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

[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.

[warriormouse]

[Martin snorts]

Well, either way I'm fine. Either I'm fine and dead or I'm fine, if confused, and alive.

[rainsrespite]

Same here, just...without the dead part. I mean, as far as I can tell you're as fine as I am. A little weak, but that's all the charts say.

Anyway. Yeah, I'm good. Weirded out, not happy to have had people wandering around in my dreams, but...fine. As weird as that sounds, I know.

[warriormouse]

[Martin is kind of glad he missed that, not going to lie]

Anything else interesting happen, or was that about it?

[rainsrespite]

Well, this dude I know came back from the dead...

[She laughs more genuinely, and shakes her head.]

Soulfasting. Other personal stuff. No war or deaths as far as I know. Some new facilities are opening up, and the Tycoon family is doing something to help the poor.

[warriormouse]

I'll have to ask Lenna about that. What facilities, though?

[rainsrespite]

Master Yashio and I...our dojo? Is partnering with another to make one for Pokemon as well as humans. And the Habitat was expanded.

And there were some discoveries, of course. New Rangings, farther out from the city.

[warriormouse]

That's great! About your dojo, that is. [He'll need to stop by the Rangers and see if there's any information about these new areas if he decides to go traveling that way] How are you making time for the medical center with all this going on?

[rainsrespite]

Well, Ranger duties aren't an everyday thing and the dojo is Master Yashio's, as are the classes. I'm not in Union a whole lot anymore. [She's the restless sort.] But when I am here, I help out where I can here. So...you got lucky with me being here, honestly.

It's a juggling act, but I'm pretty good at that.

[warriormouse]

Just don't overwork yourself. Not that I think you will, but I feel obligated to say that because that is a lot going on.

[rainsrespite]

I haven't yet. I'm still young and spry, and I've got friends to help me with the really heavy lifting. I even had time for a date recently.

[warriormouse]

--a date?

[That gets even Boar's attention. Martin grins]

Who with?

[rainsrespite]

[Yuuna leans back, looking a little cheeky.]

Not sure you know her. Her name's Merrill. Ring any bells?

[warriormouse]

[Laterose makes a comment about how she's named for a Pokémon. Martin ignores her]

No, I haven't met her yet. Did you enjoy it?

[rainsrespite]

Sure. I mean, the first date was odd. Her Pokemon set it up, sorta tricked me into it.

[Smookers...was weird.]

But it was a good time. The second one, though, was a blast. Soulfasting festivals are good for that sort of thing.

[warriormouse]

...you know you'll have to explain how her Pokémon tricked you into a date some time, right?

[rainsrespite]

Oh, she knows. She...also thought a date meant the food. It's kinda sweet. Refreshing, in a way. Her Pokemon were arranging them with anyone that walked by.