009

[a_gentle_boy]

[Today is Train Your Pokémon to Battle Day! And having finally recovered slightly from his ordeal, Lucas is using the last few days of his requested vacation from work to get some of this move groove going. He's never been one to push his Pokémon to train until they drop or anything, but in light of the fact that new and unusual threats seem to be cropping up quickly, it's worth taking a few hours every week to do his part.]

[action 1]
[Early in the morning, Lucas is sitting on a bench in the city holding what looks to be a disc in one hand and a Castform in the other. Anyone who has borrowed a TM from the Rangers will recognize what Lucas is holding... and probably what he's unsuccessfully doing, too.]

Um.

[He scratches at the back of his head a little before gingerly placing the disc on Castform's forehead and staring at it expectantly for a few moments.]

Or...

[Now he rotates Castform every which direction and scrutinizes it carefully.]

Maybe...

[Castform's mouth is slowly eased open as Lucas peers inside.]

...I don't think it's going to fit.

[action 2]
[Having sorted out that TM business (why didn't anyone tell him it would play a video on his Warp Band???), Lucas is in the forest outside Union with a Mareep after lunch. He swings a stick energetically like a conductor while the Mareep disinterestedly wanders around eating every piece of vegetation in sight.]

Thundershock!

[Mareep calmly annihilates a pretty blue flower.]

Thundershock!

[One petal at a time.]

...OK, pretend I'm a bad guy and I'm going to hit you. You've got to get me away however you can! Like a real fight, OK? Count of three.

One. Two. Three --

[And as Lucas runs towards the Mareep with the stick held high, the formerly cloudless sky instantly materializes a bank of dark clouds and launches a massive thunderbolt that jolts right through the boy.]

eeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

[Down he goes. Mareep quietly meanders over and noses at his awkwardly twitching and spasming trainer on the ground. Was that a little too much?]

aaaaaaaaaaah........

Comments

[a_gentle_boy]

[Well, maybe he'd stop a little short of dying, but without any of his incredible array of shields, taking a Thunder head-on hadn't really been a terribly entertaining experience. As the Heal Pulse relaxes his seized limbs slightly, Lucas gives a long and slow exhale.]

Thanks...

I should have been more careful...

[faithfulflame]

[Rei gives him a bit of an odd look. Boy, what is going on with you...]

Um, why did your Pokemon shock you, anyway?

[a_gentle_boy]

I was trying to train it...

[Lucas sheepishly begins to try to sit up as Mareep decides that Lucas will survive and returns to grazing on the vegetation.]

But it looks like he's a lot stronger than I thought he was. I must be doing something right.

[faithfulflame]

Well he sure seems strong.

[She gives Mareep a small smile.]

He's fluffier than my friend Mako-chan's. I think that may mean he's pretty tough. But...why are you having him shock you?

[a_gentle_boy]

((Account out; ignore icons!))

Well... That wasn't exactly what I was going for, but Aries took me by surprise.

[Aries seems entirely uninterested in the conversation now that Lucas has proven himself capable of continuing to breathe on his own.]

I just wanted him to defend himself, so I told him to act like I was a bad guy.

[faithfulflame]

[Rei sighs and looks at the Pokemon, frowning. Baaaaad boy Aries.]

Well, I guess it worked, didn't it? But why you? It's obvious you aren't Ground typed, and that could be dangerous.

[a_gentle_boy]

Well, I mean... he'd just never used anything much stronger than a shock before.

[This probably isn't a very good explanation.]

I'll be more careful.

[His tone is slightly meek.]

[faithfulflame]

...are you sure?

[This is a really odd explanation, Lucas.]

I mean, what do you mean, stronger than a shock?

[a_gentle_boy]

[Lucas continues to look embarrassed.]

Aries doesn't really fight unless there's something or someone that's actually threatening him. I've tried with targets and things, but he just... does his own thing.

So usually I tell him to focus on me. It just got a little out of hand this time.

[faithfulflame]

So he likes to do things against live targets. Do you not have a Pokemon that's more resistant than...well...yourself?

[Sorry Lucas, this is weird and she thinks you are weird. Or not very bright.]

[a_gentle_boy]

Well... that's not very fair. If I want him to train, I can't make one of my other Pokemon get in harm's way just because I'm afraid of getting hurt.

I am resistant, anyway. It's usually pretty hard to hurt me...

[faithfulflame]

Well, either it's working or he doesn't like you...so I guess there's that.

[Rei, so flippant...]

[a_gentle_boy]

[Lucas sighs slightly. ...Because it's true.]

Aries doesn't like much of anything... I hatched him from an Egg, and even when he was born, he was like this.

That's alright, though. He's still growing up...

[faithfulflame]

So he's one of those types...the aggressive sorts...

[She looks over at Aries.]

Aries, now you...really should be nicer to Lucas-kun, you understand. He's not going to hurt you, he just wants to make you tougher.