First Sword | Video

[warriormouse]

[He'd heard they had video on the Warp Bands but his old one hadn't had that feature. Maybe it's a good thing this one does.

Martin is in a room in the medical center when he starts it. Which is the problem. He died. He's not supposed to be back in the medical center two months later decidedly not dead and an Enlightened!

But he's back and now he has to adjust to these sharp little claw-nail-things on his fingers on top of everything else. What is his life?

Before Martin gets a chance to say anything, a Budew grabs the band and starts poking at it.]

No, Laterose, not right now.

[The Budew goes out of sight and Martin focuses it back on him with a sigh]

Um. I...I'm not quite sure what to say right now. I'm back? Is that what you say when you die and wake up two months later in the Forest? Is this normal for Enlightened?

[He clearly has more questions but cuts himself off]

Anyway. Could someone catch me up on the last two months?

Comments

[Video.]

[rainsrespite]

I...what...

[She hoists the Politoed up into her arms and they just stare for a long moment. Honestly, what do you even say to this? Dead guy comes back, so what do?]

I don't really understand it, but where's your room? I'm not sure I'll believe it till I see you in person.

[Video.] YOU SAW NOTHING

[warriormouse]

As far away from everyone else as they could make it. I didn't want to startle anyone I know who might be here as a patient.

[Video.] -- Action

[rainsrespite]

Alright, give me a bit then.

[There's some sounds, talking and questioning, and then the sounds of footsteps. Hurried footsteps at that, before the Warp Band closes out. A minute later, Martin will hear a knock.]

Action

[warriormouse]

[Boar floats over to get the door. Martin's not really supposed to be up and about right now. He makes a cheerful clanking noise when he sees Yuuna. Martin waves]


Sorry about this.

Action Forever

[rainsrespite]

[Stepping inside, Yuuna lets the little Politoed drop to the ground and meanders over to the bed. The Politoed looks up at Boar and waves, hopping in a small circle around the ghost. He's fond of Honedges, because of Yuuna's father having kept one when they were growing up, and while it's been years he's never quite stopped being fond of them.

While the Pokemon get acquainted Yuuna sizes him up with a critical eye before picking up his medical chart and giving it a once over.]

It's fine. But you're not. I guess death is pretty bad for the body, huh?

[warriormouse]

[Boar waves back, which gets Laterose to leave Martin's pillow and waddle over. New Pokémon!]

Well, I'm incredibly hungry and the scars of the wounds I guess killed me are tender, but I was able to make it from the Shrine to here just fine. I'm not sure if anything changed, other than being Enlightened.

[rainsrespite]

[Hi there, Laterose. Uzushio waves to you too.]

That is a change. [A pause.] Let me see your scars, if you don't mind. I know the other staff has probably gone over you with a fine toothed comb, but I feel like I should.

And...do you know your typing?

[warriormouse]

[Hope Uzushio doesn't mind her trying to climb him with her stubby Budew legs and arms.

Martin nods and pulls off his shirt. He's looking pretty healthy for a dead guy, if you ignore the giant scar across his middle]

The other is on the back of my head.

[rainsrespite]

[Not really. He's a patient little thing.

Now, Yuuna isn't normally one for staring either, but that is a pretty ugly looking scar. And hey, he's looking alright save for that.]

Alright. So those are definitely fatal. But they're healing...sort of. That's a good sign. A start, at least.

[warriormouse]

[He appreciates the sentiment, Yuuna]

I have a pulse, I breathe, I shiver--I feel alive. The only things that are different from before my death is the scars, the nails, and the fact I glow in the dark now.

[He thinks there may be something else up as well but he's not entirely sure]

[rainsrespite]

[Yuuna nods again and taps her warp band. A faint flash of light heralds the arrival of a Hitmonchan. It looks from it's trainer to the bedridden guy and starts studying him at a nod from Yuuna.]

You're alive. Gouken will tell me if you're a ghost or not, but you're definitely alive according to the charts.

[She reaches down to take his pulse.]

Heartbeat, breathing normal. The claws are different, but then...lots of Enlightened have body changes when they come into their powers. And I know not all of them awaken in the same way at the same time.

[warriormouse]

[Boar just chimes in with a "I think I would know if he's a ghost" and rolls his one eye. Martin glares at him. He's still marveling over being able to understand him a bit, but that was pretty obviously rude]

Boar, stop. If anything, I think I'm Ghost type. I mean, what other types glow in the dark?

[rainsrespite]

[Hitmonchan nods at that, once to his trainer, once to Martin. To Honedge he snorts. Nobody likes a smartass steel type.]

Definitely you are. Though, Fairy, Steel, Electric, and maybe some kinds of Rock types can glow in the dark. You're at least typed that way. I think you'd almost have to be.

[warriormouse]

[Steel Ghost type, thank you. Dead people are his specialty. Sort of.]

My father was Normal/Steel, but I never showed any indication that I was Enlightened at all before dying. Being Ghost would make sense. It's just disturbing.

[rainsrespite]

Well, not everyone wakes up in the same way or at the same time.

[She gives Honedge an appreciative smile. Thanks for your input, but she does want a proper examination.]

And I admit, it is a bit disturbing. But...there are some really nice ghost types around. The Feys, especially.

[warriormouse]

Oh, I know. I've always liked Ghost types, at least a little. It's just...I died.

[rainsrespite]

And you've been given a new lease on life, looks like.

[She chuckles and pulls a chair over to plunk down next to him.]

Think of it this way: you got a second chance. Dead or not, that's actually kinda cool.

[warriormouse]

[...She has a point. Martin smiles and settles back on his bed. Laterose is still trying to climb the Politoed]

Laterose, please remember you can poison people on contact.

[He is ignored]

So what's happened recently?

[rainsrespite]

[Politoed gurgles a laugh. He'll be okay. And he'll pick up the Budew instead, setting it on his head so his curly-head thing tickles it a bit.]

That's...a complicated question. What's the last thing you remember?

[warriormouse]

There was a problem with Heatran in August, and I was a bit busy in September before dying.

[rainsrespite]

Right. Okay.

[She rolls her head back, looking up at the ceiling.]

I officially joined the Rangers in September, as far as personal matters go. And something happened, it was weird, but people's minds and body's swapped for a week or so there. I was trapped in a guy named Robin's body, and he got mine. I heard it was happening all over the city, I just...tried to stay indoors that week.

After that, it was pretty quiet up until Darkrai and Cresselia decided to start messing with our dreams. They pulled people into the world of dreams, forced us to live through nightmares, and seemed...I guess...to be judging us?

[warriormouse]

[What. Boar and Martin share a look because what.]

Well, congratulations on joining the Rangers, though I'm sorry about the, um, judging?

[rainsrespite]

That they were trying to decide how to deal with humanity. It all felt a lot like a test. They showed us nightmares, scenes from what I guess is the past. Things...that Pokemon probably went through before the Cataclysm.

[warriormouse]

[Martin frowns]

Reminders, I guess, of what we're trying to avoid. Are you alright?

[rainsrespite]

Me? Yeah. Fine. I don't scare easy, and I fought the last 'god' that attacked. Nightmares can't hurt you.

[She smiles mirthlessly.]

Funny hearing that question from the dead guy, though.