victory_road | [Closed Log]

Well, things seem to be fine, Dimitri supposes, and he holds open the door for Shrike so that the two of them can go through. Still, he cannot help but get the idea that Shrike is still somewhat nervous.

Granted, Shrike often seems nervous about little things, especially when in public, but that's besides the point.

"Have you thought about gaining any new companions while you are here?" Dimitri asks while they walk, looking over his own waterproof belt where his pokeballs are. He's made sure to bring some of his more tropical pokemon out for this excursion, with the appropriate wear for it all. "I am rather content with my own, of course... especially since others seem to find it amusing to get me eggs to raise."

Sometimes Shrike is just nervous in general, sometimes the source of his nervousness could probably be discovered simply by asking. Either way though, it helps having someone he knows and trusts around, at least.

"I don't know..." He hasn't really given it much thought, but is attitude towards catching new Pokémon is largely the same regardless. "I already have more than I can bring with me at once..."

Eight. He has eight. That's including his Hisui starter, at that.

Unfortunately, Dimitri is from a Japanese JRPG based on the horrors of war and human mistakes, so it doesn't even occur to him to ask - I mean what.

Dimitri chuckles a bit at the comment Shrike makes, understanding that dilemma more than well enough. It's part of why he felt the need to buy such large property and give it as many different buildings and little habitats as he could. While he understands that Pokemon seem perfectly content in whatever experience Pokeballs and the PC provide them, he still would rather them enjoy open air and sunlight... if that is their interest.

"Well, as long as you can properly take care of them, you can have however many you like." Dimitri tilts his head to the side, before shifting their route so that they're heading to a slightly less populated path. Maybe that will make Shrike feel better...

"Have they communicated to you on what they would like to do while you are on this trip?"

See, that's just the problem, Shrike doesn't know how many he does want to have. All the Pokemon he's acquired so far he's been happy with, but he's still so unused to anything resembling socialization to know how many more he'd be comfortable with.

That said, Dimitri's question quickly derails that line of thought, in any case.

"Maybe swimming, I guess? I don't know if they know this is different from traveling though..."

"That is true..." Dimitri huffs a little bit in amusement. "When one is so used to constant travel, another place is merely another place." If he is entirely honest, his own experience has really made all of Johto just one extended vacation, even when he was doing manual labor.

Hey, they weren't at war, so what more could he ask for?

Still... Dimitri sweeps back some of his hair, already feeling his neck getting to be a little too warm with the island heat. "Do any of them show an interest in any particular kind of game?"

It is warm here, isn't it? Though Shrike kind of likes it, he's used to being cold and it's a nice change of pace, in a way.

It probably helps that he's still pretty young, honestly.

"Umm... You mean like chasing or something?"

Shrike is not good at knowing names of games.

"Chasing, playing pretend, ball games..." Hm. Now that he thinks of it, he highly suspects that not even Shrike has gotten to play with balls to any degree, let alone while in the ocean.

Well! Dimitri perks up, cheering at the idea of both of them getting to play that together in that way. While he would hardly say he is an expert...

He lives with a twelve year old near a beach.

Knowledge is obtained one way or another.

"Would you like to purchase a ball with me, and we could teach you and your own how to play some new games? It would be a nice way to start off a vacation like this!"

Shrike has definitely had virtually no opportunities to play with balls, no. Especially since back in his world, his unnatural strength meant he tended to accidentally break toys, particularly when he was younger. Meaning that even before he ran off to eke out a living on his own, the other kids generally wouldn't let him near any of that stuff anyway.

Which is to say, that suggestion earns a surprised and maybe a little excited look.

"Is that okay?"

"If we have bought it with our own money, why would it not be okay?" Dimitri offers, already scanning the various store and stallfronts for somewhere that sells such toys. With a beach economy like this, he has no doubt that he will find something in short order.

That, or so much food. All the food. He'll keep that in mind later, when their Pokemon and surely Shrike himself grow hungry.

"We can even pick whatever color you like! Have you a favorite color?"

Shrike more meant if it was okay with Dimitri... But he doesn't know a good way to clarify that now, so he'll just awkwardly let it drop.

"A favorite?" He's never thought about that before, actually. The idea's pretty novel.

"That's right." Somehow, it isn't surprising to Dimitri that Shrike has never thought about a favorite color before... Although that does not make it any less depressing, in all honesty.

Or perhaps he does have one, and it is simply not something he has yet thought too hard about. To that end, Dimitri suggests, "We can always look over what is offered, and you can choose upon seeing. Look -" He points out a small beach toy stall that seems good enough for them. "Why not start there? You can choose whatever you like."

