[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

[seacub]

Like an 'alternate universe' Casper?

It sounds fun at least...

Oh- Emporio! It's um, nice to meet you.

[fingersandteeth]

You too, Emporio.

[seacub]

Yeah.

I guess just call if you find 'other Casper' then. [A cartoon film...seems fun!]

[fingersandteeth]

Sure thing! Also, ah, I noticed you called Jolyne 'hermana' and--

[He switches quickly to Mexican-dialect Spanish.]

Can you understand this, Emporio?

[seacub]

Ah?

[And just like that, Emporio's jaw Drops.

It isn't as if Spanish didn't exist to him. It wasn't some sort of secret- there's a reason he knows any of it at all, after all. But Spanish wasn't something anyone spoke to him in. Even Ermes, who absolutely did know the language, never did- they were all speaking English, and no one had reasons to swap to a language not everyone in the group could speak.

So to have someone address him is...]

Y...

Yes..! I...

[...Well, of course, his is sort of...]

Um... It... Mine is sort of shitty though...

[Limited. ...And Very Crude! That's what happens when you learn your languages in a women's prison though.]

[fingersandteeth]

I mean, if you want to get better, I'll help you.

[He adds, in English,]

My parents mostly spoke English around us at home, because they both grew up in California, but my grandparents were mostly Mexican immigrants, so Spanish was their first language. My mother's mother always took care of me while she was at work, so I grew up more or less bilingual.

[seacub]

Y...

You'd do that? [He continues in English as well. It's easier, more familiar, even if he now almost greedily feels for the chance at learning more of his mother's own words.]

I learned...a little from my mom, I guess. [He thinks.] Most of it though I picked up from people around me- so I haven't really been able to practice either.

[fingersandteeth]

Sure. Why not?

[Sue him, but one of the few principles Steven has left is that you should be a good adult for the children around you. That is him doing that.]

[seacub]

...Wow...

[uh, wait, heck,] Uh- Thanks! Thanks, I mean it.

Uh...I don't know where to start, or when to start but...

...

It...means a lot, [he awkwardly adds, unable to keep from looking at least a Little sad about why that is.]

[fingersandteeth]

It's no problem, really.

[He frowns slightly. He's curious why Emporio is sad, but it's not something he's inclined to ask about in public.]

You're doing the usual Pokemon Journey route, right? Let me know when you reach Goldenrod. I'll get you lunch and we can figure out how much you know so far and how much I can teach you.

[seacub]

I think so? There wasn't a lot of options, so I just took the first road, [He begins, before blinking.]

Goldenrod? That's where I have to meet Jolyne!

...Do you live there?

[fingersandteeth]

Yes! I live with my [slightest of hesitation] boyfriend there. The original place I was staying at wasn't very nice, but it was cheap [because there's nothing cheaper than free] so after we got together, I ended up staying overnight with him all the time and when we got more serious, I just-- moved in.

I work part time at the reception's desk at the Radio Tower, but I'm hoping to make it into the newsroom sooner or later. Unfortunately, they don't take resumes from other worlds, so I have to start over from the beginning here.

[seacub]

A house and a job...

I guess I didn't think about the fact that normal living was really possible here, after they gave me this backpack and told me to go start my 'pokemon journey'.

It seems so obvious now...

[fingersandteeth]

I mean, most people do the Pokemon Journey thing, at least at first. But I kind of... well, I wanted that kind of stable life back. Mine had kind of been yanked out from under me for years at home, so the first thing I did was head into Goldenrod and looked for something I could find a job doing.

My boyfriend has a company that sells Pokemon goods and sometimes he pays people so he can photograph their pokemon. That's how I met him, actually? And we became friends and he knew people who did hiring at the Radio Tower and he helped me get my foot in the door there. I used to be in broadcast media back home [which would explain why he's got a newscaster's diction and lack of accent] so I eventually want to do that here.

[seacub]

That simple...

[It feels like the things he would catch on movies in the rec room when no one was looking...]

I'm glad it worked out that easy at least. You do sound sort of like the kind of people I saw on TV sometimes...

[Only Sometimes, but the news was.... ...Pretty common.]

[fingersandteeth]

I mean, I don't know if it was as simple as it sounds. I'm pretty sure my boyfriend, ah, asked me out because someone he knew from home had been smug about the girl he was seeing... but the joke's on the guy from back home, because if he hadn't been so smug, my boyfriend wouldn't have asked me out and because I assumed he was straight, I wouldn't have asked him out either. And now we're both very happy together.

[seacub]

[This. This sounds like prison politics.

....That's familiar, he kinda likes that. So, he just laughs.] So it worked out for you then! Both of you too- that's really good then!

[fingersandteeth]

Mmhm. Even if that's why he asked me out the first time [we're just going to use this as a euphemism for hooking up because Emporio's just a kid], we really did hit it off well. He's a funny guy and he likes music--we talked a lot about music over drinks that night and he told me some stories from when he first got here. He's one of the people who's been here for a couple years.

[seacub]

[Well at least Someone will look out for Emporio's tiny ears.] He is?

I heard that people who were here for that long weren't allowed to leave the country. Has he been okay with that? I looked at the map again, and it feels like this country is pretty small...though maybe that's just because it's not a map of the USA, [he adds with a small nervous laugh.]

[fingersandteeth]

I mean, it is small compared to the US. You're not wrong about that.

And... I don't know if 'okay' is exactly the right word, but. Well. He's a practical man. He's making the most of what he has here. And he's done really well for himself, honestly. He's got a successful business and a nice house and all that.

[seacub]

I think a lot of things are small compared to the US...

[But, anyway.] I mean...that sounds 'okay' to me.

[fingersandteeth]

Yeah. Me too.