132nd moon [video]

[paladinlost]

[A box of very strong black tea, two large porcelain cups, a bag of coffee grounds and a fancy coffee machine are set on a counter, some distance away. Looks like the Bisharp and the shiny Pangoro that have taken over the Lunar Gym's kitchen have plans for the evening. As gently as possible when one has pointy metal hands, the Bisharp pokes the box and bag in turn, then nods. Satisfied by his choices, the Pangoro turns towards the nearby fridge, opens the door...

...and takes out three whole cans of PokéMonster energy drink, dumping them all in the coffee machine's water reservoir.

At the same, the Bisharp carefully picks two tea bags from the box and sets them in place, before sitting down to wait. And wait. And wait, until the coffee maker finally stops. The resulting dubious liquid is promptly poured into both cups. Somewhere offscreen, someone chokes.

But our intrepid duo is not done! After all, what else is necessary for a good tea? Honey, of course! And milk! And... chocolate sauce... Salsa...? Wait, is that rice vinegar? Orange juice?? Are they even old enough to drink that red wine?

It's only when the Bisharp takes out a bottle of salad dressing and starts squeezing a generous dose in each cup that Cecil finally comments the scene, his voice both awed and horrified:]


Should... Should I stop them, or let nature run its course?

Comments

[video]

[lightningfang]

[The boy who turns on his video is clearly still not used to handling it, considering he appears to be pulling the Gear unreasonably close to his face, as if that will give him a better view of all of these... ingredients. Over half of which he does not recognize whatsoever. His face personifies part confusion, part awe, eyes wide and lips slightly parted.]

Your 'mons... know alchemy? [Because that's the only reasonable explanation for... this.]

[video]

[paladinlost]

These two... are aware of the concept of tea, and perhaps even of what it should contain, but it matters far less to them than the thrill of victory. Any other art or science is irrelevant, as far as they are concerned.

[This is most probably his way of saying 'hell no they don't'. It's lucky he's offscreen, because his face currently shows nothing but despair.]

[lightningfang]

They are proving dominance? [It's... certainly one of the odder displays Razor has ever witnessed.]

Who wins? [Could it be when the cups spill over? There seems to be quite a lot in them already...]

[paladinlost]

Something like that.

[Over each other or over their stomachs, who could say?]

A winner has yet to be decided this time, but this is hardly their first competition. Their results tend to average out to a tie, over time.

[lightningfang]

You are friends for a long time?

[Razor has yet to meet very many fully evolved Pokemon, and seems impressed with their size.]

What are they?

[paladinlost]

I caught them both over two years ago. I suppose that is a long time, yes.

[But the standards of children or of people who haven't been here for a decade, at least.]

Ramza, the mostly red one, is a Bisharp. Half Dark, half Steel. As for Vayne, the sparkly bear, he's a Pangoro. Also half Dark, but with Fighting as his second type. I found them both at the same time.

[lightningfang]

Half Dark... Dark is... an element?

[He continues staring at Ramza and Vayne, more intrigued by the minute. Has he ever actually seen a bear before? And the Bisharp... "sharp," indeed.]

Oh. They were friends first?

[paladinlost]

The locals call them types instead of elements, but yes. Each Pokémon can have up to two, and they both happen to share one.

[Which is, technically, Ramza's fault.]

Ah, not as far as I can tell. For the moment I met them, they've been arguing. In fact, they argued so loudly about which would be the best companion for a trainer that I had to catch them both, or else risk making the situation worse.

[lightningfang]

[What an odd element. Or, type. Razor wonders if there's a Light type. What would that even look like?]

You understand them? [He doesn't sound excessively surprised; he understands canines well enough, but Pangoro and Bisharp are neither canines nor the same sort of creature at all. Besides... "type."]

[paladinlost]

To some degree. I've become used to them by now, and they both are from decently expressive species.

[His Carbink, however? A mystery.]

Besides, if I ever need to know the details of their thoughts, most Psychic-types can mentally translate for humans by transmitting their meaning directly in our brains.

[lightningfang]

Sigh-kicks can... talk to your brain? [That would probably be more far-fetched, if it weren't for how Andrius spoke. But why can only some Pokemon do so?] All, or do they learn?

[paladinlost]

From what I understand, they all have the potential to do so. Some can manage it instinctively, others need to be trained first... and a few are too impatient or uninterested to try.

[Or too stupid. That is also an option.]

[lightningfang]

More training... [Well, at least it's probably easier than memorizing every type and advantage and all that.] Thank you, for telling me so much. And to your Dark 'mons... Have fun.

[paladinlost]

You're welcome. It's always a pleasure to share information about this world.

[Especially about the nice, non-traumatizing parts.]

I've no doubt they will, in their own somewhat competitive way. Until they go through with the tasting, at least.