[ACTION]

[kaidont]

[If you are currently near the outskirts of Union, you might hear a bit of a racket.

Or you might outright just find Kaido, Flabébé and Sraggy.

They've set up a set of twin practice dummies (a big one for Kaido, a smaller one for Scraggy) and are practicing kicks and punches with synchromised timing, with Flabébé alternating between checking on the egg they have nearby and pushing a large ball around with Fairy Wind.

They've been at this for a week. Someone stop them.

Or alternatively, complain about the noise]

Comments

[at_too_low]

What-- no!

[He's genuinely appalled at the notion and is about to go "how could you think that" - before his expression grows more miserable and ashamed and he almost hangs his head]

... Did I sound like that?

1/2

[kaidont]

What-- [Oh gods you took it seriously. Fuck]

[kaidont]

[sigh]

I didn't mean it like that. Okay?

[at_too_low]

... O-Oh.

[Looking back up at you-- but then he sighs and awkwardly puts the notebook away]

... No, you were right. I should take people's opinions in consideration with things like this... Somehow I'd just assumed you were interested, too. I'm sorry.

[kaidont]

[Noooo now he feels bad]

We just work differently. [slight cringe... for all he sometimes finds your enthusiasm exagerated... seeing it cut off like that is kind of painful] Look, it's okay, you don't have to stop. Being a researcher's what you want, yeah? So keep working on that.

... just no awkward measuring. I can do it myself.

1/2

[at_too_low]

[Small chuckle]

I'll leave that to you, then.

[He stares at his hands for a while, and then shakes his head]

... No, it's exactly because I want to be a researcher I have to stop sometimes. I don't want breaking the code of ethics to be the first thing I do. I'll... just focus on myself for the time being.

[at_too_low]

[And then, the change in his expression completely unforeseen, he beams at you and jumps back to his usual energetic mode]

Oh yeah, I've brought some food for you too! Wanna eat? Couldn't afford some real meat, though, but you can probably get that after the training.

[kaidont]

Atsuro.

[He knows you too well]

[at_too_low]

Hmm?

[He pauses for a second, but then goes back to rummaging in his bag]

Got it-- no, that's for me...

[kaidont]

I give you my permission, okay?

[You're not running from this argument]

[at_too_low]

[He actually pauses this time - as in freezes for a few seconds, thinking, before turning back to you]

Is it because you want to? I'm not betting much on you feeling bad for me, but if it's that, I'd rather refuse.

[kaidont]

What--

It's not that!

[Feeling sorry for someone and wanting them to be happy isn't the same thing, but good luck trying to articulate that, Kaido]

Look, it's not pity. Doing that stuff makes you happy, it's useful to you, I don't want you to stop, okay? I don't get your numbers, but hell, you do, and if I make you stop when it could've been helpful then I'd be fucking dumb, wouldn't I?

1/2

[at_too_low]

[... His smile is genuine this time]

... Thanks.

[at_too_low]

I accept then!

[Holding out his hand for you to shake! That'll make it ~official~.

... And he adds, with an obviously joking grin]

... You do have an aversion for accepting help, though.

[T/N: implying you ARE dumb sometimes.]

[kaidont]

Don't expect it to happen often.

[But he'll take your handshake]

[at_too_low]

[He laughs]

Yeah, it would be too good otherwise!

... Would it help if I explained why I need my "numbers"? Maybe it'd put your mind more at ease.

[kaidont]

Sure.

[He has a feeling it'll either be something he already knows or something that goes way over his head, but you're smiling so]

[at_too_low]

Well, first off, it's like I said - for recording your progress and possibly predicting the ways you might develop in future, or what things you need to pay more attention to. Part of it's medical - what parts of your body you need to treat with some care, what's in danger of being injured more easily, things like that. Also, since you're Fighting type-- it's closer to the way humans normally develop than most types - excluding Normal, of course - so it's among the easiest Enlightened types to document and examine. [Small nervous chuckle] Am I making it sound creepy again?

W-What I mean is like... [He makes a small helpless gesture] As a researcher, it's my duty to learn as much as I can, about Enlightened and Pokemon too, so it can be of help to future generations, or other people right now. And the more information you have, the better! Some great discoveries came from small, insignificant pieces of data-- well, not directly of course, but still. It's never like you have this huge discovery or invention to suddenly stumble upon, it's all ideas born from processing all those little things you learn during your research. A-Also, I think it would be good for me to tackle something easier at first, before going into the mechanics of other types. Like your Dark.

Anyway, that's part of it! Another part is... [He frowns a little, unsure how you'll react] Well, the other part is kind of... documenting precedents. That's not really to do with why I need your measurements-- more like part of why I'm taking an interest in it in general... Even if I'd rather not to, not for this.

[He frowns again, and looks at you a little helplessly]

What that means is... Sometimes, there are difficulties. Unexpected reactions to normal stimuli, sicknesses, evolution processes that weren't given proper attention and went the wrong way, problems with adaptation to the changes being Enlightened brings, lack of mental readiness... I mean, a lot of that stuff is present in humans enough already, but since Enlightened are different, and relatively recent we have... much less information on things like this and we don't know how to treat them or what to do in some cases. So...

[He looks away]

... I really don't want any of that to happen to you or miss Mari. To any of us, of course. But-- if it does, and if we find some way out of it, it's always better to know how and what exactly helped, or why there was a problem in the first place.

[Well. This finished much more depressingly than it started]

[kaidont]

[... he stays silent a few seconds, then puts a hand on your shoulder]

[at_too_low]

[He looks up at you, then back down]

I-I'm sure we'll be fine. Most Enlightened are in the end, one way or another. Plus, it's not like any of us has particularly unusual or dangerous type combinations!

[... Except you. Yours falls under the dangerous part, but he's glassing it over by having it also be relatively common, and thus easier to understand or deal with. In theory.]

[kaidont]

[nod]

We'll be fine, okay? [a little squeeze to your shoulder] Promise.

[at_too_low]

[... His own hand comes up to give yours a light pat]

Y-Yeah. Thanks.

[And he smiles again, like usual]

Speaking of being fine, are you going to eat?

[kaidont]

Yeah, hand over the goods.

[at_too_low]

[He actually laughs - somehow the way you speak is really amusing to him at times.]

Yeah, hang on.

[Taking a wrapped package out of his bag - it's done the way some takeaway stalls wrap their products. This one's fish and chips-- well, whatever substitutes for fish in Union. It falls under the general umbrella of "water-dwelling Pokemon", but it's hard to be sure what Pokemon it is exactly. Still, it's edible and doesn't taste too bad, and that's about as good as people want it.]

[kaidont]

[Sweeeet]

Thanks.