[VIDEO] 'What's in a Name?'

[seacub]

[The boy on camera seems about the age most Kanto-Johto trainers would set out at under 'normal' circumstance. The way he has a Dratini coiled around his shoulders, among the others (specifically there is a very particular luxio aggressively grooming the boy's hat- it's a miracle the back hasn't just frayed off)...says otherwise.

Not to mention the Cubs hat. That said. Grimacing aside-] --ut it out, okay? I'm trying to focus on the camer-

...Ah, it's running...

Uhh. ...Hi? I've never done this kind of call before, and...definitely not to a lot of people at once, but it looks like it's the best way to meet others like me here? Or I guess just...others who were brought here?

I guess if I'm going to 'break the ice', I have to ask a simple question right? ...How does everyone pick names for pokemon then? I uh...I never had pets at home! ...I didn't really think I ever would...but suddenly I have loads of them, and they all need names...

[It's maybe a bit obvious that he doesn't know what to say through this.]

Comments

[Video]

[strings_theory]

[You know what's a horrible mistake? Asking a question like this where Jolyne can find it, given her penchant for nicknames is either from people she knows or absolutely ridiculous stupid shit.

At least she's traveling still, which might make some people motion sick since of course she's riding her damn horse as she's doing all this.]

Eh, y'know, just whatever comes to me. Or if one of 'em earned a nickname. But then you get stuff like Dickhead or Spitball. [WHO LET HER NAME SHIT.]

[seacub]

....I knew about 'Dickhead', [what do you mean he's not meant to say those words] but Spitball?

How did that one happen?

[strings_theory]

[He grew up in a prison around horrible people and she doesn't help, it's fine. It's probably fine.]

Ooookay, so. Spitball came 'round because the Pokemon he is looks like they kind of have a straw or something on his face. And spits water and other things at people. He's kind of an asshole, but he's a useful asshole. [That actually kind of makes sense.]

[seacub]

A straw...

[....the best thing he can picture are...] The more I hear about other pokemon, the more they just sound like stands- but then any of the ones I've seen just look 'cute', [he quietly laughs.] What does the rest of Spitball look like?

[strings_theory]

[Y'know what, Emporio, she'll do you one better and just show him a picture of a seadra that's not looking too pleased to be out of his ball.]

That. That's what Spitball looks like.

Also, you know, I kinda thought the same thing when I got here. Might be, uh, why the Pokemon I started out with has the name she does. It... fits, I guess. [God, she hates admitting that she's a dumb-ass sometimes, send help, Emporio.]

[uncutetomboy]

I've just been naming them the way that I named my pet pig P-chan back home. 'P' for the English word for 'pig' and '-chan' because he's cute. So my starter's a Tepig named 'T-chan' and I just caught a Shinx named 'S-chan!'

[Congratulations, Akane, you might have an even more basic and stupid naming system than Rose Quartz.]

[seacub]

[It's so.....simple...] Oh! That seems like a pretty easy way to do it...

[But wait -!] ...what happens when you have to repeat the letter though?

[uncutetomboy]

I haven't yet! I just got here less than a week ago! But I guess I'd attach a different honorific or suffix to the end. Like -kun or -san or -dono... or even -ko or -taro or -suke.

[seacub]

...Woah.

I guess with that many honorifics, it would take a while before you ran out then. Are all of those from the same language?

[cometkin]

Musical references, mostly? Whatever seemed like it fit. Except for Halley, my starter. I named her after Halley's comet.

[seacub]

Like an inside joke..?

[emporio hun,] Do you like music a lot then?

Why was 'Halley' different though?

[cometkin]

I don't just like it! I live it! I am a musician!




... Halley's different because I was still figuring out a lot of stuff when I got her. And also, I just like comets. One of my favorite songs I wrote when I was younger was about being a comet.

[seacub]

Woah! Really? [Hey that's kinda cool!]

So you wrote songs about space? Do you have CDs here? [that sounds really cool...]

[fingersandteeth]

Honestly, I often just go with the first thing that springs to mind. I've ended up with a blend of, well, nerdy references, real people's namesakes, and, uh, passive-aggression that way. And occasionally, some that are more than one of those.

[You know. LIKE LITTLE TIMMY THE MIMIKYU.]

[seacub]

I've definitely seen people who use that last one...well, the last single thing anyway, [he corrects, quietly thinking of Jolyne.]

I guess the first thing that comes to mind is probably the safest thing. It would be the first thing you associate with them when you see them, right?

[fingersandteeth]

Usually. Sometimes I'll take a couple minutes to really think, though.

[seacub]

That makes sense.

...I tried to think of something for the ones I found so far, but I just ended up with the first thing I noticed about them...

Video

[notyourgoddess]

Mostly I've name them after things or concepts they remind me of. Some of them have nicknames as well. Like Eri.

Also books. Books helped me a lot with coming up with names when I get stuck.

[seacub]

It sounds like that's something a lot of people have in common so far...

Oh, books though? Like characters from books, or book titles..?

[notyourgoddess]

Yeah, characters with interesting names or ones I thought sounded interesting. Though sometimes you can find words in them that would make good names as well.

They're good places to look anyway and this place has libraries and bookstores so it's not hard to find them.

[seacub]

[!] Yeah?

I didn't see a lot in the place I woke up, so I wasn't sure...

[And, well, to be fair he's sort of used to everything being in one Large Building anyway....] I'm almost at a place called 'Cherrygrove' I think, but would there be some libraries there then?

video;

[schachmeister]

Usually, I pick names from books, either characters I liked or people who made certain discoveries. I have a few pokemon named after people I know, but I try not to do that too often. [He just worries sometimes that some people might find that odd, to have an animal named after them.] Though admittedly, the last time I needed new names for my Lapras, I just ended up asking people on the network. I needed seven at once, and well, that was a bit too much for me to come up with.

You are new here, aren't you? Or at least, I don't think I've ever seen you before.

[seacub]

You named them after people? I guess if they reminded you of someone enough...

[Hmmmm... ...Nope, he can't do it,]

Oh, I didn't even think of crowdsourcing though. That's a good idea if I ever get stuck!

[He pauses a moment, and nods.]

...Yeah, I just got here. ...Well, I got here a bit more than a day ago...but that's pretty much the same thing it feels like. I haven't even reached the next town...

[schachmeister]

Just a few of them. It feels strange to do it too often, but there were a few pokemon who just... those names fitted really well.

[Take Athena the Golduck. Every bit as powerful and strong as Miss Athena had been. Also every bit as ??? over getting flirted with. It was just. Really fitting.]

I think it took us something like three days or so to get to the first town when my friend and I first arrived. Then some other friends of ours arrived not too long after us and we had to backtrack all the way back to New Bark Town.

[Armin smiles, a nostalgic sort of smile.]

At the time, it was pretty hectic, but looking back, it gave us plenty of time to get used to this place.

[seacub]

Three days...

...Sparks has been making me ride on his back, so maybe it'll be a bit less? I keep looking at the map check points, and it feels shorter somehow...

[Ah, but not to dwell on what's going on-] You doubled back? I guess that would make it really easy then, [the boy laughs.] It feels like it would be a better trip to make as a group too...but really, I needed to get away from New Bark Town as fast as I could so...

[mom is unnerving]