victory_road | So you want to be a Pokemon Master?

Entry tags:

So you want to be a Pokemon Master?

Who: ANYONE AND EVERYONE
Where: ANYWHERE AND EVERYWHERE
When: November 25 - 27
Summary: GET YOUR BUTTS IN HERE AND HAVE A GOOD TIME
Rating: BUT PLEASE PUT APPROPRIATE WARNINGS IF ANYTHING COMES UP
Log:

Everything's ordinary, and then, all of a sudden, it isn't. Oops~! Enjoy all the weird new Pokemon roaming about, and have a good time! Any and all are welcome to join in the glitch-ridden festivities!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

N-no no, sorry! Hang on.

_{[Ralph stoops down and picks up the Growlithe with one mammoth hand. He jostles him slightly and Carter's barking finally quiets.]}

Carter is his name. And, ah...no. I wasn't a cop back then. C'mon, Mr. President, you haven't been gone that long. Don't you remember? You're the first person who knew about me bein' a part of Team Rocket.

[President. Yeah, he remembers that. And Team Rocket.] Right, the terrorist assholes who press-ganged you in...

[But that sure ain't a Team Rocket uniform.]

Holy fuck. You quit and turned cop instead?

[Blake's stunned eyes fall on the dog. Firedog. Growlithe, he remembers that, they all had goofy-ass names but you heard them so many times a day there was no keeping yourself from learning them, and maybe that's why back in the real world it was so easy to pick up on what that one kid with the Game Boy was talking about.]

...you named your police dog after me?

_{[He finally scratches bashfully at the back of his head.]}

It wad'n easy, that's for sure. Had to do some time, had to go on the run. Started all over in New Bark the way a Trainer should.

_{[His smile fades.]}

Of course the kid's furious with me but at least now that I'm on the other side I can keep an eye out for 'em.

_{[Carter suddenly pipes up. POLICE DOG! HE KNOWS THOSE WORDS! He gives a loud bark and wags his sparkling tail. That at least gets Ralph's spirits to lift again.]}

How could I not? Look at that face.

Right, the raccoon kid who was always in the garbage. He's still stuck with the gang?

[That's not so great to hear. But Ralph starting over is.] Shit, you got plenty to be proud of. [He claps him on one huge, beefy shoulder.] You made good.

[That LOUD bark nearly makes Carter jump out of his skin. His thick brows knit together.]

That dog does not look like me!

[That dog totally looks like him.

Then he looks around, something sheepish and guilty and a little hopeful settling on his face.]

Hey. Speaking of dogs.

You...you got Steve around somewhere?

_{[Carter just wags his tail and dog-smiles up at Blake obliviously.]}

As if I'd ever go anywhere without Steve. She keeps my team in line, y'know!

_{[And just like that, in a brilliant flash of light, the little pink pocket monster appears. Her fur is well-groomed and she has a pretty collar on along with her bow. She blinks and looks around, expecting to have a scuffle to break-up or maybe her yellow gf to hold paws with.]

[She does not expect to find the grey-haired man before her. Her ears perk instantly and she blinks furiously as though she cannot believe her eyes.]}

[Blake speaks softly, remembering.] Yeah. She always knew how to knock bastards into shape.

[And there she is.

One look, and the dream of ten years ago comes right back. Her sitting by the fire with him out under the stars. Scratching her head when she dozed on his lap. Her biting and snarling at him when he was losing it, knocking sense into him. Tying that bow around her ear because hell it was like a buck, and she'd just scratched and bit a giant snake made out of rocks until its eyes went swirly, and it made her happy.

The old man crouches down. He swallows, but his voice comes out thick anyway.]

Hey, Steve.

_{[A pair of stubby paws find Blake's rough cheeks as Steve looks up into his face and snub-snubs happily and tearfully. She's missed him so much! Is he here to take her back into his team?]

[Meanwhile, Ralph feels like he's intruding just a little and turns to admire some Pidgeys in a tree overhead.]}

[It's been a long time since he felt paws like that on his face.

Aw, hell with it.

He throws his arms around the little dog and hugs her tight.]

I missed you, girl. You've been good, right? You've been all right?

[His cheek is pressed into the short pink fur. He doesn't give a damn so much that his voice cracks. He's too old to get embarrassed about shit like that.]

I'm sorry. I had to go home. I had to grow up. I got a life now, thanks to a lot of people...thanks to you.

[He smiles, though his eyes are too shiny, and lets go with one arm so he can show her the ring on his hand.]

I'm married now. See? Somebody fell for this old bastard, you believe that?

[His fingers run through the soft fur on top of her head.]

You'd like him, Steve. You really would.

_{[Steve snub-snubs in understanding. No, she couldn't go with him, could she? Her home was here. Her girlfriend was here. She was part of a team...just like Blake was part of a team back home. She snuffles her flat doggy nose against his face before he draws away.]

[She brings her paws up to her snout in surprise and admiration of the beautiful ring!]

[And at this point, Ralph can't help but butt back in.]}

Is that right? _{[Ralph gives the old cop a smirk.]} Guess I'm not the only one who's learned to behave himself!

[The look on her face makes Blake smile. She always was expressive as hell.]

What about you, huh? You get lesbian married to that armadillo yet? [He'd remembered something faint about that back in the real world, a fragment of a particularly weird dream that he'd told his husband to make him laugh.] She'd better not still be stealing shit. I want to see my girl with an honest rodent.

[He'd almost forgotten Ralph was there. It's easy to miss a tiny little guy like that.]

That's right. I'm downright fuckin' domesticated. [He keeps scratching between Steve's ears. He can't seem to stop.] Turns out a few years on monster island gets your priorities in order, even if you forget all about it.

_{[Naturally, a blush blooms through Steve's pink fur as she rubs a paw behind her head and shakes it. No, Bossy hasn't asked her yet.]

[Ralph's brows lift as Blake brings up one of the things Ralph has been worrying over the most.]}

How is it...? Goin' back, I mean? I know we forget, everyone says that but...

_{[He's working so hard. He doesn't want to Reset just yet.]}

What? She hasn't? Well, you better get her on that. You're a catch, and don't you goddamn forget it.

[Blake picks her up and sets her on his shoulder, his muscles remembering a motion he hasn't done in years.

Ralph's question is the one he has to ask. Anybody would. Blake tries to find the words to answer it right.]

I forgot everything. At least, I thought I did.

[He keeps Steve steady on his shoulder as he talks.]

I just felt like I'd woken up one day and something was different. Like years'd passed in a day, and I was different than I used to be. I didn't have it clear. But now, I know it was in there somewhere.

[He smiles crookedly.]

I know that sounds like hippy bullshit.

_{[Ralph braces himself for the answer, a grimace on his face...but the soon deflates when Blake gives him a sliver of hope.]}

Hippy hooey or not, it's...just nice t'hear, y'know? I like the me who I am now and I don't think I'd wanna be pals with the me I used to be. But...if it's hardwired in there somewhere, it means it's not impossible to dig it back out again. That's good enough for me.

[Blake breaks into a nostalgic smile.] You mean the you who clocked me in the head?

I don't know what it is. But if I can dig it up, I bet you can, too. We're both good guys, right?

[Steve barks her agreement right in his ear.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

So you want to be a Pokemon Master?

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject