First Spell. Between Violet City and Cherrygrove City. [Backdated]

[behindblueskin]

[OOC: EDITED!]

Things Keldor is not doing yet: going on Careless Cara Liss' magical mystery tour back into the past. A shame he's not yet, really. Time travel is a doable thing [very rarely done, but doable] in Eternia, meaning he'd be one of the few who will take it well and might actually enjoy it.

Really, it'll be cool to experience when he does get snagged up, but, well... We've got other things we want to do first. Backdate-y things.



Things Keldor is currently doing before Hilarity Hits: trying to keep his recently-acquired Growlithe egg warm. This would be a whole lot easier if he had his magic, but he doesn't, which means making do. He's currently on Route 30, somewhere between Cherrygrove and Violet, and has got a fire going at the moment, where he has a bunch of stones encircling it to heat up. Once they're hot enough, they're placed around the egg using tongs [because it's that or third degree burns when you're magicless]. Gingko, watching all this, seems to have remembered that he's a bird, and is doing his best to help, but he's only half the size of the egg and can only warm so much of it up. Momiji the Sentret and Ganpi the Scatterbug are doing their best to assist, but those stones are hot, and, well. Bug pokemon and fire. You know how well the two go together, but A for effort on Ganpi's part.

Judging from the looks of things, and the fact he's been at this for a few days, it shouldn't be much longer before the egg hatches and everyone can say "hello".

Comments

[crystalmaster]

[Radley is out for a walk in the area with some of his Pokemon when he sees this unusual scene.]

... Hi there. How's the egg hatching coming along?

[At least, he assumes that's what this guy is doing. He's never tried hatching one this way.]

[behindblueskin]

[GAH!]

It is coming well. [A tap.] I believe it will soon hatch.

[Though how you can tell, he can't be sure. These things don't come with manuals, or even incubators or maybe it just didn't occur to him to ask for such things, or perhaps he just couldn't afford to buy one and the egg, too, so he's improvising. Kinda like how he had to live during his banishment into what was effectively the Eternian wilds—lots and lots of improvising. Boy howdy...]

[crystalmaster]

Cool. I'm a breeder myself. I haven't tried to hatch any this way. How long have you been at it?

[behindblueskin]

I am currently deprived of my usual method of dealing with something like this, so I must find alternatives.

[Improvising, in other words.]

And about three days now.

[Three days with three young pokemon to help with egg warming and thus not many opportunities to sleep.]

[crystalmaster]

Oh, are you a breeder here too? Or do you mean back home?

[Radley is always intrigued to talk to other breeders.]

[behindblueskin]

Neither. There are none of these creatures back home, or anything of their like. Nor have I been given much opportunity to actually raise an animal [Eternian princes don't exactly get to experience a lot—or any, for that matter—hands-on experience concerning animal husbandry], save for Panthor.

[Said animal, Panthor, is making full use of the fact that there's a nice warm fire he can curl up his purple, Maine-Coon-y fluff next to. Mmmm toasty.]

[crystalmaster]

Wow, he's from back home?!

[Radley stares at Panthor in amazement.]

I had no idea people's animals from home could come with them. You're really lucky you got to start out here with an old friend as well as a new one!

[behindblueskin]

Yes, he is. He is also normally a lot larger. And with considerably less hair.

[Pause for effect.]

A lot larger. I was able to use him for a steed.

[Stop bragging, Keldor.]

[crystalmaster]

... That figures there'd be a catch. But still, that's amazing you got to bring him!

[Longing shows in Radley's eyes. He would have loved to bring a friend from home when arriving in a new place. Of course, he's grateful for all his Pokemon, who have become his second family.

Then the rest of the statement finally processes.]

You rode him?! Cats are even bigger in your world than in mine!

[behindblueskin]

It is all right. I have him here for company and that is satisfactory to me.

[Panthor is not complaining about being shrunk down to about 1/20th his original size, though, if it means not having to serve as taxi for his master.]

His species can boast impressive sizes, this is true.

[crystalmaster]

Yeah, that's the most important thing.

Are there other big animals in your world?

[behindblueskin]

Big. Yes. As well as small.

[Pause.]

Not many cats, though.

[crystalmaster]

Is yours from the only cat species there?

