering.

"She all healed up?"

[adandyinspace]

Martini does what Martini always does and goes to chomp those sweet sweet fingers. Thankfully Dandy's foot is still in front of her, and he's learned her body language enough to know when to slide her away when she goes to bite. She ends up biting the air while being pushed back, but the smile on her face gives a very ominous 'soon' look to her.

"Yeah, and I need to figure out what they're giving 'em around here," the grin on his face is absolutely obnoxious. "Thinkin' I might need to have something rough me up so I can get some quality time with the nurses~"

While her trainer's being terrible, Martini takes this as an opportunity to sneak past him and finally scamper over to the sleeping houndour and friend. A skitty this small is practically a toy, and toys are meant to be played with. Ever so stealthily, she begins to tug on that large pink tail...

[unabates]

Still a biter, he notes, Jack drops his hand and regards Dandy instead, sliding his hands into his pockets. When he starts talking about quality time with the nurses, Jack arches an eyebrow.

"Well, I could rough you up - or you could try asking one how her day is going and see if she'd be interested in a drink later."

Why not be blunt, it's worked for Jack in the past.

Either way, when Crybaby's tail is getting tugged on, it makes her wake up - and promptly give a loud wail, startled. Which prompts the houndour to raise her head, looking at Martini and giving her a growl.

[adandyinspace]

Oh Jack and his weird logic that makes sense. Dandy would go on to explain how no one would rub him with weird magic medicine that way, but before he can go on his spiel of stupidity, he catches what his pokemon's doing. She really loves pushing that naughty nature...

Even with all that hair over her face, there's a wicked gleam in Martini's eyes. She smirks with the tail still in her mouth, looking like she's about to take off. Thankfully she's scooped up before she can go running around with a skitty in her mouth.

...Unfortunately she didn't exactly let go and Dandy suddenly notices he's accidentally lugging around more pokemon than he meant to.

"Shit, shit, c'mon, that's not a chew toy!!"

He starts shaking her a little to try and loosen her grip, but all it does is shake them around.

"Uh, so this was not what I was tryin' to do..."

Dandy was going to save her, he wanted to be the hero!!

Violet | probably like the 10th?

[meteorman]

[The next time the Skitty takes up mewling somewhere out and about, someone notices. A very big someone. It's Falkor the Drampa, and he bops his big dragony snout right against the back of Jack's neck and breathes warm air over the lump in his hood. A Drampa simply cannot ignore a crying baby. Whuffle whuffle is there an issue miss??]

drampa and grandpa

[unabates]

[ crybaby gives a surprised cry for a moment before she scrambles up, reaching her little paws into the drampa's beard.

which means, when jack startles and jerks away, she is hanging from his beard and digs in tighter, and gives a more concerned wail when that happens. IS SHE BEING ABANDONED AGAIN????

jack, meanwhile, is trying to figure out when he got into the neverending story. ]

Hey!

[meteorman]

[Welp. This is happening now. Falkor's big ol eyebrows rise up and he very delicately dips his head down to deposit the wailing Skitty into his waiting hands. His arms are fluffy. Good for hugging.]

Falkor -- ah.

[This is the point where Ford jogs up. He's used to not keeping Falkor constantly in the corner of his eye because Falkor is mature and good at not bothering people, but the moment he hears the Skitty Yells it all makes sense.]

I see you made it here in good time.

[unabates]

[ crybaby's wails decrease in volume, but she's still very concerned about being abandoned by her trainer. jack at least realizes that the drampa isn't a threat, and reaches out to rub the skitty between the ears - which quiets her down quite faster.

he hears ford's voice, and draws his hand away - crybaby doesn't start up again, she can see jack now and she's warmly ensconced in falkor's arms - to raise it up in greeting. ]

I did. [ he's grinning a little. ] Wasn't too bad now that I have Scout.

[ the growlithe chooses that moment to come running out of a nearby bush, followed by bandit. he points at the drampa. ]

Is he yours?

[meteorman]

He's a busybody is what he is.

[Falkor whuffles again, clearly not cowed in the least. He recognizes when a pot is calling a kettle black, and he bops his snout against Ford's head to remind him of that. Takes one to know one, nerd.]

He just thinks every young, upset Pokémon is his personal responsibility. If you're not careful he'll try to keep her.

Goldenrod

[sociallychallenged]

Hank wanders into the Pokecenter, meaning to see if Connor is at work and vomit the usual domestic pandering at him. "What do you want at the grocery store?" and "What the fuck does this berry do again and do we need more?" sort of meandering dialog. That crap, which is at least a blissful sort of plain. He can deal with it.

He doesn't see Jack at first. It's Luann that does, a lanky day-form Lycanroc that goes over to sniff the Houndour lightly. Hunter, that Houndoom with the permanent resting bitch face, is on her tail, curious as well.

Hank's in the middle of reading the weather schedule at the desk when he hears Jack.

