[video / action for Goldenrod]

[meteorman]

A. [Video]

[The camera turns on facing what looks like a grungy Goldenrod back alley. There's some boxes, a trash bin, some stray bags... why is anyone broadcasting this?

Well, the thing is, isn't not just anyone. It's Ford Pines.]

Look at this! Trubbish in their natural habitat! [He's whispering into the camera so as not to disturb them. One of the 'trash bags' stirs but otherwise they seem content.] I almost mistook them for actual trash; their camouflage is really quite something. And the smell...

[He doesn't seem bothered. If anything, he's geeking out. Good lord.]

I have to catch one. Come on, Nautilus. [An Omanyte scootches into frame. Suddenly the alley is full of wide-open bright eyes. The Trubbish scatter. In the ensuing commotion one of them takes a Water Gun straight to the face, and he throws the pokeball before it can collect itself. It wobbles and then does the signature capture sound. Victory!]

Ahah, excellent! -- But what do I call it?

B. [Action / Goldenrod Department Store]

[When he arrived in Goldenrod at the end of October, Ford only intended to stay as long as it took to take care of team Skull and then head back to Violet. It's now been over two weeks and he still hasn't left; in fact, he went ahead and got his job transferred from the Violet Pokemon Center to the Goldenrod branch. He probably won't stay here permanently, but there's such a wealth of places to visit and explore that he owes it to the city to give it a good couple of months.

And, while he's here, he can do some much-needed shopping. First on his list was an Everstone for his Starly Hermes, and after perusing the other available stones he's switched to looking at TMs. If he remembers anything from his breeding guidebook (and he'd like to think he does) then a Pokemon bred with TM moves is likely to sell for quite a bit more than one with its bog-standard moveset. It's worth looking into for that reason alone. He still can't get over Plumeria's Golbat and how it knew Overheat, either, and if he can expand some movesets... well. He does love fiddly strategy. His own Golbat, Claudia, is perched on his shoulder.]

What do you think? Sludge Bomb? It always hits and you'd have a good chance of inflicting poison. You can also learn U-Turn and it would be helpful against Psychic types, but I don't know how often it would actually come in handy...

[Claudia, who presumably hears most of his talking as endearing gibberish even if she gets the gist of it, yawns.]

Hm.

You! [He flags down a nearby shopper.] What do you think?

Comments

[pipers_son]

[Stanford, no offense, but he thinks he could have spotted you were a nerd from a mile away. Still, a name is a name, and Joker whistles in a much more appreciative way.]

There ya go! Although I think I’ll have ta say that one a few more times ta get the hang of it…. Who is it?

[meteorman]

He is an author whose work I'm not particularly fond of. Somehow he's managed to become a darling of the literary community and I don't understand it at all.

[A book about just... walking? If he wanted to think about walking that much he'd just go to the gym and get on a treadmill. Yeesh.]

It feels right to name a sentient trashbag after him. And frankly I think I like the trashbag much more already.

[pipers_son]

[Joker snickers into his hand.]

Ya better not tell yer new teammate that. I think their feelings would get hurt.

[meteorman]

Oh, I don't think so. Consider it this way: I've set him up for success. There's no way he won't vastly surpass the work of his namesake.

[pipers_son]

Oh, is that how it works? I thought parents named their kid somethin’ successful in the hopes they’d be successful, but I guess that’s just settin’ ‘em up for disappointment instead, if we’re goin’ with that?

[meteorman]

I think it can go either way depending on the child in question. My parents named me Stanford and as of now I have twelve PhDs.

[The implication of course being that he could have more in future, though it's unlikely. He got one for each finger. That's enough.]

[pipers_son]

Oooooh. So yer an extra smart type, then! What do ya use all that for, anyway?

[All of Joker’s education, after all, he’s had to bullshit.]

[meteorman]

... What do you mean, what do I use it for? That's like asking a man what he uses his eyes or his legs for. Knowledge is always an asset.

[pipers_son]

I wouldn’t know. I never did much schoolin’. But I always thought that sort of thing was meant for becomin’ a doctor, or somethin’.

[meteorman]

Technically I am a doctor. Even more technically, I am twelve doctors.

[pipers_son]

[A huffed out laugh.]

How many different kindsa doctors does the world need?

[meteorman]

[He actually starts counting up in his head before he realizes it's a hypothetical question. Rude.]

As many as possible, I should think.

[pipers_son]

But ain’t it just for medicine and that sorta thing?

[meteorman]

Wh -- no! A person can have a doctorate in all sorts of things. There are doctorates in the soft sciences and the humanities and the arts just as there are doctorates for chemistry and biology and astrophysics. I myself possess a few from each department in the interest of being well-rounded.

[pipers_son]

[A low impressed whistle.]

Well! Ya learn somethin’ new every day. Seems like it could be a bit confusin’, ‘tho, if someone mistakes ya for the wrong doctor.

[meteorman]

It is very unlikely I would come across a situation in which none of my knowledge would be helpful or relevant.