If we were to delve into all the potentially depressing things about Shrike we'd be here all day.

That said, while it's definitely not a big stall, that sure is a good number of choices even so. So he takes a good moment or two to look everything over (albeit standing a bit further back than most people would, still being a bit skittish about strangers without his hood on) before looking back to Dimitri again.

"How do you know which ones are best?"

Shrike's never played with beach balls before, he doesn't really know what he's looking at!

Dimitri patiently waits for Shrike to look over the various toys and balls on display, not thinking it will be too much of any sort of trouble. So, of course, that means he is completely caught off-guard by a question he is... not particularly equipped to handle.

"Ah," he says, for lack of any idea on what else to say for a moment. "Well, I suppose... Many of the games I have seen on the beach involve a... lighter ball? So one that goes through the air best...?"

Shoot he didn't think he'd be having to research best ball types here.

"Light things don't go through the air well, if you need to throw something it's easier if it's heavy."

Don't ask how he knows this despite not being familiar with ball games. You probably wouldn't like the answer.

"Oh! Though light things float better?"

... Maybe they should just ask the shopkeeper for advice.

"On water, or on air...?"

They really should probably just ask the shopkeeper for advice, at this rate. Such a thing would probably occur to Dimitri after a short moment, after he's stopped pondering the mystery of what kind of balls are better for games.

It's just that he happens to be beaten when the shopkeeper seems to recognize a pair of lost causes when she sees them, so she leans forward to point at a particular beachball covered in a pattern of fish-like Pokemon. "This one is one of the best sellers, if you're going to play on the beach!"

Rousing himself from his thoughts, Dimitri looks up with a couple of blinks. "Oh! I see, then. What do you think of it, Shrike?"

Shrike takes a good look at the ball in question, and... wow, that's actually a really fancy-looking ball. At least, it is by his standards.

"That one looks really nice..."

Considering Shrike's circumstances as Dimitri knows them, he takes that opinion with a very small pinch of salt. Not that he thinks Shrike hates it, of course, but thinking something looks nice is, well... Everything can look nice when your circumstances were so miserable.

"But is that the one you want?" he prompts. "There are other patterns and colors too, it seems!"

"... Um."

That was not a question Shrike had expected, and it leaves him the tiniest bit flustered as he hadn't even thought that much about it.

"I guess they're all nice...?"

That wasn't the question, Shrike.

"They are," Dimitri agrees readily enough, both because it's true and also because they're right in front of the cashier. It would be rather... impolite to just stand there, insulting any of them.

"But it can be your pick, Shrike, so is there one in particular which catches your attention?"

Well, now Shrike has to take a moment to properly look over them all, rather than just boggle vaguely in their direction. That said, while they all really are nice in their own ways, he can't really deny the appeal and appropriateness of the fish Pokémon one for something meant to be used by the sea.

"Um, I guess... that one does look like it's supposed to be used where there's water?"

Honestly, any Pokémon designs in general probably appeal to him, but one has to arbitrarily pick something to go with eventually.

Well, it's certainly at least a choice! Dimitri nods, reaching in for his Gear - thank goodness he's made it habit to always have it on him now, in no small part thanks to Dean. "Then we will have that one," he tells the cashier happily. "Oh - unless you wanted to pay, Shrike?"

He'd started to pay out of habit, since he's quite happy to be back to paying for his own things instead of having Felix take care of it all while he'd been saving up for a land of their own.... But he shouldn't just suppose, he.... supposes.

"... Ah."

That's the sound of a kid who did not think to bring money or other means of payment with him when heading out to the beach.

"Umm, if you get it, I can give you the money for it later?"

Shrike still dislikes feeling like he owes someone, after all.

"Of course." Understanding this point, Dimitri nods, and hands his payment over to the cashier. Still... "You know, since we will both be using it together, would you like to split the cost in two? It may work out well for both of us."

"Oh."

That definitely hadn't occurred to Shrike before!

Granted, he's not really been in situations where it would be relevant before. (And it definitely does not occur to him that it might also be Dimitri's way of insisting on paying something without Shrike feeling he owes him for it.)

"I guess so?"

Listen, it is only fair that things are split between them when they are both going to use it! Dimitri feels this is very sensible and financially responsible. So Dimitri is quite happy as he exchanges payment, and then picks up the ball.

"Then we are all set! Have you visited the beach very often yet, or gotten a good look? I have not the slightest where a good spot for our game would be."

Probably not, if he knows Shrike, but... Dimitri is trying not to make assumptions.

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