"Ah, hey. Yeah, we had this Yamask that we ended up giving plushies too? Huge ass Cofagrigus now that loves stuffed animals. You make it here alright?"

Luann wags her tail a little, before tipping her rocky head and eyeing up Jack.

i love.. pokemans

[unabates]

Jack is absorbed making sure his Pokemon are all set up, which is why he misses Hank on his initial trek in. Once he hears the man - and gets approached by two very pretty Pokemon he recognizes as the evolutions of his starter and his new addition - he waves to Hank, before reaching down to pet Luann, avoiding her sharp spikes.

"I made it in all right - thanks again for Scout." He nods his head to the Growlithe that is currently trying to boop noses with Hunter in greeting, Bandit off to the side and also wagging his tail hello. "He's the real champ of getting us through all that snow."

The Houndour is awake, and she's sleepily watching everyone as she lays her head over the Skitty, which emits a soft mrp!

"And I hope she grows out of it. The crying is already distressing."

them good dogs

[sociallychallenged]

"Yeah, his dad is actually outside. He's uh, on the big side. So sometimes he just chooses to stay out rather than try to squeeze his furry ass through the door."

And indeed, if one were to look out the window one would see an Arcanine laying near the door, looking like he could function as a very friendly and useful couch in that position, being at perfect 'sitting on him' height.

In the meantime, Hank just decides that he can leave a note or something. A 'going to go shopping send me a message' type scenario.

"Yeah, just keep distracting them. They're pretty much like kids that way. Eventually, they'll find something to be distracted by and stop." Somewhere between animals and kids, anyway. He loved Sumo, don't get him wrong, and he'd go back to Sumo and his house in Detroit in a heartbeat, but these dogs are smarter than any dogs he's ever had.

they just wanna be the very best

[unabates]

Jack does, indeed, look out the window at the Arcanine, and then back to Scout, who's already a decent size.

"Well, you did warn me," he says with a shake of his head. He crouches down, reaching down to pet the Houndour and then the Skitty. He still has to name this addition, even if he would claim it's Crybaby's and not his.

"Well, distraction isn't the problem. It's being more than two feet from me. I found this one," he points at the Skitty, "Outside Violet. Tried to trade her away and she nearly cried her damn head off. Then as we were heading into Goldenrod," he points at the Houndour, "She shows up and starts fussing over Crybaby."

[sociallychallenged]

"Crybaby, huh? Is that your permenant name Sweety?"

Like a good Pokemon trainer, he offers her a Poffin. Which makes both Luann and Hunter pull wanting eyes. Like a good dog owner, he's good at ignoring them.

"We stayed in Violet for a while, Connor was training his Onyx to go against the gym leader. I figure I should try at some point." They're high enough level pokemon now.

"I ended up writing lists of name ideas in my fuckin' breeder's handbook because I ended up tripping up in looking for names." He does note this guy names his Pokemon like Connor does. The first cute dog name that one could find in a children's book. Kind of endearing, actually.

"I have a Luxio with me if she wants a cat to play with for a little while. Electric lion cup thing." He holds up the Pokeball. Soon it'll be fullsize. Right now it's still at animal planet baby animal Puppybowl half-time aesthetics.

goldenrod, 20th feb

[plasticasshole]

[Connor is just taking his dogs out for a walk, with his Magnezone floating behind him as usual and his Raichu sitting on top of the Magnezone. He didn’t see Jack’s face when he spoke to him before, so all he does is give him a polite smile as he passes. His Manectric decides he wants to sniff at Jack’s feet though, and then that he wants to play. With his Houndoom following suit, Connor gives Jack an apologetic look.]

I’m sorry, they like to play a lot.

[At least his Luxray has the decency to sit politely by Connor’s legs.]

yass

[unabates]

[ jack is also taking his for a walk. crybaby is, for once, not in his hood, but in his backpack, sitting on top of the egg that ford gave him.

the manectric will have good play partners in bandit, his rockruff, and scout, his growlithe. the houndoom is met politely with a female houndour, who sniffs him before allowing him in to play.

jack laughs, waving a hand. ]

It's fine. Dogs will be dogs, even if they're made of fire and electricity, right?

[ and then, because of the voice, ]

Connor, right? Hank's partner.

[plasticasshole]

[Funnily enough, the Manectric is also called Scout. Connor isn't the most creative with names.]

Yes, that's me. You must be Jack.

[He recognises Jack's voice too, now that he's spoken.]

I'm sorry for not recognising you at first.

[But he'd never seen the other man's face.]

[unabates]

[ listen, jack names his pokemon like he found a top 100 dog list and is just going down it. wait until yeller shows up.

jack waves a hand. ]

It's the first time in person; I wouldn't have pegged you either, I'm just good with voices. Part of the old job.

[ he grins; clearly the scars are part of the old job. ]

Nice to finally meet you, though.

[plasticasshole]

[Connor approves of this method of naming dogs.]

Nice to meet you, too.

[He eyes those scars curiously.]

Can I ask what that old job was, or is that too forward?