[lightningbearer]

Did you know that using the warp pads in the Pokémon Centers in rapid succession tends to make one pretty dizzy and nauseous? Well, if he didn't before, Geddoe certainly knows now. Not that backtracking halfway across the region had been his plan, oh no. It was just that someone on his team had apparently gotten bored during a routine visit to the center after training, and had decided to abscond with Geddoe's wallet. And then proceed to keep dashing for one warp pad after another, thinking this was a very fun and entertaining chase indeed.

A sentiment Geddoe decidedly did not share. After catching the would-be thief, securing his wallet once again, and spending some quality time in the Cherrygrove center's bathroom stall, he's taking some time to walk around town and wait for his innards to settle down again before starting the trip back to Ecruteak. And by 'walk around town' we mean that after he's acquired some beer he pretty much immediately made for the edge of town where there's fewer people around and the air is fresher.

Which is when, bottle of cheap booze in hand and electric lizard on his shoulder, he spots and approaches the campfire(?) a bit further up the route.

"... Huh. Guess that's one way to do it."

[behindblueskin]

I'm sure you made full acquaintance with the toilet once all that bouncing around was finished.

Oh, hey; it's that guy who helped you back during the Weekend of Weird!

"Yes. It appears to be working."

He's hoping that that was a wiggle, and that he isn't slow-cooking his pricy investment.

Keldor doesn't normally cry, but he will if his Growlithe comes out poached.

[lightningbearer]

Oh hey it's that guy... minus the blue skin tone, apparently. At least Geddoe still looks the same? (Lucky him.)

"I saw one hatch just from carrying it around long enough, so I'm not sure there's anything that doesn't work."

Maybe it'd speed things up though? He has no idea, he's never taken any interest in Pokémon breeding.

[behindblueskin]

And he's still a bit salty about the whole Not Being Blue thing, too. He's kinda proud of that trait, despite all the ill-treatment he got for it back home.

"'Carrying'?"

Why didn't he think of that?

Probably because he's never had to raise an egg before [or, well, any animal other than Panthor before], but figures that eggs need to be warm to hatch, and thus all the hot stones he's using.

"If that is easier..."

Next time. Next time we try carrying.

[lightningbearer]

"Sure. The eggs are just as tough as the Pokémon that make them, I haven't heard of one breaking."

He really doesn't get how the whole thing works though. This world is just plain weird in so many ways, and Geddoe mostly tries to tune out as much of that weirdness as possible. Heck, that weirdness is arguably why he's wandering the outskirts of town with a bottle of beer right now.

"Have you been here since a month ago?"

[behindblueskin]

"That is good to know."

So long as Growlithe comes out doing the frying instead of being fried, then everything will be fine.

"And nearly a month."

[lightningbearer]

"Must be managing alright then."

Look, he remembers your... difficulty with the locals back during the weird weekend. The fact that there haven't been any ranting network posts since then is probably a good sign, right?

[behindblueskin]

"I am managing quite sufficiently, yes. I do pride myself on being able to adapt."

All boasting aside, Keldor does appreciate the fact that going with the flow is easier than going against; that one should never turn down a learning opportunity in case it might involve valuable information, and so simply set about trying to figure out how things work around here rather than bitch about it.

Heck, he's even properly dressed now, now that he's incorporated elements of his yukata that he picked up at the festival [the ones that look like they can handle wear and tear out on the road, anyways] with some of his barbarian chic.

Can't kick him out now if he's [mostly] conforming to dress code, can they they might still try; some of them.

[lightningbearer]

"As long as no one's insulting your shirt?"

That's a joke. He's joking. Even if it's kind of hard to tell with his deadpan delivery. That said...

"I'm guessing you've got most stuff about this place figured out by now."

Especially if it's been a whole month. But that statement is, perhaps, an invitation to ask any pressing questions he still might have now, if he's so inclined.

[behindblueskin]

"So far, no one has abused me over my attire."

Joke status: missed.

"Some things. Eggs, though... Eggs are ... not exactly an alien concept, but they do seem to have different requirements here."

Oh, boy; do they ever.

[lightningbearer]

That's fine, Geddoe's still amused. Privately.

"It's better to think of them as another trait of the Pokémon, not as just eggs."

They're really nothing like ordinary eggs, as far as Geddoe can tell.

[behindblueskin]

So it would appear. Well, it's better that he found out about it this early in the game, rather than later. Never miss a learning opportunity, and all that.

"So strange, this biology."

He pats the egg.

It wiggles slightly against his palm, which makes him smile; relieved that his method of hatching eggs hasn't caused any apparent damage.